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Chelsea to sack Enzo Maresca and Jack Grealish to shine: FourFourTwo's 2024/25 predictions for the Premier League

By Mark White,

1 day ago

The Premier League is back. Did you miss it?

As ever, we all start at zero points and maximum expectation. There will be twists and turns in the road, however: we all know that.

So what's your wildest prediction for the season? Here's what our team of experts told us…

FourFourTwo's Premier League 2024/25 predictions

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Newcastle will win a trophy: Matthew Ketchell, deputy editor ( @ketchell )

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0nbIgb_0v1QkkNg00 — Newcastle United for a trophy? (Image credit: Getty Images)

Is there a club or fanbase more desperate to sip sweet Carabao from a three-handled pot? The last Newcastle player to lift a trophy that wasn’t a framed certificate was Bobby Moncur in 1969 when Newcastle won the Inter City Fairs Cup.

Domestically, they haven’t won a cup since 1955. Newcastle cleverly got all of their difficult cup draws out of the way last year, and then cleverly missed out on Europe to free up their 2024/25 midweeks for Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon to bulldoze their way past lower league opposition and slay a top four dragon under the arch. It’s time.

Kazuyoshi Miura to retire: Chris Flanagan, senior staff writer ( @CFlanaganFFT )

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3eYLzz_0v1QkkNg00 — Kazuyoshi Miura: still playing at the age of 57

At the age of 57, having commenced his career at Brazilian club Santos way back in 1986, the former Japan international is still battling on, heading to Atletico Suzuka on loan from Yokohama FC recently. Every year, he joins a new club or pens a new contract and we're reminded that, yes, a man getting towards his 60s really is still playing football – last year he even had a random spell with Oliveirense in Portugal's second division.

Perhaps this could finally be the season when he decides 'You know what? I don't even like football' and calls it quits. More likely though, he'll carry on playing until he's 215 years old.

Arne Slot won’t last the full season: Ryan Dabbs, senior writer online ( @ryandabbs_ )

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1nsX6g_0v1QkkNg00 — Slot's being tipped for the exit already (Image credit: Getty Images)

Slot’s first few months at Liverpool all stinks a bit of David Moyes’ tenure at Manchester United . The Dutchman is replacing a legendary manager, has failed to make a signing before the start of the Premier League season – and only then did Moyes manage to sign Marouane Fellaini – and inherits a squad that, by and large, overachieved last season.

The contract situations of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold need to be resolved quickly, too. The longer those issues rumble on, the more unsettled they’ll become and, thus, the more pressure Slot will come under.

Jack Grealish will be Premier League Player of the Season: Mark White, content editor ( @markwhlte )

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1emz4I_0v1QkkNg00 — Jack Grealish has enjoyed a brat summer (Image credit: Getty Images)

It was when I saw Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland posing with Shrek and Fiona that I knew a worldie season was coming from the People's Prince. He looks relaxed. Free from the shackles of expectation and media invasion after a brat summer.

Manchester City stars tend to take it in turns to be Player of the Season: Phil Foden picked up the baton last season after cameoing at best during the Treble tilt. It's Jack's season, therefore, to shine. Pep Guardiola doesn't have many misses: surely you're all writing off a £100 million talent way, way too soon.

Chelsea will finish bottom half and sack Enzo Maresca: Adam Monk, presenter/producer ( @_adammonk )

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3hfjbA_0v1QkkNg00 — Enzo Maresca is a doubt to finish the season (Image credit: Getty Images)

Forget the players for a second. The manager alone is a downgrade on Pochettino: a manager who's managed at academy level and then slightly underwhelmed at Leicester given the squad he had at his disposal.

I can't see how he copes with what is effectively a squad that resembles a University Freshers week this time round. As for the squad themselves, there are too many of them and too many of them are distinctly average. Dressing room chaos is a guarantee.

Also, imagine you were a Chelsea player right now? Not knowing whether you're going to play 30 games or three games is a really precarious situation to be in career-wise. 14th.

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