How the top six are shaping up ahead of the new Premier League season

With pre-season matches in full swing and the transfer merry-go-round under way, the runners and riders for the upcoming Premier League season are starting to show their hands.

Naturally, the top-six clubs will be attracting the most interest as the battle for the title and a place in the top four once again takes centre stage.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the signings and the early form of the Premier League’s established order.

The signing of Gabriel Jesus from champions Manchester City had already excited Gunners fans even before he scored three goals in his first two friendly appearances. Fabio Vieira has also been added to the ranks along with goalkeeper Matt Turner and young forward Marquinhos with the trio aiming for minutes in the upcoming matches against Orlando City, Chelsea and Sevilla. A move for another City player, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, would give boss Mikel Arteta further clout in the top-four race.

Like Arsenal, the Blues headed to the United States for the bulk of their pre-season where they were joined by the eye-catching signing of Raheem Sterling from City. Having lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, the addition of centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly could prove vital to their trophy ambitions which began with a narrow friendly win over Club America on Sunday.

So close to a quadruple last season, Liverpool did the bulk of their summer business early as highly-rated youngster Fabio Carvalho joined from Fulham, Calvin Ramsay moved from Aberdeen, striker Darwin Nunez came in from Benfica and talisman Mohamed Salah signed a new deal. However, they did lose talisman Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich. A youthful Reds side lost 4-0 to rivals Manchester United in their first pre-season friendly in