The 2025/26 campaign kicks off with Liverpool welcoming Bournemouth to Anfield on Friday night.
To mark the occasion, football legends Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Alan Shearer, Theo Walcott, and Jermain Defoe have shared their forecasts for which clubs will land in the top four this season. ..Continue Reading
Last term, Arne Slot’s Liverpool cruised to the title, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal settled for second place for the third year running. Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, endured a rocky season but still managed to finish third.
So, what do these seasoned pundits expect this time around? Will Liverpool hold onto their crown, or is a new champion waiting in the wings?
Steven Gerrard
Though Gerrard never lifted a Premier League trophy during his playing days, his insight into the game is second to none.
He sees Chelsea clinching fourth, with Manchester City climbing to third as they aim to bounce back from last season’s disappointments.
Arsenal, in his view, will once again fall short of the top spot, leaving Liverpool to secure consecutive league titles by May.
Theo Walcott
Walcott also places Chelsea in fourth, just behind their London rivals Arsenal.
Despite both clubs juggling Champions League commitments, Walcott believes Arsenal are better equipped to handle the pressure.
He ranks Manchester City in second, while tipping Liverpool—who may yet bolster their squad with Alexander Isak—to finish top of the pile once more.
Alan Shearer
A familiar pattern emerges in Shearer’s picks: Chelsea scrape into the top four, and City take third.
As for the title race, the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer backs Liverpool to edge out Arsenal and retain their champion status.
Jermain Defoe
Defoe shakes things up slightly by placing Arsenal in fourth, diverging from the more common prediction of second.
He believes Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, will leapfrog the Gunners into third.
Like the others, Defoe expects Liverpool to repeat their triumph, relegating Manchester City to second—a position they’re not used to settling for.
Rio Ferdinand
With six league titles to his name, Ferdinand brings a winner’s perspective to his predictions.
He slots Chelsea into fourth, followed by Manchester City in third.
Arteta’s Arsenal, whom Ferdinand praises as one of the world’s top managerial outfits, are tipped to finish second—while Liverpool, despite being fierce rivals of his former club Manchester United, are his pick to lift the trophy again.
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