The 2025-26 English Premier League season kicks off in less than two months, and discussions are already underway about which teams will be the frontrunners for the title. Having delivered the Premier League title in his first season at Anfield, Dutch mastermind Arne Slot is the favorite with the best online sports betting sites for soccer to deliver back-to-back titles, something Liverpool hasn’t managed since the 1982-83 and 1984-85 campaigns.
Few people, if any, will argue that Liverpool were easily the best team in the Premier League last season and thoroughly deserved their 20th top-flight league trophy. Having slipped up and lost 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest in their fourth game on September 14, Slot’s Liverpool didn’t lose again in the league until April 6, some 27 fixtures later. By the season’s conclusion, Liverpool had lost only four games, two of which came after they’d locked up the Premier League title.
Why Liverpool?
Embed from Getty ImagesAny soccer coach will tell you that winning becomes a habit, and Liverpool won 29 of their 38 league games last season. Those same coaches will also attest to successful teams having a solid spine throughout the team, and Liverpool certainly has that.
They have one of the world’s best goalkeepers in Alisson Becker, arguably the world’s best center-back in Virgil van Dijk, and the midfield trio of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch would fit into almost any club team globally. Then you have the talismanic Mohamed Salah, complemented and backed up by Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Nunez.
With Salah and van Dijk signing new contracts late into last season, Liverpool does not have to worry about two of its icons leaving for free. Salah has 184 goals and 87 assists in 288 Premier League games for Liverpool; those numbers are almost impossible to replace. Despite being 33 years old, Salah scored 29 goals and 18 assists last season, the most goal involvements he has ever had in a Liverpool shirt.
Transfer Market activity
Embed from Getty ImagesMuch has been said about Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s departure to join Spanish giants Real Madrid. Losing a player with Alexander-Arnold’s talent is a blow, but Liverpool has already found a ready-made replacement in Jeremie Frimpong. The Dutch wing-back joined Liverpool from Bayern Leverkusen for £29.5 million, and some may argue he is a better all-around player than the man he replaces.
The Anfield outfit is also close to completing a deal for Bournemouth’s marauding Hungarian left-sided wing-back Milos Kerkez. Although Liverpool is keeping its cards close to its chest, Kerkez was recently photographed holding a Liverpool flag with a Serbia-based Liverpool supporters club. The Hungarian is expected to move in a £40 million deal and is considered Andy Robertson‘s natural successor.
With these two signings, you can see what Arne Slot is trying to achieve. A solid and compact midfield where Frimpong and Kerkez provide width, linking up with the dangerous front three. It’s a scary proposition for opposition defenders.
Then there is the upcoming signing of Florian Wirtz, one of the world’s most talented attacking midfielders. Liverpool rates the 22-year-old German so highly that they’re prepared to break their transfer record and the British transfer record to secure his services. Thirty-five goals and 47 assists in 140 games from Bayern Leverkusen’s midfield speak for themselves. Reports suggest Liverpool will pay £100 million up front with up to £16 million in potential add-ons. Wirtz, currently on vacation with Frimpong, is expected at Anfield to complete a medical in the coming days.
Arsenal Predicted to be Closest Rivals
Embed from Getty ImagesBookmakers suggest that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will be the team to push Liverpool all the way during the 2025-26 Premier League season. Arsenal plays some exhilarating football, but they lack an out-and-out striker who will score 20 league goals without thinking about it.
Gabriel Jesus is too injury-prone for Arsenal to rely on, and Kai Havertz, although an excellent player, is not a natural number nine. Despite his squad being desperate for more attacking threat, Arsenal are expected to announce the arrival of Spanish defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. Zubimendi is an incredible player, but he plays in a position that Arsenal isn’t lacking.
The Gunners would be much better off going all out for Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres or Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and breaking the bank to do so. Arsenal are known to be long-term admirers of Benjamin Sesko and have been linked with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo. Arteta needs two of those signings to get over the line if he is to win Arsenal’s first league title since 2003-04.
MANCHESTER CITY’S CHANCES
Embed from Getty ImagesManchester City finished third in the league and reached the FA Cup final, but experts will tell you they endured a dreadful season. That’s because of how incredible the Citizens have been for the past decade or so. City lost nine Premier League games last season, had their lowest goals scored total (72) in ten years, and conceded the most (44) in 16 years. In past seasons, teams feared Man City, but most took the fight to Pep Guardiola’s men during the 2024-25 campaign.
Like Liverpool, City has been active in the transfer market, although the incoming signings have raised a few eyebrows. Tijani Reijnders joined from AC Milan for £46.3 million, but he won’t play if Rodri is fit. City spent £34 million bringing Rayan Cherki from Lyon, but the right-wing position was not where City’s squad needed strengthening. Rayan Ait-Nouri, arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers, could solve City’s long-standing left-back problems.
However, a Kevin De Bruyne-shaped hole in City’s midfield needs addressing. The Belgian scored 72 goals and created 120 assists in 285 Premier League games for City, yet they released the 33-year-old on a free transfer.
Then there’s a lack of striking options in the City squad. Sure, they have the amazing Erling Haaland, but if he spends any length of time on the sidelines, Guardiola only has Omar Marmoush as backup. Although the Egyptian has started well in Manchester, he’s nowhere near the threat of Erling.
Conclusion: It’s Liverpool’s Title to Lose
Embed from Getty ImagesAnything can happen during a 38-game Premier League season but it seems like the 2025-26 title is Liverpool’s to lose. They were the best team during the previous campaign, winning the league with four games to go and by ten points, and their squad is stronger than last year.
Arsenal will probably push them all the way, maybe closer than last season if they sign a striker. Manchester City will ruffle a few feathers, but their squad is weirdly stacked with surplus players in key positions and severely lacking in others.
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