With the 2024/25 Premier League season starting on Friday here some predictions for the upcoming campaign.
Who will win the title?
Adrian Clarke: Manchester City will be favourites to win their fifth consecutive title but I do feel it could be Arsenal’s time to be champions. The team has improved under Mikel Arteta season after season, and if that happens again the Gunners will reach 90+ points. With a few additions and fire in their belly, I fancy Arsenal to end their wait for the title.
Adrian Kajumba: Surely Man City cannot do it again. There has to be a drop-off at some point after what is now four Premier League titles in a row. Meanwhile, Arsenal are the coming force. After two title-race test runs in 2022/23 and 2023/24, this campaign will be their time.
Alex Keble: Arsenal. Surely Man City will run out of steam eventually and with Pep Guardiola refusing to be drawn on his future uncertainty may cause performances to wane. That is especially likely with Ederson rumoured to leave and Guardiola confirming that Savinho will be the only major signing. That means issues in central midfield will persist, a stark contrast to Arsenal strengthening their own weak spot with the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori. If Arteta adds a striker, Arsenal will quite simply be a better team than Man City.
Ben Bloom: If this is to be Guardiola’s final campaign in charge there will be even greater incentive for a true Premier League great to bow out on a high. It’s not an interesting prediction - and a couple of clubs are capable of running them close - but, as ever, it will be a surprise if Man City don’t win.
Michael Oakley: Hard to look past City but I think they will be pushed all the way by Arsenal.
Verdict: Champions
Clarke: Arsenal
Kajumba: Arsenal
Keble: Arsenal
Bloom: Man City
Oakley: Man City
Who will finish in top four?
Clarke: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs. I see the title race being more of a two-horse race this season as Liverpool adjust to Arne Slot’s rebuild at Anfield. I do feel that Tottenham Hotspur have a great chance of landing top four this season but Ange Postecoglou will want more players to come in before the end of August that suit his style.
Kajumba: Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Spurs. Manchester United will not be as inconsistent and hit with injuries as they were during 2023/24 which will make a big difference. With Spurs having the foundations of last season to build on under Postecoglou, at this stage, I’d tip them to finish fourth ahead of their potential competition.
Keble: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa. More upheaval at Chelsea, another turbulent season for Man Utd (if pre-season is anything to go by) and the potential for a difficult second season for Postecoglou – whose lack of a "plan b" means Spurs risk being found out – points to a repeat of last season’s top four.
Bloom: Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. While I can’t see anyone beating City to top spot, I expect the battle for the top four to be incredibly close. Chelsea have an interesting new head coach in Enzo Maresca and some steadily improving strength within their head-spinning depth. It may well take time to gel but I can see them going well. Arsenal and Liverpool have proven themselves at the top table on multiple occasions.
Oakley: City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd. Liverpool won't be at their best as they get used to a new system but they have too much class to not take a top four spot. United will use their FA Cup win to spur them on this season.
Verdict: Top four
Clarke: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Spurs
Kajumba: Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Spurs
Keble: Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Villa
Bloom: Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool
Oakley: Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd
Who else will qualify for European competition?
Clarke: Man Utd, Chelsea, Aston Villa. It feels as if United and Chelsea have too much ground to make up on last season's top performing sides to go higher than fifth but their respective squads are strong. Erik ten Hag's side do show promise on occasions to produce a tactical win, as they did against Man City to win the FA Cup, and once the Blues' players become comfortable with Maresca's style changes they will be fine. Balancing Uefa Champions League football with domestic action will make it tougher for Villa to challenge right at the top.
Kajumba: Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool. There is change at Chelsea but they are used to that and having to adapt to it. That is not quite the same at Liverpool who will no longer have the reassuring presence of Jurgen Klopp at the helm following his departure after nine years. A season of transition for Liverpool under Klopp's successor Slot would be no surprise. Newcastle would have wanted European football but they can use not having any to their advantage in the Premier League. The demands of Champions League football impacted Eddie Howe's side last season and the same could now happen to Aston Villa in the upcoming campaign.
Keble: Newcastle, Man Utd, Spurs. Newcastle came roaring back in the second half of last season and should perform strongly unless they lose Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak – which isn’t looking likely now. Man Utd will surely improve after making two excellent signings, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, while more summer upheaval at Chelsea (coupled with a quiet window) should keep Spurs ahead of them.
Bloom: Man Utd, Newcastle, Spurs. A distinct divide has emerged between the top eight and the remainder, which means one team must miss out on (the chance of) European football. Unai Emery has worked wonders but Villa may well struggle to match recent heights. Man Utd weren’t far off the top four last season despite being generally awful and have made a couple of interesting signings. Newcastle can benefit from no European football.
Oakley: Spurs, Newcastle, Aston Villa. Postecoglou has built a solid foundation at Spurs, as has Emery at Villa, while Newcastle will enjoy having no European football this season.
Verdict: Other European qualifiers
Clarke: Man Utd, Chelsea, Villa
Kajumba: Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool
Keble: Newcastle, Man Utd, Spurs
Bloom: Man Utd, Newcastle, Spurs
Oakley: Spurs, Newcastle, Aston Villa
Surprise package?
Clarke: I will plump for Fulham to be the surprise package in 2024/25. I rate head coach Marco Silva highly, so if he is given the funds to revamp his squad sufficiently to cope with the loss of Joao Palhinha and Tosin Adarabioyo, they can still push on. They've signed a gem of a player in Emile Smith Rowe, the supporters will love having Ryan Sessegnon back and by reportedly chasing Scott McTominay, he is signaling even greater intent in the transfer market. They need a bigger squad but the platform is there to enjoy a decent campaign. A top-half finish is achievable.
Kajumba: Crystal Palace have never finished higher than 10th in the Premier League but achieving a new high this season is a realistic target. I have tipped Liverpool to claim seventh for now due to their greater experience towards top of the table but Palace may not be too far behind.
Keble: AFC Bournemouth. The most remarkable thing about Andoni Iraola’s success in 2023/24 is that he did it without most of his summer signings. Alex Scott, Tyler Adams, Hamed Traore, and Romain Faivre all struggled for minutes and will bolster the team this season.
Bloom: All eyes will be on Oliver Glasner after Palace’s end to the season but I would not be surprised if London rivals Fulham and Brentford better the Eagles. Fulham have an adept coach in Marco Silva, who is excellent at getting the best out of players. Brentford did brilliantly to even stay in the top flight amid an extraordinary injury crisis and Ivan Toney’s absence. I’m convinced Kevin Schade is going to prove his worth.
Oakley: Fulham have been sneaky good in the transfer market and Silva is a quality coach.
Verdict: Surprise package
Clarke: Fulham
Kajumba: Palace
Keble: Bournemouth
Bloom: Fulham
Oakley: Fulham
Which promoted side will finish highest?
Clarke: I am going to take a punt on Ipswich Town. Head coach Kieran McKenna has passed every test he’s faced so far with flying colours and I believe he can make the Ipswich competitive. Ipswich will score plenty of goals and because they have a young side packed with talent, I predict they will attack matches with fearlessness. Can they keep enough goals out at the other end? That’s the concern but their firepower will help them pick up points.
Kajumba: Southampton. They should have the biggest combination of consistency and momentum following promotion plus Premier League experience of the three teams to come up.
Keble: Leicester City. Losing Maresca was a blessing in disguise. His open attacking football could have made Leicester into the new Burnley but instead they have a manager who knows how to transition to the conservative counter-attacking approach needed to stay up this season.
Bloom: I covered a fair few Ipswich matches last season and my heart would love to say them but I can’t see it happening. I haven’t tipped Leicester or Southampton to go down. Leicester currently possesses the stronger squad but will have a new manager and financial issues could well result in them losing a number of players and/or potentially suffering a points deduction. So Southampton are the safer bet.
Oakley: Leicester have the players and coaching staff to surprise a lot of teams this season.
Verdict: Best promoted team
Clarke: Ipswich
Kajumba: Southampton
Keble: Leicester
Bloom: Southampton
Oakley: Leicester
Bold prediction for the season
Clarke: Ipswich will score more goals than any other side in the bottom half of the table. Under McKenna I expect them to be bold, and attack-minded, especially at Portman Road.
Kajumba: Arsenal to go unbeaten in the league all season - just like in 2003/04! Their league form in 2024 was relentless. They secured results in the toughest matches, losing just once. That was one defeat too many though. With Arteta fiercely determined to win the league, they will now not want to leave anything to chance.
Keble: Another disappointing season for Chelsea. Graham Potter didn’t last long trying to patiently install a slower possession game, which Maresca is looking to do despite having no experience of managing at this level. An underwhelming window so far adds to the looming, and increasingly familiar, sense of dread.
Bloom: Jeremy Doku will be nominated for EA SPORTS Player of the Season. Given he only started 18 Premier League matches last season, few expect Doku to even play enough to be linked with such an award. But what he has shown in flickers is frighteningly good. If he can gain a regular starting spot he could tear Premier League defenders to shreds.
Oakley: VAR to get it right ...
Verdict: Bold prediction
Clarke: Ipswich will score more goals than any bottom-half side
Kajumba: Arsenal to go unbeaten all season, again
Keble: Chelsea to have another disappointing season
Bloom: Doku nominated for Player of the Season
Oakley: VAR to get it right ...
Top scorer
Clarke: You can’t look past Erling Haaland! I do fancy Isak to push him close though.
Kajumba: As long as he is the focal point of a side that creates as many chances as Manchester City do, it’s hard to look beyond Haaland as the Golden Boot winner.
Keble: Haaland. He had a poor season in 2023/24, failing to show up in the big matches, missing plenty of huge chances and generally looking well below the level we have seen. He still comfortably won the Golden Boot. That says it all.
Bloom: If Haaland does not miss multiple matches, he will score more Premier League goals than anyone else. Only injuries can stop him. Given my top-seven predictions, I would expect Cole Palmer and Isak to score plenty again, while any new Arsenal striker stands a good chance of exceeding 20 goals. But it would be foolish to think anyone can challenge a fully-fit Haaland. He is a cheat code.
Oakley: Haaland is miles ahead of anyone else at the moment.
Verdict: Top scorer
Clarke: Haaland
Kajumba: Haaland
Keble: Haaland
Bloom: Haaland
Oakley: Haaland
Most assists
Clarke: Martin Odegaard. He’s in the prime of his career and created more chances in open play than anyone else last season. I can see the Norwegian racking up a lot of assists.
Kajumba: Bruno Fernandes created the most chances in each of the last two seasons, with 119 and then 114 respectively. With a better season expected from Manchester United, Fernandes should get some tangible reward for his efforts.
Keble: Bukayo Saka. He assisted nine goals last season, four fewer than the winner Ollie Watkins but this season he could have a proper goalscoring No 9 to hit - assuming Arsenal find one before the deadline. That could make the difference.
Bloom: Saka is ridiculously talented. Provide him with a proper goalscoring centre-forward (assuming Arsenal do sign one) and he is likely to rack up plenty of assists. I'd also back Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and, of course, Kevin de Bruyne, who have the luxury of Haaland in their free-scoring side.
Oakley: Odegaard has the touch and vision all he needs is a dealy striker to put all the chances away.
Verdict: Most assists
Clarke: Odegaard
Kajumba: Fernandes
Keble: Saka
Bloom: Saka
Oakley: Odegaard
Most clean sheets
Clarke: David Raya – I think he can retain the Golden Glove, as Arsenal have further strengthened their defensive options. The return of Jurrien Timber and the addition Calafiori gives me belief that Arsenal will carry on keeping clean sheets for fun!
Kajumba: Arsenal’s defence should only be even better after another season together. Raya won the 2023/24 Golden Glove despite a delayed start to his campaign and being ineligible to face his parent club Brentford. There is no reason why he cannot retain it in 2024/25 without those two obstacles to clean sheets.
Keble: Raya. Arsenal kept more clean sheets than anyone else last season and with the addition of a stable presence on the left in Calafiori, Arteta’s side will only improve at the back.
Bloom: A tricky category to predict because it is based on so many factors in addition to the ability of the recipient. Alisson is as safe a bet as any goalkeeper to win it having excelled in a number of matches last season despite injuries hampering his campaign.
Oakley: Raya has a better chance than he had last season when he won it. The Arsenal defence should be even tighter this campaign.
Verdict: Most clean sheets
Clarke: Raya
Kajumba: Raya
Keble: Raya
Bloom: Alisson
Oakley: Raya
Best player
Clarke: Declan Rice. He had a magnificent impact on Arsenal in 2023/24 and I see no reason why he won't kick on and improve next season. If Arsenal do win the title, he is guaranteed to play a huge role for Arteta's men.
Kajumba: Odegaard is already one of the best players in the Premier League. He will have an even stronger defence behind him this season and, by the end of the summer transfer window, potentially more support in midfield and an improved attack to supply too. That would leave the Arsenal captain with the perfect platform to become an even better string-puller for the Gunners and officially the division's brightest star.
Keble: Saka. If, as I've predicted, Arsenal win the title and Saka wins the Playmaker award then surely the 22-year-old - a beloved neutrals' favourite - will win the top gong too. We can certainly bank on him playing a leading role; Saka has received more progressive passes than any other Premier League player in each of the past two seasons.
Bloom: Arsenal captain Odegaard had a brilliant 2023/24 season and has grown into his role as the lynchpin of Arteta’s side. It is not difficult to see him quickly becoming a club legend.
Oakley: Saka. The England star was great last time out and showed again during the Euros what he can deliver. His partnership with Ben White down Arsenal's right is key to them challenging for the title.
Verdict: Best player
Clarke: Rice
Kajumba: Odegaard
Keble: Saka
Bloom: Odegaard
Oakley: Saka
Best young player
Clarke: I rate Nottingham Forest defender Murillo and expect him to shine brightly in 2024/25 but my first pick is Harvey Elliott. He’s gained a lot of experience now and looks ready to take the next step and dominate matches for Liverpool. He scores goals, creates chances and has a perfect temperament to star for a huge club. At 21, I see him as being in a similar place to Palmer a year ago, and he looks ready to take centre-stage. If he gets more regular game time, as I believe he will, Elliott will deliver lots of direct goal contributions.
Kajumba: Kobbie Mainoo made a major impression in half a season coming off a serious injury. With a whole season to make an impression, the 19-year-old is an exciting prospect.
Keble: It’s always given to an exciting attacking player, ruling out someone like Jarrad Branthwaite and even if Man Utd have another difficult season Alejandro Garnacho will almost certainly improve again. The 20-year-old has been superb in a struggling team. Imagine how good he will be if United improve in 2024/25?
Bloom: Forest only secured Premier League safety last season on the final day but centre-back Murillo repeatedly caught the eye. He is raw - which is entirely understandable in his first season away from his native Brazil - but his composure, physicality and audacity have seen him linked with a move to one of the sides in the league who are likely to compete for European spots.
Oakley: Mainoo showed what he's made of last season and during England's campaign in Germany, so I expect him to leap forward this season and dominate.
Verdict: Best young player
Clarke: Elliott
Kajumba: Mainoo
Keble: Garnacho
Bloom: Murillo
Oakley: Mainoo
Best manager
Clarke: Arteta. He’s been brilliant for Arsenal, and now is the moment for his side to go on and claim silverware. If they do, he’ll be Barclays Manager of the Season.
Kajumba: If he manages to end Man City’s dominance and Arsenal’s long wait to be crowned champions, it will be hard to look beyond Arteta.
Keble: Only once in the last 10 seasons has this award been given to anyone other than the title-winning manager, so to match my previous prediction, Arteta will get the accolade.
Bloom: It’s boring, I know. But Guardiola is crowned Manager of the Season more often than not (only Sir Alex Ferguson has won it more often), and if City win the league in what might turn out to be his final season in charge then he’s nailed on to take it again. I am continually impressed by Thomas Frank at Brentford so will mention him as well but he won’t win it.
Oakley: Guardiola will win it again if City win the league for the fifth time in a row. if anyone beats him to the title then they are the best.
Verdict: Best manager
Clarke: Arteta
Kajumba: Arteta
Keble: Arteta
Bloom: Guardiola
Oakley: Guardiola
Best signing of the summer
Clarke: Man City's newest signing Savinho looks like a seriously exciting prospect. He was sensational for Girona last season. I can see the 20-year-old thrilling fans at Etihad Stadium. A winger, who reportedly cost £30-million, with this much potential looks a steal.
Kajumba: Archie Gray is young, gifted, versatile, mature beyond his years and reasonably priced by today’s standards at a reported £30m. If this this upward trajectory continues, his price may look like a bargain in time which their rivals look enviously at.
Keble: Zirkzee. Man Utd’s new centre-forward has been compared to Ronaldinho by his old manager Thiago Motta but beyond the obvious star quality I’m intrigued to see if an intelligent "false nine" allows Erik ten Hag to finally get the tactics right.
Bloom: A few seasons ago, when he broke into the Arsenal line-up and was called up for England duty, it would have been unthinkable that Smith Rowe would end up at Fulham. But football careers sometimes take odd detours. He has class in abundance and can run the show at Fulham.
Oakley: Smith Rowe is pure class and will bring that little something extra to Fulham this season. I expect him to shine as he gets the minutes he was missing at Arsenal.
Verdict: Best signing
Clarke: Savinho
Kajumba: Gray
Keble: Zirkzee
Bloom: Smith Rowe
Oakley: Smith Rowe
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