Premier League 2025/26 preview – title predictions, key fixtures and big storylines as the EPL gets underway
Sports journalist and Man City fan Bill Borrows sizes up the opening weekend of the EPL as soccer biggest events kicks off live on Friday, August 15...
Seasoned Man United haters watchers will be hoping United get off to a flying start with their all-new forward line of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo and romp home 3-0. This then guarantees that #UnitedAreBack starts trending before hitting the relegation positions in early October and their all-new forward line start looking for new clubs. This is now, officially, 'The Manchester United Way'.
Prediction: Man United 3 Arsenal 0
The first game of the season should be a banger. The media will be keen to anoint Liverpool as the greatest team the world has ever seen within three minutes of kick-off (millions of fans who couldn't find Liverpool on a map = millions of clicks) but, given the amount the new Premier League Champions have spent to try and retain the title – almost £300 million – compared to Bournemouth's brave £70 million net spend to ward off relegation, anything less than a total humiliation of Andoni Iraola's side will be unacceptable. Bournemouth will score first, however.
Prediction: Liverpool 3 Bournemouth 1
Viktor Gyokeres hasn't even kicked a ball in the Premier League yet but his boss at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, went very large after his debut goal pre-season. 'If you leave Gyokeres one vs one, he will destroy you' he said, in no way adding to the weight of expectation the Swedish international must be feeling after being identified as the one missing piece of the jigsaw that has stopped Arsenal winning the title in recent years. Expect Arteta to be in this slot most weeks until he is fired just after Christmas.
Here's where I think every team in Premier League will finish the title race – and why.
1 Man City
Guardiola will insist
2 Chelsea
Starting to click
3. Liverpool
Cracks at the back
4. Arsenal
Can't cross the line
5. Aston Villa
Emery and Europe
6. Nottm Forest
Hit ceiling
7 Tottenham
Frank factor
8. Newcastle
Isak or no Isak, unsettled
9. Crystal Palace
Ready for top half
10. Brighton
Mid-table forever
11. Man Utd
New strikers, same defence
12. Everton
New ground bounce
13. West Ham
Holding pattern
14. Bournemouth
Gravity
15. Leeds Utd
Not enough quality
16. Fulham
Not strengthened
17 Brentford
New era but lost players
18 Wolves
Lost key players
19. Sunderland
Too big a step
20. Burnley
Yo-yo club
Sky Sports' new 'Multiview' feature is controversial. Younger fans are already embracing it while older fans aren't so sure. Why pay a subscription to watch multiple screens when you can just watch legendary British sports round-up Soccer Saturday? You wouldn't wash the car and then take it to a car wash...
Friday, August 153 p.m. — Liverpool vs Bournemouth (USA Network)
Saturday, August 16 7.30 a.m. — Aston Villa vs Newcastle (USA Network) 10 a.m. — Brighton vs Fulham (USA Network) 10 a.m. — Sunderland vs West Ham (Peacock) 10 a.m. — Tottenham vs Burnley (Peacock) 12:30 p.m. — Wolves vs Man City (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, August 179 a.m. — Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (USA Network) 9 a.m. — Nottingham Forest vs Brentford (Peacock) 11:30 a.m. — Man Utd vs Arsenal (NBC, Peacock)
Monday, August 183 p.m. — Leeds vs Everton (USA Network)
Friday, August 223 p.m. — West Ham vs Chelsea (USA Network)
Saturday, August 23 7.30 a.m. — Man City vs Tottenham (USA Network) 10 a.m. — Brentford vs Aston Villa (USA Network) 10 a.m. — Burnley vs Sunderland (Peacock) 10 a.m. — Bournemouth vs Wolves (Peacock) 12:30 p.m. — Arsenal vs Leeds (NBC, Peacock)
Sunday, August 249 a.m. — Everton vs Brighton (USA Network) 9 a.m. — Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest (Peacock) 11:30 a.m. — Fulham vs Man Utd (USA Network)
Monday, August 253 p.m. — Newcastle vs Liverpool (USA Network)
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