Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal could have stood still this summer, and they would have remained the favourites for the title given the upheaval elsewhere.
The fact they’ve brought in Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes (with a forward on the radar before the transfer window closes) only strengthens their case for a defence of their crown.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool all have new head coaches/managers while Michael Carrick was named the permanent boss of Manchester United after impressing during the second half of last season.
Roberto De Zerbi has been given the keys to the kingdom at Tottenham Hotspur while Aston Villa have seen their crown jewels plucked away from Unai Emery.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United is my guess.
Who will get relegated?
Hull City will be busy before the end of the window but are in trouble as of now, and even though Ipswich Town have the fourth-highest net spend there are question marks about how their arrivals will adapt to the Premier League. Coventry City look short too, and we’ll learn a bit more about Frank Lampard as a coach. Of the more established sides looking over the shoulder, Crystal Palace might just be concerned.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
Best: Harry Wilson was a free transfer for Leeds United after a really impressive season for Fulham (10 goals and seven assists). If he maintains that kind of form, it might just help Leeds break from the pack in what is sure to be a condensed table. They finished in 14th place on 47 points last term, with Brighton only six points ahead, qualifying for the Uefa Conference League in eighth spot.
Worst: Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116 million (€135.5 million). If he was coming into a settled side with Rodri alongside him, there wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of pressure or scrutiny. The fear is that it will become too much for him. He is tailor-made for a Premier League midfield – athletic, dynamic and physical – but will that be enough?
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
Take your pick given the amount of change. In the dugout alone, 11 current bosses took the reins during the last year while nine of those came inside three months. It won’t be a surprise to see Man City revert to an early form of Pep Guardiola’s style given Enzo Maresca is a disciple of the more patient, regimented approach. Chelsea will look to have more about them in the physicality stakes.
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
The dwindling presence of Ireland internationals at this level is a concern and will continue to be so unless we start to see more follow the lead of Real Betis-bound Troy Parrott and thrive in leagues around Europe. Dara O’Shea has another crack at England’s top flight with Ipswich Town and will turn 28 before the end of the season.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
Nottingham Forest is always the best bet here given owner Evangelos Marinakis’s penchant for chaos. Oliver Glasner is a forthright figure, too, and it makes for an interesting dynamic.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
Dreading my social media algorithm force-feeding me clips of Mark Goldbridge and Wayne Rooney shouting over each other on their new podcast.
Most looking forward to Wayne Rooney losing his patience with Mark Goldbridge on their new podcast coming to an abrupt end.
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Also looking forward to the football and dreading debates around VAR and the future of the game.
Paul Fennessy
Arsenal celebrate winning last season's title. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal are the team to beat. Most of the other contenders have undergone dramatic changes over the last 12 months. I expect City, United and Chelsea (without the burden of European football) to complete the top four, with Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool getting the (likely) final Champions League spot in fifth.
Who will get relegated?
It would be some achievement for Hull City to stay up. They avoided relegation from the Championship on goal difference as recently as two seasons ago and scraped into the playoffs last year. They have also spent very little compared to their rivals.
Ipswich, without Kieran McKenna, will find it tough to survive, even though they have splashed the cash to a greater degree.
Frank Lampard’s Coventry look the best place of the promoted teams to prevail, and will hope to be this season’s equivalent of Sunderland.
Beyond them, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest could struggle.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
Best: It’s hard to see a downside to Arsenal signing Bruno Guimarães for £75 million (€87.61 million). For four and a half seasons at Newcastle, he has been among the best midfielders in the Premier League and is coming into the prime of his career. Similarly, Youri Tielemans feels like a bargain at £35 million (€40.88 million) and significantly strengthens United’s midfield options.
Worst: He’s a good player, and I may look silly in a few months with this suggestion, but I’m unconvinced that Elliot Anderson is worth £116 million (€135.5 million) and don’t think he’s in the same class as the departing Rodri, for example.
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
I could just as easily see Tottenham performing better than expected or having another disastrous campaign. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes are a major upgrade on their midfield.
The arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson in defence offset the losses of Djed Spence, Luka Vuskovic, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin.
But they’ve had injury crises for three seasons on the bounce and look incredibly thin in attack, given how many of their key players in that area are still absent from long-term setbacks.
They need at least another two or three signings before the window shuts, or another disappointing campaign looks eminently possible.
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
Unfortunately, as has been the case for a long time now, there are only a handful of options to choose from.
But I’m fascinated to see how John Egan gets on with Hull City. The way the 33-year-old has revived his career there has gone a little under the radar, but it is one of the most inspiring Irish football stories in recent times.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
So many of the league’s managers are barely in the door at their clubs. In the close season alone, there have been nine new arrivals.
But given that Nottingham Forest sacked four managers last season, without a ball being kicked, Oliver Glasner looks in immediate danger.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
I’m dreading the slow, cynical play, unfortunately typified by the eventual champions Arsenal last year. PSG in the Champions League and Spain at the World Cup showed it is still possible to win without resorting to such negative tactics.
I’m most looking forward to seeing how all the new managers fare. The likes of Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, Enzo Maresca at City, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, Matthias Jaissle at Newcastle and (even though he managed a few games last season) Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham bring some much-needed freshness to proceedings as it genuinely feels as if the league is at the beginning of a new and altogether different era.
Of the top sides, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery are the only coaches who have a considerable body of work behind them.
Fintan O’Toole
Manchester United will be aiming to build on last season's third-place finish. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal have strengthened their hand as the reigning champions and can retain their title. Chelsea will benefit from Xabi Alonso’s guidance and the lack of European football to distract them, as they cement a top-five place. After that, question marks abound, largely due to managerial changes, but will go for the north-west trio (Liverpool, Man City, Man United) – in no particular order – to secure Champions League football.
Who will get relegated?
Sounds predictable, but the promoted sides – Hull City, Ipswich Town, and Coventry City – to all go back down. Coventry the best hope there to surprise. Bournemouth (Marco Rose) and Crystal Palace (Pierre Sage) are entering new eras with fresh faces in charge, and could face a challenging time as a result.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
Best: Youri Tielemans led Belgium brilliantly in the World Cup, was consistently excellent for Aston Villa, and is a really good addition to that Man United midfield.
Worst: Feels harsh to pre-emptively label someone ‘worst signing’ so I’ll flip this to the surprising-head scratching contenders from the summer’s business. Chelsea’s shift in transfer policy to recruit ex-Sunderland teammates Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson caught the eye, along with the Everton-Crystal Palace swap of Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson.
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
The 17th-placed side that flirted dangerously with relegation last season will improve, but can Tottenham Hotspur really be considered a plucky upstart? Expecting Roberto De Zerbi, who steered them to survival with three wins in their last six games, to engineer a major improvement. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Jean Paul Van Hecke bolster their squad significantly, while a swoop for Man City pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush may also be on the cards. And overall they can’t be as bad again, can they?
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
Caoimhin Kelleher, a first-team regular at a Premier League club, is a rarity for Ireland internationals these days. After solidifying his place when joining for Brentford’s impressive run last season, Kelleher can maintain his established status.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
Hull City’s Sergej Jakirović or Ipswich’s Gary O’Neil – in a season of likely struggle, the sense is those promoted sides will be spurred to change.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
Looking forward to seeing those stars of the Championship, from Hayden Hackney to Frank Lampard, rising to the Premier League and seeing if they thrive in a more demanding setting.
Dreading? The answer last year was VAR debates, the answer this year is VAR debates and the answer tediously into the future will be VAR debates.
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Ciarán Kennedy
Andoni Iraola is among nine new managerial arrivals in the close season. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal to win it. I’d have doubts about some of their key men – Rice running on fumes, Saka’s injuries – but they’ve bought well and will benefit from consistency amid the changes around them. No European football will help Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, as will Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro having a summer off, even if the club itself could implode at any moment.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United to complete the top five, but they’ll all struggle for consistency.
Who will get relegated?
The three promoted sides, unfortunately, while Fulham could really struggle too.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
James Trafford is a good catch for Leeds, a young goalkeeper with bags of potential.
Worst is hard to pick, but I don’t think Elliot Anderson is a £116 million (€135.5 million) player, and the Rodri-sized hole at City piles the pressure on.
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
Leeds to be surprisingly good (pushing for Europe). Newcastle to be surprisingly bad (running from a relegation scrap).
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
It’s slim pickings. I’ll say Caoimhín Kelleher, who is usually kept busy enough at Brentford to show his quality.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
Hull start with games against United, Coventry (who they were 22 points off in the Championship last season), Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton. Poor auld Sergej Jakirović could be feeling the heat very quickly.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
Given the churn since last season, there is so much unknown about City, Chelsea, Liverpool and even United. I’m fascinated to see who can hit the ground running and who slides toward early crisis. Also interested to see how Brentford kick on with Damien Duff added to the coaching staff.
I’m dreading an Arsenal procession, especially if the football isn’t a little more free and open than last season’s set-piece-reliant slog.
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Top 5? Worst signing? The42's 2026-27 Premier League predictions
David Sneyd
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal could have stood still this summer, and they would have remained the favourites for the title given the upheaval elsewhere.
The fact they’ve brought in Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes (with a forward on the radar before the transfer window closes) only strengthens their case for a defence of their crown.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool all have new head coaches/managers while Michael Carrick was named the permanent boss of Manchester United after impressing during the second half of last season.
Roberto De Zerbi has been given the keys to the kingdom at Tottenham Hotspur while Aston Villa have seen their crown jewels plucked away from Unai Emery.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United is my guess.
Who will get relegated?
Hull City will be busy before the end of the window but are in trouble as of now, and even though Ipswich Town have the fourth-highest net spend there are question marks about how their arrivals will adapt to the Premier League. Coventry City look short too, and we’ll learn a bit more about Frank Lampard as a coach. Of the more established sides looking over the shoulder, Crystal Palace might just be concerned.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
Best: Harry Wilson was a free transfer for Leeds United after a really impressive season for Fulham (10 goals and seven assists). If he maintains that kind of form, it might just help Leeds break from the pack in what is sure to be a condensed table. They finished in 14th place on 47 points last term, with Brighton only six points ahead, qualifying for the Uefa Conference League in eighth spot.
Worst: Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116 million (€135.5 million). If he was coming into a settled side with Rodri alongside him, there wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of pressure or scrutiny. The fear is that it will become too much for him. He is tailor-made for a Premier League midfield – athletic, dynamic and physical – but will that be enough?
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
Take your pick given the amount of change. In the dugout alone, 11 current bosses took the reins during the last year while nine of those came inside three months. It won’t be a surprise to see Man City revert to an early form of Pep Guardiola’s style given Enzo Maresca is a disciple of the more patient, regimented approach. Chelsea will look to have more about them in the physicality stakes.
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
The dwindling presence of Ireland internationals at this level is a concern and will continue to be so unless we start to see more follow the lead of Real Betis-bound Troy Parrott and thrive in leagues around Europe. Dara O’Shea has another crack at England’s top flight with Ipswich Town and will turn 28 before the end of the season.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
Nottingham Forest is always the best bet here given owner Evangelos Marinakis’s penchant for chaos. Oliver Glasner is a forthright figure, too, and it makes for an interesting dynamic.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
Dreading my social media algorithm force-feeding me clips of Mark Goldbridge and Wayne Rooney shouting over each other on their new podcast.
Most looking forward to Wayne Rooney losing his patience with Mark Goldbridge on their new podcast coming to an abrupt end.
Also looking forward to the football and dreading debates around VAR and the future of the game.
Paul Fennessy
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal are the team to beat. Most of the other contenders have undergone dramatic changes over the last 12 months. I expect City, United and Chelsea (without the burden of European football) to complete the top four, with Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool getting the (likely) final Champions League spot in fifth.
Who will get relegated?
It would be some achievement for Hull City to stay up. They avoided relegation from the Championship on goal difference as recently as two seasons ago and scraped into the playoffs last year. They have also spent very little compared to their rivals.
Ipswich, without Kieran McKenna, will find it tough to survive, even though they have splashed the cash to a greater degree.
Frank Lampard’s Coventry look the best place of the promoted teams to prevail, and will hope to be this season’s equivalent of Sunderland.
Beyond them, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest could struggle.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
Best: It’s hard to see a downside to Arsenal signing Bruno Guimarães for £75 million (€87.61 million). For four and a half seasons at Newcastle, he has been among the best midfielders in the Premier League and is coming into the prime of his career. Similarly, Youri Tielemans feels like a bargain at £35 million (€40.88 million) and significantly strengthens United’s midfield options.
Worst: He’s a good player, and I may look silly in a few months with this suggestion, but I’m unconvinced that Elliot Anderson is worth £116 million (€135.5 million) and don’t think he’s in the same class as the departing Rodri, for example.
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
I could just as easily see Tottenham performing better than expected or having another disastrous campaign. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes are a major upgrade on their midfield.
The arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson in defence offset the losses of Djed Spence, Luka Vuskovic, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin.
But they’ve had injury crises for three seasons on the bounce and look incredibly thin in attack, given how many of their key players in that area are still absent from long-term setbacks.
They need at least another two or three signings before the window shuts, or another disappointing campaign looks eminently possible.
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
Unfortunately, as has been the case for a long time now, there are only a handful of options to choose from.
But I’m fascinated to see how John Egan gets on with Hull City. The way the 33-year-old has revived his career there has gone a little under the radar, but it is one of the most inspiring Irish football stories in recent times.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
So many of the league’s managers are barely in the door at their clubs. In the close season alone, there have been nine new arrivals.
But given that Nottingham Forest sacked four managers last season, without a ball being kicked, Oliver Glasner looks in immediate danger.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
I’m dreading the slow, cynical play, unfortunately typified by the eventual champions Arsenal last year. PSG in the Champions League and Spain at the World Cup showed it is still possible to win without resorting to such negative tactics.
I’m most looking forward to seeing how all the new managers fare. The likes of Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, Enzo Maresca at City, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, Matthias Jaissle at Newcastle and (even though he managed a few games last season) Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham bring some much-needed freshness to proceedings as it genuinely feels as if the league is at the beginning of a new and altogether different era.
Of the top sides, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery are the only coaches who have a considerable body of work behind them.
Fintan O’Toole
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal have strengthened their hand as the reigning champions and can retain their title. Chelsea will benefit from Xabi Alonso’s guidance and the lack of European football to distract them, as they cement a top-five place. After that, question marks abound, largely due to managerial changes, but will go for the north-west trio (Liverpool, Man City, Man United) – in no particular order – to secure Champions League football.
Who will get relegated?
Sounds predictable, but the promoted sides – Hull City, Ipswich Town, and Coventry City – to all go back down. Coventry the best hope there to surprise. Bournemouth (Marco Rose) and Crystal Palace (Pierre Sage) are entering new eras with fresh faces in charge, and could face a challenging time as a result.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
Best: Youri Tielemans led Belgium brilliantly in the World Cup, was consistently excellent for Aston Villa, and is a really good addition to that Man United midfield.
Worst: Feels harsh to pre-emptively label someone ‘worst signing’ so I’ll flip this to the surprising-head scratching contenders from the summer’s business. Chelsea’s shift in transfer policy to recruit ex-Sunderland teammates Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson caught the eye, along with the Everton-Crystal Palace swap of Dwight McNeil and Brennan Johnson.
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
The 17th-placed side that flirted dangerously with relegation last season will improve, but can Tottenham Hotspur really be considered a plucky upstart? Expecting Roberto De Zerbi, who steered them to survival with three wins in their last six games, to engineer a major improvement. Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Jean Paul Van Hecke bolster their squad significantly, while a swoop for Man City pair Savinho and Omar Marmoush may also be on the cards. And overall they can’t be as bad again, can they?
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
Caoimhin Kelleher, a first-team regular at a Premier League club, is a rarity for Ireland internationals these days. After solidifying his place when joining for Brentford’s impressive run last season, Kelleher can maintain his established status.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
Hull City’s Sergej Jakirović or Ipswich’s Gary O’Neil – in a season of likely struggle, the sense is those promoted sides will be spurred to change.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
Looking forward to seeing those stars of the Championship, from Hayden Hackney to Frank Lampard, rising to the Premier League and seeing if they thrive in a more demanding setting.
Dreading? The answer last year was VAR debates, the answer this year is VAR debates and the answer tediously into the future will be VAR debates.
Ciarán Kennedy
Who will be in the top 5 come the end of the season?
Arsenal to win it. I’d have doubts about some of their key men – Rice running on fumes, Saka’s injuries – but they’ve bought well and will benefit from consistency amid the changes around them. No European football will help Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, as will Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro having a summer off, even if the club itself could implode at any moment.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United to complete the top five, but they’ll all struggle for consistency.
Who will get relegated?
The three promoted sides, unfortunately, while Fulham could really struggle too.
Best and worst signing of the summer?
James Trafford is a good catch for Leeds, a young goalkeeper with bags of potential.
Worst is hard to pick, but I don’t think Elliot Anderson is a £116 million (€135.5 million) player, and the Rodri-sized hole at City piles the pressure on.
Who will be this season’s surprise package?
Leeds to be surprisingly good (pushing for Europe). Newcastle to be surprisingly bad (running from a relegation scrap).
Which Irish player are you most looking forward to watching?
It’s slim pickings. I’ll say Caoimhín Kelleher, who is usually kept busy enough at Brentford to show his quality.
Which manager will be the first to leave their club?
Hull start with games against United, Coventry (who they were 22 points off in the Championship last season), Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton. Poor auld Sergej Jakirović could be feeling the heat very quickly.
What are you most looking forward to this season, and what are you dreading?
Given the churn since last season, there is so much unknown about City, Chelsea, Liverpool and even United. I’m fascinated to see who can hit the ground running and who slides toward early crisis. Also interested to see how Brentford kick on with Damien Duff added to the coaching staff.
I’m dreading an Arsenal procession, especially if the football isn’t a little more free and open than last season’s set-piece-reliant slog.
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