5 things to know about the 2015-16 Premier League season

A summer of transfers, rumours, and international football will be pushed out of the spotlight on Aug. 8, when the 24th Premier League season kicks off.

The behemoths that are Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United will be looking to add some silverware to their trophy cabinets, while Norwich City, Watford, and AFC Bournemouth will be attempting to avoid immediate relegation from the top flight of English football. And sandwiched between the aforementioned clubs, a number of teams will be embarking on missions of their own.

Here are five things that will define the 2015-16 Premier League season:

Untouched Chelsea could sleepwalk to title ... again

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Chelsea will return to action with a squad that is eerily similar to the one that captured the club's fourth Premier League title.

In fact, the only notable names who arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer were Asmir Begovic and Radamel Falcao, who will probably both spend the majority of this season watching from the discomfort of the bench. An injury to Thibaut Courtois is the former's only chance of featuring between the posts, while the latter is, simply put, not very good anymore.

Other clubs, namely Manchester United, have opened their chequebooks with the aim of competing for the title. However, there really isn't much reason to believe that City, Arsenal, or United, despite all improving, have done enough to dethrone the reigning champion.

So, even if Jose Mourinho's side drop points here and there, there will be no surprises if Chelsea snatches its fifth honour.

Petr Cech to Arsenal's rescue?

There is arguably no signing in the summer transfer window quite as large as Petr Cech's move from Chelsea to Arsenal.

John Terry is under the impression that the veteran 'keeper can allow Arsenal to close in on the title, saying in June: "He will save them 12 to 15 points a season."

Whether Terry's words prove to be the case remains to be seen, but many supporters seem to be forgetting that Cech went an entire season in which he was confined to the bench. He'll undoubtedly provide flashes of brilliance at the Emirates Stadium, but by no means should Arsenal be putting the champagne on ice simply because of his arrival.

No excuses for Manchester United

Failure will not be forgiven.

Under manager Louis van Gaal, who is set to embark on his second season at Old Trafford, Manchester United will be expected to improve drastically on its sub-standard 2014-15 campaign.

David De Gea – for now – will be between the posts. The right-back issue was addressed by signing Matteo Darmian. Phil Jones, and Chris Smalling is a fine centre-back pairing. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin will be in the midfield. Angel Di Maria can reportedly no longer be a scapegoat, and Memphis Depay should produce the goals that Falcao could never tally.

Furthermore, the 3-5-2 that Van Gaal flirted with last season appears set to be put aside in favour of a 4-3-3 formation that will see Wayne Rooney used as a striker, a position he describes as his "best."

Shifting the blame will be tough if United is unable to return to a fraction of form that captivated audiences at the turn of the millennium.

Can Bournemouth remain afloat?

Hosting fixtures in an 11,700-capacity, Bournemouth's home matches will feel somewhat out of place in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, what the club has accomplished is somewhat remarkable, going from minus-17 points in League Two and financial unconsciousness to the top flight of English football for the first time in its history within seven years.

Make no mistake about it: There will be some tough-to-watch moments during Bournemouth's inaugural season in the Premier League. The odds of the club winning the title have been listed as 5,000-1, an indication of the uphill battle that Eddie Howe's side faces in avoiding relegation.

The neutral supporter, however, will be hoping that Bournemouth can produce a moment or two of jaw-dropping brilliance throughout the season and find itself sitting 17th or higher in the table upon completion of the campaign.

Cash is king

The Premier League gets the money.

It was announced back in February that the domestic broadcasting rights for the Premier League were awarded to Sky Sports and BT Sports for an insane £5.136 billion, which averages out to roughly £10.2 million per game and is a 70-percent increase from the previous television deal.

While the new deal doesn't kick in until the 2016-17 season, knowledge of its arrival will surely be accounted for as clubs, players, and agents contemplate their futures, therefore complicating matters that could otherwise be far simpler in 2015-16.

(Courtesy: the Guardian)