The English Premier League is arguably one of the best and most watched worldwide. It continues to thrive beyond the English borders, with an estimated 1.9 billion viewers worldwide. The 2024/25 season kicked off on August 16th, with 20-time champions Manchester United narrowly edging Fulham by a lone goal. Meanwhile, Manchester City is the favorite to retain the title, having begun their campaign by defeating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Can anyone prevent the Citizens from making it five in a row? Pep’s team has been flying high and has continued to show consistency and tenacity. Will Arteta’s team come through having fallen behind twice in a row against City? Can Chelsea, under new manager Enzo Maresca, pull off a debut surprise? What chances are there that Arne Slot will continue Klopp’s successful legacy to contend for the title in his first season as Liverpool’s new manager? Are there any potential surprise teams like Newcastle, Aston Villa and Spurs poised to make a move? Read on for our predictions on the most likely top four premier league teams this season.
Manchester City (The Citizens)
Across all competitions this season, Manchester City is a favorite to come out on top. Specifically in the English Premier League, the 8-time champions are looking to set a new record by making it five in a row. The club was not very active in the transfer market regarding new signings. Julian Alvarez, Joao Cancelo, and Kalvin Phillips departed to join other clubs. New arrivals include the sensational right winger Savinho, who has nicely blended into the team.
However, City is missing key players like Kevin De Brunye and Rodri. While KDB will only be out for a few weeks, Rodri will be out for the rest of the season. So far, the team remains unbeaten, having only dropped points twice against Arsenal and, recently, Newcastle. Although it is still early in the season, but Pep knows too well that his team cannot afford any more losses. They face Fulham at the Etihad in their next game on match week 7. Despite these unprecedented setbacks, the Citizens are still favorites to win the league. Across the best online casinos and sportsbooks, the team currently has the lowest odd score at an average of 5/4. These top sites offer bonuses for early wagers and allow you to select other options anytime. Will Manchester City make it 5 in 5, or will Arsenal or Liverpool replace them this time? Only time will tell.
Arsenal (The Gunners)
Mikel Arteta’s side finished behind Manchester City in the last two seasons and have continued to show maturity. Will this be their breakout season? There is no doubt that Arsenal have improved significantly under Arteta as they sit third on the table with only one point behind current leaders, Liverpool. Twice, they have come close to winning the Premier League trophy but let it slip from their grasp when it mattered the most. Many have attributed this to the team’s lack of maturity and winning mentality, which is a vital feature for anyone to win the league.
Currently, the Gunners are still second favorites. With only a few games into the season, they continue demonstrating that they will give City a run for the trophy this time. Following a very heated and spectacular display at the Etihad, Arsenal held City to a 2-2 draw with ten men for over 50 minutes. The team returned to winning ways with a spectacular 4-2 win over Leicester City in gameweek 6. Their next match is still at home to Southampton, and the Gunners, who remain unbeaten this season, are most likely to continue their run.
Liverpool (The Reds)
Not many would have thought that Liverpool would finish in the top four, let alone be title contenders. Of course, it is not because the team is not strong enough, but because the architect, Jurgen Klopp, left at the end of last season. Usually, most coaches take time to adjust, especially when coming from a different league, but Arne Slot seems to be enjoying life in the English Premier League from the get-go.
The Reds are currently first in the table, ahead of City and Arsenal, with an odds of 11/2 to win the league. This is expected because the team still contains key players like Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and many other first-team players. So far, Arne Slot has managed these players without any scuffle, and the team is currently doing well across all competitions. Liverpool won their last fixture against Wolves 2-1 and will play Crystal Palace away at Selhurst Park on matchday 7.
Aston Villa (The Villans)
Unai Emery is one of the most decorated coaches in Europe. Despite an unsuccessful spell at Arsenal, he won four Europa League trophies with Villarreal and Sevilla. So far, he has instilled that mentality at Aston Villa and took the team to its first UEFA Champions League/European Cup competition after several decades. The team, although yet to hit the same level as last season, is currently fifth in the table. They missed the opportunity to go top following a 2-2 draw by the newly promoted side Ipswich Town.
Unai’s team remains a strong contender for the title and will likely stay in the top five this season. Ollie Watkins continues to lead the frontline, with many other young players springing to life already this season. The team faces struggling Manchester United at Villa Park in their next match and will be looking to return to winning ways.
