Judging from the first five matches, it will be difficult for any club to unseat the top three, particularly after the delirious spending spree that Arsenal and Liverpool went on over the summer. But a degree of parity throughout the Premier League should make for an unpredictable season in which every match is fiercely contested.
Whether Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City manage to reach 90 points this season is anyone's guess. Beyond the favorites, who will challenge for European places? Will managerial changes dramatically alter the fate of clubs reeling after the first month of the season? Will this be the first season in three years that a promoted clubs isn't swiftly relegated? As we bid farewell to the summer months, here are our predictions for final EPL standings with point totals for each team in parentheses.
1. Liverpool (91)
Too strong, too deep, and too well-coached. The Reds will secure their second consecutive league title with three matches to spare. Their summer transfer window was the best of any club in recent memory, despite missing out on Marc Guehi on deadline day. If they fail to win the league, it will likely be down to a lack of defensive depth.
2. Arsenal (83)
After adding Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Piero Hincapié in the transfer window, the Gunners have all the ingredients to win the league. However, they will fight too many battles of attrition to overtake Liverpool. Pressure will mount with every setback during the season, and the narrative around Mikel Arteta will become toxic.
3. Manchester City (78)
The Cityzens’ early window signing spree frightened the bejesus out of other Premier League clubs. But the offense has yet to hum, their central defense looks suspect, and the loss of experienced stars like Ederson, Manuel Akanji, İlkay Gündoğan, Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker in one offseason will derail their quest for the title.
4. Tottenham (71)
Spurs added four players who walk into the starting XI in Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, João Palhinha, and Randal Kolo Muani and only lost James Maddison to a season-long injury and Son Heung-min to LAFC. They failed to sign a left winger and lack depth at central defense, but Thomas Frank should have them contending for a Champions League place.
5. Newcastle (69)
The Magpies secured a record fee for Alexander Isak on deadline day, and spent around £250 million on Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade, Yoanne Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, and Malik Thiaw. It will be an exciting season and St James Park, but Eddie Howe faces a challenge to gel his new attacking front while competing in Champions League.
6. Chelsea (68)
The Blues look terrifying on paper. João Pedro and Willian Estêvão will improve the offense, but there are obvious deficiencies at central defense and goalkeeper, and new signings Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap will not move the needle. Expect a season in which they dominate some matches, and infuriate in others.
7. Brighton (62)
After losing João Pedro, Samuel Adingra and Pervis Estupiñán, the Seagulls re-invested in Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper and Tom Watson. Although they are thin at fullback and relatively inexperienced, they have quality across the pitch, and Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Carlos Baleba, and Yankuba Minteh should lead them to a spot in Europe.
8. Manchester United (56)
They offloaded Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Højlund and Anthony, and brought in Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Šeško, and Bryan Mbeumo. But the new attacking trio have struggled, and Ruben Amorim continues to make bizarre tactical decisions. The countdown to the Oliver Glasner era has officially begun.
9. Crystal Palace (53)
A perplexing summer transfer window at Selhurst Park left Marc Guehi disillusioned and Oliver Glasner threatening to leave the club. The Eagles are too talented, especially defensively, to flounder near the relegation zone. But they will miss Eberechi Eze’s counter-attacking threat, and they won’t challenge for a European place.
10. Bournemouth (51)
The Cherries have a dangerous frontline, a serviceable midfield, and one of the most coveted managers in the Premier League. But they will struggle to solidify a defense that lost Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Ilya Zabarnyi during the summer and replaced them with Bafode Diakite, Veljko Milosavljevic and Adrien Truffert.
11. Nottingham Forest (50)
After losing Anthony Elanga to Newcastle, the summer could have been a nightmare had Gibbs-White also left for Spurs. They kept the squad intact and added depth with Arnaud Kalimuendo, James McAtee, Dan Ndoye, Douglas Luiz, and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The big question is how Ange Ball will translate at City Ground.
12. Aston Villa (48)
The additions of Evann Guessand and Harvey Elliot should offset the losses of Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey. However, the squad is aging, the central defense is thin, and the additions of Jadon Sancho and Victor Lindelöf are puzzling. They will rely heavily on their midfield, especially Morgan Rogers, but the Villans are entering a period of regression.
13. Everton (48)
The signings of three “Premier League proven” players Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyler Dibling should propel the Toffees to a mid-table finish. They are thin at fullback and they won’t score many goals, but they will lean on Jordan Pickford in goal, and should enjoy a bounce during their first season at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
14. Brentford (44)
Regression to the mean will mark a successful season for the Bees. After losing their manager, goalkeeper, central defender, talismanic winger, and star striker, they added a mixture of exciting youth prospects and two former Liverpool players in Jordan Henderson and Caoimhin Kelleher, to stabilize the squad. They’ll live to fight another day.
15. Sunderland (43)
The Black Cats will be the darlings of the season, and become the first promoted team to stay in the Premier League since 2022-23. They spent £161.7 million on 15 new players and improved the squad with the additions of Grant Xhaka, Simon Adingra, and Lutsharel Geertruida. They will ensure another season in the top-flight by early May.
16. West Ham (39)
Lucas Paqueta’s decision to stay at the London Stadium temporarily postponed riots. But the Hammers made a number of questionable signings in the transfer window, their forward line is weak, and Graham Potter’s future seems untenable. It will be an emotional ride, and protests will echo across east London all season long.
17. Fulham (38)
A lackluster transfer window left fans with very little to be excited about. Aging talent and Marco Silva’s tactical guile will be enough to keep the Cottagers out of the relegation zone. But their lack of depth and star quality will leave them exposed, and they will flirt with disaster if they suffer injuries to key players.
18. Leeds (31)
An ambitious transfer window won’t be enough to prevent the Peacocks from a swift return to the Championship. They are neither dangerous in attack nor solid enough defensively to worry Premier League opposition. But they have enough talent to bounce back from a disappointing season in the EPL and win the Championship title next season.
19. Burnley (28)
Burnley won one of their first three matches, but they’ll struggle to win seven more this season. They lost little from their historically resolute Championship squad, but other than Kyle Walker, Marcus Edwards, and Florentino, none of the other ten players they signed during the transfer window will pose Premier League opposition many questions.
20. Wolverhampton (23)
Wolves will be the first Premier League team in three seasons to suffer relegation. They banked nearly £120 million from the sales of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Fabio Silva, but gambled it on six unproven players. Their will rely on their midfield to win games, but they will be undone by a porous defense and turgid offense.