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Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has predicted the finishing positions of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming 2025-26 Premier League season. He believes that last season's top four will stay the same, while the Red Devils and Spurs will improve but won't make the Champions League qualification.
The Reds dominated all the top six teams in the league last season, earning 84 points to clinch the title. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta's team finished as runners-up for the third straight Premier League season.
The Gunners accumulated 74 points but couldn't overtake Arne Slot's team, which ended with 10 more points to win the league. Despite their inconsistency, Manchester City finished as the second runners-up with 71 points.
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea defied expectations and finished fourth, earning 69 points to secure their spot in the Champions League. On the other hand, the Red Devils had their worst run in 51 years last season, finishing 15th with only 42 points.
Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, only managed 38 points and finished just above the relegation zone in 17th place. During an interview with Betfair, Shearer predicted the league standings for the 2025-26 Premier League season, stating that Liverpool would once again win the title ahead of other favorites.
The Reds have made key signings like Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Hugo Ekitike. The strength of their squad likely fuels Shearer's belief that they will defend their title.
He also said that Arsenal would finish as runners-up for the fourth consecutive season, despite signing Viktor Gyokeres in hopes of ending their league title drought. For Manchester City, the 54-year-old predicted they would finish third again.
The Blues bolstered their attack with signings such as Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Estevao; however, Shearer believes Enzo Maresca's team will place fourth behind Pep Guardiola's squad. Manchester United have completed deals for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha and are reportedly close to signing Benjamin Sesko.
Still, Shearer predicts this progress will only earn them a sixth-place finish. Lastly, he forecasted that Tottenham Hotspur would end the 2025-26 season in eighth place.
How much have Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United spent this summer?
Liverpool v Athletic Club Bilbao - Pre-Season Friendly - Source: Getty" srcset="https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/08/2761f-17545642353588-1920.jpg 1920w">
Liverpool v Athletic Club Bilbao - Pre-Season Friendly - Source: Getty
Despite winning last season's title, Liverpool has been the biggest spender in the Premier League this summer. They have spent £252.2 million on player acquisitions, which clearly demonstrates their desire to improve.
The 2024-25 Premier League champions signed Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for a total of £29.5 million. Liverpool also acquired Hugo Ekitike for £79 million from Eintracht Frankfurt and Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez for £40 million.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have spent $192.6 million in the current summer transfer window. The Gunners signed Kepa Arrizabalaga and Noni Madueke from Chelsea for $5 million and $52 million, respectively.
Arsenal also finalized deals for Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for £60 million, Christian Norgaard from Brentford for £12 million, and Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia for £17 million. The North London team also boosted their attack by signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP for £64 million.
Manchester United has also spent £131.5 million to strengthen Ruben Amorim's squad. The Red Devils completed deals for Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5 million, Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford for £71 million, and Diego Leon from Cerro Porteño for £3 million.
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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer