Let’s start

20th place: Burnley
Scott Parker is heading into the most difficult period of his managerial career. This team is at least as confused as last year’s Southampton. They were promoted in second place, but with 23 more points than they deserved based on the metrics. That’s an overperformance so extreme it’s rarely seen in history!
Their signings have been dreadful. The fact they signed a Kyle Walker who was already slow in the Italian league says it all. No arrivals in attacking positions who can provide even an average, reliable performance. Their defence, at Premier League level, is basically worthless. In midfield, Ugochukwu has arrived – also incomprehensible in Parker’s style of football.
This team will score few goals, even fewer points, and concede plenty. By the second half of the season, they will have little chance of survival.
From a betting perspective, most of their opponents will score at least +1.5 goals against them. There is no player here to base anything on at any level.

19th place: Leeds United
We’re talking about the champions of the second division, who are following the same trend as promoted teams in recent years. Completely illogical signings, and everyone should expect that after a few rounds Farke will no longer be the manager. Almost every signing is a player who doesn’t fit into his system.
If you want to stay in the Premier League, you don’t sign a striker like Lukas Nmecha, who is turning 27 and last season scored 3 goals and 0 assists in 19 matches.
They will have some chance of survival if they quickly switch to someone like Sean Dyche, because these signings suit his tactics better.
From a betting perspective, they might have value early in the season – matches will be chaotic, so goal options like +2.5 goals could be good. But once they bring in a passive, defensive coach (if they have any sense), there will be no value left.

18th place: Wolverhampton Wanderers
One word has defined this team in recent years: “nihil”. They are on the land of absolute nothing – no progress, no concept, nothing. One stroke of luck they have is that one of the promoted teams is young, and maybe they can catch them out on experience. But it would also be good for the Premier League if this team said goodbye to the top flight for a while.
As for signings, there’s nothing to say – they have neither raised the floor nor the ceiling. They can only survive if Sunderland get stuck at the start of the season.
From a betting perspective, this is a team to avoid entirely.

17th place: Sunderland
Good signings, a clear concept – but one stumbling block could be that this will be one of the youngest squads in the entire league. The starting XI may be enough for survival, but problems will come if they are hit by an injury wave.
The defence is adequate, the midfield is easily Premier League mid-table level. Signing Xhaka was a brilliant move – he has always been the manager’s extended hand on the pitch, and he will be here too. Habib Diarra could easily be the next £80–100m player; the potential in the kid is huge. Talbi and Adingra are also smart signings, complemented by Guiu up front.
If before the transfer deadline they manage to sign 1–2 more attacking contributors, their chances will increase further.
From a betting perspective, look to tackles and fouls – expect above-average numbers in both.

16th place: West Ham United
Here come the teams it’s hard to write much about. West Ham are the first such team. Kudus has left and has not yet been replaced. There are still a few players in the squad who are considered better than average, but this could easily become a season close to relegation, because there is no dynamism in this side. No signings with real potential have arrived. Probably the few exceptional players will drag them to one of the remaining safe spots.
From a betting perspective, this team is also worthless.

15th place: Fulham
Literally nothing has happened here, but Marco Silva has stayed, which may be the club’s biggest strengthening. He is one of the most underrated managers. He should already have a team relevant on the international stage. They will be the usual organised, well-managed side.
From a betting perspective, at home they will have value against top-eight sides, as this organised style will certainly cause problems for everyone. There will also be value in low-goal markets.

14th place: Brentford
We know that they and Brighton have the two most complex scouting networks, making signings based on analytics – the right decision long-term. They will be stable survivors, but Mbeumo and Nørgaard have left. Replacing them in system terms will be difficult early in the season. However, appointing Keith Andrews was the perfect decision – he will carry on the project. He’ll need a few rounds to find the right starting XI, but after that we’ll see the Brentford we’ve been used to in recent years.
From a betting perspective, both teams to score in derbies will be perfect, and a long-term bet could also be good here: Kevin Schade will exceed 10 goals and 5–6 assists. Watch where the bookies set the lines – I expect around 11–12 goals and 6–7 assists; an outstanding season by Brentford standards.

13th place: Crystal Palace
It’s hard to categorise this team until the transfer window closes, because if Eze leaves, much will depend on who replaces him. Their manager is exceptional, so they will certainly not have relegation issues.
From a betting perspective, at the moment I don’t see opportunities. Naturally, if Eze stays, BTTS in big games could be good. We’ll see how they finish the transfer window.

12th place: Everton
I like the signings, no major departures. On the other hand, Dewsbury-Hall will raise the team’s floor, while Barry will raise its ceiling. Perfect system signings. For David Moyes, this is a suitable squad, and at home they will be capable of troubling anyone.
From a betting perspective, there is potential against similarly passive teams – under bets and under on shots on target could work in such matches, because Moyes is often perfectly content with a draw and takes no risks against anyone.

11th place: Nottingham Forest
Thanks to last season’s massive overperformance and Crystal Palace’s amateur owners, they will play in the Europa League. It’s good news – a historic club returns to European competition. But in reality, they are not ready for it. They have no significant signings so far, while Elanga – one of last season’s best players – has left. Keeping Gibbs-White would be positive if the lad hadn’t been kept through blackmail (everyone should look it up – interesting story :D).
They are not prepared for a two-front fight, but the squad could be good for around 10th place.
From a betting perspective, there will be value in certain periods – when they have a Europa League match, their following league match will almost certainly be poor. There’s no way this squad can handle two matches a week! Of course, if in the last days they manage to sign 4–5 players, the situation could be slightly better. But we maintain that panic signings without a plan will not improve the team much.

10th place: Bournemouth
They will be a stable mid-table side this year without extras! Kerkez and Huijsen are the two most important departures, but they have been well replaced – Soler and Truffert are perfect system fits. However, their ceiling is not as high as Kerkez and Huijsen’s.
There will likely still be some movement in the transfer market, but overall the squad level is improving. Iraola is an excellent coach, but if the squad’s physical condition drops, his tactics collapse. This year nothing special is expected – a greyer season awaits them.
From a betting perspective, no value – such classic mid-table teams are better avoided.

9th place: Brighton & Hove Albion
From the starting XI, Estupiñán and João Pedro have gone, and after this article is posted, Baleba may also leave. De Cuyper has arrived at left-back and can replace Estupiñán, but Pedro and Baleba will almost certainly be replaced internally. Brighton is the most comprehensively planned club – they think years ahead in squad terms. So they will solve it; there are options ready to step up. I’m thinking of Gruda, who arrived as a huge talent but was held back by minor injuries last season; Malick could also break through, and Hinshelwood can finally show why he is considered one of England’s most talented players.
Despite the departures, they could fight for a Conference League spot.
From a betting perspective, early in the season over bets will be worth taking, as the midfielders will need a few matches to gel, leading to chaotic games.

8th place: Newcastle United
Once again they reached the Champions League spots, and once again they managed to ruin their transfer window. In 2025, when a club is at the stage where the manager makes the signings, you can’t expect much else. Then there’s the Isak saga, now on episode 128. If he leaves, they will surely replace him with Jackson or a similar type of player. But signing Elanga, who adds nothing to the team’s ceiling, is incomprehensible – they already have three players of his type.
All season they struggled against teams that sat deep, and Elanga’s arrival will not help with that. There’s not even a rumour of a signing that could fix this issue. The usual scenario will play out: they struggle until they are eliminated from the Champions League, then stabilise and in the second half of the season reach either the Conference League or Europa League spots.
From a betting perspective, it’s simple – bet against them against solid deep-defending teams, especially while they are in the Champions League.

7th place: Tottenham Hotspur
They could be ranked higher if they weren’t in the Champions League, but as it is, it will be a bit of a grind. Thomas Frank is a top-class coach, but European midweek football will be new to him. We already know Maddison’s season is basically over due to a serious injury, which is a huge blow. Son has left, but Kudus has arrived and will be an outstanding fit in this system. Beyond that, there are no signings that significantly raise the team’s level.
From a betting perspective, they will be worth backing in big games, as Frank will perform much better in these matches than his predecessors.

6th place: Aston Villa
The squad has stayed together, and Watkins will probably remain. The players understand Emery’s system, and young players returning from loan can add colour to the team’s play. Even though they are this high, there’s not much else to say – Emery will steadily bring them into one of the Europa League spots.

5th place: Manchester United
Many are writing them off, but they will usually have a full week to prepare for league matches, which we’ve often seen can be a bigger advantage than a signing or two. The squad’s physical condition is night and day compared to last season. They have signed very well – Cunha and Mbeumo raise the team’s ceiling, as do Šeško and Baleba (Šeško is almost official as I write, and they have a good chance for Baleba too). These four signings, combined with weekly league-only football and Amorim clearing the squad of negative characters, could result in an outstanding season.
From a betting perspective, I advise everyone to watch the stats – in the first few matches, it will be clear how smoothly they can reach the attacking third. If they have solved that problem, I am almost certain they will reach a Champions League spot and score plenty of goals, which comes naturally in Amorim’s system – assuming the earlier phase works.

4th place: Arsenal
You could say they’ve had an excellent transfer window because they wrapped up all their signings before the season started. But looking closely, the picture isn’t so positive. Madueke’s numbers were fine at Chelsea despite criticism from fans, but from Arsenal’s perspective, this signing still makes no sense. He doesn’t fit the team in personality or profile, and it’s hard to imagine he will suddenly become disciplined. It’s a signing that adds nothing they need to become champions.
The other big one, Gyökeres, feels like the board gave in to fan pressure – there’s no element of Arteta’s system that suits him. Restructuring and breaking automatisms for Gyökeres… well, let’s just say they’d have been better off not signing a striker at all. Gyökeres will have to play because he’s too expensive to bench, but he will feel completely out of place here. Sad for both sides – a bad move for Gyökeres and likely for Arsenal too.
From a betting perspective, there won’t be much value – expect low-scoring games because their defence will be solid, but they won’t be any better in open play. Thanks to set-pieces and defence, they will still grab a Champions League spot, but it could be such a disappointment that it marks the end of the Arteta era.

3rd place: Chelsea
This can be summed up briefly – they’ve finally signed for the system. Young players, but ones who are already high-level. João Pedro will be an outstanding signing, Delap will be excellent in certain match situations. Midfield depth has arrived with Essugo, and Andrey Santos could also break through. In defence, Hato is a perfect system signing.
This could even become a title if the two teams above underperform for some miraculous reason.
From a betting perspective, Chelsea matches should be good for +2.5 goals, as there are still gaps in their defence.

2nd place: Liverpool
Even Isak’s possible arrival wouldn’t change this view. They will go for both the Champions League and Premier League, but the squad is unbalanced. If Szoboszlai gets injured, the team will lose its soul – no other Liverpool player can replace him. Wirtz is an excellent player and fits the team’s dynamics, but he is injury-prone, as is Isak, and that’s why signing him was a mistake – they will be unavailable just enough to cost titles.
Also, Salah will almost certainly not have another season like last year at his age. Older players who produce an exceptional season tend to drop off significantly the following year. Kerkez and Frimpong are also good signings for Slot’s system. The centre of defence, however, is not enough to win the PL and CL – they need at least two more players there before the window closes, but there are not many suitable options on the market. Ekitike’s arrival makes sense – they’ve bought potential – but he won’t be at his peak this season. The squad is shaping up well, but more is needed for the final push, especially in defence.

1st place: Manchester City
This will likely be one of Guardiola’s final two seasons. He’s been given proper reinforcements – Reijnders from AC Milan could easily be the signing of the season; a fantastic player. Aït-Nouri is also an excellent addition to this system, opening up new options. Then there’s Chekri, who could be decisive in matches where, as in last season without Rodri, they had sterile dominance. His technical quality is outstanding, and Haaland will surely be pleased with his arrival.
De Bruyne has left, but he was barely present last season and his physical level has gone. This City side is complete in every position – it won’t be as dominant as in their CL-winning season, but the title will probably be wrapped up a few rounds early.

Long-term team bets:

• Manchester City to win the league – Odds: 4.47

• Liverpool to finish top 2 – Odds: 1.67 top tip

• Manchester United to finish top 5 – Odds: 2.60

• Among promoted teams, Sunderland to finish highest – Odds: 3.60 top tip

• Brighton to finish in top 10 – Odds: 1.85

• Last place: Burnley – Odds: 2.55 top tip

• Which team will be top at Christmas: Manchester City – Odds: 4.30

• Newcastle to earn under 66 points – Odds: 1.85

Awards:

• PFA Player of the Year: Haaland – Odds: 10.00 top tip

• Top scorer: Haaland – Odds: 2.20 top tip

Players:

• Most assists: Savio – Odds: 26.00

• Brentford top scorer: Schade – Odds: 3.00 top tip

• Manchester United top scorer: Mbeumo – Odds: 3.00

• More goals – Cunha or Marmoush: Marmoush – Odds: 1.90 top tip

There are markets not yet available but worth watching:

• Salah to score under 29 goals

• Burnley to concede over 82 goals – would be a top tip

• Haaland to score 33 goals or more

• Gyökeres to score under 16–18 goals

• Kudus to provide 8 or more assists – would be a top tip