2022-23 EPL Prizm has finally landed! 

Releasing on Friday 24th March, Prizm represents Panini's flagship EPL product. Prizm singles continue to be the most sought-after in the hobby and the expectation is that this release will be no different. 

In this blog I hope to give you a detailed run-down of the release, checklist and a brief scouting report on each team. 

 

Hobby Box Breakdown

First product-line released is the Hobby Box with the following breakdown;

• 12 Packs per box
• 12 Boxes per case

Expected averages per box are;

• 1 Autograph
• 6 Inserts
• 4 Silver Prizms
• 13 Additional Hobby Prizms

 

Checklist Overview

Panini have retained the 300 card base checklist. Whilst previous years have seen each team with 15 base cards, judging by the numbering on the checklist Panini made some late changes and as a result the number of base per team ranges from 13 (Everton & Southampton) to 18 (Chelsea).

We are going to see the debut of some all-new inserts in the form of Deep Space, Groovy, Kaleidoscopic & Sublime. Little is known of these so far - Kaleidoscopic lists parallels on the checklist so it can be assumed that base will be common whilst the others list no parallels listed. This leaves me to suspect they will be short-printed perhaps in the form we saw National Pride, Manga and Landmark inserts in World Cup Prizm. Panini have released the Deep Space insert in 2022 Spectra Baseball and they look incredible;

Color Blast inserts again make the checklist with some controversy. Panini have swayed heavily towards the "big" teams - only 10 of the 20 teams in the set have a Color Blast. At this stage they appear to be a "Hobby Exclusive" yet again meaning we will likely not see them in Breakaway, Choice and retail product lines. Will be interesting to see if they keep the 1 in 8 case drop rate from 21/22 or if they will be more common this season. 

 

Team Scouting Reports

Now the section that most people came for - I have dived into the checklist and will attempt to summarise each team as best I can. Opinions may vary and until we open a few cases we won't have a true understanding of how the checklist is reflected in the product but I will attempt to provide some updates as we go. 

 

 

Arsenal run deep in 22/23 EPL Prizm with 17 Base cards, 10 Autos, 3 Color Blasts, 3 Deep Space, 3 Groovy and 5 Sublime across the SP inserts. The EPL Champions-elect are headlined by the familiar faces of Saka, Odegaard & Martinelli whilst the Thierry Henry Color Blast promises to be one of the product chases. 

Some new signers are a welcome addition with Sol Campbell, Tony Adams, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel bringing something for Arsenal fans both young and old. 

Marquinhos is an exciting 19 year old Brazilian winger who registered a goal and assist on debut for Arsenal in the Europa league this season and was sent on loan to Championship promotion hopefuls Norwich in January for some valuable first-team experience. Marquinhos is currently overlooked by a lot of collectors given he is in the shadow of his star-studded team-mates but currently has a high ceilling for a relatively low point of entry. 

 

 

Overview

Aston Villa in 22/23 can be viewed as more of an upgrade on last years checklist as opposed to any dramatic changes. We see many familiar faces alongside new additions Leon Bailey & Coutinho making their Prizm debut (chronicles notwithstanding). Emi Martinez & Jacob Ramsey feature in the Kaleidoscopic insert but Villa miss out on any of the short-print inserts on the checklist. Aston Villa do however have the equal-5th highest amount of autos with 5. Premier League Legend Gareth Barry is a new signer alongside Diego Carlos, Mings, Ramsey and Coutinho. 

One of the 21/22 Star Rookies Jacob Ramsey features more heavily in 22/23 with a base, insert and signature for his 2nd year cards. Only 21 years old, English and having established himself in Unai Emery's starting XI, JJ Ramsey has all the attributes to become an EPL star and you could do much worse than chase his 2nd year Prizms. 

 

Overview

The minnows of the Premier League Bournemouth have not enjoyed much success on the pitch in season 22/23 and sadly that has translated to their Prizm checklist. With no SP inserts or Autos, expect Bournemouth to often be the cheapest team in a break but that doesn't mean they won't have options to chase. It's anyones guess who wears the RC tag at this stage but Jaidon Anthony & Marcus Tavernier should do so. 

In an incredibly testing season for Bournemouth, young English midfielder Marcus Tavernier has been arguable their player of the season alongside Danish mid Philip Billing. I've leaned towards Tavernier just because he is a couple of years younger than Billing but both players should comfortably find new homes in the EPL should Bournemouth find themselves in the bottom 3 come end of season. 

Overview

George's all-conquering Bee's have tasted some incredible success on the pitch since returning to the EPL and Panini have rewarded them with TWO auto's and two SP inserts - Bryan Mbuemo earns himself a Sublime whilst David Raya adds a Groovy insert to his name after making the Spain World Cup Squad. Jansson and Rico Henry auto's round off what is a pretty solid checklist for the little team that could. 

Josh Dasilva earns his spot on the Prizm checklist after featuring in almost every Brentford game this season. He will certainly wear an RC badge and be the most sought after Brentford base card in this years Prizm. 

 

Overview

Brighton have been incredible this season and the great tragedy of the 22/23 EPL Prizm checklist is that Panini relegated Kaoru Mitoma to only have an Instant Impact insert and could not find room for him in the base checklist. Mitoma has been a revelation this season and the upside to the insert is that with only 49 total parallels available, they're sure to command a huge asking price when they come up for sale. 

Brighton have missed the SP Inserts checklist but will carry a number of rookies with Sarmiento, Enciso and the aforementioned Mitoma leading the line. 

Brighton have had no shortage of stars this year with the World Cup Winning Alexis Mac Allister, 21yo midfield revelation Moises Caicedo and of course Mitoma. My one to watch though is 20 year old Ecuadorian rookie Jeremy Sarmiento. Having a base and one of the few rookie autos in the set, Sarmiento offers a great chase and bright future. 

 

Long-time Panini darling Chelsea get to continue the love affair with a massive 18 Base cards, 19 autos, 4 Color Blasts, 4 Deep Space, 4 Groovy and 3 Sublime SP Inserts! The checklist does not harbour any surprises but is not lacking in star-power with Gallagher finally donning a Chelsea kit, Drogba making a return to Prizm with a Club Legends Signatures joined by Mourinho-era alumni Terry & Lampard who share a Dual Auto that is sure to be one of the most sought after hits in the product. 

With Chelsea almost certain to not have any rookies in 22/23, I'm going to sitck with Conor Gallagher as my one to watch. Those who've followed me for a while know I was a fan of his during his loan at West Brom and not much has changed. A manager's dream he has an incredible work-rate and a well-rounded game regardless of whether playing deep or further up the pitch. He was Crystal Palace's player of the year last year and his regular England call-ups are a testament to his talent and future. With a base, insert, Sublime and Color Blast, Gallagher should be a great chase. 

 

Crystal Palace fans should be happy with the checklist having 14 Base, an Olise Color Blast, Zaha Deep Space, Eze Groovy and Guehi Sublime along with a Zaha Auto to round out the set. Ebiowei is a young English rookie prospect that makes the list. 

I'm going with another 2nd year player here and Michael Olise. A fantastic player to watch, the leading assist getter for Palace he has been involved in almost 30% of their goals at the time of writing. Tall, quick and with fantastic composure on the ball. Olise also possesses incredible quality at set pieces. Still just 21 years old, I've been a fan of Olise for a while now and would expect him to continue to improve. 

 

Everton's season on the pitch has been almost as bad as they've had but under the venerable Sean Dyche appear to be staying in the EPL and their checklist in EPL prizm is about as good as could be expected. Anthony Gordon carries a base and auto and despite leaving the club for Newcastle should be a healthy chase. They do not have any SP inserts on the checklist but carry 4 autos in Maupay, Pickford, Coady and Gordon. 

Amadou Onana has been the one positive throughout Everton's season with the 21 year old Senegal midfielder showing glimpses of the talent he possessed at Lille when Everton paid $45m for him. He is nailed on to have a RC in this set and will be a great chase - big bodied forward-playing midfielders are always sought after. 

 

Overview

Fulham collectors everywhere have been waiting with baited breathe for the Prizm checklist after a year off due to relegation. They've made a cracking return to life in the EPL and their checklist is just about as expected. Sadly they do not have any SP inserts but Kenny Tete earns an RC (albeit at 27 years young) and the two Bobbys - Zamora and De Cordova-Reid both have autos. 

Joao Palhinha has been an inspired signing by Fulham and despite not carrying the RC tag, I'm putting the 6ft3 tackling machine in as my One to Watch from Fulham. An unbackable favourite to win Fulham's Player Of The Year, the big clubs are circling and Fulham will do well to hold onto him at the years end. 

Overview

Leeds have been looked after reasonably well in the checklist this year with 14 base, Gelhard Color Blast, Aaronson Deep Space, Gelhardt Groovy & Aaronson Sublime. After an abundance last year they have zero autos in 22/23. Rasmus Kristensen & Luis Sinisterra offer a rookie chase.

The Leeds checklist is relatively even across the board without anyone jumping out - a number of players have shown patches of brilliance including Summerville & leading goalscorer Rodrigo. 2nd Year Joe Gelhardt has a huge range on the checklist, has showed flashes of being decent and currently on loan at Sunderland helping their push for promotion to the EPL. 

 

Overview

The Foxes fans were cheering as the checklist dropped with a stacked line-up including 14 base, Vardy Color Blast & Deep Space, Lineker Groovy & Maddison Sublime along with 4 Autos - Lineker, Castagne, Vestergaard & Iheanacho. They along with West Ham are the standout checklists outside the big 6. 

James Maddison needs no introduction but is finally starting to get recognised by both Panini and the England manager alike. Having a base, 2 inserts and the SP Insert Sublime, he is almost certain to leave Leicester in the next transfer window - his 6 assists and 9 goals for a team fighting relegation at the time of writing is a phenomenal achievement and he would slot into most teams in the league. 

Overview

Liverpool fans, including myself raced straight to the autos section of the checklist when it dropped and were happy to find 5 autos headlined by Firmino and Nunez. David James, Joe Cole and Nat Philips add to the auto list as new signers. With 17 base, 4 Color Blasts, 4 Deep Space, 3 Groovy, 3 Sublime & 3 Rookies, Liverpool are absolutely back in the good books with Panini, not a minute too soon! 

Liverpool have a huge checklist littered with stars - Salah, Trent & Nunez all carrying case hit potentials but I'm going with the young Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic as my one to watch. Bajcetic burst onto the scene earlier this season just as Liverpool were looking for a midfield hero. Just 18 years old age he is composed, brave and smart on the ball. He kept Fabinho out of the starting lineup for an extended period but unfortunately had his season cut short by injury but Bajcetic has all the tools and is carrying the hope of all Liverpool faithful that he will be the midfielder the club has been missing. 

 

Overview

Haaland, Haaland & Haaland. It's the name on everyone's lips. Man. City dominate the checklist and it runs DEEP - Foden, De Bruyne & the World Cup winning rookie Julian Alvarez all have SP inserts / case hits. 17 base in total. 4 Color Blasts. 4 Deep Space. 3 Groovy and 3 Sublime. 8 Autos including some incredible first time City signers Tevez, Yaya Toure, Foden, KDB, Haaland and more. City will be the most expensive team in any Prizm break but don't be mistaken for thinking it is just because of Haaland. 

Haaland would be the easy option but I'm going with Julian Alvarez. At age 22 this Argentinian striker bench Lautaro Martinez to partner Messi to World Cup glory, scoring a brace in the semi-final and playing over 100min of the final. This kid won't be a star, he already is. 

 

Overview

Welcome to the post-CR7 era of Manchester United. For the first time in Prizm history they do not have a CR7 card in the checklist. Luckily, Panini have sorted them with 17 base, 3 Color Blasts including Beckham & Rashford for the first time, 2 Deep Space, 3 Groovy and 3 Sublime. With 15 Autos including the likes of Keane, Beckham (and a Keane / Beckham DUAL!), Neville, Scholes, Bruno, Ferdinand and a heap more, Man United fans won't miss CR7 in Prizm any more than they have on the pitch. Huge checklist, probably only 2nd to their noisy neighbours. 

No surprises here - An 18 year old Argentinian that may just be the most exciting 18 year old to debut at Old Trafford since a certain Portuguese winger arrived from Sporting. He has pace, dribbling and confidence in spades and most importantly he knows the moment, scoring his first EPL goal in injury time to give United the win against Fulham. Eligible for Argentina and Spain, Argentina have been desperately trying to call him up to make his debut and seal his future with La Albiceleste. EPL Prizm will be home to the best cards of 22/23's best rookie - Alejandro Garnacho. 

Overview

Newcastle are enjoying life under the new owners and Panini have taken notice giving them a full house on the checklist. 15 base, Saint-Maximin & Shearer Deep Space, Guimaraes rookie Groovy, ASM Sublime along with Shearer and Joelinton Autos. They only missed out on a Color Blast but also have two strong rookies in Elliot Anderson and Guimaraes. 

Bruno Guimaraes heralded in a new era at Newcastle when they signed him for £40m and he immediately repaid them with a string of incredible performances at the end of last season to drag them to safety and this season acting as a barometer to their form at times. He carries the RC tag in Prizm and is one of the only Groovy SP Inserts to carry an RC tag. Will be an integral part of the Newcastle project for a long time. 

Overview

I don't envy the Panini employee who had to make the calls on the Forest checklist - they signed over 20 new players during the transfer window and as most of them had previous top flight experience I'm not certain they will have a huge amount of rookies. Panini has given them a Dean Henderson Color Blast & Jesse Lingard Deep Space along with two autos - Awoniyi & Steve Hodge. Awoniyi impressed in the Bundesliga and although he won't carry the RC logo these will be his first cards in a big set.

One of my easiest choices in this blog - Brennan Johnson has been fantastic to watch this season. 7 goals and 2 assist in a team that has only scored 22 shows you his importance to the club. Only 21 years old and it is not overstating to say he has been one of the more clinical finishers in the league since Christmas. If Forest stay up it will be because of his goals and if they go down, he is all but guaranteed to find a new home in the EPL. 

Overview

Whilst the Saints are in big trouble in the league, Panini have done what they can to give the supporters a chase in what might be their last set for a while. 14 base, Two James Ward-Prowse SP Inserts to chase in Groovy and Sublime along with 3 autos from Wayne Bridge, Tino Livramento & Salisu. They are again littered with rookies that may be worth a punt. 

Another easy choice - Romeo Lavia is a 19 year old central midfielder who offers flair and confidence that only a young player can but he isn't afraid to do the dirty work - Southampton signed him from Man City where he spent 2 seasons in Guardiola's setup. Lavia will only get better and is quietly a lot of the reason James Ward-Prowse is able to do what he does. 

Overview

Tottenham are looking a bit different than we're accustomed too this year. No Kane or Son autos for the first time in what seems an age. They do have plenty of depth though with 14 base, Son, Kane and Richarlison Color Blasts, 1 Deep Space, 2 Groovy and 1 Sublime inserts along with 4 autos from Vertonghen, King, Skipp and Waddle. Tottenham fans will be happy to see their team significantly more affordable this year. 

You might think this strange but I'm going with Harry Kane. A player who has set record after record and will likely finish his career as the all-time EPL goal scorer. I feel Kane is currently undervalued due to the success of Tottenham but don't believe he will be there next year with Man. United or Chelsea primed to swoop as they are desperate for exactly the player he is. There's only one direction Kane's cards are going with time. 

Overview

The Hammers fans will be happy to see the checklist despite their on pitch performances is stacked. Declan Rice has a Deep Space & Sublime SP Insert & Bowen a Groovy. They hold 4 autos with Sir Geoff Hurst, Tony Cottee, Bowen & a crazy dual auto of Tevez & Mascherano. 16 Base compliment a well rounded checklist that will be incredible value for West Ham fans and general collectors alike. 

West Ham's on pitch performances make it hard to pick a stand-out but it is hard to go past Declan Rice. Destined for greatness once he forgoes his obligation to the Hammers, its easy to forget he is only 24 and has amassed 39 caps for England and almost 200 appearances for West Ham. Two short prints and insert and a base make the Rice spot a solid chase. 

 

Overview

Wolves fans will have mixed feelings looking at the checklist. No SP inserts but a surprise auto of arguably their greatest player of all time in Steve Bull. A solid list of base including Hwang, Neves & Neto alongside a couple of great rookies make the a solid bet in most breaks. 

Someone I will be watching keenly in breaks is Matheus Nunes. Young Portuguese midfielder Wolves only signed for a club record fee in 2022 but has already been linked to a slew of big clubs after some incredible EPL performances. Is versatile enough to play anywhere in midfield and with less than 25 EPL performances under his belt he will only get better. 

 

I hope you've gotten some information out of this blog - Neon Trading Cards will be breaking the product across all formats from release day. Click on the live breaks tab or follow us on social media for information on how to get involved! 

 

Rocket