Premier League predictions: Will Arsenal take the title from Manchester City?

Newcastle in the top four? Dominic Solanke to pip Erling Haaland to the golden boot? Here are our experts’ full predictions for the season

The Premier League returns on Friday when Manchester United host Fulham at Old Trafford. Telegraph Sport’s experts make their predictions for what is likely to be another dramatic season.
It would be no surprise if Arsenal finally usurp City and win the Premier League title. It may depend on how much Pep Guardiola prioritises the Champions League in what could well be his final season at the club. After that, any of up to eight teams could finish in the top four. It is that open.
Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town, Leicester City
It looks tough for Leicester, especially with the threat of a points deduction. Ipswich will also be fascinating – and it could be either them or Southampton who stay up – while Forest might well struggle despite the continued investment.
Erling Haaland
Who else?
Crystal Palace
West Ham United will be interesting given the huge investment demanded by new head coach Julen Lopetegui while another London club, Fulham, might shock a few as they continue to thrive with Marco Silva. But Palace finished last season like a train under Oliver Glasner – who is now their greatest asset – and despite losing Michael Olise they look well set.
What happens with Brighton. Hiring 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler from German club St Pauli was the most Brighton of Brighton signings. And Brighton have also signed well on the pitch. But will it work?
Arsenal have come close twice and I think it will be third time lucky for Mikel Arteta’s team. The signing of Riccardo Calafiori should make them even more resilient.
After Arsenal and Manchester City, it’s really anyone’s guess. Newcastle can capitalise on having no European football, as they did two seasons ago. Aston Villa may well go close again, but they have to combine their domestic campaign with the Champions League. Tottenham should also be in the mix and Chelsea could finish anywhere between fourth and ninth.
Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Southampton
None of these clubs have done enough in the transfer window so far this summer to suggest they will endure anything other than extremely difficult seasons.
Erling Haaland
Why would anybody say anybody else?
Crystal Palace
Palace finished last season superbly and, in Oliver Glasner, they have a superb head coach. They may have sold Michael Olise, but expect Palace to challenge for the European positions.
Seeing Tyrone Mings back in action. The defender suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of last season for Aston Villa. It’s been a long and hard road back, but Mings can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
After back-to-back second-place finishes, this could finally be Arsenal’s year. The team is growing together and their best players should be even better this season than last. Manchester City will be the obvious challengers. Liverpool are an unknown quantity for now but have a squad capable of competing at the top again. I expect Tottenham Hotspur to make up the top four.
Southampton, Ipswich Town, Leicester City
Southampton will earn praise for their passing style but, to be blunt, I do not expect them to earn many points. The same could easily be true of Ipswich Town. Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, who could all be in the mix to go down.
Erling Haaland
No need for further explanation.
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner knows what he is doing at Crystal Palace. The loss of Michael Olise will hurt them but, if they can keep Eberechi Eze, they could continue their impressive form from the end of last season.
Seeing Emile Smith Rowe in regular action again. It is easy to forget just how thrilling he was following his breakthrough at Arsenal. As long as he stays fit, Fulham could have a game-changing player on their hands.
Could this be Pep Guardiola’s final season at Manchester City? Unless he signs a contract extension mid-campaign, that uncertainty will give Arsenal a fantastic chance to become champions. Any one of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur could also claim a top-four finish though.
Ipswich Town, Southampton, Leicester City
This is an easy prediction to make after what happened to all three newly promoted teams last season, but of all the established Premier League clubs who might be vulnerable, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Brentford, look far better bets to avoid the drop again.
Alexander Isak
If the Newcastle striker stays fit he will score a huge number of goals. The 24-year-old is getting better every year and has every type of finish in his armoury. Capable of individual magic, but also gets his fair share of headers and tap-ins too.
Newcastle United
Can we call them a surprise package when they qualified for the Champions League in 2023? Possibly not, but with no European football and with Italy international Sandro Tonali returning from a 10-month ban, they will be a threat to all of the elite clubs again.
There is a strong argument to make that the “Big Six” has become the “Big Eight”, with Aston Villa and Newcastle joining the old order. That makes the race for European football a fascinating one. We have no real idea how Chelsea and Liverpool are going to fare under new managers and there were issues emerging at Spurs towards the back end of last season. Villa will have the distraction of the Champions League while Newcastle have a clear midweek calendar.
Manchester City will win again for the following reasons, in no particular order. They have the best manager, best players and, according to all published material, the best commercial team. Oh, and also the best lawyers. Beyond them, Arsenal and Villa are stable and should be stronger. Liverpool are the great unknown under a new coach, but are Manchester United and Chelsea going to be any better?
Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Southampton
Humble apologies to all fans of these clubs. The logic behind their selection is that the case for the other 17 staying up is stronger. Every neutral will be pleased if Ipswich defy the odds.
Erling Haaland
By his standards he dropped off last season and still won the Golden Boot. He’s a football freak so bet on a hat-trick after taking the honour in 2023 and 2024.
Tottenham Hotspur
“Surprise” usually means a team that surpasses expectations. How about one that is expected to be on an upward trajectory but falls further back? Tottenham lost seven of their final 14 Premier League games last season. Ange Postecoglou could be a surprise name under immediate pressure if that run is not reversed.
Elsewhere, Brentford struggled last year but look like a side that could collect many more points in 2024-25.
The fight of the century: The Premier League v Manchester City. It’s long overdue, but the champions can finally answer to their 115 charges for alleged spending-rule breaches. And the grand farewell to Goodison Park in May — hopefully a day of celebration with Everton no longer in a relegation fight.
Arsenal are primed to win the league, but look one potent forward shy. Sign the right attacker in opportunistic fashion at the end of the window, and they win it by a healthy margin. There are enough reasons to oppose City this time: poor results against the bigger clubs last season, less-dominant underlying metrics, the prospect of Pep Guardiola’s departure and the Damoclean sword which is their Premier League hearing.
Liverpool under Arne Slot have the league’s broadest range of possible outcomes, but may just end up somewhere in the middle of them. Chelsea have the depth of talent and last season’s metrics on their side when it comes to the race for fourth, but I fancy Spurs to pip Newcastle to that spot.
Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Southampton
Fiendishly difficult to predict unless you are a forensic accountant. Points deductions due to PSR breaches will likely shape things again. The three teams with the lowest ‘on-pitch’ points tally could even stay up. Lazy to pick the three promoted clubs, but the other 17 teams simply look stronger than Leicester, Southampton and Ipswich. But asterisks and tribunals could give one or even two of them a reprieve.
Dominic Solanke
It’s more interesting to consider this without Erling Haaland, who will win it for a third successive year. Dominic Solanke will play every week in an attacking Spurs team, and can break the 20-goal mark. Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka will not be far away.
Newcastle United
In May 2023, Newcastle United and Brighton were two of the best five teams in the league and can rebound to that sort of form without the pressures of European football. There is more certainty with Newcastle, who have the same team and manager who finished a convincing fourth two seasons ago. Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak have been retained, and Marc Guehi would be an excellent addition. Goalkeeper Nick Pope will be back from injury. 
The big improvement could come from Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento being given their chances in the full-back roles, with Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn picked on by opponents last season. Any team who finishes above Newcastle will have Champions League football to look forward to.
The games between Arsenal and Manchester City finally coming to life. The two fixtures last season were flat, owing partly to timing – Saka, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne missed the game at the Emirates while the return match followed an international break. Perhaps we’ll be disappointed and the two teams and managers are simply too alike to reprise City’s epics against Liverpool.