After four years of unmatched dominance, Manchester City handed over their Premier League crown to Liverpool last season.
Jurgen Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot, established the Reds as the new supreme power, with the Reds leaving their title rivals in the dust.
While Man City slipped to third for the first time since Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge, Arsenal lived up to their reputation as ‘always the bridesmaid, never the bride.’
Mikel Arteta’s side finished runners-up for a third consecutive campaign, trailing the newly crowned champions by a staggering ten points.
Liverpool’s return to stardom was a huge talking point in 2024/25, but Chelsea’s ascendancy was arguably the most noteworthy takeaway from the season.
According to Spreadex Sports, these four teams are likely to shape another thrilling top-four race next season – unless Manchester United pull off the unthinkable and recover from a humiliating campaign.
Arsenal
Alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal may be the most unpredictable team in the Premier League, though three successive second-place finishes suggest otherwise.
‘Close but no cigar’ has become a running theme under Arteta’s stewardship, and it’s almost impossible to shrug off the feeling that the Gunners will not take home the title next term.
Winning the first title since 2003/04 remains the ultimate goal, the holy grail, but unless they sign a striker capable of bagging 20+ goals, the Londoners look destined to fail again.
There’s no doubt that a Viktor Gyokeres-type centre-forward would elevate Arsenal to a new level, yet the club’s notoriously cautious spending threatens to undermine fans’ dreams.
According to Express Sport, Gyokeres’ arrival from Sporting CP could spell the end of Kai Havertz’s career in North London, with the Gunners contemplating the German’s sale.
Arsenal recorded their highest points total since Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles with 89 in 2023/24, only to be edged out by Man City for the title by a narrow two-point margin.
Spreadex expects the Gunners to fall ten short of that landmark next term and still finish inside the top three.
However, the arrival of a top-class goal-getter would probably increase their chances of making a quantum leap.
Chelsea
Despite sneaking into the top four on the final weekend, Chelsea’s fluctuations during Enzo Maresca’s inaugural season at Stamford Bridge became notorious and nearly cost them Champions League qualification.
Chelsea tallied 69 points – their highest tally since 2021/22 – edging out Newcastle United by three points to claim fourth place and secure a sought-after return to Europe’s premier competition.
Fresh off lifting the UEFA Conference League title, the Blues have significantly reinforced their frontline with the signings of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
Additionally, Jamie Bynoe Gittens is on the verge of joining the club from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £55 million, via ESPN.
The new arrivals should alleviate some pressure on Cole Palmer, who often looked like a one-man army before suffering an epic downturn in the second half of last season.
However, Spreadex expects the London heavyweights to perform slightly worse in 2025/26 and accumulate no more than 67.5 points.
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Liverpool
Liverpool flopped in other competitions, but they were on another level in the Premier League, as best illustrated by their substantial winning margin.
Without any intention to minimise Slot’s success, Man City’s fall from grace was a welcome helping hand that inspired the Reds’ landmark 20th title in England’s top flight.
For perspective, Liverpool mustered 84 points, only two more than they did in Klopp’s last season in charge when they finished third.
Moreover, they claimed as many as 97 in 2018/19, only to watch Man City waltz away with the title, and finished second again in 2021/22 despite a formidable 92-point tally.
Per Spreadex, they head into the new campaign as favourites, but the skeptic forecast suggests they could fall agonisingly short of an 80-point threshold.
After all, this is a new-look Liverpool with Florian Wirtz. That’s not to mention a brand-new full-back pairing.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold gone and Andy Robertson expected to follow, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will be the Reds’ new force on the flanks.
As such, Slot will have his hands full during the summer, trying to fit new pieces into his title-winning jigsaw.
Manchester City
Last season’s 71-point haul was a far cry from the 91-point mark Man City achieved in 2023/24 when they won their tenth Premier League title.
No matter how low they may have fallen in 2024/25, no one would dare to question City’s title credentials under Guardiola.
The Spaniard is a serial winner and will be keen to prove last season was just a one-off, even though he lost his talismanic playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli.
Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have come in to fill the void as Man City look to erase the memory of last season’s fiasco and embark on a new winning cycle.
Whether they can take back the crown remains to be seen, but another top-four finish looks like a virtual certainty, with Spreadex backing the Cityzens to improve last term’s tally by eight points.
It’s also worth noting that we may not have seen the last of Man City in the transfer window, which means the quality of this star-studded squad can only go up.
What if?
Man Utd’s return to a top-four mix seems like a pipe dream at this point.
Ruben Amorim’s team finished 15th last season and appear bereft of confidence or any real identity.
It’s hard to back them for a genuine Champions League challenge with conviction, but stranger things have happened in football.
With useful signings and renewed optimism after reaching the Europa League final, United could defy the odds in 2025/26.
Of course, it’s a long shot, and Spreadex sees UEFA Conference League qualification as the ceiling of Man Utd’s ambitions heading into the new season.
The Red Devils cannot do worse than the 42 points they amassed last term, with the report expecting them to hit a 59-point mark in Amorim’s first full season in charge.
Although it would be a significant improvement, it wouldn’t be enough to guarantee a seat at Europe’s top table.
Still, it would be naive to underestimate the club of Man Utd’s stature given their history of defying expectations and the sheer weight of their legacy.
Let’s see if Amorim can inspire a resurgence when least expected.
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