After what felt like an extremely short offseason, with the Euros and Olympics being held this summer, the 2024/2025 Premier League season is only a few days away. I've decided to have a crack at the seemingly impossible task of predicting the table. Every Premier League season is full of twists and turns, with injuries, manager sackings, and sanctions changing the fortunes of many teams. This season's table proved increasingly challenging to predict, with many questions looming over some of the top teams and a lack of a clear-cut bottom three to four teams. In a low-scoring, high-variance sport like soccer, one goal can swing a team up or down three positions on the table, so there is a bit of luck involved, like in most sports. There are many teams that I could've swapped around, but I'm relatively happy with my final order.
Finally, it is worth noting that the transfer window is open for another two weeks, meaning a lot of business is left to be done. Teams will look to plug their remaining gaps, and some will likely lose crucial players to bigger clubs. That being said, it felt disingenuous to give out my predictions after a ball had been kicked. I've also included one "player to watch" from each team; it will not be the best player, but one that I think will be vital to the team's success or who could surprise people with their quality. So here we are, my 2024-2025 predictions for the Premier League table.
20th- Southampton
Last season- N/A
The dreaded bottom spot. Southampton was a staple of the Premier League from 2012 to 2022, but some poor recruitment and decisions finally saw them relegated in 2023. They were promoted by winning the Championship Playoff and overcoming Leeds United in the final. Manager Russell Martin preaches a strict possession-based style, which saw them maintain an average of 66% in the Championship last season. Usually, being able to hold a high amount of possession would be a good thing, but in this case, it worries me. Promoted teams that focus on possession tend to struggle (e.g., 2023-2024 Burnley, 2019-2020 Norwich) because the quality of opposition is much higher, meaning that maintaining their desired amount of possession simply isn't possible.
Add in the fact that Southampton conceded 63 goals last season, the most of any promoted team, and survival for them seems unlikely. With a below-average squad on paper and a style that generally hasn't been conducive to success for promoted sides, this may be a difficult season for the Saints.
Player to watch: Ben Brereton Diaz
19th- Leicester City
Last season- N/A
Last season, Leicester City was on pace to be the greatest Championship side of all time, amassing 58 points out of a possible 69 through the first half of the season. The second half of the season saw them tail off massively, winning a more modest 39 points. It was enough to get them comfortably promoted, but concerns remain. They've lost manager Enzo Maresca and arguably their best player, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, to Chelsea while being relatively quiet in the transfer market. Their only center-forward options are Jamie Vardy and the relatively unproven Patson Daka. Vardy is a Leicester City legend but is now 37 years of age and in the twilight of his career. Leicester has some intriguing winger and midfield options, but more is needed to keep them up. Between their patchy form, essential outgoings, the potential of a points deduction, and lack of squad depth, I think it will be a short stay in the Premier League for Leicester City.
Player to watch: Abdul Fatawu
18th- Nottingham Forest
Last season- 17th
Choosing the last relegation spot proved to be a challenge. I was tempted to go for Ipswich Town, but I find it unlikely that all three promoted teams would get relegated two seasons in a row. Instead, I chose Nottingham Forest, which finished one spot above the relegation places last season. Forest has many talented players, particularly Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga, and Murilo, but the team itself has been unconvincing. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo will have his hands full with a bloated squad in the increasingly competitive bottom half of the table. Forest will hope that their home form can carry them to safety. Forest has enough goals in the team to survive, but relegation beckons if other changes are not made.
Player to watch: Taiwo Awoniyi
17th- Ipswich Town
Last season- N/A
Ipswich has been on a tremendous rise, having been in League One two seasons ago and now being promoted to the Premier League. Thanks to their manager, Kieran McKenna, Ipswich is the most intriguing of the promoted sides. McKenna has shown tactical versatility, flipping between a back three and a back four, playing possession or counter-attacking, and using different build-up shapes. This tactical versatility will be vital as they play against various types of teams in the Premier League. Ipswich brought in winger Omari Hutchinson on a permanent deal after he starred on loan last season. Hutchinson will provide a massive boost for a team in dire need of goals to stay in the Premier League. Ipswich has inferior personnel to the teams around them, and relegation is more than a possibility, but I trust McKenna to keep them up.
Player to watch: Leif Davis
16th- Fulham
Last season- 13th
Fulham is a team that I believe will underachieve this season. Midfield anchor João Palhinha was sold to Bayern Munich, leaving a gaping hole in defensive midfield. Palhinha produced a colossal 4.6 tackles per game last season as he shielded the back four. Fulham also has the oldest starting XI in the league, which could become an issue. One younger player brought in is Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal, who will look to provide a spark to the Fulham attack. Fulham will have hopes that Rodrigo Muniz can rediscover his late-season form, which saw him score eight goals in an eight-game stretch in February and March. Marco Silva has built a well-drilled and organized team, but a lack of defensive reinforcements and age will hurt them. They should have the quality to avoid relegation, but keep an eye on Fulham this season.
Player to watch: Emile Smith Rowe
15th- Wolverhampton Wanderers
Last season- 14th
Last season was a deceptively decent season for Gary O'Neil's Wolves team. They finished 14th but only three points away from 10th. Although they have lost key pieces in Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, I expect them to have a similar finish this season. Neto is an exciting player but has been injured throughout his career, so playing without him is nothing new for Wolves. Between Matheus Cunha and Hee-Chan Hwang, Wolves have the firepower in attack to keep pace with some of the other mid-table teams. I expect them to reinvest the money they got from selling Kilman and Neto into another center-back and possibly a midfielder before the window closes. Wolves are one of the more "boring" teams in the league, but they tend to get the job done; they will stay up.
Player to watch: Rayan Aït-Nouri
14th- Brentford
Last season- 16th
Brentford is a difficult team to nail down. On the one hand, they have a strong attack headlined by Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo, a decent backline, and a good manager. On the other, they have essentially had the same starting midfield for three years, went through some patchy form last season, and may even lose Toney before the window closes. Yoane Wissa has proven to be a capable replacement for Toney when given the opportunity, but he certainly caps Brentford's ceiling compared to Toney. Considering the circumstances, Thomas Frank can play several different styles with this squad and has an impressive record against the traditional top six. The questions will mainly revolve around Toney and the midfield composition, but Brentford should remain a solid side this season.
Player to watch: Not many options here, but I'll go for new signing Igor Thiago
13th- Bournemouth
Last season- 12th
Up until this point, all the teams mentioned could reasonably be relegated, in my opinion. From here on out, it would take a massive injury crisis, points deduction, or a general disaster for any of these teams to face the drop. Starting this tier, we have Bournemouth, who went through an adaptation period last season after being in the relegation zone for the first third of the season. However, from Matchweek 13 onwards, they were 8th on the table. So why 13th? I likely would have had them a few spots higher, but the loss of Dominic Solanke cannot be understated. The English center-forward scored over a third of their league goals last season and is yet to be replaced. Andoni Iraola will be looking for a replacement in the coming weeks, but he is unlikely to find one that can replicate Solanke's output from last season. Even still, Iraola has an unmistakable style that he wants to play and brought Bournemouth's highest Premier League points tally ever last season with 48.
Player to watch: Antoine Semenyo
12th- Everton
Last season- 15th
Everton has been an underachieving team for several years now, narrowly escaping relegation twice and being comfortably in the bottom half every season. That said, it is easy to forget that had it not been for an eight-point deduction for breaking the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, they would have finished 12th last season. Sean Dyche knows how to win matches and has even slightly changed his way of playing to fit the squad. The loss of Amadou Onana in midfield will undoubtedly hurt them, but Onana only started 23 out of 38 league games, and the team coped well without his presence.
Dwight McNeil is one of the best crossers in the league and is a good fit alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto, both tall strikers who like to score headers. An aging back four will be a slight cause for concern, but keeping Jarrod Branthwaite is massive. The 22-year-old was among the best young center-backs in the league last season and will look to lead the backline again. Sean Dyche brings stability to any team he manages, even with questionable financial and sporting decisions from the board, and he will do it again this season.
Player to watch: Iliman Ndiaye
11th- Brighton
Last season- 13th
Another team that has gone through some significant changes, Brighton will look to steady the ship after coming 13th last season and losing manager Roberto De Zerbi to Marseille. New manager Fabian Hürzeler is only 31 years old, making him the youngest manager in the league by quite some distance. Hürzeler is relatively unknown, but he promoted FC St. Pauli to the Bundesliga in his first season managing the club, which was an impressive achievement. More importantly, De Zerbi (and Graham Potter before him) built a solid foundation at Brighton, playing with a high amount of possession and finding hidden gems from lesser-known leagues. One of those hidden gems they found is Kaoru Mitoma, who was injured for the back half of last season but looks good to go now.
Brighton also managed to sign highly-rated Gambian youngster Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle, which excited many Brighton fans. It should also be a bounce-back season for Evan Ferguson after a disappointing 2023/2024 campaign in which he only scored six league goals. Most of Brighton's players have a solid technical base that allows them to maintain possession and play free-flowing football. They struggled defensively at times under De Zerbi, which is why I don't have them any higher, but Brighton is never an easy game for anyone.
Player to watch: Mats Wieffer
10th- Crystal Palace
Last season- 10th
No team saw a more significant shift in their fortunes last season than Crystal Palace, who went from being in a relegation battle to being one of the best sides in the league once Oliver Glasner took over. Palace ended the season on an impeccable run, going unbeaten in their last seven matches. Forward Jean-Philippe Mateta looks like an entirely new player under Glasner, as he scored 13 out of his 16 league goals last season after Glasner took over in February. Glasner's 3-4-3 formation suited the squad as it allowed wingers Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise to come inside and play in attacking midfield areas, which helped raise their output.
Olise has since moved on to Bayern Munich, which will be a gargantuan loss. Olise, much like the other Palace attackers, ended the season in scintillating form, scoring three and assisting two in his last three games. Luckily for Palace, they've kept Eberechi Eze, whom I expect to have a monster season under Glasner as the undisputed main man. Even so, the loss of Olise, the potential loss of captain and leader of the backline Marc Guehi, and the sheer quality in the top half of the table make it difficult for me to place Palace any higher than 10th.
Player to watch: Adam Wharton
9th- West Ham
Last season- 9th
If 20th-14th were the relegation candidates, and 13th-10th were the solid middle table teams, 9th marks the start of the genuine contenders for the European places. Unquestionably, West Ham has had the best summer transfer window of any Premier League team. West Ham have brought in critical additions like Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Niclas Füllkrug, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, all looking likely to feature heavily. Füllkrug is a player I rate, but he is a strange fit, considering his age. Even so, he should provide an upgrade over Michail Antonio, who looks to be on his last legs. This summer also marked the end of David Moyes' tenure at West Ham after nearly five years managing the club. Julen Lopetegui was his replacement and will look to improve on West Ham's frankly horrid end to last season.
So why do I have them staying in 9th you may ask? Even though West Ham managed to finish 9th last season, the underlying stats suggest they were lucky to do so. West Ham had the 4th worst defensive record, the 5th worst expected goal difference, and were 16th in the table from Matchweek 19 to Matchweek 38. I expect Lopetegui to manage a more balanced season and have them finish solidly 9th this time. But behind the star power of Lucas Paquetá, Mohammed Kudus, and Jarrod Bowen, West Ham certainly have the potential to finish higher.
Player to watch: Crysencio Summerville
8th- Aston Villa
Last season- 4th
Last season's biggest overachievers, I think Aston Villa will take a step back this season. Unai Emery did brilliantly to lead them to a 4th place finish last season, but I don't think he'll be able to replicate that success. Villa will compete in the Champions League this season, further bloating their schedule. Unai Emery takes European competitions very seriously, being a four-time Europa League winner and managing to take Villarreal to the Champions League semi-finals in the 2021-2022 season. Villa has also had an intriguing transfer window, losing Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby but bringing in Amadou Onana, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Ian Maatsen, and a few others.
Onana will bring in a sturdy defensive midfield presence that Villa needs, but he is a far cry from Luiz, attacking-wise. Diaby was an inconsistent but solid contributor last campaign as well. Ollie Watkins will need to shoulder a heavy burden in attack, and an injury to him would be catastrophic for Villa. They will likely look for another forward before the window closes to lessen the pressure on Watkins, but between the congested schedule and new signings taking time to gel, eighth is where I have them.
Player to watch: Amadou Onana
7th- Manchester United
Last season- 8th
By most metrics, Manchester United is coming off their worst Premier League season ever. It was their second-lowest points tally and lowest table finish in the Premier League era. The underlying numbers suggest that they should have actually finished about 12th. Their season was somewhat salvaged by the fact that they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final in a colossal upset. This victory was also what undoubtedly saved Erik Ten Hag's job. Man United have a thin squad, which they've added to this summer with Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro. Zirzkee is an entirely different profile to Rasmus Højlund, as he is more of a link-up play and facilitating forward who should help the wingers score more goals. Yoro is only 18 and is out for the first three months of the season, so this season will be about easing him in more than anything. It looks like Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are also coming through the door to aid a United defense that gave up the second most shots in the league last season.
These are all solid additions, and I'm sure they will buy another player or two near the deadline, as they usually do. Still, I don't think any of them massively improve United individually. United's success will depend on Bruno Fernandes, shoring up the midfield, getting Marcus Rashford back to his best, and having youngsters like Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Kobbie Mainoo develop. There is individual quality in the squad, but it is unbalanced. Can they figure it out and play well together? My not-so-hot take is that Erik Ten Hag will be sacked at some point this season, and an interim manager will lead them to a 7th place finish.
Player to watch: Amad Diallo
6th- Chelsea
Last season- 6th
We've reached my beloved Chelsea. Chelsea are an undeniable mess from top to bottom at the moment. Any finish between 11th and 4th genuinely wouldn't surprise me; they've been that unpredictable over the past few seasons. So is a 6th place prediction just me being biased? Maybe, but if you look at the squad and the data from last season, maybe not. After a torrid first half of last season, Chelsea were quietly the 4th best team in the league throughout the second half, even finishing the season on a five-match winning run. This was also accompanied by a significant injury crisis in the middle part of the season, with key players like Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, and Wesley Fofana barely featuring last season. Cole Palmer surprised everyone and was one of the best players in the whole league, scoring 22 league goals and providing 11 assists. The obvious elephant in the room is that the manager under whom all of this happened, Mauricio Pochettino, is now gone, being replaced by Enzo Maresca.
Maresca will look to bring a whole new system and strict philosophy, which will inevitably take some time to learn. I expect Palmer's output to decrease, being in a more restrictive role, but for the goals to be more spread across the team. Pedro Neto is a fine addition on the wings, but the Portuguese international needs to prove he can stay fit. Chelsea's squad currently sits at a laughably large 42 players, leaving several players to be loaned or sold in the coming weeks. The whole plan could end up working, but I can't seem to justify a lot of the decisions the sporting directors have made over the past 12-18 months. I could write an entire dissertation about Chelsea, but I'll leave it off by saying there is massive talent in the squad, but far too many questions regarding the manager, the board, and the time it takes for these young players to grow.
Player to watch: Christopher Nkunku
5th- Tottenham Hotspur
Last season- 5th
Easily one of the most entertaining teams in the league to watch, Tottenham are now in year two of Ange Postecoglou's reign. Postecoglou plays a highly expansive, progressive style of football, asking his fullbacks to step into midfield, his midfielders to be extremely progressive passers, and his team to constantly press high. One of his flaws has been that he has shown to be too stubborn with his tactics, refusing to show pragmatism, even if the situation calls for it. This showed as Tottenham were on the end of a few nasty batterings near the end of the season. Tottenham still managed to finish only two points off the top four in a season most people expected them to finish mid-table. Honestly, it is quite an exciting time to be a Spurs fan. They've got youngsters like Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and Destiny Udogie mixed with top peak-age talent like James Maddison, Cristian Romero, and Dominic Solanke.
Unfortunately, Heung-Min Son isn't getting any younger, and other forwards, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson, are unreliable. They have a strong midfield unit and excellent defenders individually, but it will be on Postecoglou to make them more defensively sound collectively. There are concerns, but make no mistake: Tottenham will compete for the top four again this season.
Player to watch: Pape Matar Sarr
4th- Newcastle United
Last season- 7th
Newcastle is a team that isn't getting enough credit. Yes, they fell to 7th last season and did not make it out of their Champions League group, but they had significant injuries, suspensions, and lousy luck with results. If they can keep ahold of Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimarães, two players linked to moves, they'll be back in the top four. For my money, Alexander Isak is the best center forward in the league, not named Erling Haaland, and having him healthy for a whole season will guarantee goals from the forward line. Add Gordon and a fit Harvey Barnes, and their attack looks strong again. They may also go after a more natural right winger, with the departure of Miguel Almirón looking likely.
The midfield will be led by the all-action Guimarães and the return of Sandro Tonali from suspension, who will look to show he is worth the €70M fee they paid for him last summer. Eddie Howe's high-pressing style fits well with the immense physicality of the squad and always makes St. James' Park a nightmare place to play for opponents. Young fullbacks Lewis Hall and Valentino Livramento should also see increased roles this season, with Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn entering their mid-30s. Between their forward line, intense midfield, Howe being a good fit for the squad, and their impeccable home atmosphere, I expect Newcastle to be in the heart of the top-four mix.
Player to watch: Lewis Hall
3rd- Liverpool
Last season- 3rd
In a way, Liverpool has earned this spot by default. The teams below them have far too many questions coming into the season for me to say they'll finish above Liverpool confidently, and the top two seem untouchable at the moment. Liverpool faces an enormous question: How will Arne Slot replace Jürgen Klopp? After nine seasons with the club, Klopp garnered untouchable status at Liverpool, winning the Champions League in 2019 and their first English top-flight title in 30 years in 2020. He also made Liverpool perennial title challengers when they were healthy and returned them to their former glory. Slot faces a monumental task, but luckily for him, he has inherited some world-class players. Any team with a core of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, and Alisson will always be a threat for the top four, if not more.
This season looks like make or break for Darwin Nuñez and Luis Diaz, with both South American forwards struggling for consistency in the past two seasons. Nuñez is a player who could score a significant number of goals because of the sheer volume of chances he receives, but he has been a historically lousy finisher for two years now, which makes him difficult to trust. Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo provide Liverpool with different options, and Dominik Szoboszlai may look to play a more advanced role this season. It is concerning that Liverpool are yet to make any summer signings, but their squad is good enough already, coupled with the foundation left by Klopp, for them to finish in the top three. If they finish lower, it will likely be down to the forward's inconsistencies, the lack of a proper defensive midfielder, or the transition to playing in Slot's style.
Player to watch: Harvey Elliot
2nd- Manchester City
Last season- 1st
The only team to win four consecutive Premier League titles, Manchester City, will look to add to that and win an unprecedented fifth title in a row. As long as Pep Guardiola is the manager, they will remain favorites to do so. Guardiola has won the league title in 12 of his 15 seasons as the first-team manager at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and City. He has built an absolute juggernaut of a team that can beat you in various ways. Erling Haaland is far and away the best goal scorer in the league, and probably of his generation, and Kevin De Bruyne is one of the greatest players the Premier League has ever seen. Phil Foden took a significant step forward last season, and young wingers Jeremy Doku and Savinho will look to do the same this season. Rodri has proven that he is more than just the world's best defensive midfielder, as he played incredibly well in a box-to-box role last season. The defense is also strong, but not as strong as it has been in previous seasons.
But with the team being complete and Guardiola as the manager, why don't I have them winning the title? The first reason is that burnout will be a factor. These players have played tons of games these past few seasons, going deep into the Champions League and Domestic cups on top of the league campaigns. Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Bernardo Silva are all either somewhat injury-prone or into their 30s, and the sale of Julian Alvarez leaves City without a backup option who can cover both center forward and attacking midfield. Look for academy graduate Oscar Bobb to play a prominent role, but City may look for more of a specialist center forward. Last season was also the first time since 2017 that they did not completely dominate most underlying metrics. Even watching them, at times, it looked like there were finally some chinks in their armor. Can City win the title? Of course, but I think this is the year their streak finally ends.
Player to watch: Jeremy Doku
1st- Arsenal
Last season- 2nd
I think this is the year for Mikel Arteta's men. Arsenal pushed City to the season's final day last year, missing out on the title by a mere two points. They've been chipping away at City heavily for the past two seasons, and we've reached that point where it feels like a matter of when, not if, Arsenal will win the title. Arsenal has two firm player-of-the-season candidates in Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, both of whom will have big seasons. I also expect a comeback season from Gabriel Martinelli after a disappointing last campaign. Of course, they have a solid attack, but their success last season was predicated on being the best defensive team in Europe. That should continue with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães marshaling the backline and Declan Rice anchoring the midfield. Rice started to push forward about mid-way through the season and did very well, but Arsenal's true potential will be unlocked once they let Rice sit deeper and play with a more attacking midfielder in that role.
Real Sociedad's Mikel Merino has been touted for the role and would be a solid fit. Arsenal had by far the best defensive record in the league, and the signing of Riccardo Calafiori will only aid that. Calafiori will play both as a center back and a left back, emulating Josko Gvardiol's role for City last season. Arsenal are yet to make any other additions, but aside from a potential backup to Bukayo Saka on the wing, they don't need to. This squad is primed and ready to challenge for the title again this season, and this time, they might just win it.
Player to watch: Gabriel Martinelli
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