Arsenal only narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season as Manchester City pipped them to the trophy by just two points.
The Gunners have now finished as runners-up to Man City twice in a row, but they will be determined to go one better next term.
Arsenal look nailed on to be the top London club next season, which leaves the rest of the top flight clubs in the capital vying to be best of the rest.
Tottenham Hotspur achieved the feat last season by finishing fifth, but they may find it tough to fend off big-spending Chelsea this time around.
Manager Ange Postecoglou sparked improvement at Tottenham last term and has been widely tipped to make further progress this season.
The Australian tactician repeatedly emphasised that a Champions League finish wasn’t his priority last term as he looked to build a cohesive unit capable of competing for silverware on all fronts.
He implemented an eye-catching brand of football at Tottenham, which helped to make the team a popular pick with punters in his homeland.
However, the affable Aussie faces a tough task to keep Spurs in the running for a top four finish and could even struggle to bag a top six spot.
Aston Villa, Manchester United and Newcastle United are all expected to be in contention for European qualification, which makes Tottenham a risky bet.
Spurs’ odds of 1.66 to finish in the top six will probably tempt Australian punters who feel a sense of loyalty to theit compatriot, but they could be playing with fire. A quick look at the new betting sites listed on the Australian platform OnlyRacing suggest there may be better value to be had a little further down the rankings.
Palace Could Upset the Odds This Season
Crystal Palace look overpriced at 13.00 to finish in the top six after their remarkable run of form towards the back end of last season.
Palace were different gravy after Oliver Glasner replaced Roy Hodgson midway through the season, spurring the club to a top-half finish for the first time in nearly a decade.
Glasner orchestrated arguably the most remarkable turnaround of the season at Palace, and Bayern Munich’s interest in him is testament to his undeniable impact at Selhurst Park.
Just three months into his one-and-a-half-year contract with Palace, the Bundesliga giants attempted to lure Glasner to the Allianz Arena as Thomas Tuchel’s successor.
Palace’s resurgence under Glasner was evident during the run-in as they won five of their last six games, all against teams above them in the Premier League table.
Several players have significantly improved under Glasner’s tutelage, but Jean-Philippe Mateta’s transformation was the pick of the bunch.
The Frenchman finished the campaign with 16 Premier League goals despite netting just twice in the first half of the season, which further emphasises Glasner’s impact on the team.
Glasner is an ambitious manager who is not afraid to make demands from the club hierarchy.
Palace have a gem on their hands, but they need to show they can match his ambition with their transfer business, starting this summer.
Several key players are already attracting interest from top clubs in England and abroad.
However, keeping hold of their star players will go a long way in persuading Glasner that the club is determined to build on their impressive 2023/24 campaign.
Palace have already lost Michael Olise to Bayern after the Bundesliga giants activated his release clause.
They could face the same fate with Eberechi Eze amid concrete interest from Spurs and Man City.
Marc Guehi is also a hot commodity, but Palace must do everything in their power to keep their key players to bolster their chances of becoming a top club in the Premier League.
There is still a lot of work to be done before they can compete consistently with clubs such as Spurs, but they will fancy their chances of pushing for a place in Europe next season.
Europa Conference League qualification is an achievable target for Palace and they could sneak into the top six if a couple of the other clubs falter.
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