The 2024/25 Premier League has just gotten underway, and yet we’ve had to pause proceedings in order to endure an international break.
Fun, eh?
The international break does at least give us a chance to take stock of what’s gone on in the first few weeks of the new campaign, and make some bold predictions for the rest of it.
And that’s what we at 90min have done.
As part of our Top 90 series, we’ve had a crack at predicting who will be the top 30 best forwards in the Premier League this season.
Signed on a free after a contract dispute with Lazio, Crystal Palace look to have bagged themselves one of the bargains of the summer in Daichi Kamada.
The wide forward’s previously fantastic performances under Oliver Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt have given Palace fans hopes that he can be a key player at Selhurst Park.
Signing Omari Hutchinson on a permanent deal was an essential piece of business for Ipswich Town during the summer window.
They got the deal done, and will be pinning their survival hopes on the forward in 2024/25.
Nicolas Jackson was the butt of quite a few jokes during the 2023/24 season, but his 19 goal contributions was quietly impressive.
He’s started his second season in England well too, netting two goals and one assist in three games already.
He’s actually pretty good.
There were two Joao Pedros in 2023/24.
One world-beater in the Europa League.
One pretty average striker in the Premier League.
Having seen him impress in the first few weeks of the new season, we’re backing the Brazilian to bring his Europa League form to the Premier League soon enough.
Having sold Pedro Neto, it seems like if Wolves are to have any hope of staying in the Premier League, then Matheus Cunha will need to have a career-best campaign.
It’s a lot to ask, but he has enough talent to be up to the task.
Having watched Anthony Elanga work his socks off and put in a number of impressive performances for Nottingham Forest last season, some Man Utd fans were probably wishing their club hadn’t sold the youngster.
We’re expecting similarly good performances from Elanga in 2024/25.
On his day, Dejan Kulusevski looks like an absolute world-beater.
Have those days been frequent enough?
Perhaps not, but we’re backing Kulu to find a bit more consistency this campaign after a solid pre-season.
No Ivan Toney? No problem.
Bryan Mbeumo has been given the keys to the Brentford attack in 2024/25 and, so far, he has excelled.
Expect a few big six clubs to be interested in his services next summer.
Luis Diaz seems to be enjoying life under Arne Slot, doesn’t he?
The wide forward has been exceptional in the first few weeks of the season, bagging a famous brace in a 3-0 win over Manchester United to cap off August.
Nice one.
Jean-Philippe Mateta may have been the best striker in the Premier League during the final few weeks of last season.
Not many people predicted that.
After that incredible run of 14 goals in 16 games, we’re backing Mateta to have a career-best 2024/25.
There was a period in the middle of last season when it looked like everything was clicking into place for Rasmus Hojlund… and then he suffered an injury.
That’s been the story of his Man Utd career thus far, but when back to full fitness after a pre-season setback, he will be a key player for Erik ten Hag’s side.
Mohammed Kudus is pure Barclays.
A footballer capable of pulling something ridiculously special out of the bag in a bog standard 3pm Saturday kick-off.
We love it.
You know you’re probably quite special when you’re being compared to Riyad Mahrez by Manchester City fans.
Savinho is exactly that.
After dragging Girona to the Champions League for the first time in their history last season, the Brazilian looks set to be a key player for Pep Guardiola’s Man City for the next five years.
Inconsistency plagued Gabriel Martinelli through the 2023/24 campaign.
When he’s on it though, he’s bloody incredible.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping the arrival of Raheem Sterling will spur Martinelli on to find some consistency to his performances at the Emirates Stadium.
There’s plenty of pretty damn good players at West Ham United, but there’s no doubting the fact that Jarrod Bowen is the best of the bunch.
The Hammers’ hopes of securing European football will once again hinge on Bowen’s performances in the Premier League.
To call a spade a spade: a literal spade would’ve performed better than Marcus Rashford did for Man Utd last season.
That being said, there is hope that Rashford can re-find his best form in 2024/25.
There’s a fantastic player in there, we just need to see it more regularly.
Tottenham’s new record signing, and the man tasked with replacing Harry Kane at the club.
As expected, there’s lofty expectations for Dominic Solanke in north London.
His performances in 2023/24 are proof that he’s up to the task though.
After barely kicking a football in 2023/24 due to injuries, Christopher Nkunku is now fully fit and fully expected to star at Stamford Bridge.
And while he has plenty of competition for minutes – there’s a billion players currently on the books at Chelsea – we’re backing Nkunku to become a key player for Enzo Maresca.
Diogo Jota may be the most natural finisher at Liverpool.
And considering Mohamad Salah is still on the books at Anfield, that is quite the compliment.
If he can stay fit for an extended period, he could have a career-best goalscoring campaign under Slot.
If you watched Joshua Zirkzee play for Bologna in Serie A, chances are you are pretty excited by the prospect of watching him play for Manchester United in the Premier League.
The forward’s link-up play, creativity and finishing will make him a star at Old Trafford.
Newcastle United’s decision to fork out £45m for Anthony Gordon’s services in January 2023 raised quite a few eyebrows at the time.
Fast-forward 18 months, however, and he’s been worth every penny.
The wide forward enjoyed a career-best year last time out, and he’ll be aiming to improve on that in 2024/25.
It seems like it’s only matter of time before Alejandro Garnacho becomes a genuine footballing superstar.
This year could be the year he does it.
Tottenham’s captain and their star man, Son Heung-min has grown into a key leadership role in north London since Harry Kane left the club.
In 2024/25, he’ll be expected to be Tottenham’s main creative force and goal threat once again.
And here it is.
Our big bold ‘shout’ of the Top 90 series.
Having watched Cody Gakpo star at Euro 2024, one couldn’t help but think he could do the same under Arne Slot at Liverpool.
While he hasn’t seen too much gametime yet, expect Gakpo to become a key player for Slot in the very, very near future.
Kai Havertz was so good at the end of 2023/24 that Arsenal opted not to dip into the transfer market to sign a new number nine in the summer.
And already this season, Havertz is repaying the club’s faith by bagging three goal contributions in three games.
Will Ollie Watkins ever have a season as good as 2023/24?
Honestly, probably not.
That’s not to say he won’t be one of the better strikers in the Premier League for the foreseeable future, though.
His ability to create chances for others and finish off chances himself make him one of the very best around.
The second-best striker in the Premier League, according to us at least.
Alexander Isak has proven time and time again (when fit) that he’s an outstanding number nine.
We’re fully expecting the Swede to reach career-best goals and assists numbers during 2024/25.
Given his huge dip in form at the end of last season, we weren’t too sure what to expect from Mohamed Salah under Arne Slot.
But it’s been so far, so good under the new manager.
Having bagged three goals and three assists, the Egyptian superstar looks back to his very best in the early weeks of the campaign.
With seven goals in three games already, it’s fair to say that Erling Haaland looks like a man on a mission to break every single goalscoring record in the world this season.
If he stays fit, we wouldn’t bet against him doing so either.
The 90min editorial team’s pick for who we think will be the best forward, and overall player, in the Premier League during 2024/25 is Bukayo Saka.
And it’s easy to see why.
Arsenal’s ‘Starboy’ has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League for a number of years, and if the club are to win their first title in over 20 years, he’ll be the man to make it happen.
