The 2025-26 Premier League season is nearly upon us and excitement is building among the 20 teams competing in the 34th edition of the strongest and most watched football league in the world.
Every club will head into the new campaign with aspirations of exceeding their various different targets over the next nine months, which are sure to be packed with plenty of twists, turns, drama, delight and despair in equal measure.
Some of those teams have dreams of winning the title, with reigning champions Liverpool seeking to retain their crown and fend off stiff competition from several rival clubs bidding to knock Arne Slot’s side off their perch.
The Premier League returns on Friday when Liverpool kick-start the new season at home to Bournemouth, and ahead of that fixture, members of the Sports Mole team give their picks for which club they believe will win the 2025-26 title.
Barney Corkhill - Liverpool
It is easy to underestimate how impressive Liverpool's title win was last season, because it was all relatively straightforward, but very few people were tipping them to be in the mix this time last year.
This time around, it will be different. They enter the season as favourites, and with good reason having been the best team last season, and then enjoyed - on paper at least - the best transfer window. That comes with different expectations, but this Liverpool side aren't exactly strangers to being favourites.
Even so, you have to go back 43 years for the last time Liverpool won back-to-back titles, and even as the most successful English side of all time, they have only done it four times in their illustrious history, so doing it again this term would be a huge achievement for the club.
I expect Arsenal to be better; they have a better squad now than they did last season, have addressed their striker issue and are unlikely to suffer the same level of injury troubles as last term. The only question is whether they can be better than Liverpool - I suspect not, and therefore another runners-up finish could await them.
Man City will also not be as bad as last season, and I am always wary of betting against Pep Guardiola, but I expect the Club World Cup participation - and the reduced summer break and shortened pre-season that come with it - to have a negative impact for both Man City and Chelsea during the opening weeks of the season, and also in the final third of the season when fatiguing players may have one eye on the World Cup when it comes to possible injuries.
One factor which cannot be overlooked is the tragic loss of Diogo Jota and the impact that could have on the Liverpool players. Whether it has a rallying impact or a detrimental impact remains to be seen - and we can't expect that all of the players will deal with it in the same way - but it is an element that needs to be considered.
For all of their good work in the window so far, Liverpool are also still slightly vulnerable to a defensive injury crisis, but ultimately the best team have only got better during the summer, so it is hard to look past the reigning champions for me!
Matt Law - Liverpool
Florian Wirtz for Liverpool on August 4, 2025
I have to go for Liverpool here, but I do think that it will be tight, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea also contenders for the Premier League title in the 2025-26 campaign.
Going forward, Liverpool are sensational, and they would obviously improve with the potential addition of Alexander Isak, but there are issues at the back, as demonstrated in the Community Shield.
Man City and Chelsea should improve this season, while Arsenal will be in and around the summit, and it would not be a shock to see those four teams bunched together come the end of the campaign.
However, I just think that Liverpool will have enough to retain the title, with the brilliant Florian Wirtz potentially being a standout player for the Reds this term.
Ben Knapton - Manchester City
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring on June 26, 2025
It is hard to call the winner of the Premier League title race with any certainty while there is still a couple of weeks to go in the transfer window, although the Community Shield made it slightly easier.
If Liverpool can sign an Alexander Isak or if Arsenal can sign an Eberechi Eze, my answer could very well change, but as of this moment in time, the Reds' attacking shortage and Gunners' lack of alternative creative options to Martin Odegaard makes me side with the boys in sky blue.
The decline of Manchester City last season can be attributed to two key factors - the injury to Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne's influence waning. But with the former now back in action and City replacing the latter with both Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki - as well as finally signing a proper left-back - Erling Haaland could be in for a sensational season.
I'm still not convinced by Pep Guardiola's men defensively, but I believe the trophy will return to the Etihad.
Oliver Thomas - Manchester City
I believe that there are four teams who have a realistic chance of winning the title: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, but there are various unknowns and uncertainties about all of them heading into the new season.
Reigning champions Liverpool are the obvious choice when selecting a title favourite after an eye-catching summer in the transfer market. However, most of their statement signings are yet to prove themselves in the Premier League and they may need time to adapt to Slot’s system, while the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold has almost been forgotten and he will be sorely missed.
After three successive second-placed finishes, Arsenal have finally addressed their long-standing striker issue with the signing of Viktor Gyokeres, but again, there is a lot of pressure on the Swede to deliver in a new league, while I also have doubts over whether the Gunners will be as strong defensively as they were last year. Their recent injury record also leaves a lot to be desired.
Chelsea have been riding a wave of success lately after following up their Conference League triumph with Club World Cup glory earlier this summer. Enzo Maresca has made more astute signings including Joao Pedro, but the loss of Levi Colwill to an ACL injury is a huge blow to their backline, while the decision to stick with inconsistent No.1 Robert Sanchez - despite enjoying a decent Club World Cup - is a bit of a surprise. With Chelsea also having Champions League football to contend with this term, it will be interesting to see where their priorities truly lie.
That leaves me with Man City, who established themselves as serial winners prior to last season’s disappointing campaign. Indeed, it is easy to forget just how dominant the Citizens have been under Guardiola, who has bolstered his squad in key areas this summer, signing a natural left-back in Rayan Ait-Nouri and adding dynamism and creativity to his midfield in the form of Reijnders and Cherki.
The loss of De Bruyne and fitness issues surrounding Rodri are notable concerns, but Man City still have a plethora of experienced and talented players at their disposal who will surely bounce back and improve from last season. Haaland will back himself to deliver in front of goal, while Phil Foden has a point to prove, but is exceptional on his day (PL Player of the Season two years ago).
Guardiola’s new-look coaching team, including the smart addition of Pep Lijnders - Jurgen Klopp’s former right-hand man at Liverpool - will help rejuvenate Man City’s squad in training and has somewhat gone under the radar. Guardiola has never gone more than a single season without lifting a league title across his 16-year managerial career, and I am backing the Catalan to preserve his impressive record.
Joel Lefevre - Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates securing the Premier League title on April 27, 2025
With so much momentum coming off last season, and all the new faces that arrived, it is difficult to bet against Liverpool repeating as Premier League champions.
Arne Slot has a plethora of talented newcomers like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike, who are versatile in so many attacking categories and should make life much easier for Mohamed Salah, who for me is the most well-rounded attacking player in the league.
There will be questions about their backline that could be vulnerable in transition, but Alisson Becker is more than capable of bailing them out as he showed many times last season.
No one in the league boasts as much high-end quality in every position as Liverpool, while there are plenty of promising youngsters that seem ready to contribute, Rio Ngumoha among them.
With so much strength in depth to call upon, I do not foresee anyone being able to surpass Liverpool this season.
Anthony Brown - Arsenal
Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates on August 9, 2025
Mikel Arteta has the most complete squad in the Premier League, boasting the strongest defensive unit, a robust midfield strengthened by the additions of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard and the striker they have long needed in Viktor Gyokeres.
Most observers favour Liverpool, but Arne Slot's men have undergone several changes, may be vulnerable when out of possession and are light at centre-back.
Manchester City still seem unconvincing, especially when without the ball, appear vulnerable defensively and face uncertainty over Rodri.
Chelsea are exciting, but questions remain about their consistency. Additionally, losing Levi Colwill is a significant blow, and potentially selling Nicolas Jackson - leaving Enzo Maresca's team light at centre-forward with only Joao Pedro and Liam Delap as options - might turn out to be unwise.
Manchester United have no European football, but including them here is mainly out of respect for what they once were, rather than their current standing. They also have the weakest midfield among the teams above, despite their exciting forward additions.
Arsenal's consistency over the past three seasons should finally pay off in 2025-26.
Andrew Delaney - Liverpool
Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike celebrate on August 10, 2025
Liverpool won the title with ease last season and have made the most eye-catching improvements of the top sides this summer, so I expect them to retain it come May.
Arsenal’s mental fragility means I don’t think they’re capable of going all the way, and Man City still need a few more additions to get back to the levels they were at a few years ago, in my opinion.
Anthony Nolan - Liverpool
The Reds may have looked defensively vulnerable at times in pre-season, but their new-look forward line shows promise, and they are targeting further signings before the end of the window to bolster their title-winning squad.
In terms of challengers, Arsenal do not seem ready to close the gap under Mikel Arteta despite the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres, and it remains to be seen whether Manchester City’s Rodri will return to his best in 2025-26 to make the difference for Pep Guardiola’s side.
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