Three Premier League title contenders to watch

Finally, the season is here: Premier League will begin Friday with defending champion Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield.

Here are three teams that should contend for the title: 

Liverpool | first last season

Key transfers out: right back Trent Alexander-Arnold (to Real Madrid), winger Luis Diaz (to Bayern Munich), forward Darwin Nuñez (to Al-Hilal)

Key transfers in: Attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz (from Bayer Leverkusen), right back Jeremie Frimpong (from Bayer Leverkusen), goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili (from Valencia)

Liverpool tied the all-time championship record last season when it lifted its 20th Premier League trophy, and it looks set to break it this season.

The Reds pulled off fabulous deals over the summer, strengthening their team in nearly every position. But "nearly" is key here: Despite investing in depth, Liverpool has not made significant moves at center back. That means Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahim Konaté — two capable but feisty players who both considered leaving Liverpool this summer — must play well in the center of defense.

Liverpool enters this season in a strong position, but it also enters it carrying the weight of tragedy. Liverpool winger Diogo Jota, just 28 years old and set for a strong season with the Reds, died this summer in a car accident in Spain. His untimely death leaves an emotional hole for Liverpool, but it also provides motivation: This team is eager to win to honor Jota's memory.

"Jota was the player that if things were really, really, really difficult, I always looked at him and said, ‘Now we need something special from you.’ And he delivered so many times in those moments," said Liverpool coach Arne Slot, per The Guardian. "So we are in a very difficult time, so let’s try to do what Diogo did so many times."

Arsenal | second last season

Last season: second

Key transfers out: Midfielder Jorginho (to Flamengo), defensive midfielder Thomas Partey (to Villarreal), defender Takehiro Tomiyasu (unsigned)

Key transfers in: Forward Viktor Gyökeres (from Sporting Lisbon), winger Noni Madueke (from Chelsea), defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi (from Real Sociedad)

Arsenal has been competitive in each of the past three Premier League seasons, but it's always been missing one thing: a solid, reliable forward with a nose for goal. 

Enter Gyökeres. The Swedish striker lit up Europe last season, notching 39 goals from 33 appearances for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Every club would have liked to sign him, but it was Arsenal that got the deal done. His arrival is a statement of intent from the North London side.

Man City | third last season

Key transfers out: Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (to Napoli)

Key transfers in: midfielder Tijjani Reijnders (from AC Milan), attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki (from Lyon)

Last season was disastrous for City. The club, high off four straight Premier League titles, floundered through much of the season. "I am not good enough," said once-hallowed coach Pep Guardiola during the worst of City's doldrums. "I am the boss. I am the manager. I have to find solutions and so far I haven't. That's the reality."

Guardiola has pushed for solutions over the summer; he brought in underrated Dutch midfielder Reijnders and hyped French winger Cherki to revitalize City's center third. Both are strong additions, but they're unlikely to change City's fortunes on their own.

 The club needs more change. It could get it by selling winger Savinho in favor of Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo, but both transactions remain speculative at this stage, so that means City remains far behind its competitors in the race for the Premier League title.