The 2026/27 Premier League season could be absolutely anything this season - with nine teams in Europe, nine managerial changes and some big transfer deals all adding to the intrigue.
Champions Arsenal are deservedly favourites at 6/42.50 to retain their title having strengthened a deep and settled squad, while there's been upheaval and managerial changes at all of their main rivals. I'd have Arsenal even shorter given everything is in their favour again this year.
Enzo Maresca has the unenviable task of following Pep Guardiola at Man City, and has to do with without Rodri, who at the time of writing has agreed to join Barcelona, while Andoni Iraola looks to get Liverpool back challenging for the title.
Michael Carrick has the Champions League to contend with at Man Utd, Unai Emery has lost some of his best players at Aston Villa and surprise packages like Sunderland and Bournemouth face a tough task balancing European football this season.
Throw in big things being expected for Xabi Alonso's Chelsea and Robert De Zerbi's Tottenham, with no European football to deal with, and the battle for the top spots in the table looks wide open.
Let's get into the pick of the bets for Premier League places...
Top two finish - Back 10/3 Blues to challenge
Latest selected odds:
- Arsenal - 1/21.50
- Man City - 6/52.20
- Liverpool - 15/82.88
- Man Utd - 5/23.50
- Chelsea - 10/34.33
- Tottenham - 9/110.00
Arsenal are out of the equation, as Mikel Arteta couldn't be in a stronger position with Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea changing managers, while he has continued to add to his squad. There's just no chance they finish outside the top two.
In terms of squads it should really be Man City as Arsenal's main rivals again, with Elliott Anderson's expensive arrival at the Etihad, but Rodri's exit is a huge blow, and whether Enzo Maresca is up for a Premier League title fight is the big question. He won 55 of 92 games in charge at Chelsea, and won the Conference League and Club World Cup, but left Stamford Bridge under a cloud after a fallout with the ownership.
The feeling is the City job was always on his mind, but it's a huge task and whether a mixed 18 months at Chelsea can prepare him for filling Pep's shoes is a massive question. But question are a theme with all these contenders, which is why, for me, Arsenal are such big title favourites.
Swapping Bournemouth for Liverpool is a huge jump in expectation and pressure for Andoni Iraola. Adding in the Champions League will be a whole new ball game for Michael Carrick, while Alonso and De Zerbi could make huge strides forward with Chelsea and Spurs with no European football to deal with.
Chelsea could be the value play here at 10/34.33 with plenty of talent in that squad, the owners finally getting clued up on things and in Alonso a man who knows what he's doing - previously taking Bayer Leverkusen from sixth to unbeaten German champions with a 40-point swing in a league dominated by Bayern Munich takes some doing.
'Big Six' sides usually thrive without European football - Man Utd improved 12 places and 29 points last season, while the average over the past 15 years is a jump of five places and 16 points on the previous campaign. Chelsea may need something similar to Man Utd's points swing last season to nab second, but the squad they have is capable.
Maybe finishing 10th last year is an omen, as Antonio Conte took his Chelsea side from 10th to champions a decade ago. Arsenal are too strong for that to happen again, but with all the doubts about the top challengers it could be a blanket finish behind the Gunners.
With three £100m players signed, a rested Cole Palmer, some much-needed dressing room leaders in Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, and a talented coach who will have plenty of time to get his ideas across, the Blues could pinch second spot.
Back Chelsea for a top two finish
Top four finish - Back the big guns in 2/1 four-fold
Latest selected odds:
- Arsenal - 1/161.06
- Man City - 2/131.15
- Liverpool - 1/21.50
- Man Utd - 17/201.85
- Chelsea - 8/111.73
- Tottenham - 11/43.75
- Aston Villa - 9/25.50
Of the favourites here Liverpool could be in trouble if Iraola struggles to find the right formula at Anfield. Mo Salah's departure and Hugo Ekitike's injury leaves a goals gap to fill - in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai there's enough quality there but the two £100m men have yet to get anywhere near their best.
The Reds only scraped fifth last year and another summer of change won't help with continuity, but Man Utd may also struggle with the Champions League to deal with so I'd look at one of those two to miss out with Chelsea well fancied for the top four.
Alonso's Blues are worth backing more than either of the Reds or Red Devils, as the top four should be their minimum expectation under the circumstances. With Arsenal and Man City certainties there's not much room for one of the real outsiders to cause a big upset.
With a good summer Newcastle would be seen as possible candidates, but they've had exactly the opposite and losing Bruno Guimaraes and Eddie Howe means they're 14/115.00 for top four and likely in for a tough time just making the top half.
Aston Villa continue to struggle with PSR rules and losing Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans badly weakens their chances of repeating last year's fourth place - they've still got Unai Emery though who continues to prove he's one of the best around, so I wouldn't rule them out altogether.
Spurs have splashed the cash with well over £200m spent on Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan-Paul van Hecke, while Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson are great free transfer additions. Roberto De Zerbi's side will definitely have a huge improvement on successive 17th places.
Like Chelsea there's no European distraction, so there's no reason why they can't secure a place in Europe, but top four just looks out of reach this time around. So with no strong fancies from outside the market leaders, preference here is to back the four fold for Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea to grab top four spots.
Back Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd & Liverpool to finish top four
Top six finish - Forest the value at 13/27.50
Latest selected odds:
- Tottenham - 1/12.00
- Aston Villa - 13/102.30
- Brighton - 4/15.00
- Newcastle - 9/25.50
- Bournemouth - 13/27.50
- Everton - 7/18.00
- Brentford - 15/28.50
- Nottingham Forest - 13/27.50
Bournemouth (6th), Sunderland (7th), Brighton (8th) and Brentford (9th) all threatened at one stage to crack the top four last season, but three of those now face Europe and that spells trouble - especially Thursday night European football.
Nottingham Forest struggled last season after almost making the Champions League in 2024/25, while Spurs and Man Utd have suffered big drop-offs in recent years when trying to cope with Europa League Thursdays, so I'd rule out a repeat for most of last season's surprise packages.
A resurgent Chelsea and Spurs could give the traditional 'Big Six' the chance to get a clean sweep of the top six places for just the second time in eight seasons - but that recent history suggests at least one will miss out.
Spurs are the biggest price of the big six at 1/12.00, with the other five all expected to claim top six places, and with the outlay they've made it'd be a big disappointment if they failed.
Emery has masterminded three straight top six finishes for Aston Villa, two of those being top fours, so even with player departures you still have to fancy him to keep that run going at 13/102.30. He still managed to finish sixth in Villa's last Champions League season so that's another good sign.
Back Aston Villa top six finish
I don't think David Moyes will be a million miles off with Everton, who are a big price at 7/18.00 to crack the top six, but a better bet for them lies elsewhere. Two lively outsiders here are 15/28.50 shots Brentford and Nottingham Forest at 17/29.50.
With new managers, players and Champions League to deal with for bigger sides, one of these two could easily slide into the top six, with Keith Andrews falling just four points short last season. The Bees should be lively again and with Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland distracted by Europe the door could be open if they continue their progression.
They may have hit their ceiling last year though, so preference for a value bet goes with Forest on the back of hiring Oliver Glasner, who performed wonders at Crystal Palace with three trophies and a record Premier League points haul all in just over two seasons in charge.
He has a better squad at the City Ground, with Forest better than their 16th last season - cycling through four managers was a big reason for that finish. They reached the Europa League semis so with proven winner Glasner on board Forest still have enough quality to get back up the right end of the table.
Villa would be the best bet for top six here but for a value outsider shout Forest are the pick.
Back Nottingham Forest top six finish
Top half finish - Back Farke's Leeds at 9/43.25
Latest selected odds:
- Newcastle - 17/201.85
- Bournemouth - 5/42.25
- Everton - 13/102.30
- Brentford - 6/42.50
- Nottingham Forest - 6/42.50
- Leeds - 9/43.25
We'll just touch on a few prices worth looking at for a top half finish. We've talked about Brentford and Forest so with both priced at 6/42.50 that's not the worst bet in the world - or even a double on the pair.
Everton are 13/102.30 and largely being ignored this summer, but we all know what David Moyes can do. He achieved back-to-back top sevens with West Ham and he was on course to replicate that with the Toffees last season before a winless final eight games yielded just three points and dropped them from eighth to 13th.
Some late, late goals against cost them, but with Moyes and the team settled into their new stadium, some intriguing signings in Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, along with Tyrique George, Christian Norgaard and Brennan Johnson, the top half is well in sight.
But for a bet in this market then look at Leeds United and Daniel Farke, who proved a few people wrong last season with a strong finish of 16 points from their closing nine games keeping them up by eight points. They only spent two game weeks in the bottom three all season.
Farke's side had issues at both ends of the pitch that led to too many draws (14), as they underperformed in front of goal with a -5.2 xG, while conceding 56 - only the bottom four let in more. That cost Leeds crucial points but they've looked to address that in the summer.
Harry Wilson could be an excellent signing up front while James Trafford is a huge upgrade in goal and Bosnian defender Taril Muharemovic has been brought in for £34m to add more solidity at the back. The top half could beckon for the Elland Road faithful.
Back Leeds top half finish