Yes, with the 2024/25 Premier League Season starting in a week’s time, it’s that time of the year where I make my always entertaining and “always correct” Predictions! Given I didn’t get a single team in the correct position last year, things can only go up from here!
20th: Southampton
For me, Southampton are the worst team heading into the new Premier League Season. Southampton did well to get Promoted straight back to the Premier League last year so they deserve praise for that, but they’ve only finished higher than 15th in 1 of their last 6 PL campaigns! My big concern over Southampton this season is the squad just doesn’t feel good enough to compete in the English Top Flight! Now, The Saints have arguably got a stronger squad than last year with the signings of Ben Brereton Diaz, Adam Lallana, Flynn Downes, and more, but you have to remember how awful Southampton were the last time they were in the Prem. Speaking of that season, that team had James Ward-Prowse, and they were still terrible which doesn’t give me much hope at all! I will throw in the terrific stat that Southampton have never been Relegated in their first season back in any league, but as cool as that stat is, I don’t think that will help The Saints much this year!
19th: Leicester
Despite winning the Championship last year, I’m not convinced by Leicester City at all! Leicester obviously went on to win the Championship on their first go of asking, and it’s worth mentioning that before they got Relegated, Leicester had finished inside the Top 9 in 5-straight seasons! However, my big concern over Leicester this season is they feel like they’ve gotten worse! The Foxes have brought in some decent new players (Caleb Okoli being the standout), but they’ve also lost some good players too (particually Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall). Also, this squad looks worse on paper than the team that got Relegated back in 2023, and that’s even before we talk about the Manager change! See, Enzo Maresca guided Leicester to a Championship Title before he left for Chelsea whilst Steve Cooper has come in, and I’ll be honest, that doesn’t fill me with much confidence! And one last thing about Leicester City, there’s a good chance they’re going to get a points deduction at some point this year which is really worrying!
18th: Nottingham Forest
Whilst it will be close, I think Nottingham Forest’s time in the Prem is up! Nottingham Forest have been back in the Premier League for two years now, and they’ve finished 16th and 17th respectively which isn’t the most exciting set of results! My big concern over Nottingham Forest this season is the fact their squad is weak in comparison to others. Forest have brought in some good players in the form of Nikola Milenkovic, Elliot Anderson, and Jota Silva, but they’ve also two important players in Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate. I like Nuno Espirito Santo as a Manager and I think you have to remember that Nottingham Forest aren’t dealing with a points-deduction this year, but even still, I just don’t think Forest are good enough to stay up (but I guess we just have to wait and see)!
17th: Ipswich
I fully believe that Ipswich Town will have just enough to avoid the drop this season! Ipswich have secured back-to-back Promotions to get to this point, with 98 points securing 2nd in League 1, and 96 securing second in the Championship! The main reason why I feel that Ipswich will stay up this year is Manager Kieran McKenna. See, since McKenna took charge in December 2021, club records have been broken, and he’s finished second in both of his two full seasons! Now we do have to acknowledge that fact that The Tractor Boys’ squad isn’t the strongest, but that doesn’t mean they can’t fight! Whilst it’s not going to be easy, I definitely have more confidence in Ipswich Town than the other two Promoted sides, and I think they’ll just do enough to survive the drop!
16th: Fulham
Whilst I don’t think Fulham will be involved in a Relegation scrap, I’m also not convinced that they’ll have a particually strong season! Fulham have finished 10th and 13th in their two seasons back in the league with just 5 points between them so they’ve been pretty consistent in that sense. However, I’m not that convinced by Fulham because of the simple fact that they were consistently inconsistent last year! The squad is at a similar ability to last year, with some good players coming in (like Jorge Cuenca and Emile Smith Rowe), but they’ve also lost star man Joao Palhinha as well as Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby Decordova-Reid. Again, I don’t think The Cottagers will be involved in a Relegation fight because their squad is much stronger than the teams I’ve got below them, but I’m also not sure it’s going to be the most exciting year for Fulham fans!
15th: Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers are ready for the 7th-straight season in the Top Flight, and I very much expect them to make it 8 by the end of the year! Wolves had a mixed year last year, ultimately finishing 14th after a terrible end to the year, but given their Pre-Season expectations, it was still a good year overall! The thing with Wolves is their squad isn’t the largest or the best, but that hasn’t stopped them from performing in the past. Losing Captain Max Kilman is a loss, but loaning in striker Jorgen Strand Larsen (from Celta Vigo) is exciting! I don’t look at Wolverhampton Wanderers and think they’ll be in danger of Relegation like I very much did last year, but I’m also not convinced they’re better than the teams above them so I think they could be in for a pretty mediocre Season!
14th: Brentford
Whilst not by much, I do expect Brentford to finish higher in the league than they did last season! This is Brentford’s 4th-successive year in the English Top Flight, but last year was definitely their hardest as they dropped under 40 points to ultimately finish 16th. However, with Ivan Toney back (for now anyway) for a whole year, I expect Brentford to do better this year! The Bees have strengthened their squad by bringing in Igor Thiago for a club-record £30 million, and even though he will start the campaign off injured, he’ll be a boost to them when he returns! Brentford also have a really good Manager in Thomas Frank so yeah, I expect Brentford will do better this year, and they could easily end the season higher than this!
13th: Everton
In my opinion, Everton’s last year at Goodison Park will be their best season in a while! Everton have managed to barely survive in recent years, but they did do a good job last year to finish 15th despite having an 8-point deduction! I think Everton have brought in some decent players also, particually Illiman Ndiaye, but losing Amadou Onana is definitely a massive loss (Ben Godfrey leaving also doesn’t help). I think when you consider The Toffees aren’t dealing with points deductions this year and they’re playing their final year at Goodison, I expect them to play better and score more points as a result. 13th isn’t at all where Everton want to be, but it’s much better than it’s been the last few years for them.
12th: Brighton
With Roberto De Zerbi no longer in charge, I’m not as convinced by Brighton and Hove Albion as I once was! Brighton dropped off a little bit last year compared to their previous two seasons, and it resulted in Roberto De Zerbi exiting the club. However, if 11th place is seen as a disappointment, Brighton are doing pretty well! The Seagulls have also strengthened the squad with the likes of Ibrahim Osman and Yankuba Minteh, but I have to talk about how Pascal Gross leaving is a massive, massive loss for the club! In terms of their new manager, The Seagulls have brought in Fabian Hurzeler who seems like a good appointment given his run with FC St. Pauli. The thing with Brighton and Hove Albion is that them not being in Europe this year should help them a lot, but it might take some time for the players to adapt to Hurzeler given how much of an impact De Zerbi had. However, I do actually see Brighton picking up more points this year, and if things click early, I think they’ll finish inside the Top 10!
11th: Bournemouth
I think AFC Bournemouth could be in for their best season since the 2016/17 campaign! After initially struggling, Bournemouth started to play really well under Andoni Iraola and he ultimately guided them to a 12th-place finish, and more impressively, their highest-ever points tally in a Top Flight season! The Cherries have also improved the squad by bringing in young defender Dean Huijsen whilst they haven’t really lost anyone of key importance (sorry Kieffer Moore). Given the quality of Andoni Iraola plus the fact he’s had a year at the club, I expect AFC Bournemouth to break their (Top Flight) points record immediately, and if things go to plan, Bournemouth may just sneak into the Top 10!
10th: Crystal Palace
After finally returning to the Top 10 last year, I think Crystal Palace have got the ability to stay there for another season! After being okay under Roy Hodgson, Oliver Glasner came in and transformed the side into eventually matching their previous Premier League records! The Eagles have also strengthened the side with the signings of Chadi Riad and Ismaila Sarr, but I do have to mention that Michael Olise leaving to go to Bayern Munich is a massive loss for the club! Crystal Palace have been very consistent when it comes to their league finishes and points total since they returned to the Prem, in fact they’ve always been inside the 41-49 points range! However, with Oliver Glasner in charge for a whole year, I think this is the year that that changes for Palace!
9th: Manchester United
After a difficult season last year, I things will only get worse for Manchester United! After a positive first season in charge, Eric Ten Hag’s second year at Manchester United was pretty bad, and if it wasn’t for an FA Cup Final win, Ten Hag probably wouldn’t even still be here! Man United have done some good deals in bringing in Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, and they’ve also gained some money back by selling players they didn’t use last year. However, you have to take into account that United are playing Europa League Football this year, and you also have to remember that Man U were fortunate to get as many points as they did last year given the amount of late goals they scored! I’m not saying Manchester United will play worse Football than they did last year, but I simply don’t think they’re good enough to get anywhere near Champions League Football (at least through the league anyway).
8th: Tottenham
After a strong first year under Ange Postecoglou, I’m not quite so sure this season’s going to go as smoothly for Tottenham Hotspur! Without the distraction of European Football, Tottenham went on to have a good year as they ultimately finished 5th (despite losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich). However, Tottenham do have to contend with Europa League Football this year, and I think that’s going to hurt them a bit. In terms of signings, Spurs haven’t improved massively right now, but Archie Gray could turn out to be a superstar for them whilst Lucas Bergvall could also be good for them. The thing is is I rate Ange Postecoglou, and I also don’t think it’s going to be a terrible year for Tottenham Hotspur. However, there are teams that Spurs finished above last year that I think will ultimately do better!
7th: West Ham
I very much expect a strong campaign from West Ham United! West Ham have had a great few years under David Moyes, qualifying for Europe for 3-straight seasons whilst also winning the UEFA Europa Conference League! Now things are a bit different as David Moyes is out and Julen Lopetegui is in, and for my money, that’s a big difference in quality! You then look at their summer deals, and whilst losing Thilo Kehrer and Said Benrahma is unfortunate, bringing in Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Crysencio Summerville, and Niclas Fullkrug automatically makes The Hammers’ squad better straight away! So yeah, add in the fact that West Ham United can focus fully on the league this year and I think they’re set for a great season! In fact, I wouldn’t even be surprised to see West Ham finish higher than this come the end of the campaign (that’s how confident I am in them)!
6th: Chelsea
Another season starts and it’s another year where I don’t expect Chelsea to qualify for Champions League Football! Chelsea were pretty poor for a lot of last season, but they were at least able to turn it around towards the end of the campaign to ultimately qualify for Conference League Football! However, since then, Mauricio Pochettino has left and Enzo Maresca has come in which is an interesting choice to say the least. I actually think it could work for The Blues long term, but it’s going to take them a while to adapt to Maresca’s style of play. Chelsea have strengthened their squad over the summer with the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo, but how many times have we seen talented players arrive at Stamford Bridge and it just not work out? So in the end, whilst I expect Chelsea to play better Football than they did last year, I think they’ll struggle to meet expectations in the league, but they should win the UEFA Europa Conference League!
5th: Newcastle
After a tougher year than expected last time out, I expect Newcastle United to climb straight back into Champions League contention! Last year didn’t quite go to plan for Newcastle, with multiple injuries hurting their progress whilst also getting knocked out in the Champions League Group Stage wasn’t the return they had planned. However, with no European Football to worry about this year, I expect more from Newcastle! The Magpies have strengthened their side with a couple of decent signings, but it’s worth remembering that this squad is already pretty good as it is! They also have a Manager in Eddie Howe who I really rate, and I think there are a lot of good signs for Newcastle United this year! However, if things are going to go well for Newcastle, they need to get off to a strong start!
4th: Aston Villa
After a terrific 2023/24 campaign, I expect more of the same from Aston Villa! Aston Villa were superb for the first half of last year, and even though their form dropped off, they will still able to record their highest Top Flight finish in 28 years! Villa do now obviously have to contend with Champions League Football, but they coped well with playing midweek last year, so I think they’ll be fine! You also have to look at their Transfer business as whilst losing Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby isn’t ideal, they’ve brought in so many new players including talent like Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana! Could Aston Villa drop this year, yes of course they could. However, Unai Emery is such a terrific Manager, and Villa give me different vibes to what Newcastle were like the year prior!
3rd: Liverpool
This honestly might have been the easiest Prediction I had to make! Liverpool got back into the Top 4 last year whilst Jurgen Klopp won the Carabao Cup to at least end his final year on a high note! With Klopp now gone, Arne Slot comes in after impressing at Feyenoord. Liverpool still haven’t brought anyone in as of right now which is certainly an interesting choice, but they’ve also only really lost Joel Matip. The thing with Liverpool is they’re a good side, and I like the appointment of Arne Slot. However, as of right now, I’m not convinced that The Reds are quite good enough to mount a Title challenge (at least not this season anyway).
2nd: Manchester City
Whilst I expect it to be very tight, I think Manchester City might just miss out on the Premier League Title this year! Manchester City were once again superb towards the end of last season, and it ultimately resulted in them making history as the first side to ever win 4-straight English Top Flight Titles! The problem is is at some point, Man City surely have to “lose one”. City have brought in Savinho from Troyes which could prove to be a great move, but it looks like Julian Alvarez is on the way out, and that’s a much bigger deal than people might think! At the end of the day, I think Manchester City are the favourites to win the league, and I think they’ll have another great season. However, I think someone else might have an even better year (and I’m aware I’ve been saying that for the past 4 years)!
1st: Arsenal
In my opinion, this is the year that Arsenal finally get over the line as Premier League Champions (again)! Arsenal have come so close to winning this Title in each of the last two years, but they simply didn’t quite have enough when they needed it the most. Still, The Gunners have a strong team, and they’ve improved it with the signing of defender Riccardo Calafiori. When you consider how young this team is, Arsenal realistically should get better year on year, and that’s exactly what I think’s going to happen. However, if Arsenal are going to end May 2025 as the new Premier League Champions, they have to be on their a-game for almost the entire campaign (which is something I believe they can do)!
Comments