Joe Hart, Chris Sutton, and Adam Crafton joined host Mark Chapman on the BBC's Monday Night Club to look ahead to the new Premier League season, attempting to cover all 20 clubs in a single episode — a feat complicated somewhat by Sutton's predicted final standings.

The panel opened by dissecting Manchester City's display in their Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, examining what that result might reveal about City's readiness ahead of a gruelling campaign. The discussion then broadened into the perennial challenge of defending a Premier League title, and why so few sides manage to retain it successfully.

Chelsea and the Conte blueprint

One of the episode's central debates centred on whether incoming Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso can replicate Antonio Conte's remarkable turnaround — the feat of taking a club that finished tenth and transforming it into champions the following season. The panel weighed Chelsea's squad depth, ambition, and the scale of the task Alonso faces.

Hull City's return to the top flight

Dean Holden, assistant head coach at Hull City, joined the programme to discuss the club's preparations for life back in the Premier League. Holden gave an insight into how Hull are readying themselves for what promises to be a difficult but exciting return to England's top division.

The conversation also touched on the survival prospects of Coventry and Ipswich, two sides widely expected to be battling relegation from the outset. Meanwhile, the panel debated whether Aston Villa would begin the season with two goalkeepers both considered first-choice options — an unusual selection headache that manager Unai Emery may need to resolve quickly.

The episode closed with each pundit nominating the club they believe carries the greatest risk of underperforming relative to expectations — always one of the sharpest questions any preview panel can face ahead of a new season.