Premier League 2022-23 preview No 10: Leeds

Guardian writers’ predicted position 18th (NB: this is not necessarily Will Unwin’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position 17th

Odds to win the league (via Oddschecker): 750-1

The hope at Elland Road is that the only way is up after scraping survival on the final day of last season. They have lost, arguably, their two best players in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha but the money has been wisely reinvested in a new-looking squad. Ensuring there is greater depth to a side that struggled to cope with injuries was the focus over the summer because another season of square pegs in round holes when things get tough is unlikely to end well.

The teams that have come up look better equipped for the Premier League than those they have replaced, so the club that finished 17th last time need to improve. The notable arrivals come from abroad and could take time to settle in the Premier League. How quickly they adapt to England could determine how the season goes for Leeds. It is a fresh start for the team after a highly pressurised final few months of the campaign took its mental toll.

The incomings will shape an intense style of high pressing because Jesse Marsch wants to play with the 4-2-2-2 he has developed down the years from his time at Red Bull. There have been glimpses of it in pre-season as the players get accustomed to the level of aggression demanded from their head coach. Improving their home form will be crucial – they won once in the final nine matches at Elland Road and a repeat performance would make the fans restless.

Keeping Leeds up was an impressive feat considering the paper-thin squad he inherited from Marcelo Bielsa. This summer he is putting his mark on a team that needed a