The 2025/26 Premier League season has definitely snuck up on me, with Matchweek One kicking off this weekend. For fans, a new season brings endless opportunities and renewed hope. Whether it’s watching their team take a step forward, avoid relegation, qualify for Europe, or even be part of a title race, the excitement is always there.
Here at betcha, for the second year running, we’re giving our two cents with a full table prediction. We’ll go through each team and explain why we think they’ll finish in a particular spot.
This will be a two-part series, and in this first part, we’re diving into the bottom half of the table.
20th | Leeds
Key Additions:
DM: Anton Stach €20.00m
CB: Jaka Bijol €18.00m
GK: Lucas Perri €16.00m
CM: Sean Longstaff
Key Departures:
RB: Rasmus Kristensen €6.00m
Preview:
Leeds won the Championship with the best attack and the second-best defence, picking up 100 points along the way. Now, they find themselves in a position where survival is the goal, especially considering that the last six promoted teams haven’t managed to avoid relegation.
Manager Daniel Farke has a somewhat complicated relationship with the fanbase, who weren’t entirely pleased with how long it took to secure promotion last season, despite the silverware. He enters the top flight under pressure and, realistically, on a relatively hot seat.
The key for Leeds will be scoring goals, as their best players are all in the attacking third. Dan James will be crucial, bringing pace, quality, and Premier League experience. Supporting him is leading goal scorer Joel Piroe, who comes into the Premier League after a 19 non-penalty goal Championship season and will be aiming to hit double digits again.
While many expect Leeds to be the strongest of the promoted sides, I haven’t been impressed with their transfer window. Although it has addressed certain needs, it lacks the quality and experience required to compete at Premier League level. That, combined with the usual grind that promoted teams face, is why I have them finishing in the wooden spoon slot.
19th | Burnley
Key Additions:
DM: Lesley Ugochukwu €28.00m
ST: Armando Broja €23.00m
RW: Loum Tchaouna €15.15m
CB: Bashir Humphreys €14.00m
GK: Martin Dúbravka ?
Key Departures:
GK: James Trafford €31.00m
CB: CJ Egan-Riley Free
Preview:
They weren’t the scintillating attacking force that helped Leeds reach 100 points, but Burnley hit that same mark through their historic defence. The team conceded just 16 goals all season and kept 30 clean sheets, both of which are Championship records. However, their biggest concern heading into the Premier League is the loss of key defensive players. Centre-back CJ Egan-Riley, who played 41 games last season, has left on a free, and goalkeeper James Trafford has returned to Manchester City after what many considered a redemption year.
Manager Scott Parker is known for getting his players to fight for him no matter the situation, which has helped him guide teams into the top flight in the past. However, his Premier League experience hasn’t been particularly smooth, and that raises questions about how well he will translate his methods to Burnley’s squad in 2025.
This season, the Clarets have looked to Chelsea’s depth, signing a few of their young players who were on the outside looking in. Names like Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu bring high potential and should raise the ceiling of the squad. But outside of those two, have the additions been enough to both improve their attack and cover the cracks left by the departure of two key contributors to their historic defence? As we sit here in August, I’m not convinced they have. That’s why I have them returning to the Championship at the end of the season.
18th | Brentford
Key Additions:
AM: Antoni Milambo €20.00m
RB: Michael Kayode €17.00m
GK: Caoimhín Kelleher €14.80m
DM: Jordan Henderson Free
Key Departures:
RW: Bryan Mbeumo €75.00m
DM: Christian Nørgaard €11.00m
GK: Mark Flekken €10.00m
Manager: Thomas Frank
ST: Yoane Wissa (Maybe)
Preview:
I wanted to make a bold take and find room for a promoted side to sneak into survival, which meant that a team would have to fall into that relegation zone. There were a few teams I thought about, but I landed on Brentford, who, yes, are coming off their second top-half finish in the Prem in just four years. Dropping eight places alone might be a bit of a ridiculous idea, but I think they come into this season with a lot of not just questions, but major ones at that, surrounding them.
They have had some huge departures and maybe more to come. Losing their talisman Bryan Mbeumo, who accounted for 28 goal contributions and was one of the most efficient attackers in the Premier League last year, is a major blow. They also lost the heart and soul of their midfield, with Arsenal snapping up Christian Nørgaard to provide depth. To cap off their current sales, they also lost long-time starter between the sticks in Mark Flekken, who joins Erik ten Hag at Leverkusen. However, the biggest loss was the face of the club, and that’s manager Thomas Frank, who revolutionized the Bees and turned them into a very well-respected Premier League outfit. With him moving to Tottenham to “progress” his managerial career, it looks like it could be really tough for the Bees to reach the heights he took them to.
Looking at the incomings for Brentford, they have made a few upside signings in Antoni Milambo and Caoimhín Kelleher, who will look to fill in some voids left behind. The key to their window has been bringing in former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson to work from the base of the midfield. However, the 35-year-old will have plenty on his plate if he is to help this team stay at the level they once were. So with all those questions I currently have, and reports that their marksman Yoane Wissa could also be on the move this transfer window, Brentford are in a tough spot.
Best Bet: Brentford to be relegated @ $4.00
17th | Sunderland
Key Additions:
CM: Habib Diarra €31.50m
LW: Simon Adingra €24.40m
CM: Enzo Le Fée €23.00m
DM: Granit Xhaka €12.00m
ST: Marc Guiu Loan
Key Departures:
CM: Jobe Bellingham €30.50m
LW: Tom Watson €12.00m
Preview:
The Black Cats earned their promotion to the Premier League this season through a dramatic finish in the EFL Playoffs Final, where youngster Tom Watson blasted a worldie from 30 yards out five minutes into injury time. Throughout the season, they were a surprise package, with many writing them off due to a lack of experience and their reliance on young talent to get the job done. Once again, they come into the Prem with a younger squad, but I think they could be the team to survive when it’s all said and done.
This summer, they’ve added an abundance of talent to their already ascending squad, including former Newcastle prospect, by way of Brighton, Simon Adingra, who is one of the most explosive wingers in the Premier League. To complete a full front line overhaul, Sunderland brought in Chelsea striker Marc Guiu on loan for the year, one of the leading scorers in the Conference League last season.
The most exciting part of their business was their additions to the midfield, starting with Habib Diarra. The former Strasbourg starter will add a level of quality and athleticism that pairs well with their marquee signing, Bundesliga champion Granit Xhaka. The Swiss international will likely be the key cog in a Sunderland team that needs some Premier League experience, and he provides that and more.
Leaving the club were two exciting prospects in Tom Watson and Jobe Bellingham, both promising players but ones who would still have needed time to become what Sunderland required them to be this season. Their impressive manager, Régis Le Bris, is a name on the rise and has been backed with the additions the board has given him this summer, giving the club a great chance at survival.
Best Bet: Top Promoted Club Sunderland @ $3.75
16th | West Ham
Key Additions:
CB: Jean-Clair Todibo €40.00m
LB: El Hadji Malick Diouf €22.00m
GK: Mads Hermansen €20.80m
RB: Kyle Walker-Peters Free
ST: Callum Wilson Free
Key Departures:
RW: Mohammed Kudus €63.80m
Preview:
The Hammers are coming off a very disappointing season that no doubt popped the bubbles of many fans’ hopes for the Graham Potter era at the London Stadium. They paired one of the worst expected goal (xG) attacks with a defense that was just as poor under Potter throughout the top flight last season. In 2025, I struggle to see a major step up again. I do have them avoiding relegation once more, but if they end up with the kind of results I’m predicting, Potter could be out the door.
Through the offseason, they made some much-needed additions to the squad, but nothing that really jumps off the screen as a player who can turn their fortunes around. They added real Premier League experience with Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson, who should both be solid options either as starters or off the bench. They also made an upside signing in 20-year-old Senegalese left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, who should fit into the back-three system Potter seems to be implementing this season.
Losing their most promising young attacker, Mohammed Kudus, to Tottenham was a tough pill to swallow. However, they still have an exciting duo in Lucas Paquetá and, more importantly, talisman Jarrod Bowen, who was second only to Mo Salah in terms of goal involvement percentage for his club. So the attack should be okay, but the worry for me lies in the defense and midfield, which lack quality throughout and could prove to be the Achilles’ heel for both Potter and West Ham this year. That’s why I have them ending up with another disappointing finish.
15th | Wolves
Key Additions:
ST: Jørgen Strand Larsen €27.00m
RW: Fer López €23.00m
RW: Jhon Arias €17.00m
LB: David Møller Wolfe
Key Departures:
ST/LW: Matheus Cunha €74.20m
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri €36.80m
Preview:
Wolves have one of the most loyal and blue-collar fan bases in the Premier League, and the product the players provide on the pitch matches that energy superbly. Under Vítor Pereira, who has been at the club since December, they turned into a more feisty outfit and went on a tear towards the end of the season that confirmed their survival from relegation. Still, it’s not all rosy for Wolves as they enter this season, and they’ll be hoping to get off to a faster start than last time.
They haven’t done a huge amount of business this window, but they did make one of my favourite signings of the summer. Jhon Arias joins from Fluminense, and the Colombian was one of the better ball carriers in the Brazilian Série A, contributing to 33% of his side’s goals in just 12 appearances. He arrives as the heir to the likes of Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto, who have both left the club in back-to-back seasons.
As mentioned, they’ll miss Cunha’s wildcard ability after a 15-goal Premier League season saw Wolves fetch over €70 million for him. Also heading out was one of the league’s better attacking full-backs, Rayan Aït-Nouri, who has joined Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
This year, they’ll build around their Brazilian maestro João Gomes, who will once again sit at the base of the midfield. Gomes is the kind of player Wolves will likely turn a massive profit on in the next 12 to 24 months, but for now, he remains the heartbeat of the town. One other name to watch is striker Jørgen Strand Larsen, who joins permanently after a loan spell and will look to build on a relatively exciting first season.
14th | Fulham
Key Additions:
Nothing yet
Key Departures:
LW: Willian
Preview:
Fulham were once again a mid-table Premier League side that managed to stay competitive without being overly relevant in what was one of the more wide-open Premier League seasons in recent memory after first place. Marco Silva seems to be a coach Fulham really rate, and that sentiment is shared by the wider footballing community, with him being linked to major European clubs like Juventus. It’s another year at the helm for him in southwest London, where he’ll be hoping for mid-table security.
The summer window has been an absolute snooze fest so far for Fulham, with no big-name signings and no major sales to speak of either. They’ve had one concrete link to Shakhtar winger Kevin, who is an exciting player, but negotiations have reportedly been a real struggle for the London club.
As I mentioned, they haven’t really lost many contributors, which means the squad will still be headlined by one of the top three left-backs in the Premier League, Antonee Robinson, who continues to be a great creator on the overlap. Outside of him, the next two names to keep an eye on this season are former Arsenal wonderkid Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi, who serves as a Swiss Army knife up top for Marco Silva’s side.
My concern for Fulham is that they haven’t improved at all, and in the Premier League, it’s the one competition in the world where you can’t rest on your laurels. Other teams are always making moves to improve, and that’s why I have them slipping down the standings in 2025.
13th | Bournemouth
Key Additions:
GK: Djordje Petrovic €28.90m
LB: Adrien Truffert €13.50m
Key Departures:
CB: Dean Huijsen €62.50m
LB: Milos Kerkez €46.90m
Preview:
Cherries gaffer Andoni Iraola announced himself as one of the best managers in the Premier League last season, taking a relatively talent-lacking side to ninth in the table. He received high praise, with some even suggesting he could be the potential heir to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, although that remains pure speculation with no real foundation. Bournemouth relied on a strong defensive foundation in 2024–25, and the club’s recruitment aligned well with Iraola’s style, which played a major role in their solid finish.
Heading into the new season, the lack of significant incomings could be a concern for many Cherries fans. The marquee signing so far has been Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic, who spent last season on loan at Strasbourg and was one of the top three keepers in Ligue 1. Outside of him, though, there isn’t much to write home about.
When it comes to departures, Bournemouth lost two key players in their defensive unit. The mercurial talent of Dean Huijsen, who was transcendent for them last year, has moved to Real Madrid, where the Spanish giants reportedly see him as a long-term piece to build around. On top of that, the departure of top left-back Milos Kerkez to Liverpool leaves a major hole in the squad.
With the lack of impactful additions and the quality of players gone, I feel that even a coach of Iraola’s stature may struggle to keep this team competing at the same level they reached last year.
12th | Nottingham Forrest
Key Additions:
RW: Dan Ndoye €42.00m
ST: Igor Jesus €19.00m
AM: James McAtee €20.00m
Key Departures:
RW: Anthony Elanga €61.40m
DM: Danilo €23.00m
Preview:
Forest were the Premier League darlings last year, spending much of the season in the top three of the table. However, they tapered off toward the end, ultimately securing a Conference League berth, which was still a great feat for the club. Unfortunately for them, the underlying data from last season showed they were severely overperforming in terms of points relative to their performance levels. That began to even out down the stretch and showed signs of what a regression could look like.
This offseason, they’ve brought in a couple of exciting names. Dan Ndoye will look to fill the void left by Newcastle’s new winger Anthony Elanga, who broke out last season with the Trees. Alongside him, they’ve signed the future heir apparent to Chris Wood in Botafogo’s Igor Jesus, who has impressed whenever given a global stage, such as at the Club World Cup. Outside of those two, Forest haven’t really strengthened their squad and will be hoping for internal growth to continue their momentum from last year.
On the way out, as mentioned, Elanga joins Newcastle, and Danilo has left to join Botafogo in the deal that brought Igor Jesus in. They almost lost their captain, Morgan Gibbs-White, who was given a “Here We Go” earlier in the offseason, but after a dispute, the move was canceled due to some wrongdoing by Tottenham.
With Gibbs-White staying, they return much of their core, including Chris Wood, Murillo, Milenković, and Mats Sels, which should give Nuno Espírito Santo some confidence. Still, I think Forest were significant overachievers last season, and the lack of depth in the squad could become a problem now that European football is on their calendar.
11th | Everton
Key Additions:
ST: Thierno Barry €30.00m
CM: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall €28.65m
LB: Adam Aznou €9.00m
LW: Malik Fofana or Jack Grealish
Key Departures:
ST: Neal Maupay €4.00m
ST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin Free
Preview:
It’s the end of an era for Everton as they move into their new stadium and leave Goodison Park behind. The hope for the Toffees is that with the new stadium comes new fortune, especially after a season where they finally found some stability under manager David Moyes following the departure of Sean Dyche. They remained the same gritty outfit, always ready to fight tooth and nail, occasionally taking down one of the league’s giants and shaking up the top end of the table.
The board is now going all in to make the first year in the new stadium a strong one, and they have brought in serious talent to bolster Moyes’s squad. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has arrived from Chelsea. While he didn’t get loads of game time for the Blues, he was a consistent performer when called upon and should be a valuable addition who can link Everton’s midfield to their attack. Outside of him, they have signed two incredibly young and exciting players. Striker Thierno Barry scored 11 goals for Villarreal last season, and Bayern Munich youngster Adam Aznou is a highly rated talent many are shocked Everton were able to land.
The most interesting storyline is the potential addition of Jack Grealish on loan. Talks have reportedly advanced in recent days, and if Everton can complete the deal, he could give them the spark needed to push into a top ten battle.
From an outgoings standpoint, there aren’t many names to mention, which is a positive sign. They have managed to keep hold of their best players from last season. The return of Jarrad Branthwaite is a huge win after he was previously linked with a move away. Growth from players like Vitaliy Mykolenko, Dwight McNeil, Beto, and Iliman Ndiaye, who looks like a future star, is an exciting prospect for Moyes and the Everton fanbase.
All the optimism surrounding Everton feels warranted. Expect them to compete for a top ten finish and show real improvement compared to last year.