Now might be the time to get good odds on Manchester City winning the Premier League. The champions of six of the past nine seasons went down 3-0 to reigning title-holders Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday. The confirmation that World Cup 2026 star Rodri is moving to Barcelona also suggests that City and new boss Enzo Maresca might have a difficult transition period to the post Pep Guardiola era.
The Gunners’ impressive performance in Cardiff had some betting firms bringing them from 6-4 to 5-4. Meanwhile City, who won both the EFL and FA Cups in 2025-26 and were second in the league, are at 7-2, a shift from 11-2 before the Community Shield game. Liverpool are currently at 6-1, Chelsea and Manchester United, 8-1,, Tottenham, 28-1, and Aston Villa, 66-1.
Two years ago, few of our pundits were willing to bet against champions City getting an unprecedented five in a row; a similar mood prevailed a year ago after Liverpool won against all expectations in Arne Slot’s first year as boss, which was reinforced by the big spending spree the Reds went on post their title-winning exploits. They finished fifth, though, and Slot was ousted at the end of his second year at Anfield. There isn’t the same rush for Arsenal this year, but none of our fan-pundits rule them out.
Main bragging rights go to Christine for suggesting that her beloved Liverpool might not win in 2026 (she said first or fourth). Meanwhile, none of our four Manchester United fans last year put them in the top four; though Niall argued for an unasked for fifth (inspired, we’ve gone to top-five system this year). I put United second to my own team, Liverpool, and I predicted Aston Villa would be third; only John also predicted correctly they’d make the top four. (We now have a real Villa fan, Dave, involved this year.)
My fourth choice, Nottingham Forest, was a bit of a wild one, but John makes his case below for those, and it’s one more reason to move to a top-five selection, even if there’s a new unofficial Big Six for the unfancied clubs to negotiate — which is comprised of Arsenal, City, Liverpool, Man. United, Chelsea, Villa and Spurs. See betting odds above.
Two years ago, Scott and a couple of others picked the top four teams, if not in the correct order. Nobody did last year, mostly because Chelsea figured in almost all selections, but were 10th.
I expect the Blues to step up in 2026-27 with London, inspired by the Gunners, dominating the top places. My five picks are: 1. Chelsea 2. Arsenal 3. Liverpool 4. Tottenham 5. Brentford.
Finally, because of a serious family situation in his home country of Zambia, our boxing columnist Jay has not been able to give us his views on Manchester City. He sends his apologies.
PAUL GALLIGAN, LABOR ATTORNEY, LEEDS UNITED
Leeds United survived in the Premier League, an impressive achievement in and of itself. With Coventry getting promoted this year, with Leeds and Sunderland from last year, the EPL has an old school feel about it. I am pretty confident that Leeds will kick on now and establish themselves as a solid mid-table team with an outside chance of getting into Europe, if they can pick up another goal scorer. This summer, they have signed three quality first teamers, James Trafford, Tarik Muharemović and Harry Wilson, but the squad seems a little thin. Top 5 will be more interesting this year with all the new managers, but it will be the usual suspects at the end. Chelsea, Arsenal, City, United and Pool, in that order.
I have to admit that the World Cup was fun to watch. I thought the refs were very good, particularly the ref in the final, but I still hope FIFA goes up in flames.
JAMES ROGERS, NEW YORK EVERTONIANS
Everton prepare for their second season at the spectacular Hill Dickinson stadium with David Moyes hoping to rejuvenate a team that seemed to sleepwalk through the final stages of the last campaign. The blues’ European hopes went up in smoke as they picked up just 3 points from the last 7 games, much to the chagrin of their long-suffering supporters.
But a new season brings some new faces and fresh hope in the shape of Christian Norgaard, Hayden Hackney, and Brennan Johnson, who is newly arrived in a swap deal that took Dwight McNeil to Crystal Palace. But there has also been a lot of uncertainty - the search for a right back has become something of an obsession for much of the fan base. Then there’s the transfer chatter that has swirled around Iliman Ndiaye and the question of whether we’ll see the beloved Jack Grealish in Royal Blue again.
The talismanic Ndiaye showed the world what he can do with a stunning cameo against Iraq at the World Cup, while Grealish was superb for Everton before a season-ending injury scuppered his World Cup hopes.
Midfield star James Garner (who was very unlucky to miss out on the World Cup) will be another important figure, as will Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and England’s number one Jordan Pickford, fresh from his heroics in the U.S. and Mexico.
One thing is for sure. Settled into their shiny new home on the banks of the Mersey, Evertonians now want to see real progress on the pitch.
Top 5 predictions 1. Man City 2. Arsenal 3. Man Utd 4. Liverpool 5. Chelsea.
CHRISTINE KINEALY, HISTORIAN, LIVERPOOL
Despite the proximity of some of the World Cup stadia, my family and I boycotted attending any of the games as a small protest against the overt corruption at the highest echelons of the game. Instead, we went to see Liverpool play Wrexham in Yankee Stadium on July 29. Also, we did watch most of the World Cup games on the TV and, when in Ireland, I even stayed up for a few 2 a.m. kick-offs. Despite some questionable refereeing, there were many great games, although our chosen teams—Scotland and Cabo Verde—fell early.
My incorrect prediction was that France would be the victors. I was happy that it was not Argentina, despite the presence of the legendary Messi and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister. Spain were worthy victors and their team included Víctor Muñoz, who joined Liverpool this June. Nine other Liverpool players represented their countries, including three for the Netherlands.
It was an exciting few weeks and I am now gearing up for both the season, and the semester, to begin.
The Arne Slot era was short and not always sweet. Last summer there were many expensive purchases, but the players did not always gel as a team. Unfortunately, on the frequent occasions that the game imploded, Slot had few answers. The new manager, Andoni Iraola, will have a tough job in instilling cohesion and confidence back into the team. Already though, he is showing a return to more direct football. High up the pitch players are forcing turnovers—often combined with use of zonal areas in the counter-press. The style of Klopp has influenced this new manager; he brings refinements aligned with the high pressure attacks. Some of this approach was evident in Slot’s first season, but he sailed to unproductive caution in the second. In the pre-season friendlies, Iraola’s approach has not always worked, so there is still work to be done.
As was the case last year, there has been a late spurt of transfers. Even with these new additions to the squad, including Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz and Ronald Araujo, this may be another bumpy season. However, while last year’s tranche of new players struggled to find their place within the team, Iraola’s league experience may help reinforcements along the back line to bed in quickly. It is asking a lot, but core members of this squad have rallied to success before. And there is the elusive, but crucial, Kop-Factor.
Finally, we will miss the magic of Mo and the resilience of Robbo, both Kop favorites who embodied the spirit of LFC. In contrast, the involvement of Jeff Bezos in the club is both disappointing and unwelcome.
The changes in players, coach and owners collectively may delay Liverpool’s return to top form. But there are some reasons for optimism. Supporters will be happy to see a positive and purposeful style of football that—we hope—beckons a new, unfeigned era of success.
I predict that we will end this season in third position.
DOM STINGAS PACZKO, BURTON-ON-TRENT RESIDENT, TOTTENHAM
Last season was the football equivalent of a horror film. The story of a malevolent force that no one can control. as the film progresses it continues to drag the protagonist and everyone who surrounds them closer and closer to oblivion, only for that force to be banished by an unexpected hero in the final act.
I wrote last season about my optimism around Thomas Frank's appointment as perhaps something we needed after Ange's gung-ho attitude, but it was clear by at least October that things were not working out. I even warned my dad during the first eight weeks of the season that I felt we will find ourselves in danger of going down, but he, alongside many others, including our own board, dismissed this as a very unlikely scenario and by the time he was eventually sacked (far too late I might add) we were already in serious trouble. Given the word count imposed to me by the good people of the Irish Echo, we shall completely whitewash over the whole Igor Tudor cameo in our film and just focus on the hero.
De Zerbi was probably one of the only options who could have saved us; we desperately needed someone who could motivate the players, build their confidence and have us playing on the front foot again. Make no mistake. If it wasn't for De Zerbi, my invitation to write about Tottenhan's 2026/27 Premier League changes would have been revoked as we would now be preparing to play Preston North End and Lincoln City away.
The board rightly got a lot of criticism last season after having to take the reins following Daniel Levy's control coming to an end, and they got a lot of things wrong, but already they seem to have made steps to ensure this can never happen again. Firstly, our famously poor wage structure has been redeveloped, which means we can fend off competition for some very highly regarded signings, but we have also made significant improvement in our transfer dealings - both those coming and those leaving. While in previous years losing players like Romero and Spence would have caused a catastrophic internet meltdown, because of the signings made so far, everyone seems generally happy, although we are still probably two or three attack minded signings away from having a squad capable of pushing for a top-4 place, but for the first time in a long time, there is a coherent plan off the pitch and genuine belief on it.
1. Arsenal 2. Chelsea 3. Manchester City 4. Aston Villa 5. Tottenham (if we sign a couple more) - if not Man United.
SCOTT SILVER, FREELANCE DESIGNER, ARSENAL
For the first time in forever, I’m predicting another league trophy for the Gunners this year. Boy, it’s lonely at the top. Seems like we got the recipe correct last year, and honestly there’s no reason to think we can’t do it again. Many Arsenal players had a great showing at the World Cup (not you Havertz) but it’s good to get back to some home cooking.
Martinelli may be away (£38m) at the time of writing this, but there’s plenty of new names being thrown around and some will surely land in London. Saka is fit again, Declan Rice is one of the best midfielders in Europe, to go alongside Eze, Havertz and Trossard, it’s almost an embarrassment of riches.
I didn’t get to see much of the World Cup, aside from the USA games. I did catch in full, the semis and the final, which were brilliant. No denying Spain.
Back to the EPL, and I see a top 5 finish like this:
1 Arsenal 2 Man City 3 Liverpool 4 Man Utd 5 Chelsea.
JOE BEHAN, FLORIDA RESIDENT, MANCHESTER UNITED
It looks like Manchester United can compete for the title if Michael Carrick remains at the helm of Old Trafford. Question is will he stay the course? In 2021 Carrick left United’s coaching staff after three and a half years of service, plus 12 years as a player. The dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer followed by Carrick’s exhaustion and personal reflection took its toll. However, four years later he returned as head coach to eventually take over as manager during last season.
He turned things around instantly as the squad gelled securing third place for Champions League. Players like Kobbie Mainoo and Bejamin Sesko were plugged back into the line-up and played out of their skins as did the entire cast.
United fans could argue that last season their Red Devils played the best football in the EPL under Carrick and indeed played their best football since Fergie’s departure.
Top Five Prediction: Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – highlight was Spain’s possession football winning it all, great to watch. Way too many games but final 8 was worth the wait. Lisandro Martinez was the only Man U player who made it all the way to the final. The other 12 Devils had a so-so tournament, some not getting enough game time.
JOHN SPINKS, VISUAL ARTIST, NEWCASTLE UNITED
It's not easy to find an objective focus for this season. The U.S. hosting the World Cup made for a glut of football at peak viewing times. It was like having a job.
The Newcastle team was dismantled while our backs were turned. One by one. Gordon, Tonali and last week Guimarese. All gone. Barcelona, Spurs and Arsenal benefit from our loss.
Three weeks before the opening Premier League game against Liverpool at St. James' Park Eddie Howe decides he's had enough and resigns. Waiting in the wings is the new German manager Jaissle. He will bring in his own staff. He is a choice made by the Saudi owners. Time will tell.
We have retained the core of a good defense. Livremento, Hall, Burn, Miley, Thiaw are all seasoned now. Experience will be important because the influx of new players are young and will need informed guidance. The new 'keeper from Riems Ivan Jaouen is 20 years old and 6 feet 7 inches! They say he's "good with his feet". In midfield Bamba (Monaco), Steur (Ajax). There's the Korean lad Park Seung who blossomed last season. All are 20 years or under.
It's a hybrid squad with some exotic ingredients; maybe a German chef can get them cooking.
The death of Kevin Keegan hit the club hard. His legacy on Tyneside is very strong and was commemorated with reverence. The shrine of scarves, shirts and flowers was a communal testimony. A further tribute is planned for the opening fixture. This will add extra resonance to the whole situation. Feels like the end of yet another era.
Prediction: 1. Man.City, 2. Man.Utd, 3. Arsenal, 4. Villa, (and for divilment) 5. Sunderland.
RAY O’HANLON, IRISH ECHO, MANCHESTER UNITED
From frustration to expectation. Manchester United's turnaround in the last year has been impressive. From mid table to top four is a positive from any perspective. But then there is the specific United perspective. This is a club that expects to win titles and trophies no matter what the overall state of play. Michael Carrick fully deserves his retaining of the managerial post after his calm and controlled stewardship last season and post Ruben Amorim. Carrick will have to retain such composure in the new season when United compete for the Premiership, do battle in Europe, and launch their domestic cup campaigns.
The pre-season friendlies showed some promise: three wins, a draw and a loss. One of the wins came at Croke Park against Leeds United before a crowd of 82,000 - a record for a soccer match in Ireland. It was actually a 1-1 draw but the game was ultimately decided on penalties, an extra ingredient for the fans. The loss, 4-2, was to AC Milan - now managed by the aforementioned Amorim. Sweet for him no doubt. You can argue that pre-season losses are actually more valuable than wins. You can learn from them and for sure the Milan game is being replayed and studied at Old Trafford.
Carrick reportedly wants to sign more players, with perhaps one mega signing to go along with the four summer arrivals which included midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea. And of course there is also the United Academy which always has the potential to unleash a first team star or two. So what is the target, or targets? The Premier League for starters. That will be a mountain to climb and Arsenal are not going to relinquish their title easily. Top four for sure and that is certainly attainable. Finish ahead of the "noisy neighbors" Manchester City. That's something that United fans pray for when they get up in the morning, and again before they go to bed at night. But all this is expectation, high expectation. It will settle heavily on the bench beside hope. The pressure will be on from the very first game against newly promoted Hull City this weekend. So off we go.
1. Arsenal 2. Manchester United 3. Liverpool 4. Aston Villa 5. Everton.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. [Inpho/Ryan Byrne]
DAVE HANNIGAN, AUTHOR AND COLUMNIST, ASTON VILLA
I’m writing this in the giddy aftermath of the Super Cup where the fine performance of Aston Villa’s 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo against PSG has the English media going slightly berserk about the teen wunderkind and his team’s prospects in the coming campaign. All a little bit over the top on the back of what is, after all, a glorified pre-season friendly. Thankfully, Villa are managed by the great and grounded Unai Emery who knows a lot more about the game than any of those writing and commenting on it.
Emery is the reason why Villa will aspire to reach the Champions’ League quarter-finals and will be in the shake-up for a top four finish in the Premier League. Again. Lofty expectations given the departures of Morgan Rogers (his reputation inflated by the press just a tad) to Chelsea and Youri Tielemans (what a player!) to Manchester United. And with defensive stalwart Ezri Konsa possibly on the way out before the end of the transfer window too, fans might be forgiven for being downbeat.
But this manager is more important than any of the players. He makes his teams more than the sum of their parts. The last couple of seasons have taught us that. Repeatedly. When he signed Viktor Lindelof on a free 12 months back, some baulked at the arrival of a defender who’d underwhelmed at United. Yet, Lindelof started 27 games, performed admirably when pushed into midfield on occasion, and made vital contributions throughout. In Emery we trust. Even if seeing problem child Alejandro Garnacho wearing claret and blue has some of us feeling just a little concerned. Surely he’s a project beyond even the restorative wiles of our managerial genius.
Still, as long as the peerless Boubacar Kamara can stay fit in midfield, John McGinn’s arse remains the greatest shield this side of the Marvel universe, and Ollie Watkins has recovered from the insulting 56 minutes of action he saw at the World Cup, Villa should replicate last season’s performance. At the very least.
Top Five. 1. Chelsea 2. Manchester City 3. Liverpool. 4. Aston Villa. 5 Manchester United.
[Dave Hannigan’s most recent book is “We Need to Talk About Roy: The Keaneification of Modern Ireland.”]
MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN, JESUIT PRIEST, LIVERPOOL
I did not see much of the World Cup. I was cheering for Argentina because of Messi, to see him go out on a high and because he was motivated this time to also win for his father who was dying. FIFA should change the rules so that goals scored in the third-place play off between teams who are out of the competition do not count towards deciding the golden boot. Messi, I would say, also had more impact in the competition than Rodri.
Re. Liverpool.players. Mac Allister had a good World Cup and, hopefully, will bring that form to Liverpool this season. He took a long time to get going last season. Isak got a terrific goal for Sweden and again the hope must be that he will also deliver according to his ability in the coming season.
Re. the coming season. Liverpool are in transition and have not managed to bring in players in key positions. Ekiteke, Bradley, and Leoni will still be out for a long time. I was very happy with the change of manager as the more the season went on the more evident it became that his style was holding the team back. But Ariola has to be given time to get the team to where they can be and will not be able to do with it without reinforcements and injured players getting back to fitness.
I expect Spurs, whom I supported as a boy in the Jimmy Greaves days, to do well this year. They have bought in well and have a good manager now. Man United will struggle to do as well in the League this year having to also play in the Champions League. And when are we going to get an outcome to the investigation of practices at Man City? Aston Villa got off to a very slow start last year. If they can start better and keep going they could do really well. Surely teams are going to cope better this year with Arsenal's corners which gave them so many goals last year.
I find it very hard to predict the top 5, but will go with: Man City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Tottenham.
ANTHONY C. MURPHY, WRITER, MANCHESTER UNITED
Bruno Fernandes doesn’t really stand a chance of shining with Ronaldo still on the pitch. Portugal were a frustrated team again. Dalot came on once I think.
Ugarte and Uruguay did nothing of note.
Casemiro has gone now, Cunha is a great talent but not consistent, and Brazil were pretty awful except against Scotland who were really awful. I’m not sure if Tyler Fletcher got off the bench.
Morocco played well I thought, and Mazroaui seemed to have a lot more authority and confidence than he does when playing for United.
For England, Rashford had to contest for a place with his nemesis Anthony Gordon, but he played well and is still a great outlet. He does sometimes give the ball away at the crucial moment. He is better at shooting than dribbling. Did Mainoo get a game? Mainoo is the best player at United, apart from Bruno, and is sorely underused.
Lisandro Martinez is always a steady presence and contributes to the team. They did well against England, but Argentina’s game plan in the final backfired and eventually they just seemed like petulant kids who can’t stand to lose. I think Martinez came out of it okay though.
That only leaves Amad Diallo (by my calculations! Although I watched a lot of games, I didn’t catch them all). Diallo didn’t always get a start for Ivory Coast but showed what he can do. He scored against Ecuador and Norway and became their youngest ever scorer. The first goal was excellent and dramatic.
I’m not sure how United will fare this season. They have been unpredictable for years and they were lucky to finish third. Although they did fight and hung in there, other teams lost steam. They have signed a couple of youngsters, Santos and Orozco, and Tielemans. Maybe Tielemans and Mainoo can get a run together for some stability. Lemmens in goal is both great and sometimes woeful. If I had to make a prediction, I would say a top five finish in the league but an early exit in Europe. Maybe they will win the FA Cup!
Arsenal, City and Liverpool for the top three. Predictable!
Unless Rodri leaves then City might stumble. He was player of the tournament. [As mentioned above, Rodri has indeed left, joining Barcelona.]
STEPHEN BOLAND, RETIRED UPS WORKER, LIVERPOOL
I said last year that Slot won with Klopp’s team with Klopp’s style of play. I guess he felt then that he thought he had free rein to play his own system. I didn’t like the type of football Slot was playing. It really didn’t work out and I don’t think a lot of the fans liked it. Liverpool made all those signings and didn’t live up to expectations. They got hit with injuries, too, such as with Isak. Florian Wirtz was just lost, though there were some bright sparks here and there. Salah was a shell of himself. It was a pretty poor year.
I enjoyed the World Cup. I thought the 48 teams would dilute it, but they didn’t. Overall the quality of football was good. just didn’t like Argentina’s style of football. They don’t care how they win. They just want to win. It was too much about Messi. The coverage was Messi, Messi, Messi. I think they definitely got favorable calls.
I’m kind of happy that the Liverpool players, other than Mac Allister, didn’t get tied up for the whole World Cup. Playing together there will be a little bit more cohesion. I think a lot of the players injured last year have a chance to come on, if they get fit again.
There won’t be much to separate the teams. Top Five: 1. Arsenal 2 Liverpool, 3 Man. City 4. Man. United 5. Chelsea.
NIALL O’LEARY, ARCHITECT AND IRISH-DANCE TEACHER, MANCHESTER UNITED
So it was a great World Cup, but if someone says “hydration break” once more, I will throw my adult sippy cup at my Mini-LED AI Screen!
Manchester United players had a limited influence, which means they are fresh and rested and ready to have the season of their lives! My prediction for this season: Premier League Champions! This is the moment...most Premier League teams have not just a different shirt sponsor than this time last year, but a different manager! Man United have a head start in this regard, since Carrick was appointed on Jan. 13, my father's birthday. If we can agree that Arsenal are unlikely to win the Premier League two years in a row, who else is there? All the other contenders have new managers, and it always takes time to impose a different playing style and bed in new signings while doing so. Just ask Ruben Amorim! This will be Manchester United's 14th Premier League title, and my prediction for our player-of-the-season? Our new number 14 Marcus Rashford! The children have been fed, he is back from his ramblings on the Ramblas, and this will be his second coming!
My top 5: Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea.
[For more about Niall O’Leary, go to www.nialloleary.com.]
PAUL FINNEGAN, FORMER IBO PRESIDENT, CHELSEA
Last year I picked my beloved Chelsea to win it, and they finished 10th! This doesn't say much about my ability to make predictions. In fairness, I think they were in with at least a distant shout until Man City batted their eyelashes at coach Enzo Maresca and his departure derailed the entire season for the Blues.
I was also genuinely sad for Cole Palmer, especially when he missed out on making the England squad for the World Cup. I was confident he'd shine again, after his performances during the prior season, culminating in the Club World Cup trophy in the summer. Instead, there were times he was woefully off the pace. There was one glaring miss at the Bridge against Leeds in time-added-on, that should have won them that game. This more or less summed up his season. Injuries didn't help, and I think exhaustion played a role too. Fingers crossed that he is back to his old self for the season ahead.
I am going to be more reserved this year, but remain optimistic, so I am going to slot Chelsea in at 2nd. The reasons? They have tremendous talent and they've been wise enough finally to bring in some experienced heads, with Henderson and Welbeck. And no games in Europe means they can focus entirely on the domestic competitions. In addition, Xabi Alonso is not the coach, he is the manager. It's high time those that don't know the game at Chelsea, stopped interfering.
I am glad Arsenal won it last year, if only so I can stop feeling bad for them. (And likewise for Mayo.) I think Arteta's team have it all now, and I expect they'll repeat. The Champions League is not out of the question either. I think Liverpool will fare well under Iraola, and Maresca will need some time to step out of Guardiola's shadow. Villa will be strong again, but I expect we are going to continue to see Man Utd improve, so I'm putting the Red Devils in at fourth. Spurs will definitely finish better than last year but there are just too many stronger teams in the running.
Overall, I think it will be a very tight race, with little sunlight between the top teams. Here are my picks for 2026-27. Top Five: 1: Arsenal 2: Chelsea 3: Liverpool 4: Man Utd 5: Man City.
