15 August 2012 - Premier League 2012-13 season: Club-by-club guide 

ARSENAL

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 3rd

FA Cup: Fifth round

Carling Cup: Quarter-finals

Champions League: Last 16

Players in: Santi Cazorla (Malaga) £15m*, Olivier Giroud (Montpellier) £12m*, Lukas Podolski (Cologne) £11m*.

Players out: Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad) Undisclosed, Manuel Almunia (Watford) Free, Tom Cruise (Torquay) Free, Gavin Hoyte (Dagenham & Redbridge) Free, Jeffrey Monakana (Preston) Free, Rhys Murphy (Telstar) Free, Benik Afobe (Bolton) Loan, Joel Campbell  (Real Betis) Loan, Denilson (Sao Paulo) Loan, Ryo Miyaichi (Wigan) Loan, Pedro Botelho  (Atletico Paranaense) Undisclosed.

* Reported cost of player. Officially undisclosed fee.

Summer so far:

• Midfielder Jack Wilshere undergoes minor knee surgery after missing the entire 2011-12 season with an ankle injury. He is later ruled out until October.
• Assistant manager Pat Rice retires after 48 years with the club and is replaced by Steve Bould.
• Captain Robin van Persie announces that he will not sign a new deal and the Gunners reject offers from Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus.
• The club's second largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov criticises the running of the club following the Van Persie announcement.
• Midfielder Mikel Arteta opens talks on a new deal and defender Laurent Koscielny signs a new long-term contract.
• Midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is fined £6,000 by the Football Association following a Twitter post directed towards a Spurs fan.

Key fixtures:

• A three-game spell in January could show whether Arsenal can challenge for the title. They face Manchester City at home, Chelsea away and Liverpool at home in consecutive games.
• North London derbies against Tottenham are on Saturday, 17 November (h) and Sunday, 3 March (a).

Full Arsenal fixture list

BBC Sport's Ian Hughes: "Harsh lessons appear to have been learned at Arsenal.

"Last year, failure to replace Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri contributed to their season falling apart before it had even started. Once again they could lose their best talent - reigning double player of the year Robin van Persie may join rivals Manchester United - but this time they have already brought in three internationals in forwards Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud and midfielder Santi Cazorla.

"And the defensive frailties that saw them concede 49 league goals last term are also being addressed, with ex-Gunners centre-back Steve Bould tasked with making them meaner.

"Add to that the expected return to fitness of Jack Wilshere, injured all last season, and there may be justified reason for optimism at Arsenal that last season's third-place finish in the league can be bettered - and that a seven-year trophy drought can be ended."

ASTON VILLA

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 16th

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Third round

Players in: Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord) £3.2m*, Matthew Lowton (Sheffield United) £3m*, Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord) £2.5m*, Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar) Free.

Players out: James Collins (West Ham) £2.5m, Emile Heskey (released), Reece Caira  (Western Sydney Wanderers) Free, Carlos Cuellar (Sunderland) Free, Connor Taylor (Walsall) Free.

Summer so far:

• Villa sack manager Alex McLeish after narrowly avoiding relegation and, after holding talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they go on to appoint Norwich boss Paul Lambert.
• Lambert announces that Stiliyan Petrov will remain club captain despite his absence from the team with acute leukaemia. The midfielder later reveals that his recovery is going well and "the hardest bit is over" and it is confirmed in August that he is in remission.
• Brad Guzan leaves the club at the end of his contract, along with striker Emile Heskey, but is re-signed on a three-year deal following Lambert's appointment.

Key fixtures:

• Paul Lambert's managerial skills might be tested to the maximum as they play Manchester United (h), Manchester City (a) and Arsenal (h) in the space of 14 days in November.
• The Scot's first game against his former club Norwich will be on 28 October, with his return to Carrow Road on 4 May.

Full Aston Villa fixture list

BBC Sport's Phil Maiden: "Following their worst home record in the club's entire history under Alex McLeish, fans will be hoping the arrival of Paul Lambert as manager can rekindle some of the excitement that has clearly been lacking at Villa Park.

"Villa have struggled post-Martin O'Neill to compete in the top half of the table and, having seemingly cut his spending, owner Randy Lerner will be looking at Lambert as the man to restore the club's pride.

"Karim El-Ahmadi has looked good in pre-season and should be a key man in midfield while Brett Holman, who was signed on a Bosman by McLeish, could prove useful in attacking positions for a side which struggled to find the net last season.

"Another year of transition looks to be on the horizon, but Villa fans will be hoping this time it is one that can lead to future success, albeit on a budget."

CHELSEA

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 6th

FA Cup: Winners

Carling Cup: Quarter-final

Champions League: Winners

Players in: Eden Hazard (Lille) £32m*, Oscar (Internacional) £25m*, Marko Marin (Werder Bremen) £6.5m*, Thorgan Hazard (Lens) Undisclosed.

Players out: Didier Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua) Free, Salomon Kalou (Lille) Free, Jacob Mellis (Barnsley) Free, Marko Mitrovic   (Brescia) Free, Jeffrey Bruma  (Hamburg) Loan, Thibaut Courtois  (Atletico Madrid) Loan, Ulises Davila  (Sabadell) Loan, Kevin de Bruyne (Werder Bremen) Loan, Matej Delac  (Guimaraes) Loan, Ben Gordon (Birmingham) Loan, Rohan Ince (Yeovil) Loan, Tomas Kalas  (Vitesse Arnhem) Loan, Milan Lakovic  (Guimaraes) Loan, Romelu Lukaku (West Brom) Loan, Patrick van Aanholt  (Vitesse Arnhem) Loan, Sam Walker (Bristol Rovers) Loan, Jose Bosingwa (Released).

Summer so far:

• Roberto Di Matteo is named as the permanent Blues manager after winning the Champions League and says he is not worried about the "shadow" of Pep Guardiola.
• Captain John Terry is cleared of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in court, but is later charged by the Football Association.
• Chelsea fail in three bids for Wigan forward Victor Moses and are told the Latics want £10m for the 21-year-old.
• Striker Daniel Sturridge is treated for viral meningitis but recovers in time to play in the Olympics for Great Britain.

Key fixtures:

• Chelsea will hope to pick up most of the points on offer in their first five games - Wigan (a), Reading (h), Newcastle (h), QPR (a) and Stoke (h).
• Former boss Andre Villas-Boas says he is not out for revenge when his new side Tottenham host Chelsea on 20 October and then visit Stamford Bridge on 13 April, but he will feel he has a point to prove.

Full Chelsea fixture list

BBC Sport's Owen Phillips: "Could this finally be the time for Fernando Torres to shine? Didier Drogba's exit and Romelu Lukaku's loan move suggest manager Roberto Di Matteo thinks so. The Italian has been rewarded with the permanent job after last season's Champions League success, but the pressure is on to deliver the Premier League title after a dismal league showing.

"Pre-season results have not been great and tweaking Chelsea's tried-and-trusted Drogba model could well take time, despite a talented attacking midfield trio. How new recruits Oscar and Eden Hazard will fit alongside Juan Mata remains to be seen but all could be accommodated if Torres plays alone up front.

"The Londoners look impressive at the back, despite no recognised right-back, and Frank Lampard's steadying influence and the boundless energy of Ramires is a good midfield platform. Finding a system to supply Torres and gaining early confidence from their new style of play will be key to Chelsea's chances."

EVERTON

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 7th

FA Cup: Semi-finals

Carling Cup: Fourth round

Players in: Steven Pienaar (Tottenham) £4.5m, Steven Naismith (Rangers) Free.

Players out: Jack Rodwell (Man City) £12m, Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls) £1m*, Joseph Yobo (Fenerbahce) £2m*, Joao Silva  (Levski Sofia) Undisclosed, Aristote Nsiala  (Accrington) Free, Adam Forshaw (Brentford) Free, Connor Roberts (Cheltenham) Free, James Wallace (Tranmere) Free*, Marcus Hahnemann (Released), James McFadden (Released).

Summer so far:

• Former Everton goalkeeper Gordon West dies at the age of 69. He won two titles and an FA Cup and made over 400 appearances during 11 years at Goodison Park.
• Manager David Moyes is strongly linked to Tottenham before the Londoners appoint Andre-Villas Boas.
• The Toffees hold a testimonial for long-serving right-back Tony Hibbert. The 31-year-old, who has never scored in 308 competitive games, nets a free-kick in a 4-1 win over AEK Athens.

Key fixtures:

• David Moyes will hope his side do not go into May in desperate need of points as they face trips to Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as hosting West Ham.
• Their home game against city rivals Liverpool will be on 27 October.

Full Everton fixture list

BBC Radio Merseyside's Ian Kennedy: "David Moyes deserves great credit again for keeping Everton in the higher reaches of the table last season. Finishing above Liverpool will not have gone unnoticed either.

"Everton again finished the season very well and the aim now will be to start the season in a positive fashion, to give them a platform from January onwards. If they can do that, they should be able to maintain their presence in the battle for European places.

"In Nikica Jelavic, they have found a striker of instinctive quality and a player who could turn a draw into a victory.

"He will now be joined by Steven Naismith, his former strike partner at Rangers, and that can only help.

"The signing of Steven Pienaar on a permanent basis is also crucial and I can see Everton having another solid campaign, with perhaps a cup run thrown in too."

FULHAM

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 9th

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Third round

Europa League: Group stages

Players in: George Williams (MK Dons) Undisclosed, Mladen Petric (Hamburg) Free, Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) Free, Sascha Riether (Cologne) Loan.

Players out: Marcel Gecov  (Gent) Undisclosed, Richard Barroilhet  (RKC Waalwijk) Free, Dickson Etuhu (Blackburn) Free, Andrew Johnson (QPR) Free, Danny Murphy (Blackburn) Free, Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading) Free, Bjorn Helge Riise  (Lillestrom) Free, Orlando Sa  (AEL Limassol) Free.

Summer so far:

• Fulham fail with two bids for Cardiff City's Peter Whittingham after midfielder Danny Murphy joins Blackburn.
• The Cottagers also lose out on Pavel Pogrebnyak to Reading. The 28-year-old Russian scored six goals in 12 starts for Fulham during a spell at the end of last season.
• Liverpool chase forward Clint Dempsey, with a post appearing on the website of Liverpool's owners suggesting the Reds had signed the American. He is left out of their training camp in Switzerland, with the club citing his lack of match fitness.
• The Cottagers have plans approved to increase the capacity of Craven Cottage to 30,000.

Key fixtures:

• Consecutive games against Chelsea (a), Tottenham (h) and Newcastle (h) at the end of November and start of December could prove difficult for Martin Jol's side.

Full Fulham fixture list

BBC Sport's John Stanton: "The loss of influential captain Danny Murphy to Blackburn leaves a creative hole in Fulham's midfield, but the futures of key attacking duo Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele are the issues most concerning the club's supporters.

"Both players have been consistently linked with moves away from Craven Cottage and the west London side's ambitions for the season ahead may depend on whether they remain beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

"Manager Martin Jol enjoyed an encouraging first season at Fulham and, having been given the remit of injecting youth into an ageing squad, has set about doing exactly that in pre-season. The development of exciting wingers Kerim Frei, Alex Kaciniklic and Mesca will add vibrancy, while new signing Mladen Petric has been a prolific scorer in pre-season for a team in transition after several years with a settled, largely unchanged squad."

LIVERPOOL

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 8th

FA Cup: Runners-up

Carling Cup: Winners

Players in: Joe Allen (Swansea) £15m*, Fabio Borini (Roma) £11m*.

Players out: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina) £5.5m*, Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce) £1m*, David Amoo (Preston) Free, Fabio Aurelio  (Gremio) Free, Craig Bellamy (Cardiff) Free, Stephen Darby (Bradford) Free, Joe Rafferty (Rochdale) Free, Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's Old Boys) Free*, Henoc Mukendi (Northampton) Loan, Toni Silva (Barnsley) Free.

Summer so far:

• Liverpool sack Kenny Dalglish after a disappointing season and, after interviewing Wigan boss Roberto Martinez, eventually appoint Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers.
• Rodgers wants to be reunited with former Swansea loanee Gylfi Sigurdsson but the Icelandic joins Tottenham instead.
• Juventus are interested in Liverpool striker Luis Suarez but the Uruguay international signs a new long-term deal with the Reds.
• Liverpool chase forward Clint Dempsey, with a post appearing on the website of Liverpool's owners suggesting the Reds had signed the American. It was later removed and the Reds confirmed they had not signed Dempsey.
• Striker Andy Carroll, who cost Liverpool £35m 18 months ago, is wanted by West Ham and his former club Newcastle. However, he turns down a £2m loan move to the Hammers.

Key fixtures:

• Three of the first five games are against fellow European contenders Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, although all three matches are at Anfield. Conversely, this means they face three tough away trips in as many weeks in the new year.
• New manager Brendan Rodgers returns to his former club Swansea on 24 November, with the home game on 23 February.

Full Liverpool fixture list

BBC Radio Merseyside's Ian Kennedy: "Liverpool's aim this season will be to make a big improvement in their league form and they will be targeting a return to the top four.

"The cup runs were encouraging last season, but the priority will always be the league.

"We will have to wait and see how Liverpool's style and approach develops under new boss Brendan Rodgers and, while the future of a few top players remains unclear, it will be interesting to see how the Fabio Borini-Luis Suarez partnership works out.

"Rodgers brought fluent football to Swansea. If he brings that dimension to Liverpool, coupled with an ability to convert chances (and avoid the woodwork), there's no reason why Liverpool should not be competitive, although more and more teams will be vying for those European places."

MANCHESTER CITY

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 1st

FA Cup: Third round

Carling Cup: Semi-finals

Europa League: Last 16

Players in: Jack Rodwell (Everton) £12m.

Players out: Greg Cunningham (Bristol City) Undisclosed, Gai Assulin   (Racing Santander) Free, Ahmad Benali  (Brescia) Free, Andrea Mancini  (Real Valladolid) Free, Wayne Bridge (Brighton) Loan, Omar Elabdellaoui (Feyenoord) Loan, Owen Hargreaves (Released).

Summer so far:

• City release former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves after he featured in only 13 minutes of Premier League action.
• Sergio Aguero, who scored the goal to win the title for City, says he plans to stay at the club for at least four more years after being linked to Real Madrid.
• Manager Roberto Mancini is strongly linked with the vacant Russia job but signs a new five-year contract with the Premier League champions.
• The Etihad Stadium side fail in a bid for Arsenal captain Robin van Persie, who is out of contract at the end of the season and will not sign a new deal.
• Captain Vincent Kompany signs a new six-year deal, tying him to the club until he is 32.

Key fixtures:

• Games against Manchester United are always City's most anticipated fixtures, even more so now the pair are title rivals. They host the Red Devils on 8 December and visit Old Trafford on 6 April.
• If City are topping the table after their game with Tottenham (a) on 20 April, they will fancy their chances of winning the title as they end the season against West Ham (h), Swansea (a), Reading (a) and Norwich (h).

Full Manchester City fixture list

BBC Radio Manchester's Ian Cheeseman: "How do you top the dream season?

"That's what City have to do, but if the Blues are to grow into a European super-power, they have to repeat the feat and make it to the latter stages of the Champions League.

"They've proven how strong their squad is and with Carlos Tevez back fully focused, it's like signing a new world-class player.

"If City sign a couple before the transfer deadline to strengthen their defensive and midfield options, they'll be hard to bet against this season, unless they think it'll be easier this season than last.

"I get the impression that the playing staff are very together at City, so I expect them to be strong contenders for the title."

MANCHESTER UNITED

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 2nd

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Quarter-finals

Champions League: Group stages

Europa League: Last 16

Players in: Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund) £12m*, Nick Powell (Crewe) £3m*.

Players out: Park Ji-sung (QPR) £2m, Ritchie De Laet and Matthew James (Leicester) £2m*, Tomasz Kuszczak (Brighton) Free, Oliver Norwood (Huddersfield) Free, Paul Pogba (Juventus) Free, Ben Amos (Hull) Loan, Reece Brown (Coventry) Loan, John Cofie (Sheffield United) Loan, Fabio Da Silva (QPR) Loan, Sean McGinty (Oxford) Loan, Michael Owen (Released).

Summer so far:

• Sir Alex Ferguson reveals Manchester United's interest in Brazil international Lucas Moura. However, the 19-year-old Sao Paulo winger eventually joins Paris Saint-Germain.
• Defender Chris Smalling adds to their injury problems, when he is ruled out for 10 weeks with a broken metatarsal.
• Ferguson says he will keep a more consistent team in Europe this season after admitting last year's frequent changes "backfired" as they went out in the Champions League group stages.
• Ferguson says midfielder Darren Fletcher will be given another role at the club if he cannot make a comeback from a chronic bowel complaint.
• United fans are not happy with plans to sell shares in the United States, with some of the money due to go to the Glazer family, the club's owners.

Key fixtures:

• Games against Manchester City have taken on extra importance now the pair are title rivals. They visit the Etihad Stadium on 8 December and host City on 6 April.
• A trip to Arsenal and a home clash with Chelsea in the last four games could decide their title bid.

Full Manchester United fixture list

BBC Radio Manchester's Bill Rice: "Manchester United ended the season without a major trophy for the first time since 2006, but they only missed out on the Premier League title on goal difference to rivals Manchester City.

"With inspirational captain Nemanja Vidic back from injury, they will hope to go one better this season and pick up a record 20th league crown.

"New signing Shinji Kagawa, signed from Borussia Dortmund for £17m, will add guile, craft and an extra goal threat from midfield, while Tom Cleverley and Anderson will hope to avoid the injuries that have plagued their Old Trafford careers so far.

"The onus as always, though, is on Wayne Rooney to lead by example. United's talismanic striker will be expected to score the goals to lead them back to the top of the Premier League table and into the knockout stages of the Champions League."

NEWCASTLE UNITED

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 5th

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Fourth round

Players in: Gael Bigirimana (Coventry) £1m*, Curtis Good (Melbourne Heart) £400,000*, Romain Amalfitano (Stade de Reims) Free.

Players out: Leon Best (Blackburn) £3m, Fraser Forster (Celtic) £2m*, Danny Guthrie (Reading) Free, Michael Hoganson (Derby) Free, Tamas Kadar   (Roda JC) Free, Peter Lovenkrands (Birmingham) Free, Alan Smith (MK Dons) Free, Daniel Taylor (Oldham) Free.

Summer so far:

• Newcastle bid to sign former striker Andy Carroll back from Liverpool. However, a deal never materialised.
• Striker Demba Ba is continually linked with a move away from St James' Park, with Galatasaray linked to the Senegal forward. However, he remains at the club after a £7.5m release clause in his contract expires.
• Scout Graham Carr, who helped the Magpies recruit many of their key French and African players, signs a new eight-year deal.
• Newcastle United have an improved bid to sign Lille full-back Mathieu Debuchy rejected.
• Chairman Mike Ashley bids to buy a share in Rangers and could loan up to nine players to the Scottish Third Division side.

Key fixtures:

• Newcastle face a difficult Christmas period, with a trip to Manchester United on 26 December and Arsenal two days later.
• Derbies against Sunderland are on 21 October, at the Stadium of Light, and 13 April at St James' Park.

Full Newcastle United fixture list

BBC Sport's Rahul Shrivastava: "Newcastle were the surprise package of the Premier League last season, and if Senegal striker Papiss Cisse can repeat his devastating form that saw him score 13 goals in 14 games since his January move from German side Freiburg, the Magpies will again have an outside chance of impacting on the European places.

"Manager Alan Pardew will be a relieved man that he begins the season with his key players intact and unsold, and he will also be able to call upon defender Steven Taylor and French winger Sylvain Marveaux, both of whom missed the majority of last season through injury.

"However, the size of the squad remains a concern, with only a handful of promising youngsters added to the first team so far this summer. Long-term injuries to blue-chip players such as Yohan Cabaye, Fabricio Coloccini or Cheick Tiote could see last year's startling progress grind to a mid-table halt."

NORWICH CITY

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 12th

FA Cup: Fifth round

Carling Cup: Second round

Players in: Robert Snodgrass (Leeds) £3m*, Michael Turner (Sunderland) £1.5m, Jacob Butterfield (Barnsley) Over £1m*, Steven Whittaker (Rangers) Free.

Players out: Andrew Crofts (Brighton) Undisclosed, Matt Ball   (Stevenage) Free, Josh Dawkin (Braintree) Free, Adam Drury (Leeds) Free, Zak Whitbread (Leicester) Free, Aaron Wilbraham (Crystal Palace) Free, Daniel Ayala (Nottingham Forest) Loan.

Summer so far:

• Norwich lose manager Paul Lambert to Aston Villa and go on to appoint Chris Hughton from Villa's City rivals Birmingham. Hughton is given the club's largest ever transfer budget.
• Striker Grant Holt puts in a transfer request after a dispute over a new deal but he eventually signs a new three-year contract.
• Summer signing Steven Whittaker is ruled out of the start of the Premier League season because of an ankle injury.

Key fixtures:

• Norwich will visit Paul Lambert's Aston Villa on 28 October, with his return to Carrow Road on 4 May.
• A spell of three home games in four near the end of the season could be crucial in their survival bid, although they end away to Manchester City.

Full Norwich City fixture list

BBC Radio Norfolk's Rob Butler: "It's hard to predict how the loss of Paul Lambert to Aston Villa will affect Norwich. Chris Hughton is the new man at the helm and he was backed as the number one choice by the City faithful. His first task is to plug a leaky defence which was the only minor blemish on a superb 12th-placed finish in last season's Premier League.

"The other big news this summer is the club holding on to talismanic club captain and top scorer Grant Holt. England hopeful Holt handed in a transfer request at the end of last season and reportedly attracted interested from Premier League new boys West Ham. Holt had a change of heart and signed a new three-year deal.

"Survival is again the main objective for the Canaries but fans would welcome a run to Wembley with Hughton."

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 17th

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Second round

Players in: Samba Diakite (Nancy) £3.5m*, Park Ji-sung (Manchester United) £2m, Junior Hoilett (Blackburn) Fee yet to be decided, Robert Green (West Ham) Free, Andrew Johnson (Fulham) Free, Ryan Nelsen (Tottenham) Free, Fabio Da Silva (Manchester United) Loan.

Players out: Paddy Kenny (Leeds) Undisclosed Fitz Hall (Watford) Free, Heidar Helguson (Cardiff) Free, Paddy Kenny (Leeds) Free, Peter Ramage (Crystal Palace) Free, Danny Shittu (Millwall) Free, Rowan Vine (St Johnstone) Free, Akos Buzsaky (released), Danny Gabbidon (released), Gary Borrowdale (released), Lee Cook (released), Bruno Perone (released).

Summer so far:

• Midfielder Joey Barton is banned for 12 games by the Football Association, fined six weeks' wages by the club and stripped of the captaincy after his clashes during their final-day defeat by Manchester City. A move to Fleetwood falls through as QPR decide not to loan him to a League Two side.
• QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt signs a new three-year contract, while Kieron Dyer also earns a new contract despite only playing once because of injury in his first season at Loftus Road.
• Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves trains with the Loftus Road side after his exit from Manchester City.

Key fixtures:

• A tough end of the season, Arsenal (h), Newcastle (h) and Liverpool (a), means that QPR will hope to have their season sewn up by then.
• Barton will be back from his 12-game ban for his fracas against Manchester City by the time they host the champions on 29 January.

Full QPR fixture list

BBC London 94.9's Andrew Rowley: "Having survived by the skin of their teeth in May, QPR have been quick to set about making sure they are not in the same predicament this time around.

"Mark Hughes strengthened in the second half of last season with the signings of Bobby Zamora, Djibril Cisse and Nedum Onouha and has brought in more experience with the arrivals of Robert Green, Ryan Nelsen, Park Ji-sung and Andrew Johnson.

"Green will be a straight swap for the departing Paddy Kenny while it will be interesting to see what Park can offer. Hughes won the dash to sign Junior Hoilett and the 22-year-old should add a cutting edge that was missing last season. Brazilian full-back Fabio da Silva joins on loan from Manchester United to strengthen a defence that leaked 66 goals last season."

"The club could also improve their discipline - six red cards in the last 15 games is a woeful return."

READING

2011-2012 season

Championship: 1st

FA Cup: Third round

Carling Cup: First round

Players in: Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest) £2.3m*, Adrian Mariappa (Watford) £1m*, Pierce Sweeney  (Bray) Undisclosed, Danny Guthrie (Newcastle) Free, Garath McCleary (Nottingham Forest) Free, Nicky Shorey (West Brom) Free, Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham) Free.

Players out: Michail Antonio (Sheffield Wednesday) £700,000*, Mathieu Manset   (Sion) Undisclosed, Tomasz Cywka (Barnsley) Free, Michael Hector (Shrewsbury) Loan, Angus MacDonald (AFC Wimbledon) Loan, Joseph Mills (Burnley) Loan, Karl Sheppard (Accrington) Loan, Gozie Ugwu (Yeovil) Loan.

Summer so far:

• Reading's protracted takeover by Russian tycoon Anton Zingarevich is finally completed.
• Goalkeeper Adam Federici extends his deal with the Royals. The 27-year-old has been with the club for eight years after first arriving on non-contract terms.

Key fixtures:

• Reading's second game back in the Premier League is away to European champions Chelsea.
• Home games against Swansea and West Ham over Christmas (26 and 29 December) could boost their hopes of avoiding the drop.

Full Reading fixture list

BBC Radio Berkshire's former Royals captain Adrian Williams: "After being crowned champions of the Championship, Reading are back in the big time. Brian McDermott has strengthened his squad by bringing six new faces to the Madejski Stadium, one of them already a Royals legend, Nicky Shorey.

"He'll have his work cut for the left-back spot as Ian Harte will be in no mood to roll over. Big things are expected from the Russian international Pavel Pogrebnyak, who will be hoping to impress the home crowd with a feast of goals, but fellow striker Jason Roberts could be the one to watch - he'll be looking to carry on where he left off last season.

"Sir John Madejski has sold 51% of the football club to Anton Zingarevich and Madejski has told the Reading fans the club is in safe hands. You mention safe hands at the Mad Stad and the first name that pops up is Adam Federici. A lot will depend on the Australian shot-stopper this season; most neutrals expect him to be busy."

SOUTHAMPTON

2011-2012 season

Championship: 2nd

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Fourth round

Players in: Jay Rodriguez (Burnley) £7m*, Steven Davis (Rangers) £800,000*, Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace) Undisclosed, Paulo Gazzaniga (Gillingham) Undisclosed.

Players out: Dan Harding (Nottingham Forest) Undisclosed, Bartosz Bialkowski (Notts County) Free, Harlee Dean (Brentford) Free, Ryan Doble (Shrewsbury) Free, Lee Holmes (Preston) Free, Tommy Forecast (Gillingham) Loan.

Summer so far:

• Southampton hand forward Guly do Prado a one-year contract extension after helping them to successive promotions from League One.
• Their bid to sign defender Alexander Buttner is hindered by a third party claiming they are owed a percentage of the transfer fee.
• Former Saints defender Claus Lundekvam claims there was a culture of spot-fixing at the club, but his old team-mate Francis Benali denies this.
• Midfielder Jack Cork will miss the start of the season after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season following his return from the Olympics.

Key fixtures:

• They face a tough start to life back in the Premier League - they open away to Manchester City and, after a home game with Wigan, they host Manchester United on 2 September.
• Southampton's end-of-season run-in is relatively straightforward, with their last seven games including matches with Reading (a), West Ham (h), Swansea (a), West Brom (h), Sunderland (a) and Stoke (h).

Full Southampton fixture list

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore: "Saints head back into the Premier League after a seven-year absence with momentum on their side.

"Two promotions in two seasons under Nigel Adkins have provided that, along with an excellent team spirit and considerable backing from executive chairman Nicola Cortese.

"That backing has continued this summer with progressive signings in the likes of Jay Rodriguez and Steven Davis, and the club are giving themselves a platform on and off the pitch for the long term.

"Their ambitions for this season are beyond mere survival and whilst some pundits have them pencilled in for going straight back down, I just don't see that happening."

STOKE CITY

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 14th

FA Cup: Sixth round

Carling Cup: Fourth round

Europa League: Last 32

Players in: Michael Kightly (Wolves) Undisclosed, Jamie Ness (Rangers) Free.

Players out: Danny Collins (Nottingham Forest) £500,000*, Ryan Brunt (Leyton Orient) Free, Andrew Davies (Bradford) Free, Jonathan Woodgate (Middlesbrough) Free, Florent Cuvelier (Walsall) Loan, Matthew Lund (Bristol Rovers) Loan.

Summer so far:

• Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross could play for Wales, but international boss Chris Coleman wants to consult Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey first after Shawcross broke his leg in a tackle in 2010.
• Stoke City's Danny Higginbotham admits he is unsure whether his future lies at the Britannia Stadium after a loan spell at Nottingham Forest last season.
• Defender Robert Huth signs a new deal to commit himself to the Potters until 2016. However, he later undergoes tests in hospital for suspected meningitis.

Key fixtures:

• Stoke face a tough Christmas period, with games against Tottenham (a), Liverpool (h), Manchester City (a) and Chelsea (h) in the space of three weeks.
• City have a relatively straightforward run-in, facing QPR (a), Norwich (h), Sunderland (a), Tottenham (h) and Southampton (a) in their last five games.

Full Stoke City fixture list

BBC Radio Stoke's Matt Sandoz: "Stoke's second half of the season fizzled out after their European exploits and the Potters finished with their lowest points tally and in their lowest position since promotion to the Premier League in 2008.

"Couple that with the very little business they've done this summer and fans are concerned Stoke will be dragged into a relegation battle.

"Fears will increase if Tony Pulis struggles to pick up early points during his opening seven fixtures. First up is a tricky trip to newly promoted Reading followed by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in five of their next six games.

"The way Stoke have approached pre-season suggests they're not likely to change the direct way they play and home form will again be crucial to their survival."

SUNDERLAND

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 13th

FA Cup: Sixth round

Carling Cup: Second round

Players in: Carlos Cuellar (Aston Villa) Free.

Players out: Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain) £4m*, Michael Liddle (Accrington) Undisclosed, George McCartney (West Ham) Undisclosed, Michael Turner (Norwich) Undisclosed, Marcos Angeleri  (Estudiantes) Free, Trevor Carson (Bury) Free, Jordan Cook (Charlton) Free.

Summer so far:

• Sunderland defender Titus Bramble is cleared of sexually assaulting two women.
• Goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who cost the Black Cats £9m five years ago, is released along with eight other players.
• Sunderland bid £12m for Wolves striker Steven Fletcher, who puts in a transfer request.

Key fixtures:

• Derbies against Newcastle are on 21 October, at the Stadium of Light, and 13 April at St James' Park.
• Sunderland face a tough festive period, with home games against Manchester City and Tottenham (26 and 29 December) followed by a trip to Liverpool on New Year's Day.

Full Sunderland fixture list

BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes: "The lack of much activity in the transfer market will unquestionably worry Sunderland fans so close to the start of the new season, but Martin O'Neill knows he has inherited a solid squad of players.

"The continuing weakness remains their lack of striking options and pre-season has again highlighted the lack of a viable front line.

"Connor Wickham, Ji Dong-Won and Fraizer Campbell still appear not to be the answer and Stephane Sessegnon is crying out for a strike partner.

"It's worrying that Sunderland only won two of their last 13 matches last season and the statisticians will show you that form from the previous season is carried into the next.

"Steve Bruce was sacked after a run at the start of last season that saw him win only two from 13. A good start is paramount if signings fail to materialise. Nonetheless, O'Neill is a proven manager and I believe Sunderland will build on last season's mid-table finish."

SWANSEA

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 11th

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Second round

Players in: Jose Manuel Flores (Genoa) £2m, Michu (Rayo Vallecano) £2m, Jonathan de Guzman (Villarreal) Loan.

Players out: Joe Allen (Liverpool) £15m*, Ferrie Bodde (Released), Scott Donnelly (Released).

Summer so far:

• Manager Brendan Rodgers leaves the Liberty Stadium for Liverpool and is replaced by former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Michael Laudrup.
• Gylfi Sigursson looks set to join the Swans before Rodgers's departure and eventually joins Tottenham instead after turning down a move to Liverpool.
• Swansea's Spanish defender Angel Rangel says he would consider playing for Wales after living there for five years, but the Football Association of Wales confirms he is not eligible.

Key fixtures:

• New boss Rodgers returns to former club Swansea on 24 November, with the home game on 23 February.
• Will hope not to be in relegation trouble in late April as their last four games include matches with possible title contenders Chelsea (a), Manchester City (h) and Manchester United (a).

Full Swansea fixture list

BBC Wales' Simon Davies: "Swansea City begin the campaign with a new manager but it says a lot about their progress that their latest boss was once one of the world's greatest players.

"But Michael Laudrup has a tough act to follow. His predecessor, Brendan Rodgers, did such a good job that he's made the move to Liverpool and has brought midfielder Joe Allen with him. Icelandic loanee Gylfi Sigurdsson has chosen Tottenham for the new campaign and his absence will be missed after seven goals in 18 games.

"Midfielders Michu and Jonathan de Guzman may be Premier League new boys but have La Liga experience, so too defender Chico Flores.

"Replicating the 11th place of last season will be tough as Brendan Rodgers was such an inspirational figure for them, but who says change is a bad thing?"

TOTTENHAM

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 4th

FA Cup: Semi-final

Carling Cup: Third round

Europa League: Group stages

Players in: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax) £9.5m*, Gylfi Sigurdsson (Hoffenheim) £8m*.

Players out: Ledley King (retired), Niko Kranjcar (Dynamo Kiev) £5.75m*, Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow) £5.5m*, Steven Pienaar (Everton) £4.5m, Lee Angol (Wycombe) Undisclosed, Ben Alnwick (Barnsley) Free, Oscar Jansson  (Shamrock Rovers) Free, Ryan Nelsen (QPR) Free, Kudus Oyenuga  (Hayes & Yeading) Free, Ryan Fredericks (Brentford) Loan, Bongani Khumalo (PAOK) Loan, Massimo Luongo (Ipswich) Loan, Louis Saha  (released).

Summer so far:

• Harry Redknapp is sacked after almost four years in charge and Tottenham turn to former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas to replace him.
• Injury-plagued defender Ledley King retires after 264 Premier League appearances over 13 years for his only club and is given an ambassadorial role at White Hart Lane.
• Tottenham fine wantaway midfielder Luka Modric after the Real Madrid target refuses to train and then does not fly out for their tour of the United States.
• Tottenham winger Gareth Bale does not play in the Olympics because of a back injury, but then plays for Tottenham in pre-season during the Games. He later calls Charlie Adam "a coward" after being sidelined for a second time by the Liverpool midfielder in one of those friendlies.
• Captain Scott Parker is ruled out for the start of the season after having surgery on an Achilles injury.

Key fixtures:

• Villas-Boas says he is not out for revenge when his new side host Chelsea on 20 October and then visit Stamford Bridge on 13 April, but he will feel he has a point to prove.
• Derbies against Arsenal are on Saturday, 17 November (a) and Sunday, 3 March (h).

Full Tottenham fixture list

BBC Sport's Jamie Lillywhite: "All change at the Lane this summer, a new regime and a new kit manufacturer. There will be great interest to see what Andre Villas-Boas has learned from his traumatic tenure at Chelsea and whether he can improve on Harry Redknapp's two fourth-placed finishes in three seasons.

"There is no shortage of quality but the future of Luka Modric remains unresolved and Emmanuel Adebayor has failed to agree a permanent move. The retirement of skipper Ledley King is a blow but, in truth, injury had caught up with the fans' favourite and they will hope the imposing Belgian Jan Vertonghen forms a strong defensive partnership with fit-again Michael Dawson while midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson may prove another shrewd acquisition.

"The January transfer window was less than inspiring for Spurs fans this year (thirtysomethings Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen were not the additions they wanted), but chairman Daniel Levy could yet unveil a big name before the 31 August transfer deadline."

WEST BROM

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 10th

FA Cup: Fourth round

Carling Cup: Third round

Players in: Ben Foster (Birmingham) £3.5m*, Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen) Free, Claudio Yacob (Racing Club) Free, Yassine El Ghanassy (Gent) Loan, Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea) Loan.

Players out: Simon Cox (Nottingham Forest) Undisclosed, Keith Andrews (Bolton) Free, Paul Downing (Walsall) Free, Lateef Elford-Alliyu (Bury) Free, Marton Fulop  (Asteras Tripolis) Free, Joe Mattock (Sheffield Wednesday) Free, Nicky Shorey (Reading) Free, Somen Tchoyi  (Released).

Summer so far:

• West Brom hire former Liverpool and Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke as their new head coach after Roy Hodgson left for the England job. They had been linked to former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick as well as ex-Chelsea duo Claudio Ranieri and Ray Wilkins.
• West Bromwich Albion midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu agrees to resume playing for DR Congo after quitting international football last September.

Key fixtures:

• Clarke starts his managerial career at home to Liverpool, the club where he was assistant manager last season.
• Face rivals Aston Villa away on 30 September and at home on 19 January.

Full West Brom fixture list

BBC journalist David Green: "The 2011-12 season was a fantastic time to be an Albion supporter.

"A string of away victories, including thumping bitter rivals Wolves 5-1, helped Roy Hodgson disguise a disappointing home record and secure a second consecutive mid-table finish.

"However, as fans basked in the joy of being the Midlands' highest-placed club, the suspicion lingered that it could prove to be the club's Premier League high-water mark.

"It remains to be seen whether the squad is as strong as it appears or if the departed Hodgson's nous helped it punch above its weight.

"In Ben Foster the club has a world-class goalkeeper while Argentine midfielder Claudio Yacob and Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku appear excellent signings.

"Much will depend on how new head coach Steve Clarke handles his first job as a boss.

"Fans will hope for a cup run and top-10 finish but if things get off to a bad start, Clarke could find it hard to deal with increased expectations."

WEST HAM

2011-2012 season

Championship: Play-off winners

FA Cup: Third round

Carling Cup: First round

Players in: Modibo Maiga (Sochaux) £4.7m, James Collins (Aston Villa) £2.5m, Alou Diarra (Marseille) £2m*, George McCartney (Sunderland) Undisclosed, Raphael Spiegel  (Grasshoppers) Undisclosed, Mohamed Diame (Wigan) Free, Stephen Henderson (Portsmouth) Undisclosed, Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton) Free.

Players out: Sam Cowler (Barnet) Undisclosed, Jordan Brown (Barnet) Free, Julien Faubert  (Elazıgspor) Free, Abdoulaye Faye (Hull) Free, Robert Green (QPR) Free, Frank Nouble (Wolves) Free, Freddie Sears (Colchester) Free, Marek Stech (Yeovil) Free, Ravel Morrison (Birmingham) Loan, Pablo Barrera  (Undisclosed).

Summer so far:

• West Ham release six players following their promotion, including Norway striker John Carew.
• The Hammers dismiss suggestions they could share the Olympic Stadium with Leyton Orient.
• Striker Andy Carroll, who cost Liverpool £35m 18 months ago, turns down a £2m loan move to the Hammers.
• Sam Allardyce agrees a fee to sign Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis but he joins Wigan instead.

Key fixtures:

• Face a tricky spell at the end of November and start of December, against Tottenham (a), Manchester United (a), Chelsea (h) and Liverpool (h).
• Final game of the season is at home to Reading, who pipped them to automatic promotion last year before the Hammers won the play-offs.

Full West Ham fixture list

BBC Sport's Frank Keogh: "The club enter an important period on and off the pitch as they seek to retain Premier League status and secure a move to the Olympic Stadium.

"A vocal section of Upton Park fans questioned manager Sam Allardyce's style of football last season, chanting 'we play on the floor', but appeared more forgiving as promotion was attained via the play-offs.

"Allardyce has the opportunity to start well, with West Ham's first six fixtures against teams who finished outside the top eight in last season's Premier League.

"The Hammers have been relegated from the top flight twice in the last decade and supporters will hope signings such as ball-winning midfielder Mohamed Diame from Wigan provide stability.

"In attack, much will be expected of Mali forward Modibo Maiga, particularly after West Ham missed out on an ambitious move for Andy Carroll, while the loss of goalkeeper Robert Green to QPR is a significant one."

WIGAN

2011-2012 season

Premier League: 15th

FA Cup: Third round

Carling Cup: Second round

Players in: Ivan Ramis (Real Mallorca) £4m*, Fraser Fyvie (Aberdeen) £500,000*, Ryo Miyaichi (Arsenal) Loan, Arouna Kone (Levante) Undisclosed.

Players out: Mohamed Diame (West Ham) Free, Chris Kirkland (Sheffield Wednesday) Free, Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) Free, Lee Nicholls (Northampton) Loan, Ryan Watson (Accrington) Loan.

Summer so far:

• Manager Roberto Martinez holds talks with Liverpool and Aston Villa but commits his future to Wigan.
• Goalkeeper Mike Pollitt signs a new one-year deal. The 40-year-old was their first signing as a Premier League club in 2005 but did not feature last season.
• Chelsea fail in three bids for Wigan forward Victor Moses and are told the Latics want £10m for the 21-year-old.

Key fixtures:

• Wigan boss Roberto Martinez will want to show Liverpool what they are missing after holding interviews with the Reds in the summer and will get his chance at Anfield on 17 November and at home on 2 March.
• Their final game of the season is against Aston Villa, another side Martinez spoke to in the summer.

Full Wigan fixture list

BBC Radio Manchester's Paul Rowley: "The Wigan Athletic fairytale continues as the only team never to have been relegated from football's top flight begin their eighth season in the Premier League.

"It's an astonishing achievement for a club that were still in the fourth tier only 15 years ago.

"The Latics will be hoping to begin next term as they ended the last, avoiding relegation yet again with seven wins in their last nine games, including historic victories against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, while thumping Newcastle United 4-0 for good measure.

"Hugo Rodallega and Mohammed Diame have moved to Fulham and West Ham respectively, while Victor Moses has been the subject of repeated bids by Chelsea.

"Despite approaches by Liverpool and Aston Villa, manager Roberto Martinez is starting his fourth year in charge, taking fellow Spaniard Ivan Ramis from Real Mallorca and again venturing into the largely untapped Scottish market to bring in 19-year-old Fraser Fyvie from Aberdeen."

Compiled by Emlyn Begley BBC Sport {jcomments on}

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