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When Chelsea celebrated an improbable victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, it officially marked the end of the 2024-25 season -- coming some 331 days after the Premier League kicked off with Manchester United's 1-0 win over Fulham last August.

Enough of that, though: It's time for a new Premier League season.

Conversations over player welfare and rest times rage on, but all 20 clubs will be taking part in preseason friendlies to gear up for next season.

ESPN takes a look at every team's schedule and what to look out for as preparation for the 2025-26 season ramps up.

Arsenal

Summer friendly schedule

July 23: AC Milan; Singapore -- 1-0

July 27: Newcastle; Singapore -- 3-2

July 31: Tottenham Hotspur; Hong Kong -- 0-1

Aug. 6: Villarreal; Emirates -- 2-3

Aug. 9: Athletic Club; Emirates -- 3-0

After a disappointing end to their campaign last season, Arsenal travel to Asia before returning home for two friendlies in preparation for what they will hope is a sustained title challenge.

Mikel Arteta has strengthened his midfield this summer with the signings of Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard, in addition to Kepa Arrizabalaga and forward Noni Madueke, both from Chelsea. The arrival of striker Viktor Gyökeres is exciting and he could be the man to take Arsenal to the next level.

This preseason will be crucial for Arteta to bed in the new arrivals and find his strongest starting XI before they begin their Premier League campaign with an away date with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

AFC Bournemouth

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Bristol City; (behind closed doors) -- 4-0 and 2-2

July 26: Everton; New Jersey -- 3-0

July 30: Manchester United; Chicago -- 1-4

Aug. 3: West Ham; Atlanta -- 0-2

Aug. 9: Real Sociedad; Vitality Stadium -- 0-0

Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth broke their club-record Premier League points tally last season with 56, and they travel to the United States this summer for the Premier League summer series in preparation to break the record again.

Of course, that will be a tall order: Iraola has lost three major parts (Kepa Arrizabalaga, Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen) of a defence that conceded just 46 goals last season.

They have made attempts to replenish their squad. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic comes in from Chelsea in a £25m ($33.5m) deal alongside full-back Adrien Truffert, who will fill in for Kerkez.

A strong preseason will be needed if they are to hit the ground running in what could be the toughest opening game in the Premier League: An away trip to Anfield to face reigning champions Liverpool.

Aston Villa

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Hansa Rostock; Germany -- 1-3

July 26: Eintracht Frankfurt; Kentucky -- 2-2

July 30: St Louis City SC; Saint Louis -- 2-1

Aug. 2: Nashville SC; Tennessee -- 2-2

Aug. 6: AS Roma; Walsall -- 4-0

Aug. 9: Marseille; Stade Velodrome -- 1-3

Aug. 10: Villarreal; Estadio de la Ceramica -- 2-0

Aston Villa began a packed preseason schedule with a 1-0 defeat to League Two side Walsall, first-team players Tyrone Mings, Jacob Ramsey and Boubacar Kamara were among the 22 that featured.

Villa will play eight friendlies in total across five countries -- including a trip to the United States -- before returning to host Roma at the Bescot Stadium in Walsall. They then travel to France and Spain for games against European regulars Marseille and Villarreal.

It has been a quiet summer so far, with Turkey international Yasin Ozcan and goalkeeper Marco Bizot having joined the club, but that won't stop Unai Emery from eyeing a perfect preseason as a springboard for Villa to bounce back from agonisingly missing out on a Champions League place on goal difference last season.

Brentford

Summer friendly schedule

July 25: Gil Vicente; Portugal -- 1-1

Aug. 2: Queens Park Rangers; Loftus Road -- 1-0

Aug. 8: Borussia Monchengladbach; Gtech Community Stadium -- 2-2

Brentford have never known the Premier League without Thomas Frank in charge, and they go into next season with former set-piece coach Keith Andrews at the helm, in what is his first senior managerial role. It is a gamble, but with the west London side's well-documented history with successful data-driven decisions, they'll be hoping he is another proof of concept.

With only three friendlies scheduled to date, Andrews won't have much time to get to grips with the side before facing Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.

With the exciting arrivals of young forward Antoni Milambo and full-back Michael Kayode -- both of whom are just 20 years of age -- alongside the Premier League experience of Jordan Henderson and Caoimhín Kelleher, Brentford are building a side much bigger than their tag of just a 'bus stop in Hounslow.'

Brighton & Hove Albion

Summer friendly schedule

Aug. 2: Southampton; St. Mary's -- 2-2

Aug. 9: Wolfsburg; American Express Stadium -- 2-1

A club on the outside looking in to the Premier League's traditional 'Big 6', Brighton have already played twice this summer, dispatching League One side Wycombe 6-1 and beating Stoke City 3-1 in Marbella.

The youngest manager in the Premier League, Fabian Hürzeler, heads into his second season in England without star man João Pedro, who has enjoyed a stellar start to his Chelsea career. New arrivals Diego Coppola, Maxim De Cuyper and Sunderland playoff hero Tom Watson will be looking to make statements in their first seasons of Premier League football, but they will need good preseasons first.

Teenage Greek forward, Charalampos Kostoulas, cost Brighton £31.4m from Olympiacos, and joins in line with their commitment to having a squad built around young first-team players -- they haven't signed a player over the age of 24 since Hürzeler took over last summer.

Brighton were unlucky to miss out on European football last season, finishing eighth, and Hürzeler will look at preseason this summer as vital in propelling the side one step further next season.

Burnley

Summer friendly schedule

July 26: Huddersfield Town; John Smith's Stadium -- 2-0

July 26: Shrewsbury Town; Croud Meadow -- 2-2

Aug. 2: Stoke City; Bet365 Stadium -- 0-1

Aug. 9: Lazio; Turf Moor -- 0-1

Burnley are back in the Premier League after a year out. Championship promotion expert Scott Parker needed just one season to get them out of the second tier, and he's enjoyed a winning start to preseason by beating League Two side Fleetwood Town 1-0 in their first friendly of the summer.

All three promoted sides have been relegated in both the past two seasons -- Burnley were a part of this in the 2023-24 season -- and in an effort to stay up this time around they have turned towards tried-and-tested Premier League experience with the signings of Jaidon Anthony from Bournemouth, former United defender Axel Tuanzebe and the massive coup of Kyle Walker on a free.

Scott Parker goes into his third crack at the Premier League off the back of a 100-point Championship season. Burnley will mainly play EFL sides this summer, but a marquee final friendly in front of their home crowd on Aug. 9 against European regulars Lazio will be an important fixture for Parker to get his side in shape for a gruelling Premier League season and for the Englishman himself to avoid a third top-flight relegation.

Chelsea

Summer friendly schedule

Aug. 8: Bayer Leverkusen; Stamford Bridge -- 2-0

Aug. 10: AC Milan; Stamford Bridge -- 4-1

World champions Chelsea -- fresh off the high of dominating Champions League winners PSG -- will play two friendlies at home against European opposition in August.

Enzo Maresca knows that maintaining the level they showed in the U.S. over the course of a Premier League season will be a wholly different challenge, and defender Levi Colwill believes they have what it takes.

New forward João Pedro showed in the Club World Cup that he is up to the level, while Liam Delap will be looking to break Chelsea's dreaded No. 9 curse.

A lot was learned about Maresca's Chelsea during the summer but -- as ever with Todd Boehly at the helm -- they haven't been shy in the transfer market. Summer arrivals Estêvão and Jamie Gittens will be looking to make an impact in preseason to nail down a starting spot, while latest signing Jorrel Hato could have a big part to play at Stamford Bridge this year.

Crystal Palace

Summer friendly schedule

July 25: Crawley Town; Broadfield Stadium -- 3-0

July 29: Mainz; Austria -- 1-1 and 2-3

Aug. 1: Augsburg; Austria -- 0-1

The preseason talk around Crystal Palace has been dominated by their demotion to the Europa Conference League, after UEFA's Club Financial Control Body ruled that they were too closely linked to Lyon. It's a body blow to Palace and takes the shine off their first-ever season competing in Europe.

They have been quiet in the transfer window as of yet, only bringing in goalkeeper Walter Benítez on a free and Borna Sosa from Ajax. Their summer could go from bad to worse if star man Eberechi Eze leaves the club amid interest from Arsenal.

Still, a positive preseason for Palace can set the right tone, and a 1-0 win over London rivals Millwall in their first friendly of the summer would help do just that. Boss Oliver Glasner will now have to pick his squad up for a trip to Austria.

Everton

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Blackburn Rovers; Ewood Park -- 0-1

July 26: AFC Bournemouth; New Jersey -- 0-3

July 30: West Ham United; Chicago -- 1-2

Aug. 3: Manchester United; Atlanta -- 2-2

Aug. 9: AS Roma; Hill-Dickinson Stadium -- 0-1

For the first time in 133 years, Everton go into preseason away from Goodison Park when they officially move into the Hill-Dickinson Stadium (Bramley-Moore Dock), their new 52,000 seater home.

Everton are another side that will jet off to the U.S for the Premier League summer series before coming back to Liverpool to face European giants Roma in their new stadium. The match will be a friendly, but for everyone in the stadium it will be seen as so much more: the curtain-raiser before the first Premier League season at the Hill-Dickinson.

David Moyes begins another full season as Everton manager -- 13 years on from his last -- and with new €35m striker Thierno Barry joining from Villareal alongside Carlos Alcaraz's loan at the club being made permanent, the games across the Atlantic will be crucial for the Scottish boss to start forming his starting XI for next season.

Fulham

Summer friendly schedule

July 26: Nottingham Forest; Portugal -- 3-1

Aug. 9: Eintracht Frankfurt; Craven Cottage -- 1-0

Marco Silva's Fulham only have two friendlies scheduled to date, facing fellow Premier League side Forest in Portugal, before coming back home to west London to play Frankfurt before the season gets underway.

It has been a strange summer for Fulham as they have only announced one signing, bringing in goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte from Montpellier, and have said goodbye to Willian and Carlos Vinícius. However, they have tied down Tom Cairney until next summer as the club legend embarks on his 11th season at Craven Cottage.

They achieved a club-record high Premier League points total last season (54), finishing in 11th place, and they were in European contention for the majority of the campaign.

Silva will want his side to take that next step into Europe this season, but a couple of friendlies await first.

Leeds United

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Manchester United; Stockholm -- 0-0

Aug. 2: Villarreal; Elland Road -- 1-1

Aug. 9: AC Milan; Dublin -- 1-1

After a dominant season in the Championship last time out, Leeds United are back in the Premier League. To prepare, they have arranged three testing friendlies: First up, they face rivals United and then Villarreal before a clash against AC Milan in their final game before the season starts.

Leeds have stuck with the man who got them to 100 points in the Championship, Daniel Farke, who will be at the helm of a Premier League side once again after his previous struggles in the division with Norwich City.

With the signings of defenders Jaka Bijol and Gabriel Gudmundsson alongside the arrivals of Sebastiaan Bornauw and Lukas Nmecha, Leeds' preseason friendlies take up even more importance as Farke tries to mold a Premier League squad that can stay in the division, something a promoted side hasn't done in two years.

Liverpool

Summer friendly schedule

July 26: AC Milan; Hong Kong -- 2-4

July 30: Yokohama F. Marinos; Japan -- 3-1

Aug. 4: Athletic Club; Anfield -- 3-2 and 4-1

Liverpool's preseason started with an emotional friendly against Preston North End, dominated by tributes to Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva who tragically passed away in a car crash near Zamora, Spain on July 3.

Liverpool will travel to Asia in late July for games against AC Milan and Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos in preparation to defend their Premier League crown.

New arrivals Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez all featured against Preston with club-record signing Florian Wirtz yet to play.

Questions remain over how Arne Slot will set up his side. How will Wirtz slot in besides Mohamed Salah? Will Frimpong play the same role as Trent Alexander-Arnold? Does Kerkez replace Robertson right away? How could the potential incoming of Alexander Isak shake up Liverpool's attack?

Their preseason fixtures might not answer these questions, but it will definitely go a way in shaping how Liverpool will line up against Bournemouth on Aug.15 in the league's curtain-raiser.

Manchester United

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Leeds United; Stockholm -- 0-0

July 26: West Ham United; New Jersey -- 2-1

July 30: Bournemouth: Chicago -- 4-1

Aug. 3: Everton; Atlanta -- 2-2

Aug. 9: Fiorentina; Old Trafford -- 1-1

United officially start their preseason against rivals Leeds in a game where the intensity promises to be higher than a regular friendly. New £62.5m-signing Matheus Cunha will be involved alongside fellow forward arrival Bryan Mbeumo. Benjamin Sesko will add another point-of-difference to United's attack.

After Amorim's tactics appeared better suited to playing Europe than the Premier League towards the back end of last season, games against Premier League opposition, albeit friendlies, may be of particular note.

With the futures of returning loanees Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia still unclear and the out-of-favour Marcus Rashford joining Barcelona on a season-long loan -- Amorim's first full preseason at Old Trafford will give a clearer indication of the direction he wants to take this United side.

Manchester City

Summer friendly schedule

Aug. 9: Palermo; Sicily -- 3-0

Manchester City have only announced one preseason friendly to date -- a trip to Italy to face City Football Group (CFG) sister club Palermo.

Pep Guardiola lost the most amount of games in a season in his managerial career as City finished third last season, qualifying for the Champions League. What would be seen as a great season for so many Premier League sides was seen as a failure for City.

This summer, after a surprising round-of-16 exit to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal at the Club World Cup, City will be looking to bounce back from their uncharacteristically poor domestic and European campaign.

With the signings of Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders, they are building quite the side to challenge for their seventh Premier League title under Guardiola.

Newcastle United

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Celtic; Celtic Park -- 0-4

July 27: Arsenal; Singapore -- 2-3

July 30: K-League Select XI; South Korea -- 0-1

Aug. 3: Tottenham Hotspur; South Korea -- 1-1

Aug. 8: Espanyol; St. James' Park -- 2-2

Aug. 9: Atlético Madrid; St. James' Park -- 0-2

Eddie Howe's Newcastle side have a packed preseason schedule ahead of them. They started with a 4-0 win over Carlisle United and face Celtic before heading over to east Asia and finishing with back-to-back games at St. James' Park.

New £55m-signing Anthony Elanga will have a series of games to settle into the side before the start of the season. They will hope that his Swedish compatriot Alexander Isak will play alongside him amid speculation he is set to leave Tyneside. With 23 goals and six assists in the league last season, Isak is the last man Newcastle will want to lose.

Aaron Ramsdale has also joined the club on a season-long loan.

They have booked in some high-quality friendlies as Howe and Newcastle look to build on Champions League qualification and a Carabao Cup win last season.

Nottingham Forest

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: AS Monaco; Chesterfield -- 0-0

July 26: Fulham; Portugal -- 1-3

July 30: Estoril Praia; Portugal -- 0-0

Aug. 2: Birmingham City; St. Andrews -- 0-1

Aug. 5: Fiorentina; City Ground -- 0-0

Aug. 9: Al Qadsiah; City Ground -- 0-0

Nottingham Forest were a club in danger of losing their best player this summer, with Morgan Gibbs-White looking set for a move to Tottenham. His contract extension will feel like a new signing for Forest.

Nuno Espírito Santo and his side head to Portugal where their two new signings from Brazilian side Botafogo, striker Igor Jesus and defender Jair Cunha, could debut after their involvement in the Club World Cup.

Before then however, Forest will host Paul Pogba's Monaco in Chesterfield, a location a far cry away from the Stade Louis II. They finish with two games at the City Ground before they play Brentford in their league opener on Aug. 17.

Sunderland

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Sevilla; Portugal -- 1-1

July 21: Sporting CP; Portugal -- 0-1

July 26: Hearts; Tynecastle -- 0-3

July 29: Hull City; MKM Stadium -- 1-2

Aug. 2: Real Betis; Stadium of Light -- 0-1

Aug. 9: Augsburg; WWK Arena -- 1-0

Aug. 10: Rayo Vallecano; Stadium of Light -- 0-3

After eight years away and a barely believable four seasons in the wilderness of League One, Sunderland are finally back in the big time. They began their most important preseason in the best part of a decade with a draw and a win against non-league sides Gateshead and South Shields.

A popular destination for Premier League clubs, Sunderland will head to Portugal at the back end of July where they face European opposition. Their seven signings so far, totalling around £100m, could all debut, including club-record signing Habib Diara and exciting winger Simon Adingra. The signing of former Arsenal man Granit Xhaka will feel like a big coup for those on Wearside.

Regis Le Bris' side are taking no prisoners in the transfer window, adding proven young top-flight quality to a side that came up through the play-offs, Le Bris has seven matches in the space of three weeks to turn this quality into a side that can stay in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Reading; Select Car Leasing Stadium -- 2-0

July 26: Luton Town; Kenilworth Road -- 0-0

July 31: Arsenal; Hong Kong -- 1-0

Aug. 3: Newcastle; Seoul -- 1-1

Aug. 7: Bayern Munich: Allianz Arena -- 0-4

Europa League winners Tottenham will go into preseason with a new manager -- former Brentford boss Thomas Frank has taken over from Ange Postecoglou -- and will look to build on the club's first taste of silverware in 17 years.

Frank will look at preseason as vitally important to ensuring his squad understands the high-intensity, forward-thinking football he will no doubt bring to Tottenham. New arrivals Mohammed Kudus and Japan defender Kota Takai will look to stake starting claims. The addition of Joao Palhinha will add more depth in midfield.

Tottenham's preseason friendlies -- which include a north London derby in Hong Kong -- will provide a clearer outlook on how Frank goes about succeeding the man who finally brought a trophy back to the white half of north London.

West Ham

Summer friendly schedule

July 19: Grasshoppers; Switzerland -- 3-1

July 26: Manchester United; New Jersey -- 1-2

July 30: Everton; Chicago -- 2-1

Aug. 3: AFC Bournemouth; Atlanta -- 2-0

Aug. 9: Lille; London Stadium -- 1-1

Rounding off the Premier League summer series sides is West Ham, who will also travel to U.S. for three games. After the departures of Vladimír Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski, Aaron Cresswell and Danny Ings as well as Mohamed Kudus' £55m move to Tottenham, West Ham are in desperate need of some additions.

With Michail Antonio's time at the London Stadium having come to an end this summer, West Ham have brought in Callum Wilson on a free after his Newcastle exit.

Midfielder El Hadji Malick Diouf could debut this summer after his £19m move from Slavia Prague. Graham Potter will be looking for more incomings as the summer progresses, but West Ham's games in the U.S. are opportunities for many to secure and hold on to a starting position ahead of the Englishman's first full season as West Ham manager.

Wolves

Summer friendly schedule

July 26: Stoke City; bet365 Stadium -- 1-1

July 30: Lens; Walsall -- 1-3

Aug. 3: Girona; Spain -- 1-2

Aug. 9: Celta Vigo: Molineux -- 0-1

Wolves' summer so far has been dominated by key outgoings, with top scorer Matheus Cunha joining United and Aït-Nouri leaving for City. They are yet to replace Aït-Nouri but have brought in forwards Jørgen Strand Larsen and Fernando López from Celta Vigo -- who they play at home in their final friendly of the summer. They have also brought in 27-year-old Fluminense forward Jhon Arias, who impressed at the Club World Cup.

Captain Nélson Semedo's has announced his departure from the club this summer and will be difficult to replace. Returning loanees Hugo Bueno, Ki-Jana Hoever and Nasser Djiga will need to hit the ground running in preseason to stake first-team claims ahead of a very challenging season opener for Wolves. They play Man City on Aug. 17.

James Maddison is set to miss a large period of the 2025-26 season after Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the midfielder has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.

Spurs confirmed that Maddison will undergo surgery "in the coming days" before beginning the recovery process.

Maddison, 28, was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after suffering the injury during Spurs' 1-1 draw with Newcastle United in South Korea on Saturday.

Speaking after the match, head coach Thomas Frank confirmed the injury was to the same knee that caused Maddison to miss the end of last season. He described it as a "bad" injury and a "brutal moment."

The news comes at a particularly unfortunate time for Spurs with Frank now unable to call upon a recognised creative midfielder. Dejan Kulusevski is set to miss the start of the new campaign with a knee injury of his own.

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Spurs attempted to sign midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White this summer but their pursuit of the player ended in failure after the England international signed a new three-year deal at Nottingham Forest.

Tottenham Hotspur bid goodbye to one legend in Son Heung-Min after their previous preseason friendly against Newcastle United but reunite with another as they face Harry Kane's Bayern Munich in Germany.

Spurs are building up to their UEFA Super Cup clash with Paris Saint-Germain a week later, after a promising preseason under Thomas Frank so far.

Victory over Premier League rivals Arsenal in the first-ever north London derby outside the UK was followed by a 1-1 draw against Newcastle in South Korea in what was Son's farewell. The Korean forward is set to become the MLS record signing with sources telling ESPN that he is set to join LAFC.

Meanwhile, Spurs have completed a loan deal for Joao Palhinha from Bayern, and the midfielder is all set to face his parent club in this game. Frank will likely be without James Maddison, who sustained an injury against Newcastle.

Bayern Munich are only one game into their 2025-26 preseason, with a later start thanks to their exertions in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Vincent Kompany opted to field 22 players in the 2-1 win over Olympique Lyon, which also offered a first glimpse of new signing Luis Diaz after his €75m move from Liverpool.

Diaz made an immediate impact, winning a penalty which was converted by Michael Olise, whose brace won Bayern the game. Bayern have another friendly against Grasshoppers coming up, prior to their German Super Cup clash against Stuttgart.

On the transfer front, the club have also signed Jonathan Tah and Tom Bischof in addition to Diaz to reinforce their squad after the departures of Leroy Sane, Eric Dier and Thomas Muller over the summer.

Here is everything you need to know about Thursday's match.

How to watch:

The match will be available on Tottenham's in-house website/app (SPURSPLAY) worldwide. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.

Key Details:

Date: Thursday, August 7 at 5.30 p.m. BST (12.30 p.m. ET; 10 p.m. IST and 2.30 a.m. AEST, Friday)

Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich.

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Soccer truly never stops. As preposterous as it might sound, considering the Women's Euros ended less than a week ago and the Club World Cup ended less than three weeks ago, the offseason is just about over. Champions League qualification is already underway, the Premier League's 2025-26 campaign begins in two weeks, and all of Europe's big leagues will get rolling soon after.

Thanks to the awkwardness of Europe's transfer window closing a couple of weeks after the season begins, it's never easy to enter a new season knowing what rosters will look like when they're locked into place. Like everything else in this sport, it's a moving target. Still, a healthy percentage of this summer's business is done, and we know who has taken big swings at addressing last year's deficiencies.

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Below are 10 teams from Europe's Big Five leagues that achieved solid heights in 2023-24 before falling off course a bit in 2024-25. "Off course" is relative -- Real Madrid, for instance, finished second in LaLiga and reached the Champions League quarterfinals but failed to meet the standard they set the year before. Still, these 10 regressed, and it's worthwhile to check on what hampered them last season and how they've addressed their needs.

Manchester City

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Transition defense. And build-up defense. All defense, really. Nothing worked quite as well for City last season. Their finishing fell off after overachieving against their xG totals by 14.1 goals in 2023-24; they were a more mortal +2.8 in 2024-25, and their set-piece goals (including penalties) fell from 17 to seven. That will make things a struggle, but when you combine that with a defensive collapse, every miss becomes more costly.

A good amount of team defensive work can be separated into two categories: How many shots allowed, and how good are those shots? A team like Manchester City will struggle a bit with the latter -- when you control possession and tilt the pitch like they do, you will give up a higher-than-normal portion of decent breakaway chances -- but they survive that by allowing almost no shots (because of the aforementioned pitch dominance).

Last season, however, City went from allowing nearly the lowest shot quantity and above-average shot quality to allowing more shots than Manchester United with disastrous shot quality.

Losing defensive midfield (and Ballon d'Or winner) Rodri for almost the entire season was a major issue, and City loaded up on transfers in January in response to his absence and the quickly aging squad. Those moves better pay off because they haven't significantly addressed defense this summer.

Key outgoing: attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), right back Kyle Walker (Burnley)

Key incoming: midfielder Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), left back Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolves), attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki (Lyon), goalkeeper James Trafford (Burnley), midfielder Sverre Nypan (Rosenborg)

Reijnders and Cherki could form an incredibly creative midfield tandem, and Ait-Nouri is one of the Premier League's better attacking fullbacks. But City are pinning their hopes for defensive improvement on having Rodri back and finding more ways to dominate the ball. That feels risky, and considering how their stay at the FIFA Club World Cup ended -- with Al Hilal torching them in transition and generating loads of high-quality opportunities (0.19 xG per shot, 3.2 total xG) in a 4-3 loss -- I'm not sure it was the right approach. This attack should be a delight again, though.

Real Madrid

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Also defense. Winning the Champions League, then adding Kylian Mbappé to an attacking arsenal that already included Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo didn't seem fair to the rest of Europe. But it didn't make Real Madrid's attack any better -- they scored nine fewer goals in league play, though their xG totals rose a bit -- and it didn't do their defense any favors. Neither did age nor injuries.

Full back Dani Carvajal tore his right ACL in October, then Éder Militão tore an ACL for the second straight year. David Alaba (33) played just 316 league minutes, Ferland Mendy (30) played just 1,006, Antonio Rüdiger (32) missed nine matches, and Lucas Vázquez (34) had to play more than 2,100 minutes. With the attacking line providing next to no cover from a pressing perspective, the defense didn't live up to the club's standards. Real Madrid allowed 12 more goals in league play and bowed out of the Champions League quarterfinals after losses of 3-0 and 2-1 to Arsenal. To add insult to injury, they were pounded 4-0 by PSG in the Club World Cup semifinals as well.

Key outgoing: midfielder Luka Modric (AC Milan), right back Lucas Vazquez

Key incoming: right back Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), center-back Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth), left back Álvaro Carreras (Benfica), right winger Franco Mastantuono (River Plate)

New manager Xabi Alonso and two of three new signings (Trent and Huijsen) were in place with little prep time in the Club World Cup, and young forward Gonzalo García became a star in the U.S. as well. But with Alonso doing little to tinker with the approach, we don't know what the new Real Madrid will look like.

At least the club seemed to acknowledge the need for upgrades in the back. Huijsen is 20, and Carreras is 22, and both will be facing epic pressure in the coming months. But the signings made sense.

Leverkusen

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: The inevitable hangover. There was nowhere to go but down after their perfect run in 2023-24. Despite an extremely similar cast, Leverkusen scored fewer goals (from 2.6 per match to 2.1) and allowed more (from 0.7 to 1.3), their goal and xG differentials were cut in half, and as is typical, their close-game magic faded, from 2.33 points per game in matches decided by no more than one goal to 1.77. Close-game magic always fades.

Maybe the most noticeable shift: In open play, Leverkusen went from generating 1.49 xG per match (third in the Bundesliga) to just 0.87 (seventh). Opponents improved at disrupting their build-up play and clogging the defensive box, and everything got more difficult. It was probably time for a talent transfusion, and they got one, for better or worse.

Key outgoing: attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), right back Jeremie Frimpong (Liverpool), center-back Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), midfielder Granit Xhaka

Key incoming: attacking midfielder Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), goalkeeper Mark Flekken (Brentford), center-back Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza (Hertha Berlin), right winger Farid Alfa-Ruprecht (Manchester City)

It's probably not good to compare the players who left with the ones who arrived. Wirtz and Frimpong combined for 35 goals and 35 assists in league play over the past two seasons, Tah is a national-team starter at the back, and Xhaka provided epic leadership and grunt work during the amazing 2023-24 season. There's no measuring up to that, but in a vacuum, Tillman is an exciting attacker, Quansah is a compelling young defender and Flekken is a sturdy goalkeeper, albeit not much younger than incumbent Lukas Hradecky. (At 19, Maza and Alfa-Ruprecht are more long-term projects.)

This remains a talented squad, but it's most certainly a new era in Leverkusen.

Tottenham Hotspur

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Surprise, it's defense again. Thomas Frank is walking into an almost perfect situation.

There's a pretty solid correlation between how a team performs in close games and not-so-close games. If a team wins more than average in one, it probably does in the other, too. Tottenham Hotspur were above average in the not-so-close games last season, averaging 1.76 points per game; that was about the same as Chelsea (1.85). But in games decided by no more than one goal, Spurs had the worst record in the Big Five leagues. They played 21 such games and won one. One!

That's as much of an outlier as you'll see on a chart like that. Performing at an average level in those games, Spurs would have had about 20 more points. They're almost guaranteed to improve in this regard, and Frank will get a lot of credit for it.

He'll get even more credit if he can make Spurs' defense progress, too. They were dismal in that regard during both of Ange Postecoglou's seasons -- even worse than Frank's lower-budget Brentford. It was especially poor last year: Spurs were 16th in the Premier League in goals allowed and 17th in xG allowed. That wasn't bad luck.

Key outgoing: winger Son Heung-min

Key incoming: right winger Mohammed Kudus (West Ham), forward Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich), center-back Kevin Danso (Lens), center-back Luka Vuskovic (Hajduk Split), center-back Kota Takai (Kawasaki Frontale)

I don't love the fees associated with the acquisitions of Kudus (€63.8 million) or Tel (€35 million) -- especially the rather one-dimensional Kudus -- and Spurs probably aren't done thanks to their failed pursuit of Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-Whitecombined with Son's recent departure and a potentially serious knee injury for James Maddison. But signing three center-backs tells you they understood the main assignment.

Manchester United

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Finishing (and an almost total lack of strengths). On paper, Manchester United got a little better last season. Their xG differential improved from minus-0.35 to minus-0.04, meaning they created the same quality of opportunities as their opponents. But they were poor in close games -- not Spurs poor, but poor -- and their finishing was dismal, scoring 44 goals from shots worth 53.6 xG. Bright young star Amad Diallo scored eight goals from shots worth 4.7; almost everyone else underachieved.

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Players like Bruno Fernandes (eight goals from shots worth 10.0 xG) will likely progress toward the mean this season, but this was just a mediocre-at-best team, with no strengths. United could use one to two more attackers, at least one midfielder and at least one central defender. Maybe even more than that.

Key outgoing: left winger Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan)

Key incoming: right winger Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), forward Matheus Cunha (Wolves)

In theory, adding the Nos. 4 and 8 scorers in the Premier League is a direct way of addressing scoring issues, right? Mbeumo and Cunha combined for 35 goals and 13 assists last season, but both overachieved their xG totals by unsustainable amounts -- Mbeumo's 20 goals came from shots worth 12.3 xG, Cunha's 15 from shots worth 8.7. Laying down a combined €149.2 million for these two was a significant overpay, and the expenses could prevent them from addressing their other obvious issues.

United almost certainly aren't done, but they had a lot to address and, at most, they've checked only half the boxes on the list.

AC Milan

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Finishing as well. As with Manchester United, AC Milan's underlying stats told a different story than their place in the Serie A table. Their xG differential improved in 2024-25 -- from +0.54 per match to +0.60 -- but their finishing was horrendous. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and loanee Tammy Abraham combined for 14 goals from shots worth 21.1 xG; Abraham was responsible for more than half of that disparity in his loan season at the San Siro.

There were other issues: Milan didn't get nearly as much out of its press, and fewer high turnovers meant more shot attempts against packed-in defenses (and more blocked shots). All Milan needed was some better finishing.

Key outgoing: midfielder Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), left back Theo Hernández (Al Hilal), center-back Pierre Kalulu (Juventus), right back Emerson Royal (Flamengo), forward Tammy Abraham (end of loan)

Key incoming: midfielder Luka Modric (Real Madrid), defensive midfielder Samuele Ricci (Torino), left back Pervis Estupinian (Brighton)

In a vacuum, adding Modric, Ricci and Estupinian are all solid moves. Modric, 39, can settle into a table-setting role in a reasonably low-paced league -- with a reasonably low-paced manager in Max Allegri -- and in theory, Ricci, 23, and incumbents such as Youssouf Fofana and Musah, if he remains with the team, can do a lot of the running.

Estupinian is industrious, too. But the departure of Abraham and the lack of additions up front means Pulisic, star winger Rafael Leão and winter addition Santiago Gimenez will face added pressure to not only produce but also log huge minutes.

RB Leipzig

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: A vanishing attack. RBL just suffered its worst Bundesliga campaign, and it could have been even worse: They finished seventh but ranked 10th in xG differential. Regardless, for the first time since 2016-17, they won't play in a UEFA competition.

RB Leipzig haven't lost a key player yet, but with rumors circling regarding forwards Benjamin Sesko and Loïs Openda and attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, a big change is likely. That could be awkward, considering the attack vanished last season with those three. RBL scored 24 fewer goals in Bundesliga play and finished 10th in goals and 15th in shots per possession. They still ran hard and created chances from pressing, but they lacked in the creativity department, and were almost unable to create decent chances that weren't in transition.

Key outgoing: midfielder Ilaix Moriba (Celta de Vigo), forward Yussuf Poulsen (Hamburg)

Key incoming: defensive midfielder Arthur Vermeeren (Atletico Madrid), right winger Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven), left winger Yan Diomande (Leganes), midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi (OH Leuven), attacking midfielder Andrija Maksimovic (Red Star Belgrade)

New manager Ole Werner wasn't an inspiring hire, considering how old his Werder Bremen squad was last season and how young RBL will be this year. But he created more offense with fewer raw players, at least. And though we don't know which of RBL's attackers will be departing, building something new around the 22-year-old Bakayoko (21 goals and 10 assists in the past two league seasons at PSV) and ultra-aggressive teenagers in Diomande and Maksimovic could be fun.

Stuttgart

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Everything got worse. What happens when you lose three of your best veteran players a year after a major breakthrough? You probably get worse. Stuttgart commemorated their first Champions League trip since 2009-10 by losing forward Serhou Guirassy and center-back Waldemar Anton to Borussia Dortmund and center-back Hiroki Ito to Bayern. As a result, they were worse at finishing and much worse at defending.

They dropped to ninth in the league and couldn't advance to the Champions League knockout rounds. But they won the DFB-Pokal, securing a Europa League berth.

Key outgoing: left winger Jacob Bruun Larsen (Burnley)

Key incoming: right back Lorenz Assignon (Rennes), right winger Lazar Jovanovic (Red Star Belgrade)

Thus far, Stuttgart have held on to emerging forward Nick Woltemade despite heavy interest from Bayern Munich, and he and Jamie Leweling could further improve this season -- especially if last year's big permanent signing, Deniz Undav, rediscovers his finishing form. Combine that with more development from younger defenders such as Ramon Hendriks and teenager Finn Jeltsch -- and solid early play from Assignon -- and it's easy to see last year's relative pain becoming this season's gain.

Jumping back into Champions League contention might be a tall ask, but after last year's natural regression could come a natural rebound.

Real Sociedad

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Offense. La Real's worst season in seven years was prompted by a familiar obstacle: putting the ball in the net. They were 17th in LaLiga in goals (35), thanks to a lack of shot attempts (16th in shots per possession) and horrid finishing. Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo combined for 14 goals from shots worth 13.5 xG, but everyone else on the team combined for a dismal 20 goals from shots worth 29.4.

Their playing style under longtime manager Imanol Alguacil was always a bit on the languid side, but 2024-25 was a step too far. Alguacil is out, and former Real Sociedad B manager Sergio Francisco is in. So far, any potential needs have gone unaddressed.

Key outgoing: defensive midfielder Martín Zubimendi (Arsenal)

Key incoming: none

For better or worse, it's pretty clear that Real Sociedad are sticking to their plans and their longtime identity. They promoted from within, and they've added no one thus far: their only move was completing the long-rumored transfer of Zubimendi to the Premier League.

On net, that makes them less talented this season, but finishing at a normal rate would make them borderline Europe contenders, at least.

Girona

Last season's biggest statistical weakness: Everything, obviously (but mostly scoring). Stuttgart's regression was predictable, but Girona's was almost completely foretold. After charging to third in LaLiga in 2023-24, in just their second season after promotion, the Gironistes lost forwards Artem Dovbyk (Roma) and Pau Víctor (Barcelona), winger Savinho (Manchester City) and midfielder Aleix García (Bayer Leverkusen).

They got little from their primary new additions (winger Yáser Asprilla, midfielder Donny van de Beek) and they collapsed, winning just one Champions League match and finishing one point above relegation in league play. After scoring 85 goals in LaLiga play in 2023-24, they scored just 44 in 2024-25.

Key outgoing: none

Key incoming: attacking midfielder Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid on loan), right back Hugo Rincón (Athletic Club on loan)

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy predicted he will get credit from supporters critical of his time in charge once he has left the club.

Levy has long been the target of ire from fans who point towards a dearth of silverware under his direction, as well as failure to build upon Premier League title challenges in 2016 and 2017 and the team's run to the 2019 Champions League final.

Last season's 17th-place finish -- a record low in the Premier League era -- was partly offset by victory in the Europa League final which saw the club lift its first trophy since 2008.

Former head coach Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked days after the win over Manchester United in Bilbao, dodged the worst of the anger directed from the stands as the team plummeted down the table, with supporters instead targeting the chairman for the club's apparent regression.

"I think it's one of those situations [in which] when I'm not here I'm sure I'll get the credit," Levy told Gary Neville's The Overlap podcast.

"When you come here and look at this wonderful [stadium], and the fact that other clubs are now trying to copy what we're doing, that should be a sign that maybe we did do something bold, and something right."

Spurs moved in to their 60,000-capacity stadium, built on the former site of White Hart Lane, in 2019 and it quickly acquired a reputation as one of the best sports venues in Europe, regularly hosting NFL fixtures as well as large-scale music and other events.

Yet frustration remains with the team's failure to mount a credible challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, though Levy admitted he was at a loss to explain the lack of success.

"Nothing has changed in terms of our ambition," Levy said. "Having won the Europa League -- thank you to Ange -- you get a taste of it, but it's not enough. It's never been enough.

"We've been in 16 or 17 semi-finals, seven finals, and we haven't won enough. We know need to use that as a springboard to keep winning. We've won two trophies in the last 20-plus years. We've been so close, so many times.

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"I can't really answer [why], because I'm not the one that picks the team, motivates the team."

Former Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who was appointed to replace Postecoglou in June, will take charge of his first competitive match when Spurs begin the new season at home to Burnley on Aug. 16.

He will do so without stalwart forward Son Heung-Min, who has announced he will leave the club this summer and was given an emotional send-off in Sunday's friendly against Newcastle in his native South Korea.

After last season's dismal league campaign, Levy encouraged fans not to heap excessive expectation on their new boss.

"He gets the style of football we want to play," he said. "He understands that Rome wasn't built in a day. We haven't set him, 'You've got to win the league this year'. We just want to compete at the highest level.

"We will support him to the best of our ability. If you look at transfer fees, we've been in the top four spenders since the stadium opened, we've spent close to £700 million ($930m) net on new players."

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min has said his farewell on Sunday was a "perfect moment" as he signed off his 10-year career at the club.

Son showed his emotions in the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in his native South Korea, crying when he was given a standing ovation and a guard of honour from players of both teams after he was substituted around the hour mark of the club's final Asia preseason tour game.

"It was a perfect moment," Son told the club's website. "Sharing these beautiful moments are something that I will never forget and I will always appreciate it - from the fans, the players and the gaffer.

"He understood my situation and was always on my side. He always listened to me and asked what I wanted to do. I have a huge respect and am very grateful."

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Reflecting on his time in north London, he added: "I wish them all the best. There are five competitions ahead and I hope they win all the five competitions. That's my wish.

"Spurs will always be in my heart and the boys will always be in my history books. It was incredible.

"They've gone so fast, the 10 years. I can only think about the beautiful moments, amazing moments."

Sources told ESPN's James Olley last week that LAFC are interested in signing the forward.

Information from PA contributed to this report.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison was stretchered off the field with a knee injury in the 1-1 draw to Newcastle United in their final Asia preseason tour game.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank confirmed the injury was to the same knee that caused Maddison to miss the end of last season. He described it as a "bad" injury and a "brutal moment."

"Sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal," said Frank.

"That's what we got today. It looks like with Madders a bad injury and then on the other side unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players.

"We're pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before."

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The moment threatened to overshadow what was an emotional farewell game for forward Son Heung-Min.

Son was given a guard of honour before the clash in his native South Korea at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, and he was in tears when he walked down the tunnel at the end of the match.

The match comes a day after he announced his intention to leave Tottenham this summer in what he described as the "hardest decision of his career."

"I think it's very likely Sonny's last game because it's very close", said Frank after the game on his likely departure.

Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United in the final game of their preseason tour of Asia that saw Son Heung-Min say his final goodbye to the club.

Brennan Johnson's deflected strike gave Spurs a fourth-minute lead but Harvey Barnes levelled before half-time.

Son was given a guard of honour before the game in his native South Korea at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, and he was in tears when he walked down the tunnel at the end of the match.

The match comes a day after he announced his intention to leave Tottenham this summer in what he described as the "hardest decision of his career."

The farewell was almost overshadowed by a knee injury to James Maddison that saw him stretchered off the field.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank confirmed the injury was to the same knee that caused Maddison to miss the end of last season. He described it as a "bad" injury and a "brutal moment."

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"Sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal," Frank said.

"That's what we got today. It looks like with Madders a bad injury and then on the other side unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players.

"We're pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before."

Captain Son Heung-min announced on Saturday that he will be leaving Tottenham Hotspur.

At a news conference in Seoul, Son said his decision to leave the Premier League club was the most difficult of his career, adding that Tottenham, where he has spent the past decade, supports him as he looks to move on.

"It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. But I think it's the right time to make this decision. I hope that everybody understands my decision and that everyone respects that," the South Korea star said.

"I came to North London as a kid, 23 years old, very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn't speak English and leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment."

Sources told ESPN's James Olley last week that LAFC is interested in signing Son, who has a deal with the Spurs until 2026.

Son was asked in Korean on his future playing plans, and he replied: 'I don't think I have an answer yet."

New Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank confirmed Son will start and be captain in Sunday's friendly with Newcastle at Seoul's World Cup Stadium.

It could be Son's final appearance for Spurs, despite the UEFA Super Cup fixture with Paris St Germain in Udine on the horizon on Aug. 13.

"It's very clear that Sonny will start and lead the team out as captain. If that is the last game for Sonny, what a place to do it here in front of his home fans. It could be a beautiful ending," Frank said.

Tottenham's Europa League final win over Manchester United gave Son the opportunity to lift his only trophy for the club after becoming only the seventh player to reach 450 appearances for Spurs -- with 198 Premier League goal contributions -- since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 for £22 million ($29.8m).

"Winning the Europa League made me feel I had achieved everything I could here. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge," Son added.

Information from The Associated Press and PA was used in this report.

Pape Matar Sarr's superb 45-yard strike gave Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the first north London derby ever played outside the United Kingdom.

Thursday's meeting at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong drew a record 49,975 crowd -- although the $3.9 billion arena only opened in March -- and they were treated to competitive contest not without controversy.

Arsenal appeared angry that Sarr's goal was allowed to stand due to what they believed was a foul by Richarlison in the build-up but after dominating the second half, they were unable to find a response, despite the late introduction of new €73 million signing Viktor Gyökeres for the final 13 minutes.

The result means the Gunners sign off their preseason tour of Asia with a defeat while Spurs boss Thomas Frank has a notable victory to help begin his tenure as Ange Postecoglou's successor.

Arsenal started on the front foot with William Saliba flashing a fourth-minute header wide as Spurs struggled to deal with an early corner.

Set-pieces quickly became a theme of the game with coach Andreas Georgson -- who replaced his Arsenal counterpart Nicolas Jover at Brentford -- now working under Thomas Frank again at Tottenham.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya found himself being blocked off at corners and Arsenal struggled to cope. Spurs hit the woodwork three times in the first half.

A 10th-minute Pedro Porro delivery hit the post before Wilson Odobert's low drive deflected off Ben White and onto the upright. From the resulting corner, Spurs hit the post again and Richarlison was unable to turn the ball home from close range.

Tottenham took the lead just before the interval. Raya played out from the back to Myles Lewis-Skelly and under pressure from Richarlison, the England defender lost the ball to Sarr, who lofted an excellent driven finish over Raya and into the net from long range.

Arsenal were furious in response, believing Richarlison had committed a foul with both Lewis-Skelly and Martin Ødegaard remonstrating with the fourth official as the teams left for half-time.

Neither team made any changes at the break and Kai Havertz linked up well with Gabriel Martinelli shortly before the hour mark as Arsenal went in search of an equaliser but the Brazilian could only fire his shot off target.

The substitutions began just after the hour mark with Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson all introduced for Spurs before Leandro Trossard and Martín Zubimendi came on for Arsenal.

However, the crowd were made to wait for the two men they arguably wanted to see the most -- Gyokeres and Tottenham legend Son Heung-Min -- until a raft of further changes came in the 77th-minute.

Arsenal suffered an injury scare shortly afterwards as Trossard was forced off with an injury but despite penning Spurs back for long periods, they ran out of ideas to break them down and Tottenham held on.