It’s that time of the year again. The time when Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool players, managers and fans gear up for the battle for supremacy. The time when Arsenal fans bemoan their clubs lack of action in the transfer market and when promoted clubs still feel they’ll be the ones to avoid the drop and head back to the Championship. It’s the beginning of the English Premier League season and there’s no better way to get prepared than with a quick run through of the English Premier League Alphabet. Here are some teams and African players to get familiar with.

A is for Alex Song. The young Cameroonian might be the most under-rated player in the Arsenal first eleven but will be one of the most important as he dictates the game from his holding midfield position alongside Cesc Fabregas and one of Denilson, Samir Nasri or Tomas Rosicky in manager Arsene Wenger’s 4-3-3. Song will need to become a more consistent player this season as he matures into his role on the team but no Arsenal player will play with more passion than Song this season. Arsene Wenger made last season about youth and this season will be no exception with the sale of both Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor. Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen will be expected to take Toure’s position alongside William Gallas while Andrei Arshavin will be expected to provide most of the creative opportunities in front of goal. Look for Arshavin to show Premier League fans why he was the most coveted player after Euro 2008 and along with Theo Walcott, the returning Eduardo and a confident post Gold Cup player in Carlos Vela, Wenger will be able to add young starlet Jack Wilshere into the mix this season. Expect some more growing pains for the Gunners and the usual top 5 finish.

B is for Birmingham City.  Manager Alex McLeish’s side added a tandem of bad boys this summer in Lee Bowyer and Barry Ferguson but despite the experience in midfield all will be for naught if newly signed Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez does not adapt to the English game and pace quickly. City will probably find themselves mired in the relegation struggle this season due to the lack of a consistent and established Premier League goal scorer. (Recurring theme for a number of teams that will be in the relegation zone).

C is for Chelsea. The Blues are back from the disappointing FA Cup winning season of 2008-2009. Granted they ended the season with some silverware but it was neither the EPL trophy nor the European Cup owner Roman Abramovich was expecting when he signed Luiz Felipe Scolari.  In came former AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti this summer and the Italian has already endeared himself to his players in the manner of two former Chelsea managers, The Special One Jose Mourinho and caretaker manager Guus Hiddink. Ancelotti will be sticking with much of the same squad as last season with the additions of Russian left midfielder Yuri Zhirkov, backup goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and young striker Daniel Sturridge.  The Italian will be more amenable to using the forward tandem of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka unlike his predecessor Big Phil Scolari.  With Nigerian international John Obi Mikel anchoring the midfield and Ghanaian international Michael Essien providing added steel, the blues will be heavy favourites for the EPL trophy this season but more importantly Ancelotti looks like the man to get Chelsea their first European Cup.

D is for Danny Shittu. The Nigerian and Bolton defender had a tupsy turvy season last term and will be looking to show manager Gary Megson that he can be a rock in the Sam Allardyce-like side that Megson has assembled. Bolton won’t be expected to compete for a European spot but will be solid enough to avoid the relegation zone. Look for DR Congo native Fabrice Muamba to continue putting in solid performances at the heart of midfield for the Wanderers as he builds on his play from this summer’s UEFA U-21 championships.

E is for Emmanuel Seyi Adebayor. The Togolese international landed in the Blue half of Manchester this summer to embark on the difficult task of replacing the goalscoring maestro that was Darius Vassell.  All kidding aside, the arrival of Adebayor to Manchester is as important a signing as there was this summer in the EPL and coupled with the signings of Carlos Tevez from the Red half of Manchester as well as Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure mixed in with a full season of Shay Given in goal, City are now a credible threat for a European place.  Manchester City supporters will have every reason to be optimistic about the possibility of silverware returning to the blue half of the city for the first time since 1976.

Fis for fortunate as that is what Burnley were when manager Owen Coyle decided to reject the overtures from Celtic and stay on at Burnley. Coyle is a good manager and despite the lack of any major signings, a small squad in the smallest town among Premiership teams, Burnley will do enough to stave off the relegation zone.

G is for Gabriel Agbonlahor. The Aston Villa and England striker of Nigerian heritage had a great start to the season last year but like Villa and most Martin O’Neill led teams, he tailed off in the second half of the season. Villa have neglected to replenish their squad properly this sum as owner Randy Lerner has tightened the purse strings and a third straight 6^th place finish (or top half of the table finish in general) will hinge on O’Neill’s ability to  find a quality replacement in midfield for Gareth Barry.  The hope will be that Steve Sidwell regains the form he was in with Reading back in 2006-07 or for Nigel Reo-Coker to stake his claim and show why he was called up to the standby list for England’s 2006 World Cup squad during his West Ham years.

H is for Hull City. The Tigers were flying high in the first half of last season but fell off as the season wore on. This campaign will see them try to avoid the second season slide to relegation that affects a number of promoted teams ( Ipswich Town 2000-2002; West Brom 2004-2006; Reading 2006-2008).  Manager Phil Brown will need to find a creative presence in his team as well as assemble a frontline with a better strike rate this season. The hope is that young American striker Jozy Altidore will provide the goods up front and Nigerian midfield Seyi Olofinjana , another summer addition, will be provide workmanlike displays in midfield along with his solid range of passing. If both players live up to expectations, Hull will surprise a lot of fans as they avoid the drop zone.

I is for Congolese Left-back Herita Ilunga.  Ilunga was a surprise signing by West Ham in 2008 but with his play last season, he showed he was capable of becoming a dependable Premiership fullback. The Gianfranco Zola led Hammers are still plagued by the tumultuous ownership situation that they were in last season but Zola showed an ability to motivate his squad as well as get the tactics spot on during his short spell in charge so far and the Italian will be looking to improve on the teams 9^th place finish last season. Carlton Cole, the English striker with the Nigerian father and Sierra-Leonean mother will be forced to shoulder much of the goalscoring load again with the absence of perpetually injured Dean Ashton. With Mark Noble and young Jack Collison adding a bit of grit and creativity in midfield, West Ham will end the season in the top half of the table again.

J is for John Paintsil.  The Ghanaian right back was a positive for Fulham’s back four last season with his attacking runs on the right balancing his solid play defensively alongside center-back Brede Hangeland and Mark Schwarzer in goal. Last season was the best in Cottagers history as Roy Hodgson managed the squad to a 7^th place finish with the good play of Senegalese international Diomansy Kamara and Nigerian international midfielder Dickson Etuhu added to the mix. The London side will be looking to impress again this season with the addition of South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi to the fray and the rejuvenation of USA striker Eddie Johnson who Hodgson hopes will provide the goals that were missing last season among the forwards.  Despite all this, with the rigors of European competition this season, it will be difficult to see Fulham overcoming their schedule to finish 7^th or higher this season.

L is for Liverpool. The reds will be aiming for their 19^th title as they’ve done every season since 1990.  This year the desire to end the season in 1^st place is greater than ever as Rafa Benitez’ side watched the Premiership trophy slip from their grasp despite a great start to the season.  The race will be on with last seasons champions Manchester United to see who is first to win their 19^th league trophy.  Liverpool will be hoping new signing, Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani fills in for the departed Xabi Alonso. Striker Fernando Torres and Captain Steven Gerrard combined for 30 goals in the reds 38  Premiership matches last season but look for a greater contribution from Dutch player Ryan Babel depending on where Rafa utilizes him. More big match performances will be expected of Yossi Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt and if Rafa can add more pieces to provide depth in defence or if the back four can stay relatively injury free, look for Liverpool to fight Chelsea for the Premiership trophy all the way to the end.

M is for the Mackems as in Sunderland Athletic Football Club. The Wearside outfit narrowly missed out on relegation last season and their supporters got the double delight of seeing their beloved Sunderland stay in the Premiership while rivals Newcastle United dropped down to the Football League Championship. A smoother season beckons for Sunderland with Steve Bruce now at the helm. Texan Ellis Short is now in place as owner and he’s opened the transfer kitty for Bruce to bring in former Marseille midfielder Lorik Cana as well as Darren Bent from Tottenham. Paired with Trinidad & Tobago striker Kenwyne Jones, goals should be a bit easier to come by this season for the Mackems. A major question will be if Anton Ferdinand is ready to mature as a defensive leader and stalwart at the back under the tutelage of his manager who excelled at the same position. If a reliable partner can be found to pair up with Ferdinand and the Bent/Jones combo finds the touch in front of goal, Sunderland will avoid the relegation zone and stay safely within 10^th-15^th place.

P is for Portsmouth.  After a problem filled 2008/2009 season from the boardroom to the backroom staff and on the field, Pompey fans will be hoping a drama and relegation free season is in order but all signs point to both returning this season. There’s still turmoil in the boardroom as prospective owner Sulaiman Al Fahim and current owner Alexandre Gaydamak wrangle over ownership and debt repayment details. More player sales appear to be on the horizon but for now the team still has David James in goal and the arrival of  South African captain Aaron Mokoena from Blackburn will help bolster Portsmouth defensively. Nigerian striker John Utaka will be aiming to recapture his form and pick up the slack for the departed Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe as he lines up with new arrival Frédéric Piquionne. Fellow Nigerian Kanu Nwankwo  will be on hand to assist in the creative department but for how long is anyone’s guess as Kanu recently signed a one month contract.   All this won’t be enough to stop Portsmouth from sitting in the relegation zone and heading down to the Football Championship at the end of the season.

S is for Senegal and Stoke City. The Potters did very well to avoid relegation last season and a major factor in that was the astute signing by manager Tony Pulis of striker James Beattie. Beattie’s goals were a boon to Stoke City as other relegation candidates struggled to find the net and Stoke fans will look for more of the same this season. The Senegales quartet at Stoke City-Amdy Faye, Abdoulaye Faye, Ibrahima Sonko and Salif Diao will play a part in the attempts to avoid relegation especially the first three players in defence and in midfield but the second season slide will eventually get to Stoke and they’ll end up in the bottom three at the end of the season.

T is for Tottenham. Spurs are entering their first full season under the Cockney magician Harry Redknapp and the players as well as the fans will be hoping for a good start as the lack of one has doomed many a Spurs season this decade. The sale of Didier Zokora leaves Spurs without any African players but Redknapp has assembled a fairly decent squad sans a traditional left midfielder.  Another weakness will be the oft-injured Spurs Center-halves and Redknapp will be hoping for a relatively injury-free season among his backline in order for his team to get out to a good start and end up with a European spot. A 1^st win versus bitter rivals Arsenal will be a strong possibility this season.

U is for United, as in there’s only one United. Manchester United Football Club.

This summer saw United turn into a selling club for the most part with Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Madrid and Carlos Tevez heading down the M60 to Eastlands and the blue half of Manchester.  Despite the massive influx of funds from the summer sales, United have been uncharacteristically reticent to spend much of the proceeds and despite talk of a lack of players fitting the United mindset and unwillingness to meet high player prices, one has to believe the penny-pinching mindset that the Glazer family have imposed on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is in effect this season with United. The arrivals of Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen will do much to make up for the summer exits but look for two holdovers in Nani and Frederico Macheda to show if they’re ready to replace Ronaldo and Tevez in the United machine. If so, United will be able to pip Liverpool to #19 but a Champions League trophy does not appear to be on the cards.

V  is for Veijeany Christopher Samba. The Congolese international has been a dependable part of the Blackburn Rovers defence over the past two seasons and  with the arrival of Sam Allardyce, Rovers will be expected to get out to a better start this season than they did under Paul Ince last year. Allardyce will be without the services of Roque Santa Cruz who was sold to Manchester City but the arrival of the burgeoning star Franco Di Santo (on loan from Chelsea) up front with South African Benni McCarthy will help alleviate the goalscoring void left by Santa Cruz. Lars Jacobsen was another excellent pickup by Allardyce as the Dane will make the right-back spot his own. A Europa league spot is probably out of reach this season but as Allardyce molds Rovers in his preferred image, the team will be playing again in Europe by next season.

W is for Wolverhampton. The Wanderers won the Football Championship last season to gain promotion to the EPL but Mick McCarthy’s side will be tipped for a quick return back down. McCarthy to his credit has made one of the shrewdest signings among the three promoted clubs by signing both striker Kevin Doyle and Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemahn from Reading. Both are proven players in the Premiership and the English game and will serve capably in attack and defence for Wanderers. Look out for young Cameroonian left-back George Elokobi to impress as well as Serbian midfielder Nenad Milijas.  Wolves will be another club that will struggle to stay out of the relegation zone but a good start to the season will save them from relegation at the end.

Y is for Yakubu and Yobo. The Nigerian Y’s at Everton are two of the most important players in the Everton squad and will be front and centre this season. Center-half Joseph Yobo will be counted on immensely as Everton await the return of fellow defender Phil Jagielka and the sale of Joleon Lescott to Man.City if manager David Moyes can’t ward off the Arab money being thrown Lescott’s way. The sale of Lars Jacobsen is the one blemish made by the overachieving Moyes(who is constantly restricted by the Everton transfer budget) and his insistence on playing Tony Hibbert at the Right-back position is the major weakness in the Everton squad as evidenced during the FA Cup final when Florent Malouda tormented and dissected the Everton right side the entire time Hibbert was in the match. A number of returning players will make Moyes feel like he’s getting brand new players as attacking midfielder Mikel Arteta returns from his ACL injury to offer a different option on the field. Yakubu Aiyegbeni is the other returnee and despite the sound play of Louis Saha and Marouane Fellaini, the Yak’s presence was sorely missed in the latter half of last season. A dilemma for Moyes will be what position to utilize the versatile Fellaine in but it will be a dilemma Moyes will be only to happy to have. 5^th place will be a tall order for the Toffees this season but a top 10 finish will be a reasonable outcome at the end of the season.

Predictions

EPL Champions-Chelsea

FA Cup Winners-Liverpool

Carling Cup Winners-Manchester United

Relegation picks- Portsmouth, Birmingham City and Stoke City.