Premier League Power Rankings: Pre-Season

The league never lies? A weekly look at who is making the real moves during the season!

1) Chelsea - Who can back against the team who took apart others by 7 and 8 goals towards the end of last season. A Double winning effort to boot. As they say - they are champions until somebody can prove otherwise.

2) Arsenal - Much was made of the Cesc Fabregas situation during the summer. The key difference this season will most certainly be the form and fitness of Robin van Persie. Yes he is that important.

3) Manchester United - Once again they look well-oiled during the pre-season and with all their experience they are unlikely to fall too far. Age may be an issue for key players. Newton Heath are a Wayne Rooney injury away from a major problem.

4) Everton - The most contented club in the league looking from the outside in. No boardroom issues, star players signing long contracts. This could be a major season for David Moyes. A fully fit squad and 2010 form cannot be overlooked. Jack Rodwell may push Everton on to the next level.


5) Liverpool - True they have not made a major move in the market, with the injury-prone Joe Cole a hard one to factor in. Still they have kept hold of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard and that will help keep the place buoyed. A takeover may be complicated but will keep the protests limited. Roy Hodgson will unite the place more than Rafa Benitez.

6) Manchester City - This may be too low for the petrol-dollar driven outfit. It could yet be too high. Shay Given and Craig Bellamy have already sounded ultimatums and a ball has yet to be kicked. Roberto Mancini has his hands full this season .. or half-season..... More likely to make a mark in the Europa League.

7) Tottenham Hotspur - Spurs have it all to do and without significant additions it may prove too much. A good cup run in one competition is to be expected but the Champions League will be a distraction and a drain on players and supporters alike - both good and bad.

8) Blackburn Rovers - There are signs that Sam Allardyce is beginning to mould the team and the club in his own image. It should not be forgotten what he achieved with lesser players at Bolton Wanderers. With no major pressure to reach Europe, he may just push it close.

9) West Ham United - Avram Grant has proven himself quite the shrewd operator. Anyone who can engineer sympathy for Portsmouth has what it takes to convince his players they are up to scratch. In Mark Noble and Scott Parker, West Ham have a midfield that England would be jealous of.

10) Aston Villa - Martin O'Neill has the ability to build a team in his own image, run them into the ground physically, then leave the club with an uncertain future and a collection of players that Leicester City would be proud. Just ask Gordon Strachan. Aston Villa deserved better, they will no doubt be better off, just not this season.

11) Sunderland - A great start and a depressing slump makes it difficult to assess the Black Cats. They still have Darren Bent though, and that means goals! Not everybody can count on that.

12) Bolton Wanderers - Owen Coyle will be doing his best to change the team into the type of footballing side that won him admirers at Burnley. So much so that Arsene Wenger trusted him with Jack Wilshire. They will improve. Surprise a few. They are a year away from a full transition.

13) Birmingham City - The Blues did great last year. Lee Bowyer and Barry Ferguson proved a few wrong but they don't have the legs to do it again. If Alex McLeish can get the most out of a defence that includes Stephen Carr for two years running - he will be set for bigger things come summer.

14) Fulham - Mark Hughes took a lot of plaudits at Blackburn, but following Roy Hodgson and the fairytale he created will be a tough job. Hodgson embraced a European style of football whereas Hughes will keep things simple. His Blackburn team was a tough and athletic unit. Fulham are slight and skilled. It will take time.

15) Wigan Athletic - This may be a punt on the basis that Roberto Martinez could be a great manager. This will be his toughest job. He must have something to lift his players from heavy defeats last term. They have the squad to be relegated - but the manager to over achieve.

16) Wolverhampton Wanderers - Mick McCarthy took some crticism for his single-minded surrender at Old Trafford last year. He and his team are as stubborn as they come. They let nobody rest. Kevin Doyle and Stephen Fletcher will cause every team they play trouble.

17) Stoke City - Finishing above the relegation zone may not be deemed a success for Stoke fans anymore - and there lies the problem. Where Tony Pulis takes this team is anybody's guess. A move away from the long ball tactics was a welcome surprise last season, he may need to revert to type this year.

18) Newcastle United - This was a squad who hit the ground running last season. The momentum sent them flying. Momentum is a two way street. A few defeats will have everybody questioning what they are watching this year. The obligatory change of manager will seal their fate.

19) West Bromwich Albion - Roberto Di Matteo will enjoy the experience and the Baggies' are used to having a brief joyride in the top flight. They will play their football and be a credit. This is a young team and manager who will be back in better shape next time around.

20) Blackpool - No looks, just bags of personality. In the world of the Premier League supermodels that quite simply will not cut it. Hopefully they will have their moments in the same way Burnley will cherish their memories. That will be as far as it goes. It won't be a rollercoaster. More a wet weekend.