The Player Analyst

The below tier list format of the Premier League allows for a general placement of teams, to avoid the pedantry of exact placements. That being said, I have purposefully ordered these teams in their tiers, based on the analysis that follows…

Starting at the bottom of the league table, I have selected Hull City, Coventry, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town in the bottom tier. Hull dramatically won the play-off final against a default-selected Middlesbrough, thanks to a last minute finish from Oli McBurnie, becoming the first team in 16 years to finish 6th in the Championship and win promotion. They will need a huge investment to stand any chance of staying up. Coventry will struggle too as a newly promoted team, but I have Ipswich to learn from their previous promotion and scrape past relegation, leaving a tarnished Crystal Palace to suffer relegation, bringing them back to the 2nd tier for the first time since 2013.

In the next tier I have Fulham to drop off significantly from this season. I can’t necessarily see them in an intense relegation battle, however with the uncertainty of Marco Silva’s future looming and talisman Harry Wilson out of contract, they may need a lot of backing to maintain a higher finish in this competitive league. Forest will likely have several key men stolen from their ranks, halting their return to the top end of the table. I also have Brentford to drop off slightly, after overperforming their xG for and against, bringing their expected goal difference to -10 (actual xGD for 25/26 is +3), synonymous with Crystal Palace this season in 15th, lower than Spurs in 17th. Everton too will likely lose Ndiaye and possibly James Garner, I see their 80s rebirth in the new stadium delaying for a further season.

The teams I have tipped to be slightly more competitive include Regis le Bris’ Sunderland, who secured European football with a 7th place finish. This may hinder their consistency, however their proven players and solid investment will keep them away from any ‘one-season-wonder’ shouts. Leeds should also receive a good backing, cementing their place as a tricky Premier League outfit for yet another season. Brighton will continue their mid-table consistency, dropping just a few places due to Conference League fatigue. Finally, Tottenham Hotspur will finally return to the top half, but only just. De Zerbi could either be the saviour they need, or yet another car crash manager with his fiery reputation. However, this ruthlessness may be exactly what they need.

Moving up slightly, Bournemouth will thrive similarly under Marco Rose, maybe losing a few stars, but keeping many and adding to their strong squad in the summer, after qualifying for the Europa League in 6th. Newcastle United will once again yo-yo back into European contention. They will spend in the summer, hopefully with a touch more market prowess. Aston Villa will remain an incredibly strong contender for UCL places, coming off an outstanding season, however I see a couple of teams slightly above them. One of those is Liverpool, who I believe will falter at the season’s opening, sack Slot and improve towards 2027 to ultimately remain in 5th spot for another season of disappointment.

And for the final tier, a Xabi Alonso renovation will see Chelsea back in a position of strength. It all depends on an influx of experience, which I think Alonso will rightly prioritise, alongside the resurgence of World Cup absentee Cole Palmer. Maresca’s Manchester City are an interesting case, their squad is flooded with phenomenal talent, including players such as Nico O’Reilly and Rayan Cherki who I believe Maresca can utilise perfectly. I don’t see any immediate improvement, due to the transition, however their fortunes are sure to turn soon. The squad is too good not to win trophies. Their Manchester counterparts will look to build on a very successful part 2 of 25/26. With a few more marquee signings, majorly in midfield, United can start to work towards a return to the top with consistency. Last but definitely not least, I can see Arsenal retaining their title. This will be down to none of the bigger teams improving quite enough to challenge and Arsenal maintaining their defensive excellence, but adding more flair in the summer window with a world class winger or two.

It’s a long way away, but those are my informed predictions for the 26/27 Premier League season.