Chelsea started out as defending champion and favorite, and limped home in 10th place in the worst title defense seen in the Premier League. Leicester started out as a 5,000-1 shot to win the Premier League and ended up romping home to finish 10 points clear, delivering one of the biggest underdog triumphs in any sport. Promoted clubs Hull, Middlesbrough and Burnley have recent Premier League experience so don't expect them to be overawed, although they will start among the favorites for the drop. Making John Stones the world's second most-expensive defender ever at $62 million took City's spending to $200 million, building on an already-strong squad that underperformed in the Premier League last season but reached the Champions League semifinals. No more so than when Mourinho and Guardiola renew their rivalry as the new managers of Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 10, 2016 08:31 UTC