Premier League 2025-26 outright predictions: Gunners could finally claim top spot
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- Arne Slot's Liverpool are the defending Premier League champions
- Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland have been promoted from the Championship
- Recommended bets:
- Arsenal to win the Premier League
- Chelsea to finish in the top four
- Everton to be relegated
The 2025-26 Premier League fixtures have been announced and Liverpool will start their title defence at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15.
The Reds are expected to face a serious title challenge from Manchester City and Arsenal — the latter travel to Manchester United on the opening weekend — while Championship winners Leeds kick off their campaign at Everton.
Arsenal could hit new heights after crucial transfer window
Liverpool were worthy Premier League champions in 2024-25, winning the title by 10 points from Arsenal, who finished as runners-up for the third season running.
The Gunners are third-favourites in 2025-26, behind the Reds and Manchester City, but they are an appealing price to finally shed their 'nearly men' tag.
Injuries to key players Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes undermined Arsenal's hopes of catching Liverpool but they still reached the Champions League semi-finals.
With sharper finishing they could have beaten a rampant Paris Saint-Germain side and Mikel Arteta looks set to be backed in the transfer window again this summer.
Martin Zubimendi is expected to join Spain team-mate Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in a formidable midfield and the Gunners have been linked with strikers Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres.
Despite a lack of trophies, Arteta has transformed Arsenal's fortunes. They are unbeaten in 21 league matches against the rest of the 'big six' and, with a little more discipline and better luck with injuries, they could finish top of the pile in 2025-26.
Progressive Blues primed for another top-four finish
Chelsea had an impressive end to Enzo Maresca's first season, winning eight of their last nine matches in all competitions.
That run helped secure a fourth-placed finish in the league and Conference League glory and, despite Champions League distractions, the youthful Blues should make the top four again.
Chelsea's 28-man squad for the Club World Cup did not include a single player over the age of 27 and midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have started to live up to their enormous transfer fees.
Maresca's attacking options include Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, Nicolas Jackson and striker Liam Delap, who impressed for relegated Ipswich in 2024-25.
Defenders Reece James, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah were selected in Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad and the progressive Blues look dangerous outsiders in the title race.
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Lack of firepower may leave Toffees vulnerable
The three promoted clubs have been relegated in each of the past two Premier League seasons so it is no surprise to see Sunderland, Burnley and Leeds head the market.
Vitor Pereira's Wolves and Brentford, who have lost manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham, are next in the betting but Everton cannot take their top-flight status for granted.
David Moyes dragged the Toffees to safety in their final season at Goodison Park but only the bottom three scored fewer goals than Everton's 42 and a slow start to life at their new stadium could leave them in trouble.
