As an avid football fan, you find yourself counting down the days to the start of every new Premier League season. You will be tracking transfers, debating new managers, and soaking up every rumour. The energy builds with every friendly and every kit reveal. Fans of every club, from the reigning champions to the newly promoted, start August with optimism and hope that this year, at last, will be their year. Now, with the big kick-off almost here, here’s our prediction of what the Premier League table will look like when the final whistle blows on 24 May 2026.

1. Liverpool

2024/25 finish: 1st
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 1st
Key signing: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, club-record fee)
Key departure: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid)
Analysis: Liverpool enter as defending champions having strengthened across every department. Wirtz offers creativity in the No 10 role and Jeremie Frimpong brings fresh energy down the right. Replicating Alexander-Arnold’s 20-assist influence is a tall order, but with tactical depth and new options in midfield, they look primed to spread the creative load. No club outside Manchester has ever retained the Premier League title since 1992; Liverpool have a chance to break that pattern if squad depth holds.

2. Arsenal

2024/25 finish: 2nd
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 2nd
Key signing: Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting CP)
Key departure: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
Analysis: Arsenal finally address their need for a true No 9, as Gyökeres arrives to lead the line. His movement should create space for Saka to attack centrally, while Arteta’s pressing and ball retention stay league-best. If Gyökeres takes enough chances, the Gunners can threaten Liverpool, but as it stands this would be a fourth consecutive runners-up finish: a record of consistency but also a source of frustration.

3. Manchester City

2024/25 finish: 3rd
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 3rd
Key signing: Rayan Cherki (Lyon)
Key departure: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli)
Analysis: City finished last season with the best second-half record, but this campaign begins with Rodri injured and no more superstar wingers. Jérémy Doku, Savinho, and the free-roaming Cherki must provide the wide threat. Pep may rely on extra midfield cover and a more controlled build-up until his main men return. Their ability to adapt quickly could decide whether they edge Chelsea for third.

4. Chelsea

2024/25 finish: 4th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 4th
Key signing: João Pedro (Brighton)
Key departure: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal)
Analysis: Cole Palmer remains the focal point as Maresca builds a side that plays through the lines and presses high. João Pedro adds strength in possession, but Chelsea’s inconsistency, capable of brilliance one week and mediocrity the next, still holds them back from a serious title charge.

5. Manchester United

2024/25 finish: 15th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 5th
Key signing: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Key departure: Marcus Rashford (loan to Barcelona)
Analysis: A new-look front three should address last season’s scoring woes, while the removal of bad influences has lifted squad morale. Onana remains prone to costly errors, and the quality of Bruno Fernandes’ midfield partner could define whether United can push higher or settle for a Europa spot.

6. Tottenham Hotspur

2024/25 finish: 17th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 6th
Key signing: Mohammed Kudus (West Ham)
Key departure: Ivan Perišić (Hajduk Split)
Analysis: Thomas Frank’s box midfield and new signings bring fresh purpose and control. Kudus adds direct running power, and Champions League qualification could unlock even more squad depth. Their campaign will hinge on adapting to both domestic and European demands without losing focus.

7. Aston Villa

2024/25 finish: 6th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 7th
Key signing: Malick Guessand (Nice)
Key departure: Jacob Ramsey (Manchester City)
Analysis: Unai Emery’s tactical discipline and set-piece focus keep Villa tough to break down. Guessand’s arrival offers pace and pressing up front, but Ramsey’s departure is a major loss in midfield creativity and ball-carrying, making it harder to break down defensive sides.

8. Newcastle United

2024/25 finish: 5th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 8th
Key signing: Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest)
Key departure: Sean Longstaff (Leeds)
Analysis: A difficult summer window and the ongoing Isak saga have dented optimism. Losing one of the league’s best strikers would be a huge blow, and while Elanga fits Howe’s vertical game, Newcastle still look a step short of the top four.

9. Brighton & Hove Albion

2024/25 finish: 8th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 9th
Key signing: None headline-grabbing
Key departure: João Pedro (Chelsea)
Analysis: Brighton’s system-first model under Hürzeler allows them to punch above their weight, even after losing stars. They use wide overloads, midfield rotations, and relentless pressing to stay in the mix for another top-half finish.

10. AFC Bournemouth

2024/25 finish: 9th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 10th
Key signing: Adrien Truffert (Rennes)
Key departure: Miloš Kerkez (Liverpool)
Analysis: Andoni Iraola’s side remain aggressive and direct, with Truffert bringing composure on the left. The loss of Kerkez’s engine is a blow defensively, but Bournemouth’s front-foot style should still unsettle bigger opponents.

11. Crystal Palace

2024/25 finish: 12th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 11th
Key signing: Walter Benítez (PSV, free)
Key departure: Joel Ward (released)
Analysis: European football returns to Selhurst Park thanks to FA Cup success. Palace are a spirited, well-drilled group; retaining Eze and Guéhi is key to maintaining a top-half challenge, but a congested calendar will test their depth.

12. Nottingham Forest

2024/25 finish: 7th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 12th
Key signing: Dan Ndoye (Bologna)
Key departure: Anthony Elanga (Newcastle)
Analysis: Forest’s late-season dip and the absence of Champions League football limited their transfer market options. With European fixtures added to their calendar, managing rotation and squad fatigue could decide whether they push on or slip back.

13. Fulham

2024/25 finish: 11th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 13th
Key signing: Benjamin Lecomte (Montpellier)
Key departure: Willian (free agent)
Analysis: Fulham have stood still while others around them improved. Lecomte improves their distribution from the back, but without new firepower or creative threats, their season may be spent fighting to stay in the middle pack.

14. Everton

2024/25 finish: 13th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 14th
Key signing: Jack Grealish (Manchester City, loan)
Key departure: Ashley Young (released)
Analysis: Moyes’s management and Grealish’s creativity offer a lifeline for one of the weakest squads in the league. Everton’s margin for error is thin, with survival likely hinging on Grealish’s form and Calvert-Lewin’s fitness.

15. West Ham United

2024/25 finish: 14th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 15th
Key signing: Niclas Füllkrug (fit after injury)
Key departure: Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham)
Analysis: Potter’s side remain a work in progress, with the loss of Kudus taking away a major attacking threat. Füllkrug’s arrival provides a target up front, but the Hammers need improved supply from midfield and out wide.

16. Brentford

2024/25 finish: 10th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 16th
Key signing: Michael Kayode (Fiorentina)
Key departure: Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)
Analysis: Losing both their manager and Mbeumo has left Brentford with big questions up front and a lack of proven goals. Kayode brings energy on the right, but Brentford could face a season-long relegation battle unless someone steps up in attack.

17. Burnley

2024/25 finish: 1st Championship
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 17th
Key signing: Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Key departure: James Trafford (sold)
Analysis: Burnley arrive with the Championship’s best-ever defensive record, they conceded only 16 goals and had the joint-most clean sheets in EFL history. The Premier League is a huge step up for the squad, especially without Trafford in goal, but Walker’s experience and the team’s resilience could just keep them up.

18. Wolverhampton Wanderers

2024/25 finish: 16th
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 18th
Key signing: Jørgen Strand Larsen (Celta Vigo)
Key departure: Matheus Cunha (Manchester United)
Analysis: Wolves have lost much of their creativity with Cunha’s exit. Strand Larsen is a useful target, but the lack of service and dynamism out wide makes survival very difficult.

19. Sunderland

2024/25 finish: 3rd Championship, play-off winners
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 19th
Key signing: Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen)
Key departure: Jack Clarke (Aston Villa)
Analysis: Play-off success showed resilience, but Sunderland finished well behind Leeds and Burnley in the Championship. Eleven new arrivals and Xhaka’s leadership help, but the gap to Premier League level is huge, and gelling so many new faces quickly will be a tall order.

20. Leeds United

2024/25 finish: 2nd Championship
Predicted 2025/26 finish: 20th
Key signing: Lukas Nmecha (free, Wolfsburg)
Key departure: Junior Firpo (Trabzonspor)
Analysis: Promoted clubs have all gone down the last two seasons, and Leeds haven’t made signings expected to change that pattern. Without proven Premier League additions, a swift return to the Championship looks likely.