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3 weeks ago
The important point to retrieve astir predictions is that they are not conscionable a spot of fun. Within them they show your heavy hatred of insert your nine here, your thinly cloaked schedule against insert Arsenal here. Ignore nan apologies for relegating you pinch nan “I’ve sewage to prime someone” defence. It’s a database that represents vitriol and indifference successful adjacent measure.
Prediction is excessively pompous a connection for it. What we are doing present is called guessing. And immoderate you do conjecture will beryllium little fanciful and ridiculous than what really happens. None of your “in nan knows” had Liverpool sewing nan title up by March, Manchester City winning 1 successful 13, Manchester United 15th, Spurs 17th, Crystal Palace winning nan FA Cup, Chris Wood scoring 20.
So fixed nan full futility of nan process, present pinch almost nary condemnation is my 2025-26 Premier League 1-20.
1 Manchester City*. The terrible run they went connected past play was odd, and highly entertaining. This is based connected Pep Guardiola’s insane hunger for each of this, for nan bequest of rebuilding this squad again. I emotion Omar Marmoush – not conscionable because it is simply a awesome sanction for commentators to outcry arsenic a shot flies in, but chiefly that.
2 Arsenal. It is nosy to deliberation astir Arsenal finishing 2nd again and again and again. Martín Zubimendi is simply a awesome footballer – their midfield is elite. Viktor Gyökores should beryllium good. He whitethorn not be. Smarter group than maine (Jonny Liew) person suggested he will astatine slightest inhabit defenders to specified a grade that Bukayo Saka will person a record-breaking season. Myles Lewis-Skelly/Ethan Nwaneri person almost limitless potential. Being nan second-best squad is really rather impressive, but astatine immoderate constituent personification will beryllium yelling: “You can’t beryllium dropping points astatine location to Fulham and expect to beryllium champions.”
3 Liverpool. Note, this is written earlier Liverpool 3 (Ekitiké 37, Salah 54, 83) Bournemouth 1 (Evanilson 47). Integrating truthful galore large players for Arne Slot will beryllium difficult. Florian Wirtz is simply a joy, but will alteration really others person to play. I emotion Milos Kerkez, but pinch Jérémie Frimpong connected nan different broadside this isn’t Andy Fensome and Alan Kimble. There will beryllium holes. Of each nan unknowables, really Diogo Jota’s erstwhile teammates and friends react to his heartbreaking death is possibly nan hardest to judge. Dressing rooms are aggravated workplaces. You walk truthful overmuch clip pinch your teammates. And while nan news rhythm conscionable bulldozes our smartphones and we jump from 1 calamity to nan adjacent earlier we’ve had clip to process nan past one, this will beryllium astatine nan forefront of a batch of his friends’ minds. Grief affects group successful different ways, and immoderate players will find nan escapism of being connected nan transportation liberating, but others won’t. Much of our study of athletics is superficial – we ne'er cognize really immoderate subordinate is really emotion – and this is simply a stark and incredibly sad illustration of that.
4 Chelsea. They are astir apt nan only different squad who could triumph nan league. And though it feels arsenic if they’ve bought each nan attacking midfielders, nan reality is they’ve bought nary much than 20. It doesn’t consciousness romantic. Some of nan caller harvest will beryllium Nkunku’d earlier long. And yet Cole Palmer is truthful wonderful and by each accounts Estêvão whitethorn 1 time beryllium mentioned successful nan aforesaid activity arsenic your Pelés, your Zidanes – but let’s not put excessively overmuch unit connected nan lad. The defence is not each that robust, but further guardant they could beryllium really something.
5 Spurs. Here’s immoderate recency bias, but there’s immoderate existent enthusiasm aft nan Super Cup, particularly if we disregard what happened. Some players put successful their champion performances successful a Spurs shirt: Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr, Richarlison. Djed Spence was superb. If they adhd Eberechi Eze, and moreover Savinho, and location is immoderate benignant of communal demolition supra them, my supercomputer would springiness them a 1% chance of nan title. What would Ange deliberation watching Kevin Danso arch his backmost and Andy Legg it into nan container from anywhere?
6 Aston Villa. This whitethorn beryllium a small generous fixed their summertime deals. But Unai Emery is still Unai Emery. Our obsession pinch transfers ignores things specified arsenic teams already being good. Morgan Rogers is 1 of nan 2 champion Morgans successful nan convention and Youri Tielemans is routinely ignored despite his brilliance. For nan bully of shot Emi Martínez should person gone to Atléti. But he remains, perpetually shattering my mentation to ne'er spot a short-sleeved goalkeeper.
7 Manchester United. Why person I done this? File it possibly under: “It can’t spell connected for ever”. Obviously, it can. Here’s hoping. If they play Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo and driblet Bruno Fernandes into midfield, they request someone/something really alternatively mobile adjacent to him. T1000 positive nan Roadrunner positive highest N’golo Kanté. Arsenal first up is fascinating. They’ll astir apt lose, and nan unit is connected immediately. No astonishment if Ruben Amorim doesn’t past nan season.
8 Nottingham Forest. This is generous. And done earlier nan Omari Hutchinson/James McAtee deals. Keeping Morgan Gibbs-White is immense (blink doubly if they’re treating you well, Morgan) and Elliot Anderson was standout astatine nan under-21 Euros. Wood will request to autumn into Obelix’s magic potion again, but nan backmost 4 and keeper are still location (shout to nan oft-ignored Neco Williams who was ever superb erstwhile I watched him past season).
9 Brighton. Could beryllium sixth, could beryllium 12th. Brighton’s well-run, well-recruited exemplary is starting to get a small boring for neutrals. But they confound nan cliche that you can’t support buying inexpensive and trading large (to Chelsea). Turns retired you can. Of their 4 awesome signings, I’d heard of 2 – and moreover seen 1 play. But history suggests they’ll each beryllium great.
10 Newcastle. There are decidedly problems astatine St James’. PIF appears to beryllium much willing successful its ain league, successful golf, successful MOSES ITAUMA VERSUS DILLIAN WHYTE. Above Eddie Howe it seems a spot of a mess. But beneath him location is Jason Tindall and a really bully squad. And location is St James’. One of nan fewer places wherever group are awake for a Saturday 12.30pm game. There will ever beryllium a mates of those games wherever Newcastle seemingly conscionable people pinch each attack.
OK mid-table now, let’s get a rattle connected …
11 Crystal Palace. Wronged by Uefa. Perhaps losing Marc Guéhi and Eze, but still a bully squad pinch an fantabulous manager. As laminitis of nan Adam Wharton fanclub, rank grows by nan game.
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12 Everton. Shiny stadium. Shiny Jack Grealish. It feels incorrect for location to beryllium enthusiasm astir Everton. Moyes ended nan play brilliantly. I thought it was a bad appointment. I was wrong. Hopefully, Thierno Barry aliases Beto get connected nan extremity of nan productivity of Grealish and nan superb Iliman Ndiaye. Slightly tense astir their centre mids.
13 Fulham.
14 Bournemouth. Marcus Tavernier must beryllium wondering why nary one’s bought him arsenic he looks astir and nan keeper and nan remainder of nan backmost 4 person gone.
15 Leeds. Speaking pinch Yeboah-like dream complete judgement possibly but Leeds successful nan Premier League is simply a bully thing. I person a small hunch Sean Dyche will support them up.
16 Brentford. There’s guessing and past there’s guessing. Who knows? Is Keith Andrews good? Can Mikkel Damsgaard beryllium arsenic bully again? No idea.
17 Sunderland. Yearning for nan promoted sides to do a amended occupation than nan past three, Sunderland could beryllium worse than Southampton, but recruitment has been fun, and so, pinch apologies, I’ve sewage to relegate someone.
18 Wolves. This is astir apt a unspeakable prediction. Vítor Pereira did specified a superb job. Given nan conveyor loop of fantabulous Portuguese midfielders (still don’t rather judge João Neves doesn’t play for them), you tin beryllium forgiven for forgetting which ones are location astatine immoderate 1 time. João Gomes is very good. But Rayan Aït-Nouri (always perceive Leyton Orient), Cunha and Nélson Semedo are large losses.
19 Burnley. Yeh.
20 West Ham. FYI Hammers fans, its @maxrushden connected each nan socials if you want to travel for me. Don’t worry, you’ll beryllium good – I relegated Nottingham Forest past season.
Football Weekly Live. On Thursday 11 September, subordinate Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and recently announced panellists Jonathan Wilson, Nicky Bandini and Jonathan Liew for 1 nighttime only astatine nan Troxy, London. Featuring nan podcast’s unsocial return connected nan world of shot – positive assemblage interaction, typical guests and stories nan lawyers don’t fto america show connected nan podcast. Book tickets here aliases theguardian.com/footballweeklylive
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