There were no bonus points handed to those who guessed that Arsenal would finish second – having now achieved that feat three successive seasons on the spin now – while Pep Guardiola’s side’s end-of-season form saw them just about claim third. Other narratives drawn up were that of Nottingham Forest’s surprise run to European qualification, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United slipped to their worst-ever league campaigns since the 1992 rebranding.

All of the above is still rather fresh in the memory, but football never sleeps. The forecasts below are compiled by a Supercomputer, with the help of Opta, which has simulated the league season based on the fixture list and what we learned from the season so far. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the predicted winners and losers of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

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Relegation Zone

A worrying trend at the foot of the table has finally come to an end this season. In both 2023/24 and 2024/25, all three promoted sides went straight back down. But both Sunderland and Leeds will survive this time around. This comes after Burnley had their gloom turn into inevitable doom under Scott Parker with a loss against Man City.

The Clarets, who have only won one of their last 26 league fixtures – a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace – have gone straight back down to the Championship, with their predicted points total currently standing at 22.

Opta’s machine also believes Wolverhampton Wanderers – who didn’t pick up their first win of the campaign until their 20th attempt – will remain the cellar dwellers until May 24. No surprises there, although Rob Edwards’ side have restored some pride in recent weeks and now have 18 points on the board following surprise wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool.

West Ham United will join them in the second tier next season, according to the Supercomputer’s calculations. There have been signs of revival at the London Stadium – namely wins against Burnley, Sunderland, Tottenham, Fulham and a huge point at home against Man City. Adding to this, they then thumped Wolves 4-0 at home. However, following a 3-0 loss to Brentford, the Hammers are predicted to amass 38 points and finish in 18th place.

Spurs have turned to Roberto De Zerbi, hiring the former Brighton and Marseille head coach on a five-year contract, and he’s brought about a slight change in fortunes, taking eight points from his first five games. An impressive 2-1 win over Aston Villa temporarily alleviated relegation fears, but the north London outfit remain deep in trouble following a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Leeds.

Having won the FA Cup – Crystal Palace’s first major honour of any kind – at the end of last season, they proved they are a force here to stay by beating Liverpool twice to kick-start another campaign of promise. They first triumphed in the Community Shield and then again to end Arne Slot’s 100 per cent start to the campaign. But that success has given way to turmoil, with captain Marc Guehi sold to Man City and Oliver Glasner announcing he will be leaving when his contract expires.

The Eagles are predicted to finish in 15th, a point clear of Nottingham Forest, who have sacked three managers this season following Sean Dyche’s dismissal, but should avoid the drop after an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea, despite their 3-0 defeat against Manchester City.

Bottom Half

Leeds United found themselves dragged into a battle for survival this term, but they now look as if they have done enough to avoid relegation to the Championship. A 2-1 victory away at Manchester United in April was a pivotal moment in their season.

Newcastle United have flattered to deceive this term. While there have been big wins against top teams like Manchester City, there have also been some poor losses, most notably losing both games to rivals Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby. Blowing hot and cold is why the Magpies are forecast to finish in 13th place rather than continue to prove they can disrupt the old order, with Eddie Howe overseeing a worrying nine defeats in 12 matches, before finally beating Brighton 3-1.

Sunderland can be delighted with their efforts back in the Premier League; they are still in with a shot of a top 10 finish, too. As things stand, boosted by a win over Spurs and a draw against Man Utd after a recent wobble, they now look as though they’re set to end up in a respectable 12th.

Fulham have often struggled to break through the glass ceiling and fully realise their potential, unlike other clubs around them that have managed to kick on and evolve in recent seasons. They are now expected to just crack the 50-point mark in the Supercomputer’s predicted Premier League table.

Top Half

Everton were tipped by many fans as potential dark horses for the 2025/26 campaign. With fresh American ownership, a new stadium, and exciting attacking reinforcements like Jack Grealish arriving over the summer, manager David Moyes seemed well-equipped to start building something special at Bramley-Moore Docks. The Supercomputer is predicting them to finish 10th after back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and West Ham, before conceding a late equaliser at home to Man City.

Chelsea have hit a rough patch, proven by the fact they’ve parted with Liam Rosenior, and it’s still hard to know just exactly where they should be – as highlighted by defeats against Newcastle, Everton, Man City, Man United, and Brighton, not scoring in any of those. They are on course to finish all the way down in ninth and have completely thrown away their Champions League qualification hopes.

Brentford will be delighted if they can manage a top 10 finish after a summer of wholesale changes saw Bryan Mbeumo join the Red Devils, Yoane Wissa head to Newcastle, and Thomas Frank to Tottenham. This, alongside losing key names in previous summers, set Keith Andrews up for a rescue mission like no other – but, he’s delivered some important results as the Bees have maintained their steady progression. The west London club are currently flying high in eighth – and that’s where they’re expected to stay.

Brighton have somewhat flown under the radar so far this term, as other underdogs take on the role of overachievers – a reputation they once wore with pride under Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi. Fabian Hurzeler’s side have emerged from a difficult spell in January and February, winning four of their last six Premier League fixtures, and are now expected to finish all the way up in seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League.

Bournemouth are up to sixth place in the real Premier League table after some mightily impressive results in recent weeks, including a 2-1 win over title favourites Arsenal. The Supercomputer has Andoni Iraola’s side finishing where they are, which would be another excellent achievement for a club who continue to punch above their weight.

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The wheels have threatened to fall off for Aston Villa, who were looking like potential outsiders for the Premier League title at one point. But they now face a battle to finish inside the top five after a string of poor results, including a dismal 2-0 defeat away against West Midlands rivals Wolves, a 4-1 home thrashing of Chelsea and a 3-1 defeat to Man Utd at Old Trafford. A recent defeat at Tottenham hasn’t helped confidence either, but they are still on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Top Four

Liverpool have experienced an extremely turbulent second season under Arne Slot. Many pundits and fans alike tipped the Reds to begin a period of domination after adding the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to their ranks in the summer, weeks after winning the Premier League title, but things certainly haven’t panned out that way. All things considered, a top-four finish wouldn’t be a complete disaster for the Merseyside outfit, but whether Slot will still be in charge at Anfield next season is another question.

A top-four finish for Manchester United felt extremely unlikely around the time Ruben Amorim was put out of his misery in early January. Michael Carrick has transformed the mood around Old Trafford by winning nine of his first 14 games in charge – including huge wins over Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea. Against all odds, the Red Devils will find themselves back in the Champions League next season.

Manchester City, who have been rampant in recent times, are expected to finish just three points behind Arsenal in second. But Pep Guardiola’s side won’t give up until the final whistle is blown on the last day of the season. Their 3-0 wins over Brentford and Crystal Palace are proof of that.

Despite their struggles in recent times, and nervy performances, the Supercomputer still has Arsenal down as the eventual Premier League champions with 83 points. They looked back to their best against Fulham, and that 3-0 win may help bring a much-needed sense of confidence to the players. A valuable three points were then earned at West Ham, which, according to the Supercomputer, looks enough to be the difference this term.