Liverpool’s clash with Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night will bring to an end the 82-day wait for Premier League action to get back underway.
Usually at this point of the summer we’re desperate for top flight football to return, having either been exhausted by the events of a World Cup, European Championship or Copa América, or because the sporting highlights have come from watching Wimbledon, The British Open or the multitude of Formula 1 Grand Prix that fill the calendar in June and July.
But 2025 has been a little bit different.
The revamped 32-team Club World Cup, played out in sweltering conditions on both the east and west coast of the United States, took up a large portion of what’s usually the offseason, meaning there’s been little to no respite from club football. And as soon as that was over, those who weren’t participating in that competition were back reporting for preseason training, gearing up for friendlies that are no longer simple trips up the road to play local, lower league opposition.
The oversaturation of the footballing calendar means some aren’t really ready for the 2025–26 campaign to get underway, but there’s a large majority who can’t wait for things to get cracking. After all, this year’s edition of the most-watched league in the world could be bigger and better than ever.
So what better way to prepare for the new season than by making some wildly inaccurate predictions that will almost certainly come back to bite you in nine months time? We at Sports Illustrated agree, so feast your eyes on how our team of writers and editors feel things will play out between now and May 24, 2026.
Who Will Be Crowned Champions?
Liverpool supporters have genuine, and very valid, concerns over depth in certain positions, most notably at centre back. But you can’t hide away from the fact that the champions have recruited superbly, and they will be a devastating side in the final third, particularly if they end up prizing Alexander Isak away from Newcastle United. The Reds still have the edge over their rivals because of that, though the gap to Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, all of whom have enjoyed productive transfer windows of their own, has undoubtedly shrunk. All decided on the final day of the season? Don’t bet against it.—Toby Cudworth
Manchester City have been ruthless with their rebuild and appear to have struck gold in the transfer market. Rayan Cherki is a sensational pick-up and should prove to be the catalyst for Erling Haaland’s third Golden Boot triumph, while Tijjani Reijnders will soon generate the excitement he deserves. Liverpool are strong but relied a little too heavily on Mohamed Salah last season, and while their new signings are great, they may take a little while to gel.—Tom Gott
Liverpool are clear favourites, as Arne Slot has reluctantly admitted. The defending champions have reinforced expensively and impressively while retaining key pillars from past campaigns in the form of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Behind Liverpool, the rest of last season's top four appears to be pretty well established.—Grey Whitebloom
It has to be Arsenal. If not Arsenal, then things could look much different in north London come summer 2026. The Gunners have simultaneously raised their floor and ceiling this summer in key areas bringing in the likes of Viktor Gyökeres, Martín Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Christian Nørgaard. This has to be the season they lift the Premier League trophy.—Max Mallow
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have built worthy teams to challenge for the English crown, but betting against Liverpool is about as unwise as backing Burnley or Leeds to avoid relegation. The Reds might have bid farewell to Trent Alexander-Arnold, but they still have Arne Slot. Moreover, they still have Mohamed Salah.—Amanda Langell
Liverpool have struck while the iron is hot, strengthening a team that was already better than everyone else last season. For the first time in the Premier League era, they are pre-season favourites and it will take an awful lot to topple them. Arsenal are gambling on Bukayo Saka staying fit and Viktor Gyökeres being an immediate success in his debut year in one of Europe’s top five leagues, while Manchester City are still in rebuild mode and won’t be at Liverpool’s speed just yet.—Jamie Spencer
Liverpool’s defensive issues in preseason are a concern, but Arne Slot will figure things out as the campaign progresses and they should prove unstoppable in attack with their stellar summer additions. Salah, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké and possibly Isak to pick from? Woof.—Ewan Ross-Murray
Pep Guardiola has never gone consecutive seasons without winning the league in his managerial career, and I’d expect that streak will continue. Manchester City have gone all out in the transfer market to accelerate a much-needed rebuild, and the additions of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki are significant. Keeping Erling Haaland fit and healthy will be imperative—do so and he could recapture the form shown in his first Premier League season. Liverpool will once again be formidable in attack but there’s defensive issues that could see Arne Slot’s side take a step back. Arsenal, under the mounting weight of expectation and pressure, will make it a thrilling three-way battle for the title but will again come up short.—Roberto Casillas
Liverpool's imperious groove may not be established right away, but the champions are favourities to reclaim their crown for good reason. Arne Slot's ability to tinker in-game proved key to their success last season, and the Dutchman should be trusted to make the requisite changes to ensure their new signings coalesce. They triumph at a less comfortable canter, with Manchester City improved and Arsenal signing a goalscorer.—James Cormack
The Best of the Rest?
Arsenal and Chelsea can be confident of rounding out the top four. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United look capable of climbing back up the table but still have work to do before catching up to the rest, while Crystal Palace should make some European noise if they can hold on to their big names like Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi. Expect a good jump from Everton led by the fascinating Thierno Barry, who has all the tools needed to be next summer’s £100 million gamble.—TG
Another push for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak could come in the next few weeks, but if Liverpool aren’t able to get a deal for the Swede agreed and he walks back his threat to not play for the club again, the Magpies could finish above the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United in the top five. Chelsea and Manchester City round out the top four, potentially with a decent gap opened up to the rest.—AL
Chelsea are on the rise and will comfortably complete the top four, but Enzo Maresca’s young side are still half-a-step behind those in front of them. Aston Villa will do well again and Manchester United will begin to gel in Ruben Amorim’s first full season—they’ll return to the respectability that comes with finishing inside the top six. Newcastle and Tottenham will be in the mix but may just lag behind when it really matters.—RC
Tottenham and Manchester United simply have to be so much better, and the lack of European commitments could actually be a blessing in disguise for the latter. Conversely, playing in Europe could take away from domestic success for both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, spelling a fall down the eventual standings.—JS
Breakdown of votes for each Premier League position
Who’s Going Down?
Sunderland have splashed the cash on an intriguing group of players which should help them survive this year, but the jump up to the Premier League may be too much for Leeds and Burnley. Brentford have trouble written all over them too, having lost not only their manager but also some very important players.—TG
West Ham United flirt with the drop and end up battling it out with Sunderland to stay in the division. Ultimately, though, a familiar tale plays out at the foot of the table. Everton, with Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Thierno Barry dazzling in attack, emerge as the neutral's favourite under David Moyes, but a much-changed Bournemouth struggle.—JC
The financial chasm between England’s top two tiers immediately forces every newly promoted club to prove they are not relegation fodder, although what’s left of the hollowed out husks at Brentford and Wolves may offer hope of a tighter fight than last term. That said, it’s hard not look to past the three promoted clubs for an immediate flight back to the Championship.—GW
Of the newly promoted sides, only Sunderland stay up and in the process Brentford heads down. Farewell Bees, a formidable run but too many factors to overcome. Especially if Yoane Wissa leaves.—MM
What Storylines Are You Most Looking Forward to?
The extent to which Tottenham and Manchester United bounce back, if at all, is perhaps the season’s most intriguing subplot. Andoni Iraola may have breathlessly hailed Ruben Amorim’s side as “a hell of a team” this summer, but their historically abysmal 2024–25 cannot be brushed aside. United have completely replaced last season’s attack with three exciting but highly volatile forwards. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško will take a lot of shots, but how many go in is anyone’s guess. The same sense of uncertainty exists around Thomas Frank’s managerial ability outside the Brentford bubble. The incredibly charismatic Dane’s only previous experience of senior management is three middling years at Bröndby almost a decade ago, when he quit after the club chairman criticised him on a fan forum using a pseudonym on his son’s account. Daniel Levy may not have to take to The Fighting Cock if Frank and his fleet of incoming backroom staff can replicate their magic.—GW
Selfishly, my attention is fully focused on whether or not Graham Potter can make a success of things at West Ham. He’s highly thought of in the game and did well in trying circumstances last season, calming things down after the disastrous Julen Lopetegui tenure that it’s best not to elaborate on. There’s high expectations in east London—nothing new there—but it does feel like Potter still has something to prove, as daft as that sounds for a manager who has Chelsea on his résumé. His teams don’t score a lot of goals, and chance creation was a big problem for West Ham in 2024–25. The maverick Mohammed Kudus has departed, placing a big burden on Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paquetá, and the squad looks a little thin, particularly in the pace department. Maybe Potter’s favoured 3-5-2 system, or 5-3-2 depending on which way you want to look at it, will work, getting the best out of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf from an attacking sense. It will be an interesting watch, especially as the pressure could build early on should West Ham get off to a bad start.—TC
If Mikel Arteta doesn’t win some kind of silverware at Arsenal this season, serious questions must surely be asked about his future in north London. The club have continued to back him in the transfer market and Viktor Gyökeres is widely viewed as the missing piece of the puzzle up front—if he delivers, Arsenal have successfully strengthened in every position they’ve deemed to be a problem and they could well a win trophy (albeit not the Premier League). If he doesn’t, and it’s another campaign of being the “nearly team”, what next? I’m excited to see how things play out and do expect victory in one of the two domestic cup competitions. It may be what keeps Arteta in a job.—ERM
End of Season Premier League Award Winners Predictions
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s Premier League 2025–26 Predictions.
