Opinion Premier League
Manchester United
Arsenal
Chelsea
Liverpool
Manchester City
Tottenham
Newcastle
Aston Villa
Everton
West Ham
Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace
Fulham
Brighton
Leicester
Southampton
Wolverhampton
Brentford
Bournemouth
Ipswich
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Our team of writers and editors has collaborated to forecast the standings for each Premier League team in the upcoming season.
The new Premier League season has arrived, bringing with it a wave of excitement and anticipation from fans nationwide for what the next nine months will unveil. Following a slow start, the transfer market has become highly active recently, with numerous new managers eager to demonstrate their value.
So, how will the 2024-25 season unfold? At GOAL, we’ve endeavored to provide an answer by having each of our writers and editors predict the final standings. We then calculated the average position for each team to compile our comprehensive 1-20 table.
Review the predictions below and share your thoughts in the comments about which teams we got right and which predictions missed the mark.
Southampton
Southampton might resemble this season’s Burnley: a newly-promoted team committed to a forward-thinking style of play under a young manager, yet potentially facing a swift return to the Championship. They’ve been quite active in the transfer market, acquiring several free agents, including Adam Lallana, and securing Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a permanent deal from Manchester City after his impressive loan stint at St. Mary’s.
However, despite the addition of Ben Brereton Diaz, scoring goals could be an issue if Adam Armstrong doesn’t continue the form that was crucial for Southampton’s promotion through the play-offs.
Leicester City
After clinching an immediate return to the Premier League by winning last season’s Championship, Leicester initially seemed the most prepared among the newly-promoted teams to remain in the top flight. However, the situation changed when Enzo Maresca departed for Chelsea, taking Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall with him to Stamford Bridge.
Although Leicester still boasts experienced players, such as Jamie Vardy, there’s a significant chance they might face a points deduction due to a past breach of financial regulations. This potential penalty could make survival even more challenging for new manager Steve Cooper.
Nottingham Forest
Despite the tumultuous last season, which included a four-point deduction for violating the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR), Nuno Espírito Santo managed to guide Nottingham Forest to safety after taking over from Cooper as manager in December. However, improvement is essential, as securing only 32 points may not be sufficient for safety this season.
Forest have been relatively low-key in the transfer market compared to the previous two summers. Nevertheless, the acquisition of ex-Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic for £12m could prove to be a savvy investment. More importantly, Forest have managed to retain key players like Murillo and Morgan Gibbs-White, which could be crucial for their campaign.
Brentford
This summer has been challenging for Brentford and their star striker, Ivan Toney, who had expressed a desire to join a bigger club. Although the Bees brought in a replacement, Igor Thiago, the club-record signing from Club Brugge suffered a serious knee injury during pre-season, leaving Toney’s future uncertain as the season begins.
On a positive note, Fabio Carvalho could turn out to be a valuable acquisition, and the beloved coach Thomas Frank remains in charge.
Everton
Last season, Everton faced serious relegation fears due to breaches of the Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR), resulting in an eight-point deduction. Despite this, Sean Dyche’s squad showed resilience in the final two months of the season to avoid the drop.
Although the club’s financial issues persist, they have been somewhat mitigated by the sale of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa for £50m ($64m). This has allowed them to retain Jarrad Branthwaite, despite significant interest from Manchester United, and bring in new talent like Iliman Ndiaye.
Wolves
Wolves fans are enduring a tough period. Gary O’Neil had a challenging season at Molineux last year and, despite VAR controversies, did well under the circumstances. However, the loss of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto this summer has left the manager without his top defender and attacker.
The future performance of Wolves will largely depend on how they use the funds from these transfers.
Fulham
There is a glimmer of cautious optimism at Craven Cottage. Although losing Tosin Adarabioyo to Chelsea for free and Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich was disappointing, Fulham still has reasons to be hopeful. Rodrigo Muniz’s strong performance in the latter part of the previous season should be bolstered by the addition of Emile Smith Rowe, a former Arsenal attacking midfielder. Additionally, Ryan Sessegnon’s return could help him regain the form that made him a highly regarded prospect.
