New season predictions as 28 experts decide champions, top four and relegation

We might have got going across the divisions last weekend, but it will be Crystal Palace and Arsenal who kick off the new top-flight season at Selhurst Park on Friday evening.

With a World Cup slap bang in the middle of the season, 2022-23 promises to be a campaign quite unlike any other, but what will happen?

We've canvassed our wide array of writers, journalists, reporters and editors across the Mirror for their take on what to expect, from Premier League champions and top four contenders to clubs seeking to avoid relegation and those looking to win the Champions League.

Feel free to come back in May and see just how right, or maybe wrong, we were.

Alan Smith

Premier League champions: Manchester City

Rest of top four (in order): Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea

Relegated: Leeds, Fulham, Bournemouth

Championship winners: Burnley

League 1 winners: Derby

League 2 winners: Salford

FA Cup winners: Liverpool

Carabao Cup winners: Liverpool

Champions League winners: Manchester City

Pep Guardiola's team will again have a slight edge in the title race to make it five in six years but at what point does a two-horse race become boring? The fact Manchester City and Liverpool are so evenly matched has ensured the rivalry remains entertaining but spare a thought for the rest of the big six who will once again focus on fighting for a Champions League place.

Tottenham Hotspur look best of the rest because of the Antonio Conte factor and a couple of decent additions in the transfer market, most notably Richarlison arriving to ease the burden on Harry Kane. Then it is three vying for the final spot with Chelsea pipping Manchester United and Arsenal.

At the bottom it seems obvious that the promoted sides are going to struggle but Leeds United survived by the skin of their teeth last season and have sold their best two players. The jury remains out on Jesse Marsch and Nottingham Forest's heavy investment could see them over the line.

Alex Richards

Premier League champions: Manchester City

Rest of top four (in order): Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal

Relegated:Everton, Fulham, Bournemouth

Championship winners: Burnley

League 1 winners: Sheffield Wednesday

League 2 winners: Northampton

FA Cup winners: Liverpool

Carabao Cup winners: Manchester City

Champions League winners: Liverpool

Pep Guardiola has sought to evolve his Manchester City attack with Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez - who is absolutely brilliant by the way - and they'll be champions again. As the best squad, they'll be able to ride the terrain of this split season better than any other... and I'd expect their winning margin to be much more considerable than last term.

Spurs under Antonio Conte are entering 'win now' territory as they look to make the most (at last) of Harry Kane's prime years. They may not actually win any silverware, but I'm tipping them to edge Liverpool and finish second.

That's because the Reds will be focusing on Europe in the latter half of the season, another Champions League final in store for Jurgen Klopp. This time my money is on the final we should have seen last season, had Man City not collapsed - like everyone, against Real Madrid.

Fourth looks set to be a straight shootout between Arsenal and Chelsea, and the upheaval at Stamford Bridge looks set to cost them.

Conor Mummery

Premier League champions: Tottenham

Rest of top four (in order): Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea

Relegated: Everton, Fulham, Bournemouth

Championship winners: Norwich

League 1 winners: Sheffield Wednesday

League 2 winners: Northampton

FA Cup winners: Manchester City

Carabao Cup winners: Manchester City

Champions League winners: Liverpool

"Are you an idiot?" "No sir I'm a dreamer."

Tottenham may seem a rogue shout for the Premier League title, but in what is likely to be the most chaotic season in decades given the four-week jaunt to Qatar in the middle of the campaign, normal rules don't apply. And I have a reputation to keep up.

Man City won't go another season without their beloved Carabao and I can't see Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool going as big on the FA Cup this time out with bigger fish to fry and a thousand games to contend, but I do think they'll go one better than last season in Europe. Bar the superspreading defeat by Atletico Madrid at Anfield back in March 2020, the Reds have been there or thereabouts in the Champions League in recent years, and I fancy them for number seven in Istanbul in May.

Josh O'Brien

Premier League champions: Manchester City

Rest of top four (in order): Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal

Relegated: Southampton, Fulham, Bournemouth

Championship winners: Norwich

League 1 winners: Ipswich

League 2 winners: Northampton

FA Cup winners: Arsenal

Carabao Cup winners: Tottenham

Champions League winners: Manchester City

I think it's incredibly difficult to look past Pep Guardiola's side for the major honours next term. Any outfit that adds Erling Haaland, Julian Alvaraz and Kalvin Phillips to a side that are already reigning champions are going to be incredibly difficult to beat.

Many appear to be underestimating a Liverpool side that played every game possible last time around - Jurgen Klopp knows how to get the best out of his players and the Reds will not be falling out of the top two anytime soon.

Spurs are looking the strongest version of themselves we've seen for a while under Antonio Conte and I expect them to comfortably secure Champions League football, with a League Cup thrown in to end their 14-year trophy drought.

Arsenal will at long last return to the Champions League, with the addition of Gabriel Jesus proving pivotal as the Brazilian will fire the Gunners into fourth.

James Whaling

Premier League champions: Manchester City

Rest of top four (in order): Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea

Relegated: Leeds, Brentford, Bournemouth

Championship winners: Norwich

League 1 winners: Sheffield Wednesday

League 2 winners: Bradford

FA Cup winners: Arsenal

Carabao Cup winners: Tottenham

Champions League winners: Manchester City

Hard to look past Manchester City retaining their title after signing Erling Haaland, who surely cannot and will not fail in taking the Premier League by storm.

I'd still expect Liverpool to be their closest challengers but Tottenham have recruited brilliantly and I wouldn't rule out a more open title race than in previous years. Chelsea to complete the top four.

Down the other end, Leeds escaped by the skin of their teeth last year and I'm far from convinced by their new(ish) manager. Brentford could suffer the same bout of second season syndrome their Yorkshire counterparts did last term. I think Nottingham Forest and Fulham might have enough to stay up, but Bournemouth look like they're in for a struggle.

As far as the cups go, Arsenal are surely due an FA Cup after missing out for two whole seasons. Spurs to break their trophy drought with the League Cup, and Man City to finally get the m off their back and win the Champions League.

Norwich to bounce straight back as they always do, Darren Moore and Mark Hughes to lead Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City to promotion from Leagues One and Two.

Felix Keith

Premier League champions: Manchester City

Rest of top four (in order): Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal

Relegated: Bournemouth, Fulham, Nottingham Forest

Championship winners:Watford

League 1 winners: Sheffield Wednesday

League 2 winners: Mansfield

FA Cup winners: Manchester City

Carabao Cup winners: Manchester City

Champions League winners: Liverpool

Manchester City have won four of the last five Premier League trophies and their dominance is showing no signs of waning. With Erling Haaland on board it's hard to see anyone else, bar Liverpool, getting close. The gap between those two and the rest is only going to get wider.

Tottenham have backed Antonio Conte this summer and they'll be the best of the rest, while the second successive £100million plus summer window - plus Chelsea's wobbly start to the Todd Boehly era - means Arsenal should finally qualify for the Champions League.

The promoted teams are going to be cannon fodder once more while Watford's strike force should give them another go in 2023/24. Darren Moore and Nigel Clough are wise heads who have squads good enough to seal the titles.

City have made the League Cup their own and have the squad to rotate, but their Champions League hoodoo will continue. Liverpool have the pedigree and manager to bounce back in the competition though.

Colin Millar

Premier League champions: Liverpool

Rest of top four (in order): Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea

Relegated: Leeds, Everton, Nottingham Forest

Championship winners: Watford

League 1 winners: Ipswich

League 2 winners: Stockport

FA Cup winners: Manchester United

Carabao Cup winners: Manchester City

Champions League winners: Bayern Munich

Manchester City and Liverpool have both lost important players over the summer window despite investing to bolster their starting line-ups.

Liverpool enjoyed a much stronger second half of last season than City, and the losses of Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko may lead to a lack of depth should prolonged injuries hit Pep Guardiola's squad.

The Reds could well pip City to the title this year, but fans of both should be patient with new signings Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland - who may take longer to adapt than anticipated.

Manchester United may be the best of the rest; they have appointed a brilliant coach, cast off multiple players who appeared to be actively damaging dressing room unity and made savvy investments. More signings - particularly in central midfield and attack - are needed, but they could take advantage of a lack of excellence outside the top two.

Thomas Tuchel has a talented squad at Chelsea and should they bolster their defence further, they should pip Arsenal and Tottenham to a top four spot.