The new Premier League season is finally here, and with it comes a wave of renewed hope, excitement and expectation from fans worldwide as they prepare to dive headfirst back into the chaos of England’s top flight.
As usual, there has been plenty of change this summer, with clubs bringing in fresh faces and new managers, and the drama is set to continue all the way up to the transfer deadline on September 1.
The Premier League is notorious for throwing up surprises, with unknown names shining in the spotlight and heavy hitters flopping under the pressure. This season will be no different, and there are plenty of contenders to choose from when it comes to making your bold calls for 2025-26.
Liverpool will be looking to retain their crown, but can Arsenal finally overcome their trophy curse under Mikel Arteta and lift a first Premier League title since 2004? Will Manchester United bounce back after a dismal debut campaign for Ruben Amorim? Can Chelsea put their heavy summer spending to good use and mount a challenge at the top?
BOYLE Sports is backing this season to be one of the most unpredictable and entertaining campaigns ever, and we’ve got you covered with a selection of bold predictions, as well as how we think the final table will look…
Premier League Predictions Ahead of 2025/26 Season Start
Surprise Package
Surprise Package: Everton
Everton embark on a new era away from Goodison Park this season, having had a strong finish to the 2024-25 campaign under David Moyes.
The signing of Jack Grealish on loan has been the headline addition for the Toffees, but when you look a bit closer, they are quietly assembling a very exciting squad on Merseyside.
Having conceded just 44 goals in the Premier League last season – the fifth-best record in the division – Moyes has worked on increasing Everton’s attacking output over the summer.
Alongside Grealish, the arrival of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea looks like a smart piece of business. Pair him with the Manchester City forward and rising star Iliman Ndiaye, and all of a sudden, Everton have transformed into a dangerous Premier League side.
They may still be lacking a seasoned goalscorer after the departure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but if Beto and Thierno Barry can hit the ground running at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium, it could fire the Toffees up the table, culminating in a top-half finish.
Breakout Star
Breakout star: Estevao Willian
Chelsea fans will know all about 18-year-old Estevao Willian, but none of them predicted he would explode into life on his very first outing at Stamford Bridge.
The Brazilian star – who signed over a year ago but remained on loan at Palmeiras until this August – scored in the Blues’ 2-0 pre-season win over Bayer Leverkusen and celebrated by kissing the Chelsea badge. Naturally, he has already become a fan favourite.
Estevao etched his name in history by becoming the second-youngest goalscorer at the Club World Cup this summer, and he even faced his new club in the semi-finals. His performance earned him an embrace from Cole Palmer post-match, and any suggestions that the young forward may head back out on loan have since evaporated.
Although there is serious competition for places at Chelsea after the additions of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens, Estevao is the one to watch.
Biggest Flop
Biggest Flop: Benjamin Sesko
There is always pressure at Manchester United, and this season will be no different, particularly with the amount of money the Red Devils have handed to Ruben Amorim.
Only four players have scored more goals in the Bundesliga since the start of the 2023-24 season than Benjamin Sesko, but every striker United sign seems to struggle to find the net.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were prime examples of this last term, with captain Bruno Fernandes even deployed as a striker by the end of the campaign to try and combat their problems in the final third.
Sesko’s arrival from RB Leipzig follows a similar pattern to Hojlund’s from Atalanta, and history suggests he will follow the same path as the Dane.
With 27 goals in 64 appearances in the Bundesliga, only Harry Kane outperformed Sesko in the expected goals department.
But throw the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha – who are surely guaranteed starters – into the mix, will they click instantly and be able to provide for the Slovenian?
Will Benjamin Sesko Flop at Man United?
Best Signing
Best Signing: Mohammed Kudus
Tottenham’s 17th-placed finish under Ange Postecoglou last season was a cause for concern, and there is a lot of unknown surrounding the club in the wake of Thomas Frank’s takeover.
It’s highly unlikely Spurs perform as poorly as they did under the former Brentford boss, and their road to recovery could be led by summer signing Mohammed Kudus. The ex-West Ham star has impressed in pre-season, is statistically one of the best dribblers in Europe and will play a starring role in north London this term.
Only Jeremy Doku completed more dribbles than the £55million man in 2024-25, and in a team that currently lacks creativity without Heung-Min Son, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Kudus has the license to lead Tottenham back towards the top of the Premier League table.
Biggest Disappointment
Biggest Disappointment: Arsenal
Arsenal have had so many nearly moments under Mikel Arteta, but they seem to be slipping further away from the title.
Having finished two points off Manchester City in 2023-24, that gap increased to a whopping 10 behind current champions Liverpool, and the Gunners are now looking over their shoulder.
City had an uncharacteristically poor 2024-25 season by their usual standards, and they will be expecting to challenge on all fronts once again with their summer additions under Pep Guardiola.
Chelsea have been on an upward trajectory under Maresca, and having won the Club World Cup this summer, many fans in west London feel like their time to compete is now.
Arsenal may have added Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, but the common theme at the Emirates is that the players and manager simply cannot handle the pressure of winning.
This term will be their 100th consecutive season in the top flight, but it may be one to forget as teams around them finally catch up and potentially leave the Gunners scrapping for a top-four finish.
Where Will Arsenal Finish in the 25/26 Premier League?
Player of the Year Tip
Player of the Year: Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer may have struggled to find his best form in the second half of last season, but he still finished the campaign with 15 goals and eight assists in the Premier League.
He did fail to score in all but one of Chelsea’s final 17 league games in 2024-25, but the England star quickly put any doubts about his ability to bed at the Club World Cup, scoring twice and assisting in the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
With new and improved talent around him this season, there is room for Palmer to flourish and become the first Chelsea player since N’Golo Kante to be named Premier League Player of the Year.
It may be bold to suggest Palmer is the frontrunner for the award when he will be competing against the likes of Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland, but the 23-year-old looks ready to take on the responsibility.
Last season, only Bruno Fernandes created more than Palmer’s 89 chances, many of which were wasted by his Blues teammates.
Now, the Manchester City academy graduate will have Pedro, Delap and a handful of other star names on the end of his passes. With Palmer curating the attacks, Chelsea are a force to be reckoned with.
Surprise Sack Race Contender
Surprise Sack Race Contender: Eddie Howe
He may not end up being the first to go, but a drop off for Newcastle could have huge consequences for Eddie Howe this season.
If Alexander Isak does end up leaving the club, the Magpies suddenly become very short-staffed at the top end of the pitch, particularly after losing Callum Wilson as well.
Under their Saudi owners, Newcastle fans have become accustomed to being in the hunt for Champions League football and also competing for silverware.
The Carabao Cup win over Liverpool last season raised the bar even higher for Howe, who must now find a way to overcome a difficult 2025-26 season on paper.
The big hitters have all invested in their managers, and there has always been a lingering sense that the Magpies would like to bring in a big-name manager at some point.
A few dodgy results in the opening months of the campaign may unsteady the ship at St James’ Park and see Howe depart – although he would likely leave as a hero under any circumstances.
Next Manager To Leave Their Post: Eddie Howe – 10/1
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