The 2023/24 Premier League fixtures are out and the fans of Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton Town can look forward to clashes with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool.
The three promoted teams will approach the new campaign with optimism and, hopefully, realism as they are about to take part in the toughest league in the world.
It’s always a huge challenge for any promoted side to retain its top-flight status but, last season, all three of the new boys did it as Fulham, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest all avoided the drop.
So which, if any of the Clarets, Blades, and Hatters, will still be Premier League teams in 12 months’ time? My bet is just one.
Kompany’s Burnley will take on the big guns
The big news in SBOTOP’s opening fixtures analysis l last week was the clash between Vincent Kompany’s Clarets and his old friends at Manchester City. Burnley vs the Sky Blues is the curtain raiser on Friday 11th August, who’d have thought it?
There will be an electric atmosphere at Turf Moor as the second tier champions take on the Premier League kings, and if ever there was a time to take on City, the opening fixture is surely it.
Burnley won the Championship in some style, breaking the 100-point barrier and becoming the first team to be promoted with seven games still remaining. And Kompany has transformed the Clarets from being the toughest team in the English league to one of the most exciting.
Flair players like Anass Zaroury, Manuel Benson, and Scott Twine were scintillating in the second tier and will get more protection from Premier League referees. And in Germany U21 skipper Jordan Beyer and Belgian international Ameen Al Dakhil, Burnley have a highly impressive centre-back pairing.
Kompany understands Burnley and has said he will ensure a trip to Turf Moor is the most unpleasant prospect for any visiting team, and the passionate Clarets fans will back him up. And owner Alan Pace will continue to support the Belgian coach in the market.
I predict Burnley to return to mid table in their seventh Premier League campaign in eight years.
Blades are a little too blunt
Sheffield United followed Burnley into the Premier League after an impressive campaign of which they spent the vast majority in second place.
Paul Heckingbottom’s team lost some momentum and, in the run in, it looked like Middlesbrough and then Luton Town might chase them down. But they held their nerve and were deserved runners-up to return to the top flight for a second chance after a two-year stint in 2020 and 2021.
The problem I can see is that Sheffield’s best players, other than loans, are the guys who were the stars of the Blades’s last Premier League experience.
Oliver Norwood, John Egan, Chris Basham, and Enda Stevens are all quality players. But somewhere between the top two leagues, Sander Berge is a sought-after talent, and the Blades may struggle to keep hold of their midfield ace.
Sheffield will try to make things awkward for the Premier League big guns, and they will have some successes in their Premier League 2023 results, but whether they have enough to survive remains to be seen.
Heckingbottom will have the likes of Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, and maybe Burnley in his sights, but I suspect it will be a long, hard winter in South Yorkshire.
Luton will enjoy the ride
It’s great to see Luton Town back in the top-flight after an absence of over 30 years and less than a decade since the Hatters were a non-league outfit.
The pre-season Premier League 2023 betting odds don’t hold out much hope for Rob Edward’s side, but then neither did the Championship odds last season.
After being sacked by the basket case of a club Watford, Edwards was snapped up by Luton and he worked wonders moulding a well-drilled team that was hard to beat and dangerous on the break.
Record signing Carlton Morris, bought for a fee less than £2 million, led the line magnificently last term, and he is in the mould of an old-fashioned centre-forward, a handful for defenders and with a fierce shot.
But Luton will need a lot more than tight organisation and aggression, and it will be difficult for Edwards to tempt top young players to join his tight band of warriors.
Luton’s aim must be to stay in the fight as deep into the campaign as possible.
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