2025/26 Premier League Season Preview & Futures Betting tips

Posted on August 13, 2025 by | 0 Comments

 

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The following is a team-by-team 2025/26 Premier League season preview with futures betting tips. We cover every club’s form and stats, key squad changes, positives, negatives and futures odds. This article will be updated daily to incorporate the latest transfer news as we approach the start of the season on August 15 (August 16 AEST).

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Arsenal

Arsenal

  • Last six season finishes: 8, 8, 5, 2, 2, 2
  • Manager: Mikel Arteta (since December 2019)
  • Key arrivals: Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting , £63.5m), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad, £60m), Noni Madueke (Chelsea, £48.5m), Christian Norgaard (Brentford, £15m), Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia, £13m), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea, £5m)
  • Key departures: Takehiro Tomiyasu (free agent), Kieran Tierney (Celtic, free)
  • Positives:
    • Are in a good position from a PSR standpoint. The club has earned record revenues in recent seasons, plus the sales of home-grown duo Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah brought in £50m of pure profit.
    • Have signed Martin Zubimendi, one of the top holding midfielders in the world. The 26-year-old Spaniard rejected a move to Liverpool in the previous summer.
    • Have finally addressed their striker issue by signing Viktor Gyokeres.
    • 18-year-old England defender Myles Lewis-Skelly signed a new five-year contract. Lewis-Skelly was dribbled past only once in the Premier League last season, the best record of any player to have made at least 15 starts.
    • PFA Young Player of the Year nominee Ethan Nwaneri also signed a new deal.
    • Have been incredibly consistent, with three consecutive top-2 finishes.
    • Kept 13 clean sheets last season. Only Liverpool achieved more than that with 14.
    • Acquired the highly regarded sporting director Andrea Berta, who has overseen a successful first transfer window. Atlético Madrid enjoyed one of the most successful periods in its modern history during his tenure.
    • Teenager Ethan Nwaneri has signed a new five-year contract following a breakthrough season.
    • Have no African players in the first-team squad, so they won’t be impacted by the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Negatives:
    • Questions remain on their ability to go one further and win a trophy. The Gunners haven’t won any silverware since 2020 and title rivals Liverpool have out-spent them this summer.
    • Arsenal scored 22 fewer goals in the league last season than they did in 2023-24.
    • Had only the 4th best record in the second half of last season.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 2nd
    • bet365 odds: 2nd
    • The Telegraph: 4th
    • The Guardian: 2nd
  • Futures odds:


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Aston Villa

Aston Villa

  • Last six season finishes: 17, 11, 14, 7, 4, 6
  • Manager: Unai Emery (since November 2022)
  • Key arrivals: Evann Guessand (Nice, £30.3m), Marco Bizot (Brest, undisclosed), Yasin Ozcan (Kasimpasa, £6.7m), Zepiqueno Redmond (Feyenoord, free)
  • Key departures: Marcus Rashford (Man Utd, loan ended), Marco Asensio (PSG, loan ended)
  • Positives:
    • Boast a highly-regarded manager in Unai Emery.
    • Had the 3rd best record in the league in the second half of last season.
    • Have no African players in the first-team squad, so they won’t be impacted by the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Negatives:
    • Severely hamstrung by PSR. Villa’s combined loss from 2022/23 & 2023/24 was £206m. Their wages-to-revenue ratio last year was 96%. Villa failed to qualify for Champions League football this season by goal difference. The revenue in that competition is four times as much as the Europa League. The £100m departure of Jack Grealish in 2021 has now dropped off their PSR figures.
    • Aston Villa was fined £9.5m by Uefa for breaching the European governing body’s financial rules. They could be prevented from registering new players for Uefa competitions for the forthcoming season unless they have a positive transfer balance by the end of the summer transfer window.
    • Despite having an option to buy, Marcus Rashford has left the club following a decent loan spell.
    • Manager Unai Emery has won the Europa League four times previously. Villa have an excellent chance to go very deep in that tournament, which could impact their Premier League performances.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 5th
    • bet365 odds: 8th
    • The Telegraph: 7th
    • The Guardian: 5th
  • Futures odds:


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Bournemouth

Bournemouth

  • Last six season finishes: 18, 6 (C), 2 (C), 15, 12, 9
  • Manager: Andoni Iraola (since June 2023)
  • Key arrivals: Bafode Diakite (Lille, £34.6m), Djordje Petrovic (Chelsea, £25m), Adrien Truffert (Rennes, £14.4m), Eli Junior Kroupi (signed in January, had been on loan to Lorient)
  • Key departures: Illia Zabarnyi (PSG, £57m), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid, £50m), Milos Kerkez (Liverpool, £40m), Jaidon Anthony (Burnley, £7.5m), Mark Travers (Everton, £4m), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal, had been on loan from Chelsea)
  • Positives:
    • Winger Antoine Semenyo has signed a new long-term contract.
    • The sales of Dominic Solanke in 2024 and Illia Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen & Milos Kerkez in 2025 has boosted their transfer budget. Huijsen & Milos Kerkez were sold early in the transfer window, which gave the club time to strategize on how to deploy those funds.
    • The club has finished in a higher position than the year before for four straight seasons.
    • The Cherries boast a very capable manager in Andoni Iraola.
  • Negatives:
    • Revenue and PSR compliance are hampered by their small stadium. Vitality Stadium’s capacity is just 11,307, well below the league median of 41,546. This yields Bournemouth lowest match day revenue in the Premier League.
    • The club’s defensive stocks have taken a hit following the high-profile departures of Illia Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez.
    • Ended last season with just three wins from 15 games. Had the season started in late February, Bournemouth would have finished 16th.
    • Enes Unal remains out as he recovers from his ACL injury.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 9th
    • bet365 odds: 12th
    • The Telegraph: 9th
    • The Guardian: 10th
  • Futures odds:


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Brentford

Brentford

  • Last six season finishes: 3 (C), 3 (C), 13, 9, 16, 10
  • Manager: Keith Andrews (since June 2025)
  • Key arrivals: Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool, £18m), Michael Kayode (Fiorentina, £14.8m), Jordan Henderson (Ajax, free), Romelle Donovan (Birmingham City, £3m), Antoni Milambo (Feyenoord, undisclosed)
  • Key departures: Bryan Mbeumo (Man Utd, £65m), Christian Norgaard (Arsenal, £15m), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen, £8m), Ben Mee (free agent)
  • Positives:
    • Under the ownership of Matthew Benham, who is known for his data analytics-driven approach to decision-making, Brentford have been among the best run businesses in the league. The highly-regarded sporting director Phil Giles has been at the club for over a decade. The Bees have had no PSR concerns under their management.
    • Only Liverpool (42) and Man City (43) scored more home goals than Brentford (40) last season.
    • Brentford had the league’s best away record (7-2-1) since the beginning of January.
    • Only four teams scored more goals than Brentford last season.
  • Negatives:
    • The club has entered uncertain times following the departure of head coach Thomas Frank (of seven years), assistant coach Justin Cochrane, head of performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton to Spurs. Assistant coach Claus Nørgaard has also departed. The new head coach is Keith Andrews, their former set piece coach. Andrews has no prior head coaching experience. Three of the last five Premier League managers with no prior head coaching experience failed to last longer than seven months.
    • Key midfielder and captain Christian Norgaard has departed.
    • Bryan Mbeumo, who made Opta’s team of the season, departed after scoring 20 league goals last campaign.
    • Only the relegated Ipswich and Southampton conceded more home goals than Brentford last season.
    • Yoane Wissa has been seeking a move away from the club.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 10th
    • bet365 odds: 17th
    • The Telegraph: 12th
    • The Guardian: 18th
  • Futures odds:


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Brighton

Brighton

  • Last six season finishes: 15, 16, 9, 6, 11, 8
  • Manager: Fabian Hürzeler (since June 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Charalampos Kostoulas from (Olympiakos, £31.5m), Maxim de Cuyper (Club Brugge, £17.5m), Diego Coppola (Hellas Verona, £8.5m), Olivier Boscagli (PSV, free), Tommy Watson (Sunderland, £10m)
  • Key departures: Joao Pedro (Chelsea, £60m), Simon Adingra (Sunderland, £21m), Pervis Estupinan (AC Milan, £17m), Evan Ferguson (Roma, loan)
  • Positives:
    • Are in a healthy position from a PSR standpoint. The Seagulls earned £200m in profit over the previous two seasons and are in a strong position to spend if necessary.
    • Are the highest-finishing club from last season that won’t have the burden of European football this campaign.
    • Finished 8th last season, despite a bad run of injuries to key players.
    • Only four teams scored more goals than Brighton last season.
    • Have retained the services of Kaoru Mitoma, despite interest from Al Nassr and Bayern Munich.
    • Fought off interest from other clubs to sign Charalampos Kostoulas.
  • Negatives:
    • The departure of forward Joao Pedro is a blow. He scored 30 goals in 70 games for Brighton.
    • Brighton had only the 14th best defensive record last season.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 8th
    • bet365 odds: 9th
    • The Telegraph: 11th
    • The Guardian: 8th
  • Futures odds:


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Burnley

Burnley

  • Last six season finishes: 10, 17, 18, 1 (C),19, 2 (C)
  • Manager: Scott Parker (since July 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Lesley Ugochukwu (Chelsea, £20m), Armando Broja (Chelsea, £20m), Bashir Humphreys (Chelsea, £14.7m), Marcus Edwards (Sporting, £8.5m), Jaidon Anthony (Bournemouth, £7.5m), Zian Flemming (Millwall, £7m), Max Weiss (Karlsruher, £4.3m), Quilindschy Hartman (Feyenoord, undisclosed), Axel Tuanzebe (Ipswich Town, free), Loum Tchaouna (Lazio, £13m), Kyle Walker (Man City, £5m), Martin Dubravka (Newcastle, undisclosed), Jacob Bruun Larsen (Stuttgart, undisclosed)
  • Key departures: James Trafford (Man City, £27m), CJ Egan-Riley (Marseille, free), Josh Brownhill (free agent)
  • Positives:
    • In the 2024–25 Championship season, Burnley recorded the best defensive record in England football history, with just 16 goals conceded in 46 matches (0.35 per game). They kept 30 clean sheets and became the first ever team to avoid conceding more than one goal in any league fixture.
    • Burnley lost just two league games last season.
    • Have retained Maxime Estève, who has signed a new long-term contract.
    • Kyle Walker brings a vast amount of experience to the club.
  • Negatives:
    • Seven of the last eleven teams to win promotion as the 2nd best team in the Championship were relegated after just one season. At least two of the three newly promoted teams were relegated after just one season in four of the last five years. Under PSR, if you’ve been in the EPL for the past three seasons you can lose up to £105m over a three-year cycle (£35m per year). But it’s only £13m per season spent in the Championship. This acts as a financial hindrance to newly promoted clubs.
    • The last time Burnley were promoted they did so as the Championship winner, but were immediately relegated with just 24 points – nine points from safety if you factor in their -37 goal difference.
    • Star goalkeeper James Trafford has departed. He kept 29 clean sheets across 45 Championship games last season and was named in the division’s team of the year. Fellow defender CJ Egan-Riley also departed after he rejected a new contract.
    • Captain and top scorer from last season, Josh Brownhill, has departed.
    • Scott Parker has never managed two consecutive seasons in the Premier League.
    • With countless new signings, it may take time for the new-look squad to settle.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 18th
    • bet365 odds: 20th
    • The Telegraph: 19th
    • The Guardian: 20th
  • Futures odds:


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Chelsea

Chelsea

  • Last six season finishes: 4, 4, 3, 12, 6, 4
  • Manager: Enzo Maresca (since June 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Joao Pedro (Brighton, £60m), Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund, £55m), Jorrel Hato (Ajax, £37m), Liam Delap (Ipswich Town, £30m), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras, £29.1m, signed in 2024), Dario Essugo (Sporting Lisbon, £18m), Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle, £17.6, signed in 2023), Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg, £12m), Andrey Santos (Strasbourg, had been out on loan), Chris Atherton (Glenavon, undisclosed), Armando Broja (Everton, had been out on loan), Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace, had been out on loan)
  • Key departures: Noni Madueke (Arsenal, £48.5m), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton, £28m), Djordje Petrovic (Bournemouth, £25m, previously on loan to Strasbourg), Joao Felix (Al-Nassr, £43.7m, was on loan to AC Milan since January), Jadon Sancho (Man Utd, had been on loan), Lesley Ugochukwu (Burnley, £20m, previously on loan to Southampton), Armando Broja (Burnley, £20m), Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal, £5m), Marcus Bettinelli (Man City, £400K), Marc Guiu (Sunderland, loan)
  • Positives:
    • Won the 2025 Club World Cup and an estimated £85m in prize money in the process.
    • 18-year old Estevao Willian is considered to be one of the best young players in the world
    • Chelsea had the youngest average squad age in the Premier League last season, so the bulk of the players will be closer to their prime this year.
    • Chelsea beat off interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton to sign striker Liam Delap.
    • The arrival of Jamie Gittens directly addresses the departure of Jadon Sancho.
    • If Nicolas Jackson departs, Chelsea will have no African players in the first-team squad, so they won’t be impacted by the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Negatives:
    • PSR compliance remains uncertain. It has yet to be determined whether the Premier League will accept sale of their women’s team to parent company BlueCo for £198.7m.
    • Chelsea were fined £26.7m by Uefa for breaching the European governing body’s financial rules. They could be prevented from registering new players for Uefa competitions for the forthcoming season unless they have a positive transfer balance by the end of the summer transfer window.
    • It remains to be seen how fresh the players will be following their involvement in the Club World Cup.
    • Levi Colwill is out for most of the season with an ACL injury. The defender started in 35 league games last season.
    • With so many new signings, it may take time for the new-look squad to gel.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 4th
    • bet365 odds: 4th
    • The Telegraph: 3rd
    • The Guardian: 4th
  • Futures odds:


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Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace

  • Last six season finishes: 14, 14, 12, 11, 10, 12
  • Manager: Oliver Glasner (since February 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven, free), Borna Sosa (Ajax, £3m)
  • Key departures: Jeffrey Schlupp (Norwich City, free), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea, loan ended), Rob Holding (Colorado Rapids, free)
  • Positives:
    • While Palace finished 12th in the standings, they actually finished 6th in the net expected goals standings.
    • Palace had excuses for their poor start last season. Michael Olise & Joachim Andersen had departed, a large part of their squad were involved in major tournaments and four players were signed on deadline day. Palace went on to have the 8th best record in the 2025 calendar year.
    • Their FA Cup and Community Shield wins highlight the qualities of the manager and squad. Palace appeared to have superior match fitness than Liverpool in the Community Shield last week.
  • Negatives:
    • Sporting director Dougie Freedman has departed, which has created a major leadership vacuum in the recruitment side of the club. Freedman was responsible for many of Palace’s best signings, including Conor Gallagher (loan), Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton, Daniel Munoz, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Dean Henderson.
    • Palace have the distraction of European football this season. Added to that distraction had been the legal fight over whether they would participate in the Europa League or Europa Conference League. This uncertainty had hindered their recruitment efforts this summer. Palace lost their appeal and will participate in the less lucrative Conference League. The estimated prize money difference is £20m.
    • Eddie Nketiah will miss the first six weeks due to a hamstring injury picked up in pre-season. Cheick Doucouré has suffered a serious setback on his return from long-term injury.
    • Ismaila Sarr could be involved in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
    • With just one year left on his contract, captain Marc Guehi is expected to depart for Liverpool. Eberechi Eze could depart to Arsenal. Tottenham are also interested in Eze following the injury to James Maddison. It would be a massive blow for Palace to lose one or both of these players so late in the transfer window. Their departure could see manager Oliver Glasner choose to depart when his contract expires at the end of the season.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 7th
    • bet365 odds: 11th
    • The Telegraph: 13th
    • The Guardian: 14th
  • Futures odds:


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Everton

Everton

  • Last six season finishes: 12, 10, 16, 17, 15, 13
  • Manager: David Moyes (since January 2025)
  • Key arrivals: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea, £28m), Thierno Barry (Villarreal, £27m), Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich, €9m), Carlos Alcaraz (Flamengo, £15.2m, had been on loan since February), Mark Travers (Bournemouth, £4m), Jack Grealish (Man City, loan)
  • Key departures: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (free agent), Armando Broja (Chelsea, loan ended), Abdoulaye Doucoure (free agent), Ashley Young (Ipswich, free)
  • Positives:
    • Everton were 16th in the table, with just 3 wins from 19, when David Moyes took over in January. The Toffees went on to pick up 8 wins from the remaining 19 games. Had the season started on the day of Moyes’ appointment, Everton would have finished 9th.
    • Everton’s PSR compliance going forward is helped by the completion of the new stadium, which has a capacity of 52,769, compared to 39,414 at Goodison Park.
    • The drawn-out takeover drama finally came to an end when Friedkin Group bought the club last December. The calamitous Farhad Moshiri era has finally ended.
    • Despite interest from a number of clubs, Jarrad Branthwaite has signed a new five-year deal.
    • The loan signing of Jack Grealish should represent great business.
  • Negatives:
    • The club’s PSR compliance is hindered by the large contracts and mistakes made under former owner Farhad Moshiri. Eight £20m+ players representing £188m worth of signings during Moshiri’s reign have left for free. The latest to do to so this summer are Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure. They are among nine first team players who have departed.
    • Everton’s poor pre-season performances in the absence of central defenders James Tarkowski and Jarrod Branthwaite highlights the lack of depth in the squad.
    • Everton scored just 42 goals last season, which was the worst offensive record of any team to survive relegation.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 13th
    • bet365 odds: 13th
    • The Telegraph: 16th
    • The Guardian: 13th
  • Futures odds:


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Fulham

Fulham

  • Last six season finishes: 4 (C), 18, 1 (C), 10, 13, 11
  • Manager: Marco Silva (since July 2021)
  • Key arrivals: Benjamin Lecomte (Montpellier, £500K)
  • Key departures: Willian (free agent), Carlos Vinicius (Grêmio, free)
  • Positives:
    • Have enjoyed good continuity in the manager’s position, with Marco Silva being at the club since 2021.
    • Captain Tom Cairney and Kenny Tete (despite interest from Everton) have signed new deals.
    • With so little turnover during the off-season, Fulham should start quickly, while other clubs take time for their new signings to assimilate.
  • Negatives:
    • Kept only 5 clean sheets last season, which was the fewest of any side to avoid relegation.
    • Faded in the second half of last season. Fulham were 8th at the midway mark, but had only the 14th best record in the second half.
    • PSR compliance is hindered by their 85% wages to revenue ratio.
    • Have been quiet in the transfer window.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 15th
    • bet365 odds: 14th
    • The Telegraph: 8th
    • The Guardian: 11th
  • Futures odds:


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Leeds

Leeds

  • Last six season finishes: 1 (C), 9, 17, 19, 3 (C), 1 (C)
  • Manager: Daniel Farke (since July 2023)
  • Key arrivals: Anton Stach (Hoffenheim, £17m), Lucas Perri (Lyon, £15.6m), Jaka Bijol (Udinese, £15m), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Lille, £10m), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg, £5.1m), Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg, free), Sean Longstaff (Newcastle, £12m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton, free, pending medical)
  • Key departures: Junior Firpo (Betis, free), Mateo Joseph (Mallorca, loan), Manor Solomon (Tottenham, loan ended)
  • Positives:
    • Have retained Joël Piroe, the golden boot winner in the Championship last season.
    • Have notably strengthened defensively and in midfield in the transfer market.
    • Have no African players in the first-team squad, so they won’t be impacted by the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Negatives:
    • Four of the last six Championship winners were relegated the following season. At least two of the three newly promoted teams were relegated after just one season in four of the last five years. Under PSR, if you’ve been in the EPL for the past three seasons you can lose up to £105m over a three-year cycle (£35m per year). But it’s only £13m per season spent in the Championship. This acts as a financial hindrance to newly promoted clubs.
    • Have only made on attacking signing so far in Lukas Nmecha.
    • PSR compliance has been hindered by the project to expand Elland Road’s capacity from 37,645 to 53,000. Leeds have spent considerably less in the transfer window than Burnley and Sunderland.
    • It may take time for the new-look squad to gel.
    • Manor Solomon has returned to Spurs following a successful loan spell. Junior Firpo has also departed.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 19th
    • bet365 odds: 16th
    • The Telegraph: 20th
    • The Guardian: 17th
  • Futures odds:


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Liverpool

Liverpool

  • Last six season finishes: 1, 3, 2, 5, 3, 1
  • Manager: Arne Slot (since June 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, £116m), Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt, £82.4m), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth, £40m), Jeremie Frimpong (Leverkusen, £29.5m), Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia, £29m), Armin Pécsi (Puskás Akadémia, £1.5m), Freddie Woodman (Preston North End, free)
  • Key departures: Diogo Jota (deceased), Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich, £65.5m), Darwin Nunez (Al-Hilal, £46.3m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid, £8.4m), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen, £35m), Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford, £18m)
  • Positives:
    • Kept 14 clean sheets last season, which was the most in the league.
    • Liverpool’s modest spend in the previous transfer window has opened the door to make big-name acquisitions this summer, including Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. Liverpool have spent over £250m thus far. They made many of their transfers early in the window.
    • Four Liverpool players made Opta’s team of the 2024/25 season and no other team had more than two. Liverpool have retained three of those four players.
    • Mohamed Salah remains remarkably consistent. He made 32+ league appearances in each of his eight seasons with Liverpool, including 38 last season. Salah scored 18+ goals in all eight seasons, including 29 last campaign to go with 18 assists.
  • Negatives:
    • Diogo Jota died in a car accident in July.
    • Assistant coach John Heitinga has departed to join Ajax as head coach.
    • The squad currently looks a little light in defence. Defensively they have looked suspect in pre-season.
    • The squad looked short of match fitness compared to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. It may take time for the new-look starting 11 to gel.
    • Mohamed Salah will likely be involved in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Dec – Jan).
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 1st
    • bet365 odds: 1st
    • The Telegraph: 1st
    • The Guardian: 1st
  • Futures odds:


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Manchester City

Manchester City

  • Last six season finishes: 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3
  • Manager: Pep Guardiola (since June 2016 (signed in February))
  • Key arrivals: Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan, £46.3m), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves, £31m), Rayan Cherki (Lyon, £30.45m), James Trafford (Burnley, £27m), Sverre Nypan (Rosenborg, £12.5m), Marcus Bettinelli (Chelsea £400K)
  • Key departures: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli, free), Kyle Walker (Burnley, £5m. Had been on loan to AC Milan since January), Jack Grealish (Everton, loan), Scott Carson (free agent)
  • Positives:
    • After sitting 6th (9-4-6) halfway through the season, Man City spent £180m in the January transfer window, almost equal to the rest of the Premier League combined. City went on to have the best record in the league in the second half of the season. They finished the campaign on a 10-game unbeaten run.
    • 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri will feature far more this campaign after he made just three league appearances last season.
    • City kept 13 clean sheets last season. Only Liverpool achieved more than that with 14.
    • New signing Tijjani Reijnders was named Serie A’s midfielder of the season last campaign.
    • The June signings of Reijnders, Ait-Nouri and Cherki had a positive impact on the squad during the Club World Cup.
    • Jürgen Klopp’s former No 2 Pep Ljinders has been brought in as assistant coach. He will bring fresh ideas to the club.
  • Negatives:
    • Manchester City still faces the 115 charges of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches. The outcome could result in a fine, a transfer embargo, a wage cap or a points deduction.
    • Last campaign – apart from the Community Shield – City failed to claim noteworthy silverware for the first time in eight years.
    • Ilkay Gundogan is well past his prime.
    • It remains to be seen how fresh the players will be following their involvement in the Club World Cup.
    • Defence has been City’s undoing. They conceded 78 times in 61 games last campaign. That is 32 more than they shipped in the Treble-winning campaign of 2022-23, when they played the same number of matches.
    • Rodri will miss the start of the season with a groin injury.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 3rd
    • bet365 odds: 3rd
    • The Telegraph: 2nd
    • The Guardian: 3rd
  • Futures odds:


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Manchester United

Manchester United

  • Last six season finishes: 3, 2, 6, 3, 8, 15
  • Manager: Ruben Amorim (since November 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig, £73.7m), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford, £65m), Matheus Cunha (Wolves, £62.5m), Jadon Sancho (Chelsea, returns from loan), Diego León ( Cerro Porteño, £7m)
  • Key departures: Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan – had been on loan to Aston Villa in the second half of last season)
  • Positives:
    • Have bolstered the squad with the marquee signings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Both Mbeumo and Cunha made Opta’s team of the season last campaign. This is enabling Ruben Amorim to build a squid to suit the formation and style he wants to play.
    • Have retained Bruno Fernandes, despite rumours of him leaving for Saudi Arabia.
    • Revenue and PSR compliance are boosted by their large stadium. Old Trafford’s 74,197 capacity is 11,347 greater than the league’s next biggest stadium and well above the league median of 41,546. To put the 11,347 gap into context, Bournemouth’s stadium holds just 11,307.
    • Don’t have the added burden of European football this season.
    • The entirety of Marcus Rashford’s £325,000-a-week salary is being covered by his loan move to Barcelona.
  • Negatives:
    • Team harmony has been terrible. Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia formally informed Man Utd they want to leave the club.
    • First-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana has been ruled out for the start of the season due to a torn hamstring.
    • Chelsea opted not to sign winger Jadon Sancho on a permanent basis and instead paid a £5m penalty to send him back to Man United. Sancho is on a reported £300,000-a-week in wages.
    • United managed just 44 goals last season. They only won 7 out of 19 home games and lost 9.
    • PSR compliance has hindered United due to club debts of £1bn and losses of £113.2m reported in 2023/24.
    • Andre Onana and Bryan Mbuemo will likely be involved in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Dec – Jan).
    • United have invested heavily in attack to address obvious inadequacies, but they only had the 11th best defensive record last season. Many pundits believe they have paid too much for Banjamin Sesko.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 12th
    • bet365 odds: 5th
    • The Telegraph: 10th
    • The Guardian: 9th
  • Futures odds:


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Newcastle

Newcastle

  • Last six season finishes: 13, 12, 11, 4, 7, 5
  • Manager: Eddie Howe (since November 2021)
  • Key arrivals: Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest, £55m), Malick Thiaw (AC Milan, £34.6m), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton, loan), Antonio Cordero (Malaga, free), Park Seung-soo (Suwon Bluewings, undisclosed)
  • Key departures: Sean Longstaff (Leeds, £12m), Callum Wilson (West Ham, free), Martin Dubravka (Burnley, undisclosed)
  • Positives:
    • Kept 13 clean sheets last season. Only Liverpool achieved more than that with 14.
    • Have no African players in the first-team squad, so they won’t be impacted by the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Negatives:
    • Failed to sign Hugo Ekitiké, Bryan Mbeumo, João Pedro, James Trafford and Benjamin Sesko in what has been a frustrating summer. The difficulties have been linked to backroom issues. Chief executive Darren Eales will step down once the club find a successor due to serious health issues. Sporting director Paul Mitchell left at the end of June and the club are yet to appoint a replacement. Manager Eddie Howe, his nephew Andy and head of recruitment Steve Nickson have taken charge of the search for new additions in the meantime. The additional workload is taking time away from Howe’s coaching duties.
    • Alexander Isak missed Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia due to transfer interest by Liverpool. The Athletic reported that the striker was “adamant he will never represent Newcastle again”.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 6th
    • bet365 odds: 6th
    • The Telegraph: 6th
    • The Guardian: 7th
  • Futures odds:


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Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest

  • Last six season finishes: 7 (C), 17 (C), 4 (C), 16, 17, 7
  • Manager: Nuno Espírito Santo (since December 2023)
  • Key arrivals: Dan Ndoye (Bologna, £34m), Igor Jesus (Botafogo, £10m), Jair Cunha (Botafogo, £10m), Angus Gunn (Norwich City, free)
  • Key departures: Anthony Elanga (Newcastle, £55m), Danilo (Botafogo, £21.7m), Ramon Sosa (Palmeiras, £10m)
  • Positives:
    • Kept 13 clean sheets last season. Only Liverpool achieved more than that with 14.
    • Morgan Gibbs-White (despite strong interest from Tottenham), Matz Sels (who made Opta’s team of the season), Chris Wood (top goal scorer with 20), Murillo, Neco Williams, Ola Aina and manager Nuno Espírito Santo have all signed new contracts.
  • Negatives:
    • Finished 7th last season, but Forest only had the 12th best record from early February onward.
    • Have the added burden of European football this season.
    • Only scored one goal in seven pre-season friendlies.
    • Anthony Elanga’s departure is a blow.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 11th
    • bet365 odds: 10th
    • The Telegraph: 14th
    • The Guardian: 12th
  • Futures odds:


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Sunderland

Sunderland

  • Last six season finishes: 8 (L1), 4 (L1), 5 (L1), 6 (C), 16 (C), 4 (C)
  • Manager: Régis Le Bris (since June 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Habib Diarra (Strasbourg, £30m), Simon Adingra (Brighton, £21m), Enzo Le Fée (Roma, £19m, had been on loan since January), Chemsdine Talbi (Club Brugge, £18m), Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen, £17m), Noah Sadiki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, £15m), Omar Alderete (Getafe, £10m), Marc Guiu (Chelsea, loan), Reinildo Mandava (Atlético Madrid, free), Arthur Masuaku (Besiktas, free), Reinildo Mandava (Atletico Madrid, free), Robin Roefs (NEC Nijmegen, undisclosed)
  • Key departures: Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, £30m), Tommy Watson (Brighton, £10m)
  • Positives:
    • The club is in good financial shape. This has freed up Sunderland to be active in the transfer market. They have spent £132m so far in the transfer window.
    • Granit Xhaka is an amazing acquisition.
  • Negatives:
    • Seven of the last eleven clubs to win promotion via the playoffs were relegated after just one season. At least two of the three newly promoted teams were relegated after just one season in four of the last five years. Under PSR, if you’ve been in the EPL for the past three seasons you can lose up to £105m over a three-year cycle (£35m per year). But it’s only £13m per season spent in the Championship. This acts as a financial hindrance to newly promoted clubs.
    • With eleven new signings so far this summer, it may take time for the new squad to gel.
    • Sunderland have seven players from African nations in their squad who could all receive call-ups to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
    • Last season’s star, Jobe Bellingham, has departed.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 20th
    • bet365 odds: 19th
    • The Telegraph: 18th
    • The Guardian: 19th
  • Futures odds:


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Tottenham

Tottenham

  • Last six season finishes: 6, 7, 4, 8, 5, 17
  • Manager: Thomas Frank (since June 2025)
  • Key arrivals: Mohammed Kudus (West Ham, £55m), Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich, loan), Mathys Tel’s (Bayern Munich, £30m, had been on loan since February), Kevin Danso (Lens, £21m, had been on loan since February), Kota Takai (Kawasaki Frontale, £5m), Manor Solomon (Leeds, loan ended)
  • Key departures: Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC, £20m)
  • Positives:
    • Can start a new chapter under the highly regarded new manager, Thomas Frank.
    • While Spurs finished 17th in the standings, they actually finished 12th in the net expected goals standings.
    • Beat out half a dozen clubs to secure the signing of Mohammed Kudus.
    • Have received a revenue boost by securing entry into the UEFA Champions League as the winners of the Europa League. The prospect of Champions League football also makes the club a more desirable destination for potential signees.
    • Because Ghana and Guinea-Bissau failed to qualify, Mohammed Kudus and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo won’t be involved in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
  • Negatives:
    • Kept only 6 clean sheets last season, which was the second fewest of any side to avoid relegation.
    • Only the relegated Ipswich and Southampton conceded more home goals than Spurs last season. Spurs suffered 22 league defeats last campaign, which was two more than any other club that survived relegation.
    • While the departed Son didn’t have a vintage season last campaign, Spurs won 42% of the 24 league games Son started in 2024-25, compared to 7% without him. They failed to win 13 of the 14 matches without their captain.
    • The club’s two creative outlets, James Maddison (most of the season) and Dejan Kulusevski are both out with serious knee injuries. Maddison’s absence is compounded by the departure of Son.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 14th
    • bet365 odds: 7th
    • The Telegraph: 5th
    • The Guardian: TBA
  • Futures odds:


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West Ham

West Ham

  • Last six season finishes: 16, 6, 7, 14, 9, 14
  • Manager: Graham Potter (since January 2025)
  • Key arrivals: Mads Hermansen (Leicester, £20m), El Hadji Malick Diouf (Slavia Prague, £19m), Callum Wilson (Newcastle, free), Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton, free), Jean-Clair Todibo (Nice, £36.3m, on loan last season), Daniel Cummings (Celtic, €300K)
  • Key departures: Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham, £55m), Michail Antonio (free agent), Lukasz Fabianski (free agent)
  • Positives:
    • Had injury excuses last season. Niclas Füllkrug is back and Crysencio Summerville is due to return in a few weeks.
    • Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of spot-fixing charges. He had been facing a lifetime ban.
    • Only had to pay a development fee to sign the promising teenage striker Daniel Cummings from Celtic.
  • Negatives:
    • West Ham managed just five wins from 18 games (5-4-9 record) since Potter took over in January.
    • Were heavily reliant on Jarrod Bowen last season. The club would suffer if he were to get injured.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 16th
    • bet365 odds: 15th
    • The Telegraph: 15th
    • The Guardian: TBA
  • Futures odds:


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Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton

  • Last six season finishes: 7, 13, 10, 13, 14, 16
  • Manager: Vítor Pereira (since December 2024)
  • Key arrivals: Jorgen Strand Larsen (Celta Vigo, £23m), Jhon Arias (Fluminense, £19m), Fer Lopez (Celta Vigo, £21.3m)
  • Key departures: Matheus Cunha (Man Utd, £62.5m), Rayan Ait-Nouri (Man City, £31m), Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahçe, free)
  • Positives:
    • After struggling in the first half of the campaign, Wolves’ form picked up starting in February. Had the season started on February 1, Wolves would have finished 7th.
    • Jhon Arias is a promising signing. During the Club World Cup, Arias created an unmatched 18 chances in six games. He won the man-of-the-match award three times and was named in the team of the tournament.
  • Negatives:
    • Matheus Cunha’s departure is a hammer blow. Cunha scored 15 goals and made Opta’s team of the season last campaign.
    • Captain Nelson Semedo chose to leave the club after turning down a new deal.
  • Table Predictions:
    • Opta: 17th
    • bet365 odds: 18th
    • The Telegraph: 17th
    • The Guardian: TBA
  • Futures odds:


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2025/26 Premier League Futures Betting Tips

View betting tips for Gameweek 1

Compare EPL match odds
Compare EPL futures odds

Brighton to finish in the top half at 1.68 (Betfair)

Brighton are the highest finishing team from last year that don’t have the additional burden of European football this season. They finished 8th last campaign, despite a suffering through a bad run of injuries. The club is incredibly well run, which has put them in a strong position from a PSR standpoint.

Crystal Palace to finish in the bottom half at 1.50 (bet365)

Crystal Palace failed to finish in the top half in 11 of their 12 Premier League seasons since promotion. For the first time ever, they have the added burden of the Europa Conference League this season. At the time of writing, captain Marc Guehi and talisman Eberechi Eze are expected to depart before the end of the summer transfer window. Any replacement signings would have to be made on short notice and sporting director Dougie Freedman has departed. This has created a massive leadership vacuum in the recruitment side of the club.

Brighton to finish higher than Crystal Palace at 1.50 (bet365)

This bet is an alternative way to play the above two picks. You can find this in Futures -> Team Higher Finish.

Nottingham Forest to finish in the bottom half at 1.53 (bet365)

Tottenham and Manchester United are expected to finish in the top half this season, which means two teams from last year will have to miss out. Forest only had the 12th best record from early February onward last campaign and they have the added burden of European football this season. Anthony Elanga has departed and Forest’s goal-scoring threat has looked diminished in pre-season, with just one goal scored in seven games. I think back to Burnley in 2017–18, when they finished 7th – a full nine positions better than the season before. Burnley played in the UEFA Europa League in the following season and finished 15th in the Premier League that year. Nottingham Forest finished 7th last season – a full ten positions better than the season before. A 15th placed position this campaign would surprise me less than a top-10 finish.

Relegation:

The obvious relegation candidates are the newly promoted clubs: Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland. If there is one incumbent that looks vulnerable, however, it is Brentford at 4.00 (bet365). Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and Mark Flekken have departed, while Yoane Wissa is also seeking a move away. Off the field, head coach Thomas Frank, assistant coach Justin Cochrane, head of performance Chris Haslam, first-team analyst Joe Newton and assistant coach Claus Nørgaard have departed. The new head coach is Keith Andrews, their former set-piece coach. Andrews has no prior head coaching experience. Three of the last five Premier League managers with no prior head coaching experience failed to last longer than seven months.

 

Sources

Opta’s season predictions can be viewed here.

The Guardian’s season predictions can be viewed here.

The Telegraph’s season predictions can be viewed here.

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