Premier League predictions have been shared by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have been putting forward their Premier League table predictions ahead of the new 2025/26 season.
The three former England internationals, all colleagues on Match of the Day until Lineker stepped down as the BBC flagship show’s presenter in May, reckon a hugely competitive campaign awaits with many of the key battles going down to the wire.
Lineker, formerly of Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Barcelona, led the way with the predictions before all-time Premier League top scorer Shearer and ex-Manchester City and Aston Villa defender Richards shared their views.
Speaking on the latest episode of their joint podcast, The Rest is Football, all three agreed that Liverpool, following their signings of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, will retain the Premier League title. Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea have been tipped to compete with Arne Slot’s side, but it’s Liverpool’s to lose.
Gary Lineker (C), Alan Shearer (L) and Micah Richards (R) have all been making their Premier League table predictions.placeholder image
Gary Lineker (C), Alan Shearer (L) and Micah Richards (R) have all been making their Premier League table predictions. | The Rest is Football (Goalhanger)
Just outside the top four is where it gets interesting, as Lineker, Shearer and Richards disagreed slightly on the order. The trio agreed that Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur would improve from their disastrous 15th and 17th-placed finishes but they weren’t sure if they’d have enough to break into Europe.
Newcastle United, in a tough spot having missed out on a host of top transfer targets and being faced with an unhappy star striker in Alexander Isak, who is trying to force a move to Liverpool, have been tipped to finish outside the European places. A top-half finish is still likely, the trio reckon, but it could be tricky to make it into the top seven.
The likes of Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion have been predicted to be in the top-half fight and could even break into European contention. With United and Spurs expected to soar up the standings, it will become trickier for those outside of the so-called ‘big six’ to mount a serious push, however.
Aston Villa to maintain Unai Emery momentum
Where will Aston Villa be in that European picture according to Lineker, Shearer and Richards, then? Well, they were all on the same wavelength when it came to Unai Emery’s side, as they believe another top-seven battle is on the cards. The Villans came sixth last season, narrowly behind Newcastle United, and another respectable finish seems likely.
“I think something similar to last year, they’ll be in and around six, seventh, something like that,” Shearer said. “I don’t see them having enough to get into the Champions League spots but certainly in a Europa League place.”
Lineker agreed as he said: “There’s no reason to think that they’ll slip from where they are. They’ve got a brilliant coach with great energy. I certainly can’t see that drifting away. I’d say the same, just outside the Champions League spots but in a European place.”
Meanwhile, Richards, who signed for Villa in 2015 and made just 26 league appearances before his retirement in 2019, kept it short and sweet with his prediction. “Yeah, agreed. We all think the same thing,” Richards added.
Wolves face ‘tough season’ with possible relegation
A contrasting campaign awaits for Wolverhampton Wanderers if the instincts of the punditry trio are correct, as the Old Gold have been named by all three as contenders for relegation. There’s a strong feeling that there’s every chance all three teams coming up from the Championship could be relegated again for a third successive season, but Leeds United and Burnley have been given a glimmer of hope.
“I think it’s going to be a tough season for Wolves, a relegation battle again,” Lineker admitted. “I think the three promoted clubs could all go but I did say if one stays up it will be Burnley, and I think if it is, that could be at the expense of Wolves or maybe Brentford.”
Shearer wasn’t far off with his prediction, as he responded: “Yeah, I wouldn’t put too much of an argument against that. I think they will have enough to stay up, though. I do think the three that have come up will go. Wolves will just have enough but just above.”
Richards, who was initially reluctant to firmly tip any team for the drop, thinks Wanderers could be dragged into the danger zone. “Wolves, Wolves, Wolves,” Richards began, pondering.
“They dealt without Cunha when he had his red card, Strand Larsen stepped up massively. I think it’s going to be a tough season for Wolves, though. One week you watch them and you think they’ve got the combinations, I really like the manager and how confidence he is, but I don’t know if the players are good enough to do what he wants to do.
“I think they do it in little patches. I think it’s a relegation battle for Wolves. Leeds are staying up, Burnley I worry about. Wolves I worry about. And Sunderland. Those are the three I worry the most about this season,” Richards concluded.
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