With the Premier League season only a week away and with one of the most hotly anticipated campaigns in memory almost ready to begin, the Press Association looks at the talking points ahead of kick-off.

New managers

In all, nine of the division’s 20 clubs are going into the season with a new manager, lending the build-up an extra tint of anticipation. Add to those the new bosses coming into the league with the promoted sides and more than half of the league’s managers will be either new to the competition or freshly installed in their role.

Wide-open title race

The most significant impacts of all the new faces will likely be on the title race. It is remarkable that of the sides considered best equipped to challenge champions Arsenal for their crown, Manchester United’s Michael Carrick has been in the job the longest – he was appointed caretaker boss at Old Trafford in January and as United’s permanent new boss in May.

How will Arsenal fare as champions?

The last time the Gunners attempted to retain the title, they were also defending what became the longest unbeaten run in English league history. Once that fell at 49 games – with a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford in late October – the team’s form briefly collapsed, collecting six points from six games, by which time Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea had taken a command of the race they would not relinquish.

Mikel Arteta now finds himself up against not one but five relative upstarts with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all installing new bosses, and United and Tottenham in similar positions. No longer a perennial runner-up, how will the Arsenal manager fare as the league’s top dog?

Will City suffer a Guardiola hangover?

Of City’s eight Premier League titles, six were won by Pep Guardiola. His departure at the end of last season places the club in a fascinating position that their rivals will be hopeful of exploiting. His anointed successor Enzo Maresca has enjoyed moderate success as a manager at Leicester, with whom he won the Championship, and at Chelsea – who he guided to the Champions League and to victory in the Conference League and Club World Cup before resigning under a cloud.

The Italian is thought of exceptionally highly by the man he has replaced but following in his footsteps might be the most daunting appointment imaginable, particularly with City having slipped from their dizzying heights following third- and second-place finishes in the league.

Are Liverpool, United or Chelsea ready to rise again?

Three former Premier League champions have new or nearly new managers. Chelsea under Xabi Alonso are coming from furthest back having finished 10th but have invested heavily again in the squad, most eye-catchingly in making £117million buy Morgan Rogers their record signing.

The jury remains out on whether Carrick truly is the man to restore glory to Old Trafford, though an impressive 12 league wins from 17 and only two defeats, mostly as caretaker, was promising as the team finished third.

Andoni Iraola at Anfield knows the division well and is working with many of the squad that won the league under Arne Slot 15 months ago, but their squad looks arguably the least-well equipped of the three to challenge.