Liverpool signing flops, Manchester United nowhere to be seen and sack race in pre-season predictions

There is glee about a Proper Title Race, debate over whether Viktor Gyokeres will fly or flop, a tip for Nuno to be sacked and excitement over…Everton?!

We have to call these predictions but they’re spoilers really. Just look at how well we did last season.

As is traditional, tell me who will win the league.

Sarah Winterburn: Not Arsenal. Not having that. Also just can’t see Liverpool retaining it despite all that money spent; retaining it is something only Man City have done in recent times. So I am plumping for City, for whom I have a feeling Omar Marmoush could be brilliant. Get Rodrygo to add to the return of Rodri and they walk it.

Matt Stead: Manchester City. Rodri is back, the January signings they’ve bothered to keep have settled in, the summer additions have been excellent and Pep got a lot of silliness out of his system last winter.

John Nicholson: Chelsea. Liverpool are defensively fragile. City are cursed with Haaland’s presence. Arsenal have Arteta.

Dave Tickner: I said during last season that if Arsenal signed a proper striker they will win the league, so now I’m stuck even though I’m not actually anywhere near as convinced as I was. Sticking with them, though, and do think they could very easily win it by a huge margin in a year when everyone else (relatively) struggles to some extent or other for some reason or other. Either that or they crash and burn and are out of contention before November. Definitely one of those two. Probably.

Ian Watson: Manchester City. Pep probably hasn’t slept since last season and with Rodri back in addition to some quality new signings, I reckon they’ll edge an actual, proper title race.

Will Ford: After a proper title race, Liverpool.

Joe Williams: Liverpool.

Jason Soutar: Chelsea. I boldly predicted their CWC success and have another weird feeling about them this season.

Lewis Oldham: Liverpool. Will be very, very fun in attack (with or without Isak) and Guehi *should* ease their glaring weakness in defence. Will be tighter than last year, though.

READ MORE: Why this is Chelsea’s year | Why this is Liverpool’s year | Why this is Manchester City’s year

And the rest of the top four, in order. Which nobody ever gets right.

SW: Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal. I would be mighty surprised if last season’s top four was not this season’s top four.

MS: Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea. The fume from the Arteta runners-up four-peat will power continents.

JN: Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal.

DT: Every year I think there’s four teams where you go “Be surprised if these aren’t at least the right teams in some order or other” and then every year I get surprised. But I’d be surprised if Arsenal aren’t joined by City, Liverpool and Chelsea in some order or other.

IW: Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea.

WF: Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal.

JW: Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea.

JS: Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal.

LO: Chelsea. Arsenal. Manchester City. Not sold on City as title challengers yet. Arsenal third in the battle for first as real deal Chelsea (26/27 will be their year) to edge out their rivals to second and potentially seal Arteta sack.

Three picks for relegation please.

SW: It’s going to be much, much closer than we thought two months ago, but I am not budging from Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley.

MS: Burnley and Brentford are necessary sacrifices to alphabetically rebalance the league. Sunderland join them but put up the strongest fight.

JN: Wolves, Burnley and Sunderland.

DT: Probably end up kicking myself for missing out on the easy win of just tipping the three promoted teams who absolutely could all go again but Leeds do look to have plenty about them and there’s enough concern now around enough clubs who’ve had rotten summers. It’s not cut and dried any more is it? Sunderland surely go, though, and Burnley probably. Wolves have looked awful and will make their trademark awful start before ending up absolutely fine, but you can’t help but fear for Brentford given everything they’ve lost.

IW: I fancy Burnley least of the three promoted clubs to survive. Sunderland need to hope most of their new signings are actually up to it. Leeds haven’t done enough yet, but Ange Postecoglou might get them going in time for Christmas. I don’t see how Brentford can lose everyone without a significant drop-off, and it’s a similar story at Bournemouth. Wolves are a worry and West Ham could quite feasibly be absolute garbage again. Gun to the head: Burnley, Brentford, Sunderland.

WF: Brentford and West Ham are set for a very tough time, but the promoted three again unfortunately.

JW: Wolves, Leeds, Burnley.

JS: Brentford, Burnley, Wolves.

LO: Going bold… Burnley, Brentford, West Ham.

Which club will be a pleasant surprise?

SW: Got an inkling for Everton…first top-eight finish since 2019? I do like the Jack Grealish signing an awful lot.

MS: It has been an absolute delight to laugh at them all summer but Newcastle will rise from the cuck chair and excel on the pitch, if not the boardroom, with another top-five finish.

JN: Leeds.

DT: A new stadium can be blessing and curse in the early days, but I’m going Everton to be both surprisingly good and surprisingly watchable with a rejuvenated Jack Grealish to the fore.

IW: Manchester United. If they get a midfielder with legs and a competent goalkeeper, they’ll be a lot less sh*te.

WF: Everton to finish above Manchester United, which is pleasant on all levels.

JW: Sunderland. Some impressive signings from a newly-promoted side.

JS: Brighton. They will finish in the top six. Their squad is so balanced, with quality in every position. I just hope there are enough goals up front.

LO: Everton. Really like their signings, especially Grealish. Think they could sneak into the top ten.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

SW: This is dull but Erling Haaland. I can’t see Mo Salah coming even vaguely close.

MS: Alexander Isak stays, quickly realises it might not be the best idea to entirely starve oneself of competitive football in a World Cup year and has his Luis Suarez season before getting that move.

JN: Liam Delap.

DT: Haaland to reclaim his birthright, with Liverpool goals likely to be a more shared, collective responsibility this season and enough doubts around Isak now however his summer story ends. And there really is no other serious contender with compelling course-and-distance form.

IW: I expect City to share the goals a bit even if Haaland gets a bagful. So I’ll say Gyokeres.

WF: Erling Haaland. He was bobbins last season and still scored 22.

JW: Erling Haaland. The arrival of Hugo Ekitike, and potentially Alexander Isak, will see Mo Salah with a lower tally this season.

JS: Erling Haaland. I said Mo Salah last season to be edgy, but not again.

LO: Gyokeres, Isak, Haaland, Salah, Ekitike AND Pedro will all get 18+. But Haaland will win it again.

READ MORE: Who will win the Premier League Golden Boot for top scorer in 25/26?

Which new signing will have the greatest positive impact?

SW: I think Viktor Gyokeres will score goals but Arsenal still won’t win anything; on the other hand, Joao Pedro will turn Chelsea into Premier League title contenders.

MS: Lucas Perri will remind Leeds fans that keepers can be good. Tijanji Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri sort myriad Manchester City problems.

JN: Ekitike replicates Salah’s numbers.

DT: If the Fulham version of Joao Palhinha is still in there somewhere, then he is perhaps a more conspicuous filler of an obvious hole even than Gyokeres at Arsenal. Spurs’ defence has its own issues for sure, but it’s been almost comically under-protected for years and that should change at least with everyone’s favourite midfield tackler in harness. Feels like he could save Spurs ten goals just by cutting things out at source, but also that he’ll need to given the current (to be confirmed) state of their attacking options.

IW: On the basis of the above, Gyokeres. Even if I’ve got Arsenal finishing lower than last season. Football. Bloody hell.

WF: Florian Wirtz is a very special footballer but Liverpool are already brilliant, so I’m going for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. It was never going to work out at Chelsea but he will have a great time as the main man in midfield under David Moyes.

JW: Viktor Gyokeres. Will give Arsenal the cutting edge they’ve been missing.

JS: I want to say Estevao for Chelsea, but I’m not sure what his minutes will be like. So, I’ll go with his fellow Brazilian, Joao Pedro.

LO: All in on the Joao Pedro hype after the *very* prestigious Club World Cup. He and Delap are upgrades on Jackson and sort Chelsea’s long-term striker problem.

And which one will turn out to be a massive flop?

SW: I am going big here but Hugo Ekitike…just don’t see him as much of an upgrade on Darwin Nunez for an awful lot of money.

MS: Any centre-forward Chelsea have dumped at relegation-adjacent Premier League clubs. Your Marc Guius, your Armando Brojas and the David Datro Fofanas of this world will score a combined five goals.

JN: It has to be a Manchester United one. It could be any of them. Sesko looks wildly overpriced but he’s not the only one.

DT: Given how Arsenal’s season ends in either title glory or a winter meltdown and acrimonious recriminations, and having already tipped them to win the title in one answer, it seems prudent to hedge our bets here and go for Gyokeres. He also feels like he either gets 20 goals or seven. Let’s go with the seven here. Also, neither Ekitike nor Sesko to reach double figures in the league, while we’re holding ourselves needlessly hostage to fortune in this absurdly carefree manner.

IW: Garnacho when he goes to Chelsea.

WF: Viktor Gyokeres will be watching Kai Havertz leading the Arsenal line from the bench by Christmas.

JW: Noni Madueke. £52m doesn’t even get you a starter nowadays…

JS: Rayan Cherki. At least he only cost £34m. Pennies for City, that…

LO: Can’t get rid of the feeling that Cunha, Mbeumo or both will flop at Manchester United (mainly because it’s Manchester United), even though they are sensible signings that fit into their system. I’ll hedge my bets and go Mbeumo.

Who will be the biggest bloody bargain?

SW: Rayan Cherki feels like a steal at £34m…or a third of a Grealish.

MS: Jhon Arias is going to be a sensation at Wolves.

JN: Forest getting Angus Gunn on a free.

DT: It’s not the sexiest transfer and the rest of their summer activity currently looks somewhere between questionable and catastrophic, but Kyle Walker-Peters on a free to provide massively necessary cover and competition on both defensive flanks appears uncharacteristically canny from West Ham.

IW: If you’ll allow loans, I’ll give you two: Jack Grealish and Joao Palhinha.

WF: Joao Pedro. £55m for a Premier League striker who scores big goals against big teams when Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have paid significantly more on their respective gambles.

JW: Michael Kayode. The Italy Under-21 international will shine for Brentford.

JS: Rayan Ait-Nouri. Wolves’ pants have been pulled down.

LO: Brentford will really struggle without Frank, Mbeumo and Wissa (when he goes), but Kelleher feels like a snip at £18m. Easily a £35m+ keeper.

Who will be named the PFA Player of the Year?

SW: Welcome back, Rodri.

MS: Cole Palmer ensures The Clamour swallows Thomas Tuchel whole.

JN: Wirtz.

DT: Mr Declan Rice.

IW: Probably Florian Wirtz.

WF: Cole Palmer and everyone will have a bloody lovely time watching it happen.

JW: Florian Wirtz. If the Community Shield is anything to go by then he will be absolutely key if Liverpool win the title.

JS: Cole Palmer. 18 goals. 14 assists.

LO: Florian Wirtz. He’s mustard.

READ MORE: Arsenal winger curious favourite for PFA Player of the Year in 2025/26

First manager to leave their Premier League job?

SW: Andoni Iraola could absolutely walk…three-quarters of his defence sold in one summer. He must be really p***ed off.

MS: Wolves have had their usual difficult summer and ended last season in poor form. And Vitor Pereira can be somewhat volatile in such conditions.

JN: Scott Parker – why change a habit? And then Arteta.

DT: Nuno Espirito Santo. Mr Marinakis is on one right now, positively aglow with main character energy, and the off-field shenanigans cannot mask that Forest ended last season in pretty ropey fashion. And have been honking in pre-season. They only managed eight points from their final nine Premier League games last season – and it wasn’t that tough a run-in either. Start this season anything like the way they ended the last with Marinakis in his current mood to move fast and break things, and Nuno is very quickly in very big trouble.

IW: Burnley’s start could see Parker gone after seven games heading into the second international break but Leeds might not wait even that long to bin Farke.

WF: All together now… Keith Andrews. Thomas Frank is an impossible act to follow even without losing your best players.

JW: Daniel Farke. Leeds seemingly came close at the end of the season before publicly backing him.

JS: Scott Parker. It’s always Scott Parker.

LO: Scott Parker. AFC Bournemouth repeat is coming…

READ MORE: Who will be the first Premier League manager to be sacked?

Pick the Champions League winner.

SW: Hate this question. Safest answer is always Real Madrid.

MS: Bayern Munich.

JN: Chelsea.

DT: A conspicuously flawed and beatable Real Madrid always makes this more interesting, and the new format definitely does make the whole thing feel more open. PSG obviously feel the likeliest but it’s historically not an easy thing for non-Madrid teams to retain. We’re going to say Man City in Pep Guardiola’s last hurrah after another season in which inconsistency keeps them out of serious Premier League title contention.

IW: No. FFS. Liverpool.

WF: Barcelona. Marcus Rashford winner vs PSG in the final.

JW: Paris Saint-Germain. The French side are on a roll…

JS: The Chelsea wank-fest can end now. Let’s go with…Arsenal. This is the year, lads.

LO: Marcus Rashford’s FC Barcelona.

In five words, tell us what you are most excited about this season.

SW: A proper f***ing title race.

MS: Regular prize money table updates.

JN: The Scottish championship. So unpredictable.

DT: A proper relegation battle, please.

IW: Less passing out from t’back.

WF: Jack Grealish playing football again.

JW: Most open title race ever?

JS: Joelinton smashing Isak at Anfield.

LO: Finally, a tense relegation battle.

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