LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet celebrates with team-mates after scoring the second goal on his debut during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet celebrates with team-mates after scoring the second goal on his debut during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The media are backing Liverpool to finish anywhere from second to outside the top seven in the Premier League this season.
Pre-season is done and the real football is back underway!
Liverpool begin what is hopefully an exciting first season under Andoni Iraola as they make the trip to troubled Newcastle.
Here’s how the media think the Reds will fare in 2026/27.
The media’s predicted finish for Liverpool in 2026/27
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz (R) during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz (R) during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Guardian: 4th
FourFourTwo: 3rd
The Athletic: 5th
BBC Sport: 3rd
BBC pundits 3rd
Independent 4th
Mirror: 3rd
The Athletic believe Liverpool will again finish fifth like last season, but Seb Stafford-Bloor has backed Florian Wirtz to have a big campaign:
“Florian Wirtz should really benefit from playing for Andoni Iraola, whose work with the midfield and attacking players at Bournemouth was so profoundly successful.
“Whether it was Alex Scott, Junior Kroupi, Antoine Semenyo or Evanilson, every player within that part of Iroala’s Bournemouth side improved as an individual, implying that he should be able to draw something from a player who, despite suffering a really difficult first season, is immensely talented.”
ESPN have Liverpool down for third spot, but admit that there isn’t much in it between them and two of their rivals:
“It was, though, very close between Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United, who drop from third to fifth in this scenario despite clicking under now-full-time boss Michael Carrick in the second half of 2025-26.
“Some feel both Liverpool and United can finish second, while some believe they could be as low as seventh.”
Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison is another who thinks Iraola will steer his side to a top-three finish.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 8, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 8, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Andy Hunter of the Guardian is going for a fourth-place finish for Liverpool, outlining the importance of Wirtz and Alexander Isak:
“Iraola has been bequeathed a rich inheritance in terms of individual talent. Unlike his predecessor, however, he is starting from a lower base in terms of constructing a team.
“With Salah gone and no replacement installed, as yet, responsibility has increased on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak to produce after their underwhelming debut seasons.
“Wirtz has been deployed just behind Isak in pre-season and the early signs have been promising. Central midfield options are strong and Dominik Szoboszlai’s new five-year contract removes one distraction.
“Questions remain over Liverpool’s threat from out wide, their defensive resources and leadership within the team, but having worked towards this moment throughout his coaching career Iraola will be confident of finding answers.”
As for talkSPORT‘s Adrian Durham, he didn’t even have Liverpool in his top seven, but colleague Stuart Pearce backed them for a runners-up spot.
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola speaks with Ryan Gravenberch during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola speaks with Ryan Gravenberch during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Meanwhile, FourFourTwo have backed Liverpool for third, with This Is Anfield‘s Jack Lusby talking up a return of entertaining football:
“I won’t be happy unless proper, attacking football returns to Anfield. You’d be surprised how many struggled to sit through Liverpool games last year.”
Like many, Andy Dunn of the Mirror sees third as most likely:
“Andoni Iraola will take a while to become accustomed to the demands of Anfield but will get motoring after a couple of months.”
Pleasingly, the Independent‘s Richard Jolly has Liverpool making the Champions League at the expense of Man United:
“It seems a fairly safe assumption five Premier League teams will be in the Champions League. I have got Man United and Aston Villa just missing out.”
8 BBC Sport pundits think Liverpool will miss top 4!
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
BBC Sport‘s Phil McNulty thinks Liverpool will secure a top-four finish, outlining the quality in their squad:
“The start of the post-Mohamed Salah era will not be easy and Iraola’s all-out, intense style may take time to bed in, but there is still lots of quality in Liverpool’s squad and players such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak now know what life at Anfield is all about.
“If Bradley Barcola arrives from Paris St-Germain and Rio Ngumoha‘s rapid progress continues, Liverpool can have a good season.”
As for BBC‘s various pundits, there are varied Liverpool predictions; five have them as runners-up, including Theo Walcott and Martin Keown.
Walcott believes the Reds “could absolutely push Arsenal for the title” if both Wirtz and Isak fire.
Nine have them down for a third-place spot, from Wayne Rooney to Shay Given, but eight don’t think they will be in the top four, including former Everton midfielder Leon Osman.
And Ex-Brighton striker Glenn Murray is undecided about Liverpool:
“They have got all the forward players you could dream of, but Iraola has a big headache when it comes to finding the right balance between attack and defence.”
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Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool FC v Leeds United FC
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during the pre-match warm-up before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Araujo Jacquet
Araujo Jacquet