Premier League Season Preview: From 9/2 to 11/1 here are four outside bets for 2021-22

The 2021/22 Premier League season gets underway this weekend and with football returning to something like normality we can expect a significantly different campaign to the last. Manchester City's slow possession football won't cut it as the intensity rises, while the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool are expected to roar back to form.

Lower down the table, there are serious question marks over Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, both of which have appointed managers unlikely to make them stronger than the sum of their parts, which puts Aston Villa in a potentially strong position.

Towards the bottom of the table, Crystal Palace are the most interesting story in a relegation battle likely to be less fiercely contested than in 2020/21.

Here are four outside bets we predict will come in this season:

Revamped Chelsea to lift the title

The Champions League triumph was enough on its own to put Chelsea among the favourites, but their chances have improved significantly by the fact Thomas Tuchel has had a full pre-season to get his complex tactical ideas across.

Last season he consistently selected a 3-4-3, playing quiet and relatively conservative possession football as he looked to gradually implement a pandemic-proof system. But for 2021/22 we should see this change dramatically, replaced by high-energy, high-pressing, line-piercing football at Stamford Bridge.

The addition of Romelu Lukaku gives Tuchel the final piece of the jigsaw.

Not only will Timo Werner be more efficient with a strike partner, but the excellent crosses of Reece James will now hit their mark. What's more, Lukaku is a tactically and positionally flexible player who will adapt quickly to the manager's demands.

Liverpool to complete top two as City struggle

The dual forecast odds for Chelsea & Liverpool are 11/1, long enough to reflect the general perception that Man City will be very strong this season after the signing of Jack Grealish. But even if they go on to capture Harry Kane there are some warning signs that Pep Guardiola's side might not be as strong as many predict.

He has already warned of a slow start to the season following the Community Shield defeat to Leicester City, and should that happen Man City could be in trouble. Last autumn, when they had 20 points from the first 12 matches, many thought the Guardiola era was coming to an end, and while they were transformed by the manager's ability to solve pandemic football the return to normality could see those problems re-emerge.

An ageing squad, softness in central midfield, defensive errors from a high line, and lack of energy in the press defined the difficult start. None of these problems are solved with the additions of Grealish, and 86 points probably won't be enough to finish in the top two in such a strong year. Do City really have what it takes to improve on last season?

Liverpool, meanwhile, could be a club reborn. The return of the Anfield crowd is a huge boost for a team built on emotionality, and motivation within the squad will be high: the message from Jurgen Klopp will be to win the title for the crowd, who missed Liverpool's big moment in 2020.

Virgil van Dijk and Diogo Jota are back, which is huge, while the addition of Ibrahima Konate should re-energise the club.

Spurs and Arsenal issues can help Villa progress

This could be the perfect year for Aston Villa to break the top six. Everton are in trouble having appointed the hugely unpopular Rafael Benitez, whose tactics are out-dated for the top half of the Premier League, and few anticipate West Ham United maintaining their form from last year.

Tottenham Hotspur are approaching crisis as Kane tries to force a move, Arsenal are in chaos with a bloated squad and few of their attacking problems solved, and Leeds United haven't had the transfer window to suggest they can make waves.

All of which clears the path for Villa to finish sixth, having enjoyed a spectacular summer despite Jack Grealish's departure. Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey are hugely exciting acquisitions, and should Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins work well together Villa will have a greater attacking output than they did last year.

Their defence is already very assured, made stronger this season by the addition of Axel Tanzuebe, plus John McGinn is finally returning to his best form and Douglas Luiz will be buoyed by his Olympic gold medal. If Villa make a fast start, the European places are within reach.

Vieira's Palace could be set for rock bottom

Crystal Palace are about to embark on a total revolution - with the wounds of their last attempt to do so still fresh. The spectre of Frank de Boer's failed experiment hangs over Selhurst Park, and indeed there is reason to assume that Patrick Vieira's project could go the same way this season - indeed I've already made a case for them going down here.

Their pre-season friendlies have shown Vieira's desire to play quick-tempo football with flying full-backs, a high defensive line, and plenty of positional rotation. Does he really have the squad to pull that off?

They have made some very astute signings this summer - Marc Guehi, Joachim Anderson, Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher are all exciting players - but Crystal Palace are already taking a huge risk moving away from the conservatism of the Roy Hodgson era. That risk is doubled by exclusively signing young and unproven players.

Palace are also very short in attack now that Eberichi Eze is injured for several months of the season, and consequently Vieira's attacking football might be fruitless in the final third while making them more vulnerable at the back. Relegation is definitely on the cards, and should they start disastrously then Palace may even be the bottom club in May.