My 2025/26 Premier League Season Predictions
- Linus O'Howell
- 16 minutes ago
- 13 min read
With the start of the new Premier League Season just a week away, and my Season Preview recently being released, it’s now time for me to make Predictions ahead of the 2025/26 campaign! I got 3 out of 20 correct last year, so I really need to step up my game!
20th: Sunderland
Whilst it’s great to have Sunderland back in the top-flight of English Football, I’m not at all convinced that they’re going to stay around for very long! Sunderland got everything right when they needed to at the end of last season, piping Sheffield United to Promotion through the Playoffs! However, my big concern over Sunderland heading into this season is that their squad simply doesn’t feel strong enough for this level! Now, The Black Cats have spent an awful lot of money, £136 million to be exact, and I think the signings of Simon Adingra, Habib Diarra, and Granit Xhaka could prove to be great buys! However, given the last 6 teams to be Relegated where the 6 teams who got Promoted from the Championship, Sunderland will need a lot more than just 3 good players! Ultimately, Sunderland haven’t achieved 40 points+ in any of their last 5 Premier League campaigns, and I can’t see them getting anywhere near that total this year either!
19th: Leeds
Despite earning 100 points to win the Championship last season, I think Leeds United are going to be another promoted side that goes straight back down! Leeds were great last year, winning the Championship with 3 figures is fantastic, they deserve a lot of praise for that! However, my big concern over Leeds heading into this season is Daniel Farke’s record in the Premier League! Now, I do think The Whites have made some good signings, I like Lukas Nmecha, Lucas Perri is a good Goalkeeper, and they already had a solid Welsh partnership in the form of Joe Roden and Ethan Ampadu! Personally, I like Daniel Farke, he’s a Championship specialist, but he’s completely flopped in the Premier League with Norwich in the past, and I can’t see him being in a job for very long! I’m also haunted by the last two Championship Champions, who scored a combined total of 198 points, and yet they were horrendous in the Prem! Ultimately, Leeds United could prove me wrong, but right now I have little faith!
18th: Wolves
I have to be honest; I’m really worried for Wolverhampton Wanderers this year! Despite earlier struggles, Wolves managed to easily avoid Relegation as they finished 16th with 42 points! However, my big concern over Wolves heading into this season is that they’ve arguably lost their two most influential players! Wolves’ signings are also unknown, both Fer Lopez and Jhon Arias could prove to be good attacking signings, but as of right now, the jury is still out! Wolves do have good players, they absolutely do, their midfield duo of Andre and Joao Gomes is a really good partnership, but the problem is they were poor last year with both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, and the fact that they’ve now left is concerning! Ultimately, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been mediocre for years now, but I’m not sure they’ll even be that this season!
17th: Burnley
Whilst I think it’s going to be very tight, I am going to back Burnley to end the run of promoted teams going straight back down! Burnley had an insane season last year, they lost just 2 games, they conceded a record-breaking 16 goals in 46 league games, earnt 100 points (for the second-straight campaign in the Championship), and yet they still didn’t win the league! The main reason I’ve got Burnley to stay up is because this team is completely different to the one that came up two years ago! See, that team was great going forward, but they were a complete mess at the back, they made so many mistakes! However, based on last year, The Clarets should be a lot more solid, I could see them drawing a lot of games because of it, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Now, Burnley have lost two of their best players in James Trafford and Josh Brownhill, that is a concern, but they’ve also gone out and brought in 11 new players, so they’ve definitely strengthened their squad (or that’s at least how it seems)! Ultimately, Burnley haven’t been good in their last 3 Premier League seasons, not at all, and it would be easy to have all 3 promoted teams to get relegated! However, I appreciate defensively solid Football, and that’s what’s given me enough faith that The Clarets will survive (just about)!
16th: West Ham
I think West Ham United could be in for a very tough and stressful 2025/26 season! West Ham were really underwhelming last year; I expected an awful lot more out of them than a 14th-place finish! Now, usually when West Ham struggle, they tend to go well the following campaign, but Graham Potter has an awful lot to prove before I will actually believe that! The Hammers’ transfer business also hasn’t been that convincing, El Hadji Malick Diouf could prove to be very good, but they’ve lost Mohammed Kudus, a player I rate very highly! Ultimately, whilst I think there are slightly worse teams in this league than West Ham United, I wouldn’t be shocked if they ended the season inside the bottom 3!
15th: Brentford
With plenty of changes from last year, I think Brentford could be in for a long old campaign! Brentford were really good last year, they were a threat to pretty much everyone as they finished 10th, but an awful lot has changed since that final game in May! See, since then, super Manager Thomas Frank has moved over to Tottenham, whilst Captain Christian Norgaard, Goalkeeper Mark Flekken, and Starman Bryan Mbeumo have all left too! The Bees have appointed Keith Andrews as Frank’s replacement, but there’s absolutely no way of knowing how good he is whilst Michael Kayode and Antoni Milambo look to be their best signings (so far)! I can totally see why people think Brentford will go down, they’ve lost pretty much everyone, and it’s only really Yoane Wissa that’s keeping my faith in them alive! Ultimately, I think Brentford will have enough to stay up based on the teams below them, but I’ll say it right now, Wissa goes and they are in serious, serious trouble!
14th: Tottenham
Honestly, I don’t understand why people think Tottenham Hotspur are going to be really good this season! Tottenham were horrendous last year, they averaged 1 point-per-game to finish 17th, losing 22 games, and their only highlight was winning the Europa League! Now, Thomas Frank is an exciting signing, I rate him as a Manager a lot, but honestly, what can he do because this club has had so many great managers in the past, and it never goes well! I do like the signings of Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha, they are both proven Premier League talent, but we can’t ignore the fact that Heung-Min Son has left, he was the heart of this football club, and James Maddison looks to be out for most of the season too! I said in my Season Preview that Spurs could finish anywhere this year, and I believe that, if everything clicks for Thomas Frank, Tottenham will be challenging for Europe, no doubt! Ultimately, however, I’m not sure things will click, Tottenham Hotspur were a mess in the league under Ange Postecoglou last season, and I’m concerned that Frank isn’t going to be able to change much!
13th: Everton
It’s a brand-new era for Everton, and I expect them to have a solid first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium! After a difficult start, the appointment of David Moyes proved to be a good one as Everton steered well clear of any Relegation threat by finishing 13th with 48 points! I’d say The Toffees have improved their squad during the transfer window, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry looking like particularly good signings! My big concern over Everton this year is their brand-new stadium, it’s a massive changed for the entire club, and teams haven’t always faired the best when moving to a new/bigger ground! Ultimately, I do think that will hold Everton back slightly, but I don’t see them being anywhere near Relegation trouble, which is a vast improvement from a few years ago!
12th: Crystal Palace
According to me, the kings of consistency are going to be at it once again! Last year was Crystal Palace’s greatest-ever season, they earnt a record 53 points in the top-flight whilst they famously lifted the FA Cup to earn themselves a spot in Europe for the very first time! Now, The Eagles haven’t exactly improved the squad much, with Borna Sosa being the only real signing of note, but they also haven’t lost anyone (besides Joel Ward), so the squad looks to be in a similar place to last year (which worked out well for them)! I think Palace will struggle this year in the sense that they’re having to play extra games with being in Europe, it’s a brand-new experience for them, but this team is so consistent, they’ve finished between 10th and 15th in all 12 of their seasons back in the Prem! Ultimately, that’s the main reason why I have them to finish 12th, they’re a very solid mid-table team!
11th: Bournemouth
After their best-ever top-flight season, I expect AFC Bournemouth to remain around the Top 10 area! Bournemouth were really good last year, to finish 9th with 56 points is really impressive, but I do still think it was a slight missed opportunity in terms of qualifying for Europe (trust me, they weren’t the only ones)! Bournemouth have never finished inside the Top 10 in back-to-back Premier League campaigns, so that is definitely something they’re going to be aiming for! However, The Cherries have lost superstar defender Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid whilst Milos Kerkez has also moved to Liverpool, they’re two big losses for the club! Ultimately, I think AFC Bournemouth will be close to another Top 10 finish based on the brilliance of Andoni Iraola, but even if they do miss out, 11th isn’t a bad season at all!
10th: Fulham
Fulham are the masters of being consistently inconsistent, and that’s exactly why I’ve got them to finish bang-on mid-table! Fulham were incredibly frustrating last year, they played amazingly well against the top teams, but dropped far too many against the bottom 9, resulting in them finishing 11th with 54 points! Currently, the only bit of transfer business that The Cottagers have done so far is they’ve signed Goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte for £500,000, so their squad is basically the exact same as it was when they ended last season! In their 3 seasons since they’ve been back in the Premier League, Fulham have earnt 52, 47, and 54 points so despite all their inconsistencies, they’re consistent with their points total! Ultimately, I don’t think any team will drive me more insane than Fulham this season, but I still expect them to be good more often than not, hence why I’ve got them to finish in the Top 10!
9th: Nottingham Forest
Whilst I don’t think they’ll be as good as last year, I still have faith in Nottingham Forest to remain a Top 10 side! Nottingham Forest proved an awful lot of people wrong last year, I mean I literally predicted them to get Relegated, and they instead qualified for Europe! Now, they did sort of collapse at the end of the season, they were inside the Top 3 for most of the campaign, but that shouldn’t stop them from being heavily praised because no one thought they’d finish 7th at the start of the year! Forest have done good business to bring in Botafogo duo Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus, and Dan Ndoye could prove to be an exciting signing! However, losing Anthony Elanga to Newcastle is a big loss, that will hurt them! I think the fact that Nottingham Forest are in Europe this year will makes things more difficult, it’s only natural for that to be the case, but Nuno Espirito Santo has proved in the past that he’s able to cope with a busier schedule, just look at his 2019/20 campaign with Wolves! Ultimately, I totally get why people have Nottingham Forest to drop down the table, that could easily happen, but I think they’ll do alright still, even if they do focus more on Europe!
8th: Manchester United
After their worst-ever Premier League season, Manchester United need to be an awful lot better this time around! Manchester United were terrible last year, they lost 18 games on their way to finishing 15th, and a Europa League Final loss (to Tottenham) only made matters worse! However, despite that, Man U haven’t panicked as they’ve kept Ruben Amorim, believing he isn’t the problem (which I would agree with)! Now, United have spent big, over £225 million to be exact, to bring in an entire new front-line of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko! For me, they’re three quality signings, especially Mbeumo and Cunha because they’ve proven themselves to be top Premier League talent! Ultimately, whilst Manchester United were awful last year, their brand-new attack looks really promising, and that plus the fact they’re not playing extra European fixtures this year means I can see them climbing back up the table!
7th: Brighton
As always, there’s a lot of things to like about Brighton and Hove Albion! Brighton did really well for their first year under Fabian Hurzeler, but they did drop an awful lot of points, and the fact that they finished just 5 points off a Champions League place is frustrating! However, the fact that they’re not in Europe at all could help them, it should help them compared to some of their Rivals! Now, Brighton have lost talent, Joao Pedro leaving is a loss, but he’s not irreplaceable, and The Seagulls have gone out and brought 18-year-old Greek striker Charalampos Kostoulas to be his replacement! A lot of the signings that Brighton have made aren’t exactly proven, but we’ve been saying that for years, and it always turns out pretty alright for them! So ultimately, I think Brighton and Hove Albion have all the tools to have a very positive season, earning themselves back into Europe!
6th: Newcastle
Out of all of the teams in the Premier League this year, Newcastle United are the ones I am most confused about! Newcastle did well enough last year to finish 5th, enough to get themselves back in the Champions League, but they were also closer to 8th than they were 3rd! In theory, Newcastle should keep getting better, it makes sense for them to do so, and the signing of Anthony Elanga should only help with that! However, The Magpies weren’t quite as good in the league when they last played Champions League Football, and there are currently an awful lot of question marks surrounding the future of Alexander Isak! It’s simple, if Newcastle want to challenge for a Top 4, maybe even a Top 3 spot, they’re going to need Isak’s qualities! Ultimately, I could easily see Newcastle United finishing a lot higher than this, but there are slight things that are holding me back from putting them any higher at this point!
5th: Aston Villa
If things go to plan, I can very much see Aston Villa returning to the Champions League! Aston Villa were strong once again last year, they finished 6th with just 2 points less than the season prior, but that ultimately proved to be the difference between Champions League and Europa League Football! Currently, Villa haven’t done much business in this window, but I think the signing of Evann Guessand from Nice could prove to be a great acquisition! Aston Villa will expect to go long in Europe this year, in fact, they’ll very much want to win it, and that doesn’t concern me for their league form because they’ve been in Europe the last two seasons, and it hasn’t held them back! Ultimately, that’s why I’ve picked Aston Villa to qualify for the Champions League (if things work out) over Newcastle, I genuinely have more faith in Villa and Unai Emery!
4th: Manchester City
After last year’s struggles, I’m not convinced that Manchester City have it in them to launch a Title challenge! Manchester City found last season really hard, the players were drained after years of excellence, and it was definitely Pep Guardiola’s hardest season in England to date! Man City have spent a lot of money, and I think that Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki could all prove to be good pieces of business! However, no longer having Kevin De Bruyne to call upon is a massive loss, won’t hear anything else, and the defensive part of City’s game is unknown, it’s not clear who the starting Goalkeeper’s going to be, and their defence is so inconsistent! There’s also Rodri, he’s back, but will he ever be as good as he once was, because City quite frankly need him to be! Ultimately, whilst Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush will both bag a ton of goals this campaign, I don’t see it being enough for Pep’s men to return to the top!
3rd: Chelsea
Underestimate Chelsea at your peril, that’s how I feel about them heading into the new season! Chelsea did really well to finish 4th in their first season under Enzo Maresca, winning the UEFA Conference League too, and things only got better in the Summer as they became Club World Champions! As always, Chelsea have spent big, with Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and Jamie Gittens being the standout signings in attack! I do think The Blues’ decision to sell Noni Madueke is an interesting one, especially to a potential Title Rival, but I’d like to think that they know what they’re doing! I think Cole Palmer is the key, I think if he ends the year as the Player of the Season, Chelsea will win the league! Ultimately, I’m not backing Chelsea to win overall, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they did end the season as Champions, I think they’re more than capable!
2nd: Arsenal
Of course, you know I had to put Arsenal second! Arsenal may have finished second for the third-straight season last year, but they were a lot poorer last year, they didn’t get close to the Champions, and they didn’t even average 2 points-per-game! Arsenal have spent big this summer, but in fairness to them, their squad is stronger as a result! The Gunners have signed Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, and most importantly of all, Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres! For me, Gyokeres’ performance will determine whether Arsenal win this league or not, because if he bags 30 goals this season, I can’t see how they’re supposed to be stopped! Ultimately, though, it’s Arsenal, they’ve been good enough to win the league for multiple years, and yet they’ve dropped the ball! So, whilst The Gunners can absolutely win the league this year, I think second is where they’re destined to end up!
1st: Liverpool
After dominating last season, I expect Liverpool to become back-to-back Premier League Champions! Liverpool couldn’t have asked for a better first year under Arne Slot; they never expected to win the league, and yet they did it comfortably! Liverpool did drop off last year, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s not like they had any pressure to keep going, they’d won the league early! Amazingly, I actually think Liverpool’s squad is even stronger this year, The Reds have spent over £260 million to bring in Bayer Leverkusen duo Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong as well as Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt! If those guys live up to the hype (plus Milos Kerkez), this team will be insanely difficult to beat! Now, Trent Alexander-Arnold has left, that is a loss going forward, but of course the big change is the fact that Diogo Jota is no longer with us. On the pitch, that is a huge loss because Jota was an incredibly talented footballer! However, the big talking point with Liverpool is how are they going to deal with all of this, and I think they’re going to thrive because of it, I think The Reds will be really fired up to win multiple trophies for Diogo this year! And that’s why ultimately, I expect Liverpool to win 2-straight Premier League Titles for the first time in their history!
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