The hopes, fears and expectations for all the teams this season

Arsenal

Having been so spoilt by success at the start of Arsène’s tenure, it’s understandable that so many Gooners struggle to come to terms with reality. Aside from throwing us the occasional bone, with the likes of Arshavin, Wenger continues to unearth bargains, unable or unwilling to compete with the big spenders. Competition for a Champions League berth is tougher than ever so treading water is definitely no longer an option. Our young team needs to show they’ve matured and compete in the big games. However, without a match-winning goalie it’s going to be tough to improve on last season’s finish. Last season 3rd Prediction 3rd

The new boys The arrival of Chamakh and Koscielny was hardly the sort of statement of intent that most Gooners were hoping for. Wenger apparently admitted the limitations of our timid keepers, so why hasn’t he broken the bank to install an imposing personality between the sticks?

Men to watch If he spends half as much time on the training pitch as he appears to spend styling his sticky-up barnet, Chamakh could prove to be a big hit. Samir Nasri has looked sharp in pre-season and, having watched events in South Africa on the box, perhaps he and Theo Walcott will benefit from the fact that they’re both fresh and feel they have something to prove.

Best youngsters From Jack Wilshere, to JET (Jay Emmanuel-Thomas) and Emmanuel Frimpong, we wait with bated breath for our homegrown stars to prove their first XI credentials.

Target for the boo-boys Almunia and Fabianski are the most likely targets.

Hate figure Cashley Cole, Greedybayor and Harry Redknapp.

Title winner Chelsea

Going down Blackpool, West Brom, Wigan

Bernard Azulay, GoonersDiary.Blogspot.com

Aston Villa

O’Neill has always left much of his transfer activity until just before the deadline but, given so much is required, to have done nothing by the start of August is alarming. The manager’s lengthy honeymoon is definitely over. The Villa Park crowd is sometimes a little overdemanding, but the football has been very uninspiring at home of late and the squad he refuses to rotate is of his own creation. A poor start to the season could easily see these murmurings of discontent get much louder. We need 100% focus on the cups, including the Europa League, and I’d be delighted with a semi, a bit of a European tour and some real gung-ho tactics against the big clubs at home. Last season 6th Prediction 8th

The new boys We should crack on and sell Milner: £24m is way over the top and, while I respect the club’s stance in holding out for more, we shouldn’t be so principled that we miss out on a crazy offer. One side issue: our scouting system must be awful. During O’Neill’s reign, we’ve made just one major signing from a non-UK club.

Men to watch Ashley Young is top-class, while if we play to Gabby’s strengths then he can star. We need big seasons from Dunne, Collins and Friedel again.

Best youngsters The manager seems to have soft spots for Delfouneso and Albrighton, but Barry Bannan in midfield and Ciaran Clark at the back could come through this season.

Target for the boo-boys For me, Downing is absolutely hopeless. Totally overrated, limp in the challenge and shuts his eyes when he heads it.

Hate figure Blues and their feral fans have always been a source of amusement and animosity. Arsène Wenger seems to delight in winding us up.

Title winner Chelsea

Going down Blackpool, Newcastle, Wigan

Jonathan Pritchard, Observer reader

Birmingham City

There’s a feeling of restrained optimism as we approach the opening game – the feelgood factor is balanced by the weight of history and the knowledge that last season’s ninth place, although deserved, was well above expectation. The core of the team remains and, given that Big Eck is not one for radical changes, expect more of the same this season. We’ll be hard to beat – especially at home – but to make progress, we need to improve in front of goal (only 38 goals last season). We need to break with more pace, show more guile in our approach play and better composure in finishing. We’re better than more than half the teams so there should be no need to worry about matters at the bottom of the table. Last season 9th Prediction 12th

The new boys McLeish acted quickly to replace two departing loan players: Foster in for Hart and Zigic in for Benítez. The only other signing to date is Vallés. Everyone – fans, management, board – agrees we need to strengthen the squad: some pace up front and out wide. And a left-back.

Men to watch Barry Ferguson was superb last season and will be again this year. I’d expect Foster to show the kind of form that will see him push for a place in the England squad.

Best youngsters Jordon Mutch is the most likely to feature on the periphery of the first team; Fraser Kerr made the pre-season tour to China.

Target for the boo-boys More moaners than boo-boys really. But I won’t name somebody before the start of the season. I’ll keep an open mind until at least half-time on the opening day.

Hate figure A couple of players managed to con referees and get soft penalties last year – I’m sure they’ll be deservedly reminded of that.

Title winner Chelsea

Going down Blackpool, West Brom, Wigan

Kevin Cummins, Observer reader

Blackburn Rovers

I am expecting another season of progress, but nothing too earth-shattering with the budget as it is. A good cup run similar to last year’s Carling Cup adventure would be a bonus. We haven’t had the best of summers so there’s no reason to go overboard about our chances of making an impact, but I’m not too worried as we have a young, vibrant and underrated squad. Last season 10th Prediction 10th

The new boys We’ve done nothing of note other than release Steven “hospital patient” Reid to WBA. We haven’t signed anyone, we haven’t really threatened to sign anyone and we have very little money. We badly need a new striker, mainly as we have only two recognised hit

• Martin O’Neill accuses Arsenal manager of hypocrisy
• Aston Villa manager taunts rival over 2006 Wigan loss

Martin O’Neill has reignited his feud with Arsène Wenger by strongly disputing the Arsenal manager’s claim that winning the League Cup does not qualify as a trophy and accusing the Frenchman of hypocrisy.

The Villa manager, who has lifted the League Cup twice as a player with Nottingham Forest and twice as a manager with Leicester City, reminded Wenger that four years ago he was so desperate to win the trophy that he picked his strongest available side for the semi-final second leg against Wigan Athletic, when Thierry Henry made his first appearance in the competition in more than six years alongside a host of other stellar names.

O’Neill suggested Wenger had conveniently forgotten about his approach to the Wigan match when he recently disputed the significance of tomorrow’s Carling Cup final between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Wembley. The Arsenal manager said: “It’s very important that we win something, we’re here to win trophies, but it depends on what you call trophies. Is it the Champions League, the Premier League, the League Cup? If you win the League Cup you cannot say you win trophies, for me.”

Wenger’s comments, coming on the back of his criticism of Villa’s style of play last month, have further antagonised O’Neill and prompted the Northern Irishman to issue a robust defence of the League Cup on the eve of the final. O’Neill pointed to the titanic battle between Manchester United and Manchester City in the semi-final this season, as well as Chelsea’s decision to “treat the competition with the utmost respect”, as evidence that Wenger is alone in believing that the League Cup has no status in English football.

“I think that if you had seen or experienced any of the two semi-final matches from Manchester City and Manchester United, if somebody had said to any of those two football clubs that this trophy is not a trophy, then I think you would have got short shrift,” said the Villa manager before recalling Wenger’s selection policy for the tie with Wigan in 2006, which Arsenal lost on away goals.

“I know that the Arsenal manager has been pretty scathing all the time in the League Cup. It would be interesting to see the team that he played against Wigan Athletic in the semi-final [second leg] of the competition. I don’t know it off hand but I would have said that it was very, very strong. So when it suits, then it’s a great competition. And when it doesn’t suit you, then it’s not. That’s not my view. It’s an important competition.

“Manchester United, I’m quite sure, will field as strong a side as they possibly can on Sunday so I think with all their games that they have – they’re contesting the Premier League, they’re in the Champions League again – and they will be treating this game with the utmost respect. Now if Manchester United and Chelsea can treat this competition with the utmost respect then that would really be enough for me.”

Aston VillaMartin O’NeillArsène WengerCarling Cupguardian.co.uk

Calm down. Paul MacInnes is in the presenter’s seat all week and on the latest Football Weekly, he’s joined by proper journalist Owen Gibson, compulsive match debater Rob Smyth, and serial alphabet dater John Ashdown to look back on the weekend’s action.

We begin with the FA Cup, where Neil Warnock once more blew his top following Crystal Palace’s draw with Aston Villa, and yet more more attendances, in particular Tottenham Hotspur’s draw at Bolton Wanderers.

From there, we show the Championship, League One, and League Two some love, taking in everything from Newcastle United’s new favourite son; the soaring Norwich City Canaries; and a predicatbly patronising pat on the head for good old Rochdale.

Also in the podcast, we look forward to the return of the Champions League. Can Manchester United break their hoodoo against AC Milan? Will Arsenal get the better of Porto? And what’s all this about play-offs for the teams finishing fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh in the Premier League for the final place at Europe’s top table?

Finally, Sid Lowe brings us news of Barcelona’s first league defeat. After Real Madrid closed the gap at the top of La Liga to just two points, have we finally got a genuine title race on our hands?

Have a listen and post your feedback on the blog below – and do play nicely, please. For more, we’re also on iTunes, Facebook, and Twitter, and if you enjoy this type of thing, get your daily dose of fooball with our tea-time email, The Fiver.

Paul MacInnesBen GreenRob SmythOwen GibsonJohn AshdownSid Lowe