sport news How Premier League teams are shaping up with ONE MONTH until the season kicks ... trends now
Start filling in your calendars - the new Premier League season is just one month away and the excitement is building up already.
Pre-season always feels like navigating the wilderness for football fans, but with transfer business in full force and clubs preparing to set off around the world, the feel-good football factor is returning and it won't be long before the first ball is kicked for the 2022-23 campaign.
Some teams have got the bulk of their transfers done already, while others are playing the waiting game and twiddling their thumbs to grab the best cut-price deals. The race for the league title begins in the transfer window and Manchester City and Liverpool have set the bar high by snapping up Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez respectively.
Tottenham and Arsenal have been busy too as they look to mount a challenge, while the likes of Chelsea and United are playing catch-up - but which other sides have a reason to be positive for the upcoming season, and who's left biting their nails?
Sportsmail takes a look at how top flight teams are shaping up with 28 days until the Premier League kicks off.
Manchester City will be favourites to retain the Premier League when the new season kicks off in just one month's time
HAPPY
Manchester City
Alright, Man City only have two signings through the door, but with the squad City have they only really needed one name to carry them through the season, and they got him.
Erling Haaland is a game changer who will strike fear into City's rivals - a proven goalscorer who will be in dreamland with the amount of chances he's going to get dished up to him on a plate.
City have won the last two Premier League titles with their hands tied behind their backs - often playing without a recognised striker. Now add one of the most dangerous forwards in world football into the mix, playing off midfielders who create chances for fun? It's difficult not to back City to win it all next season.
City will be a feared team once again this term after adding Erling Haaland to their ranks
Pep Guardiola's squad was already in good shape but it is now in a position to dominate
Then a signing they didn't really need to make but every little helps - Kalvin Phillips. The England midfielder definitely doesn't get into their starting XI with the likes of Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne at Pep Guardiola's disposal, but it will help the Spaniard meet his homegrown quota for the Champions League.
Even after selling Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal and Raheem Sterling set for Chelsea, the team's quality still shines through and that speaks volumes about the squad the club have been building over the last few years. It just needed a sprinkling of firepower and City have done that.
Liverpool
Like their rivals City, Liverpool's squad is in good shape after regular maintenance throughout the few seasons and doesn't need too many additions.
Losing Mane was a big blow but the work that's been done will surely make the fans feel like selling the Senegalese forward to Bayern for £35million was no big deal.
Liverpool always seem to level up and adapt when they need to - call it Darwin's law of evolution - and so it's only right that they signed up Darwin Nunez to lead them into a bright future. The Uruguayan looks like football's next big star after smashing in 34 goals in 41 games for Benfica last season, and the Reds now have that big centre-forward to lead the line that has perhaps been lacking.
Darwin Nunez (L) has helped ease Jurgen Klopp's worries after selling Sadio Mane
Mo Salah signing a new contract also feels like a new signing as he ended doubt over his future
And with Mo Salah signing a new long-term contract with the club, possibly the best signing Liverpool could make, you could argue the team is actually in a better condition now then when they had Mane.
Looking through that front line is just scary. Salah, Nunez, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz AND Roberto Firmino. Jurgen Klopp's players seem to be the only ones who can really challenge City this season, barring any huge surprises.
Other than that, they've also been adding to their youth talent by bringing in Aberdeen's Calvin Ramsey and Fulham starlet Fabio Carvalho - both are highly rated and should keep the rest of the team on their toes.
Tottenham
The last thing you want to hear about Tottenham is 'this could be their year', but the club's fans are beginning to recite the dreaded phrase after becoming the Premier League's transfer trailblazers with four signings.
To be fair to Spurs, they're not messing about in this window. The £60m signing of Richarlison from Everton is the big one, and adds much more firepower to an already dangerous frontline of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.
The Brazilian will bring a darker side to Tottenham's play and push his attacking team-mates for opportunities, as well as giving the team another dimension.
Tottenham are in position to challenge for the title after signing Richarlison (L) and Ivan Perisic
Spurs boss Antonio Conte will be happy he now has the tools to gatecrash the elite
In midfield, Brighton's Yves Bissouma has provided much-needed depth and a player who can break up play and help Antonio Conte's men counter attack.
And in defence they've acquired a man who knows Conte's system well and his philosophy - Ivan Perisic. The experienced Croatian star is versatile and can play left-back, left wing or on the right side and brings a winning mentality to north London.
In goal, Fraser Forster has come in as a very trusty No 2 to Hugo Lloris - and there's more signings on the horizon with exciting right back Djed Spence and centre-back Clement Lenglet on the verge of joining. Whisper it quietly, but Spurs have a very good chance of a having a successful season - emphasis on chance.
Arsenal
After Arsenal fans have had a good cry watching All or Nothing this summer, they can put last season's disastrous campaign to one side, and optimism will be building for a promising new one that has seen them do a fair bit of business early doors.
The main thing for Arsenal was signing up a reliable striker after Alexandre Lacazette followed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out the door and there's certainly plenty of excitement around Gabriel Jesus - but will he be the club's saviour?
Well, he was so good at City that Pep Guardiola decided to play his midfielders up front instead of the Brazilian - his only senior striker - on 14 occasions across the last two seasons, so the jury might still be out on that one.
Mikel Arteta landed his top transfer target by snapping up Man City striker Gabriel Jesus (R)
Arsenal have also added quality in midfield after securing the signature of Fabio Vieira
Maybe he'll shine as the key man where the team rely on him and he doesn't have to compete for places? Only time will tell.
Another signing Arsenal fans are pleased with is the arrival of Fabio Vieira, who's arrived from FC Porto. He scored six goals and showed he is a real creative force with 14 assists from midfield.
If he's the Gunners' answer to Kevin de Bruyne or (the good version of) Bruno Fernandes then they could be real contenders this season, but it's a big 'if'.
Young Brazilian attacker Marquinhos has also arrived, as has American keeper Matt Turner, and Arsenal have still been linked with plenty of players - including Youri Tielemans and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mikel Arteta's business doesn't look like it's been wrapped up just yet.
NERVOUS
Chelsea
Raheem Sterling could well be the name we've been waiting for to kick off the Todd Boehly era as the American's first big signing. But you still wouldn't blame Thomas Tuchel to be tapping his fingers with impatience.
If Boehly's big dream is to get Cristiano Ronaldo through the Stamford Bridge gates it would certainly be a high profile move that would get people talking.
But as we've seen at Old Trafford, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner often makes a
