Arsenal to miss out on Premier League title again, Brentford to go down and Man City star is player to watch

It’s that time of year again… the Premier League is back!

Liverpool return as the defending champions with Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea all looking to dethrone them in 2026.

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Tottenham and Manchester United will be desperate to avenge their dreadful 2025/26 campaigns with European qualification.

Newbies Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland will also hope to ensure that all three promoted sides aren’t relegated once again.

The new season starts on Friday with Liverpool vs Bournemouth, live on talkSPORT, before United face Arsenal in a huge Sunday clash.

And as the excitement continues to build, Robbie Fowler, Ally McCoist and Expressions all appeared on the bumper talkSPORT preview show to give their predictions for the campaign.

Plus we have other thoughts and opinions from our presenters and pundits in talkSPORT Towers.

Champions

Fowler – LIVERPOOL

Liverpool last year, Premier League champions, absolutely deserved. This year, I don’t think it’s going to be a foregone conclusion, I think they’ll have to work hard for it. The players they’ve signed, I think, are going to make the team a little bit better, certainly from an offensive point of view. I have a few worries if I’m being honest but as the season goes on, I think they’ll work it out. I think Arne Slot’s a great manager, I think he’ll bring out the best in this team.

McCoist – LIVERPOOL

I think Arne Slot’s been a breath of fresh air, and I’ve gone for Liverpool as well. I thought they were fantastic last year, the level of consistency they showed was brilliant.

Expressions – LIVERPOOL

Last season, Arne Slot was like a terminator. He was doing his thing, didn’t spend any money, and they won the Premier League with ease. However, this season’s going to be a lot more difficult.

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Jeff Stelling – LIVERPOOL

I’m going to go with Liverpool again. They have built from what was a very strong position anyway, made some great signings already, and there is definitely more to come. 

People forget they won the league by 10 points last season.

Adrian Durham – ARSENAL

Look at Arsenal’s signings and this is why I think they have got a great chance of winning the league.

I respect that there’s still time in the window for others to do business, but Arsenal are always solid defensively anyway.

They’ve signed Zoubamendi in midfield, they’ve got Gyokeres to finish off the chances. I think it’s going to take some effort from anybody to finish above Arsenal. 

With those signings they’ve made to solve the problems they had last season in terms of not winning the title, I think it’s been a big summer for Mikel Arteta.

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Top five

Fowler – LIVERPOOL, CHELSEA, MAN CITY, ARSENAL, ASTON VILLA

On Chelsea – I think they’ve got great players, they’ve got a relatively young squad. Last season, the culmination of winning the Club World Cup, I think everyone will be buoyed and buzzing around the place because of that. I think that will give them the confidence and rhythm to go into the season and get wins.

On City – I think they have lost that fear factor but I think with City and the players that they’ve got, I think they’re capable of getting that back as well. I genuinely think they are special, City.

On Arsenal – I do think they’ll be there or thereabouts. But the thing that worries me from an Arsenal point of view with [Viktor] Gyokeres, he’ll come over here, he’ll score goals, he’ll be a handful, and it’s probably similar to what Liverpool’s opinions and ideas were of Nunez. He scored goals and was a handful, but are they the players that you really want to see? Time will tell.

McCoist – LIVERPOOL, ARSENAL, CHELSEA, MAN CITY, ASTON VILLA

On Arsenal – They’ve got to be [contenders]! I picked them to win it last year, they didn’t, they were well-beaten by the top team, that was Liverpool, but they’re stronger. I think defensively they’re really, really strong, keep the centre-backs fit, I like the goalkeeper. I think Arsenal, quietly, will seriously fancy it.

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On Chelsea – If we’re going to be brutally honest, I don’t really know what to expect from Chelsea 100 per cent. But their performances at the Club World Cup were fantastic. [Cole] Palmer is obviously key, they’ll miss Colwill who’s got an injury, but they’ve got a big enough squad. I’ve got them third, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they finished second, fourth or fifth.

On Villa – They were the only team in the Champions League that I saw ruffle the feathers of the winners, PSG. At Villa Park that night, they worried PSG.

Expressions – LIVERPOOL, MAN CITY, ARSENAL, CHELSEA, ASTON VILLA:

On City – City are coming back. Obviously it was difficult when I was choosing between Liverpool and City because on thing I can say is, I know Pep’s pride is hurt after last season. You look at their signings as well, Rayan Cherki. We can’t forget what Marmoush was doing last season, their front three is going to be absolutely crazy, and Pep loves to reinvent himself, he saw what happened to him last season, so I reckon he’s going to reinvent himself.

On Arsenal – [Mikel] Arteta, this is the season where I reckon he’s actually doing what he needs to do. I still think the left side’s a bit of a worry, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, I just don’t think they’re good enough. But, when you look at Arsenal as a team, they’ve got their striker, they’ve got their replacement for [Thomas] Partey, Declan Rice as well. Arsenal are a problem because their defence has never been a problem.

On Chelsea – You look at Chelsea’s squad and the amount of money they’ve spent, they know what to do. They’re selling their rubbish players for £30m… Every transfer window is raining men. The one thing [Enzo] Maresca’s got is options so if it doesn’t work, he can switch it up. And they way they sacrificed PSG in the Club World Cup, Chelsea are going to use it as momentum.

On Aston Villa – Villa are backing Unai Emery and I think he’s a good enough manager to either maintain his position, or go higher. They’ve always had a good XI, but not enough depth off the bench. I feel the club are backing Emery, and Emery’s a good enough manager. If Villa don’t make fifth or above, I think it’ll be a disappointing season for them.

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Stelling – LIVERPOOL, ARSENAL, MAN CITY, MAN UNITED, CHELSEA:

On Arsenal: Gyokeres is the key and I think Zubimendi could be very, very good indeed.

On Man City: No surprise. I don’t think they’ve really improved on where they’ve been last season.

On Man United: Don’t bombard me, Manchester United. The reason for that is they signed well in forward areas.

I think they might yet sign, you know, maybe another holding midfield player, somebody with a bit of pace. 

They might sign another defender as well. But this is Ruben Amorim’s team now and it’s his chance to put his stamp on it.

For me, the big thing is no European football to contend with. They’re going to have nice breaks between those Premier League games. 

On Chelsea: There are a lot of expectations, but they will have Champions League and so on and so forth. 

Losing Levi Caldwell at the beginning of the season, that’s a massive blow up for a significant part of the season.

Relegation

Fowler – BRENTFORD, SUNDERLAND, BURNLEY

On Brentford – They have signed a few players, but I think the fact they’ve lost their manager, they’ve lost Mbeumo, Norgaard, who was vital for them as well. There’s also talk of Wissa going as well. I think it’s between them and Wolves. I think Brentford could have a tough season. The manager who’s come in, he’s come in as a set-piece coach.

McCoist – BURNLEY, LEEDS UNITED, WOLVES

The last couple of years, the three promoted sides have gone down. I genuinely don’t think it’s happening this year.

On Burnley – I worry for Burnley. They were absolutely tremendous defensively, their defensive record in the Championship deserved a Saint George’s Cross, absolutely fantastic. But it’s a different level.

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Expressions – BRENTFORD, NOTTINGHAM FOREST, LEEDS UNITED

On Forest – You think Tottenham and Arsenal are enemies? Expressions and Nottingham Forest are enemies! We were supposed to be getting Morgan Gibbs-White. I don’t want to make an enemy of the Forest fans but let me tell you this, the club whilst [Evangelos] Marinakis is there, I need them down, I want them relegated! You’re Arsenal 2.0 to me now.

On Brentford – Brentford have lost everything except their shirt sponsor. They’ve brought in a manager who isn’t anywhere near good enough. I’m sorry but Brentford, I think they’re going down.

Stelling – BURNLEY, BRENTFORD, BOURNEMOUTH

On Burnley: I think Burnley will go back down. I like Scott Parker. It’s just a worry about the goals, the lack of goals. I don’t see where they’re coming from. They’ve got a pretty tough start as well. 

On Brentford: I applaud Brentford for giving Keith Andrews a chance, giving a young manager an opportunity. 

They’ve lost Mbeumo, they lost Norgaard, and it looks like they’re going to lose Wissa. They lost the main man, of course, in Thomas Frank.

Unless Keith is a managerial genius, and he might be, I’ve no idea. Then I think they’ll go down. 

On Bournemouth: I really fear for Bournemouth. They’ve lost so many top, top, top players. It was interesting to see Andoni Iraola saying this morning that he’s not really involved in the signings. 

Player to watch

Fowler – FLORIAN WIRTZ

I think he’s a player Liverpool have lacked. He is a player who can unlock defences. I know it’s tongue in cheek saying you put your neck on the line because they’ve spent £100m, but he’s been prolific. His assist record at Leverkusen has been outstanding, he’s been one of the top players for Germany. There’s no guarantee he’s going to set the Premier League alight, but he’s a player I want to see. He’s an exciting player, and I can’t wait to see him.

McCoist – RAYAN CHERKI

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I saw him a good few times last year, saw him play against Rangers, sae him play against Manchester United. He’s a player, I think he’s top quality. You go and watch a game of football, you’re sitting having a beer after it, he’ll do three or things in a game, you’ll go, ‘What about that?’ He’s a player.

Expressions – RAYAN CHERKI

What I’ve seen him do in pre-season, he plays phone box football. He could be in a phone box and nutmeg two men, he could run out the phone box and score a goal, the close control is crazy. It’s good to see him in the Premier League, I think he’s going to be a top player.