Home of football statistics and historyLiverpool halted Manchester City’s four-year reign in the Premier League last term to finally conquer a long-awaited 20th title in England’s top flight.
Despite Arsenal’s valiant attempt to clinch their first league title in over a decade, the race was never close as the Reds left their closest rivals ten points behind.
After winning the championship in his first season in charge, Arne Slot is the favourite to ascend the throne in 2025/26 and help the Anfield outfit defend the crown for the first time since the early 1980s.
However, Man City’s activity in the transfer market suggests they will do everything to return to the top after finishing third for the first time since Pep Guardiola’s maiden season at the helm.
Usual suspects like Arsenal and Chelsea will lurk in the shadows, leaving one big question mark over perennial underachievers Manchester United.
Without further ado, let’s look at the top-five predictions for the upcoming Premier League campaign based on research by the bookmaker Spreadex Sports.
#1 Liverpool to defend the title
Slot did the unthinkable in 2024/25, becoming the fifth manager in Premier League history to win a league title in their first season.
He defied every expectation after succeeding Jurgen Klopp at the steering wheel, achieving greatness without major summer signings.
Despite surging to the top without breaking a sweat, the Reds have taken a more proactive approach during the ongoing transfer window.
Slot has performed a defensive overhaul at Anfield, replacing long-serving stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold with Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
On top of that, Liverpool have set a new club record with the addition of Florian Wirtz, who joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen for an eye-watering £107 million.
This new-look team certainly looks destined for success.
The tragic passing of Diogo Jota, labelled by Robertson as ‘the most British foreign player I’ve ever met’ via BBC, will be an added motive for Liverpool next season.
#2 Top four in the same order
With Liverpool widely expected to go back-to-back, the big question is who will join them in the top four.
Arsenal had to settle for a third consecutive runner-up finish last term, and barring a dramatic improvement in the transfer window, they can hardly hope to better that result next season.
However, the Gunners still possess the quality to fight for the top two, though recruiting an elite striker would likely increase their chances of landing their first time in the post-Arsene Wenger era.
Meanwhile, with the acquisitions of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders, Man City may have found decent replacements for Kevin De Bruyne, who left the club after a decade.
Yet, their underwhelming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup exit at the hands of Al-Hilal shows this team is still a ‘work in progress,’ suggesting another third-place finish could be on the cards.
Finally, Chelsea sneaked into the top four on the final day of last season, claiming a top-four finish for the first time since Todd Boehly purchased the club from Roman Abramovich.
Reluctant to rest on their laurels, the Blues have signed Liam Delap and Joao Pedro to bolster their firepower, hoping it will help them close the gap on the leading trio.
Wanted by Arsenal, Noni Madueke could fall victim to increased competition for places, with Maresca urging all wantaway players to leave after a win over Palmeiras (via the Daily Mirror).
#3 Manchester United to secure European football
Needless to say, Man Utd fans cannot forget a disastrous 2024/25 season soon enough.
Ruben Amorim was supposed to be United’s saviour, only for the club to finish as low as 15th for the first time in the Premier League era.
With only 42 points, the Red Devils endured their worst season in recent memory and can hardly do worse than last term.
Meanwhile, the Old Trafford chiefs have decided to back Amorim, whose 3-4-2-1 set-up didn’t suit the team he inherited from Erik ten Hag.
A glimmer of hope appeared in the Europa League as Man Utd reached the final, where they narrowly lost to Tottenham Hotspur.
Per Spreadex, Amorim’s charges should be good for at least 57 points, which would likely warrant a return to a major European competition.
However, with that likely being the ceiling of Man Utd’s capacities, fans can probably forget about celebrating the league title for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club over ten years ago.
#4 Tottenham to falter in Thomas Frank’s first season
Ange Postecoglou delivered on his pre-season promise and inspired Tottenham to their first title in 17 years, courtesy of an illustrious Europa League triumph.
However, a 17th-place finish in the Premier League was too embarrassing to be overlooked as Spurs decided to cut ties with the ex-Celtic boss and appoint Thomas Frank as his successor.
Despite Frank’s impressive results at Brentford, this is an entirely different challenge, with the London giants gunning for the highest accolades after spending decades in the backwaters of English football.
Unfortunately, desires are one thing, while the reality of rebuilding a fractured squad and competing on multiple fronts is another.
Spurs cannot afford to sit out this transfer window if they’re to build on their Europa League success and regain their elite status in domestic action.
They’ve been quiet so far, leading Spreadex to put them behind Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Man Utd in the pecking order.
#5 Newcomers to drop straight back down
The last two seasons have seen all the newly promoted sides finish in the bottom three – an ominous trend that could continue in 2025/26.
Leeds United strolled to the Championship title last season and, in turn, boast the best odds of avoiding an immediate drop.
Spreadex tips the Whites to rack up between 35.5 and 37.5 points, though it should still be insufficient to keep them at England’s top table.
Burnley, who finished level on points with the Elland Road club, may fail to smash a 30-point barrier, with the same research placing them in the 28 to 30-point range.
Then, there are Play-Off winners Sunderland, whose first season in the Premier League since 2016/17 could end on a sorrowful note.
Expected to accumulate somewhere between 24.5 and 26.5 points, the Black Cats must upset the apple cart to avoid the ignominy of Southampton’s disaster in 2024/25.
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