Familiar favourites on English start line

Familiar exchanges
Having been pipped by United to the title on the final day of last season, and lost to them on penalties in the UEFA Champions League final, Chelsea will be bent on revenge. To that aim Luiz Felipe Scolari has been coaxed from the Portugal national team helm to replace Avram Grant, and he wasted no time in making his presence felt at Stamford Bridge, signing Deco and Bosingwa. But while some things change, others stay the same and the early dialogue regarding the title challenge sounds familiar. While Scolari insists that "there is no reason, if all goes well, that Chelsea cannot win every competition we enter", Sir Alex Ferguson has been surprised that his new rival in the blue corner has been so feted. "I read that Scolari is more experienced than me," he said. "What have I been doing for the last 34 years? I must have missed something or been asleep."

Striking worries
United have already added to a heaving trophy cabinet this season after edging Portsmouth FC in another shoot-out in the Community Shield last Sunday. Keeping hold of Cristiano Ronaldo, the man whose 42 goals provided much of their success in 2007/08, despite massive interest from Real Madrid CF, may prove to be an insurmountably bigger prize. He is still recovering from ankle surgery, however, and with Louis Saha also sidelined and Wayne Rooney only an outside chance for Sunday's opener against Newcastle United FC due to a virus, Sir Alex admits his side could do with more attacking options. That is not something Liverpool FC manager Rafael Benítez can complain of having brought in €30m Robbie Keane over the summer and the Reds and Arsenal FC are once again expected to be the closest challengers to the Premier League duopoly.

Spurs spending
Arsenal were swapping the leadership with United until March last term, and despite the departures of key midfielders Mathieu Flamini and Aleksandr Hleb they could challenge again. A new generation of youngsters, supported by €14.5m signing Samir Nasri, promise much even if the spending up the road at Tottenham Hotspur FC has eclipsed them. Spurs have invested in excess of €60m on the likes of Luka Modrić, David Bentley and Heurelho Gomes and should Juande Ramos manage to get his team to gel they could become a real force – pre-season results certainly bode well. The outlook for promoted Stoke City FC, West Brom and – for the first time in the top flight – Hull City AFC looks much bleaker, however, and the trio are the bookmakers' favourites to go straight back down, though Bolton Wanderers FC may also struggle.