Arsenal and United's Title Battle: Predictions for the New Season

The new season hasn’t even kicked off and the predictions are already ageing badly. That’s half the fun. So, who’s winning what, who’s going down, and which poor sod is getting sacked first? Here’s how our panel sees the chaos unfolding.

Title Race: Arsenal’s to Lose… Unless You’re Backing United

Ask ten people who wins the league and, this year, nine of them say the same thing.

Arsenal.

Sarah Winterburn won’t hear another name. Stability, smart business and the headline arrival of Bruno Guimaraes have convinced her that nobody gets within 10 points of Mikel Arteta’s side. Dave Tickner is just as bullish, having backed them tentatively last year and now doing it “with his full chest”. Ian Watson, Jason Soutar, Lewis Oldham, Michael Lee and Nestor Watach all line up behind the same call: Arsenal, because everyone else is a mess in some form of rebuild.

Samuel Bannister edges slightly more cautious. Arsenal are “favourites” in his eyes, but he sees it being tight – drawing parallels with PSG finally cracking the Champions League and then defending it. For him, Guimaraes is the sort of signing you make when you intend to keep your crown.

There is one dissenting voice at the top of the table. John Nicholson goes for Manchester United, arguing they were the best team in the league under Michael Carrick and that “them’s the facts”. Matt Stead simply mutters, “Phase five is upon us,” and joins the Arsenal camp.

The Rest of the Top Four: Chelsea Everywhere, City Anywhere

If predicting the champions feels straightforward, the rest of the top four is a minefield.

Winterburn has Chelsea “a long way behind” Arsenal but still second, followed by Liverpool and Manchester City, with Manchester United down in fifth. Matt Stead’s version of the podium is “Cobham Current Gen” – Chelsea – then City and Liverpool.

Nicholson sees Chelsea finishing runners-up too, with Manchester City third and Aston Villa sneaking into fourth. Tickner, fully aware this is the question nobody ever gets right, lands on Chelsea, Liverpool and City “with almost zero confidence”.

Watson admits he hasn’t got a clue, but under duress names City, Chelsea and Tottenham. Soutar goes Chelsea, City, Spurs as well. Oldham has City missing the title again but staying in the top four alongside Chelsea and Liverpool, with Liverpool edging United for fourth.

Michael Lee echoes the Chelsea–City–Liverpool trio, with a nod to Spurs as potential gatecrashers. Watach backs City, Liverpool and United, adding Chelsea in fifth – likely still enough for Champions League football. Bannister flips it to Liverpool, City and Chelsea, backing Isak under Iraola and Wirtz to push Liverpool forward, while a Europe-free Chelsea are tipped to make the most of their blank midweeks.

Consensus? None. But Chelsea are everywhere.

Relegation: Promoted Clubs in the Firing Line

The bottom of the table looks far more brutal.

Ipswich, Coventry and Hull City are the names that keep coming up. Winterburn sends all three straight back down. Watson does the same. Bannister too, though he tips Coventry to give it the best shot at survival.

Tickner doesn’t overcomplicate it: “The promoted teams.” He can see worries for Fulham, Palace and Newcastle, but believes this batch of newcomers doesn’t have a Sunderland or Leeds-style survivor among them.

Stead has Hull gone without ceremony. Coventry fight hard but still drop, while Ipswich survive by going full “Leeds Protocol” and signing a squad of six-footers. Sunderland, in his world, get “xG’d” into trouble.

Nicholson’s three are Hull, Newcastle and Crystal Palace, both established clubs tumbling after new-manager collapses. Soutar, ever blunt, calls Fulham a concern, brands Ipswich “rubbish” and Hull “proper rubbish”. Oldham sees Hull and Ipswich as certainties but thinks Coventry’s momentum under Frank Lampard keeps them up, with Fulham instead taking 18th. Michael Lee, by contrast, sends Sunderland, Coventry and Hull down and backs Ipswich’s “tidy signings” to keep them afloat. Watach again goes with the three promoted clubs, calling it a grim return to the emerging norm.

The only thing everyone agrees on: someone is in for a nasty shock.

Surprise Packages: Leeds Hype, Newcastle Redemption, Coventry Hope

Talk of “pleasant surprises” feels almost nostalgic in an era where most fans just want rivals to implode, but there are a few candidates.

Leeds United are the fashionable pick. Winterburn sees them pushing into the top eight after a strong window. Nicholson has them as high as sixth, praising upgrades in goal, defence, midfield and up front. Oldham thinks they could sneak into the top ten, and Watson says they’ll be “surprising if not pleasant”. Watach reckons their strong second half of last season and smart recruitment under Daniel Farke could fuel a push towards the Conference League spots.

Tickner takes a broader view, arguing that in modern football the only truly “pleasant” surprise is a big club being hilariously awful – and notes that almost any of the traditional giants outside Arsenal could fill that role. But if he must pick a positive story, he lands on Crystal Palace, seeing them as one of the “You Fear For Them” clubs who could actually be absolutely fine with a better manager than some of their peers.

Bournemouth and Palace both finishing in the top half is Stead’s shout. Michael Lee goes for Forest making it back into Europe. Soutar prefers Coventry’s survival story and a 15th-place finish. Bannister nominates Newcastle to bounce back into the top half despite the negativity around their outgoings, putting faith in their young replacements.

Golden Boot: Haaland and Then the Rest

This one barely needs debate.

Erling Haaland is the overwhelming choice. Winterburn, Stead, Nicholson, Watson, Soutar, Oldham, Michael Lee, Watach and Bannister all hand him another Golden Boot. Some barely bother to justify it.

Tickner calls him the “Goalbot 3000” and expects the usual early-season blitz – something like 12 goals in the first nine games and a total nudging 30. He notes the each-way value behind him, pointing out that only 16 goals were needed for a place last season. He doesn’t trust Alexander Isak as a second favourite after a rough first year at Anfield, and throws out Matheus Cunha and Cody Gakpo as long-shot gambles depending on moves and roles.

Oldham and Winterburn both see Isak as the likeliest runner-up. Nicholson fancies Benjamin Sesko to come second. But the award, in almost every mind, belongs to Haaland again.

Best New Signing: Leeds’ New No.1 and Arsenal’s New Brain

There’s more variety when it comes to the most influential signing.

Leeds’ investment in James Trafford is a recurring theme. Stead declares him the answer “by definition”. Watson thinks he will make a huge difference simply by not being “dicey as f***”. Soutar loves Leeds’ early business as a collective – Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic – and picks that trio as a unit. Oldham goes further, calling Trafford a colossal upgrade who could end the season as England’s No.1. Bannister agrees Leeds may have overpaid but believes he provides the security they’ve been craving.

At the top end, Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal stands out. Winterburn backs him as a creative unlock in the champions’ midfield. Watson also thinks he’ll be “great” for Arsenal. Watach raves about Muharemovic at Leeds, calling him a defender capable of taking them to another level and predicting swift links to Champions League clubs.

Elsewhere, Mamadou Sangare’s upgrade on Jordan Henderson at Brentford earns a nod from Winterburn. Stead highlights James Trafford and Jeremy Jacquet as big upgrades in key positions. Nicholson thinks Morgan Rogers is exactly the profile Chelsea need. Tickner is seduced by Christos Tzolis’ Community Shield performance. Michael Lee, instead, looks at the deals not done, suggesting United will regret missing out on Mateus Fernandes.

Biggest Flop: City’s £116m Gamble Under Fire

To be a true flop, you have to cost a fortune. That’s the logic, and it leads several straight to Elliot Anderson at Manchester City.

Winterburn thinks he’s a runner and a worker, but not a £100m-plus player at that level. Tickner calls him the most egregious of the many “eye-watering overspends” in midfield. Michael Lee labels £116m “extortionate” and worries he’s joined City at exactly the wrong time. Bannister expects the price tag to haunt him and doubts he’ll convince.

Tottenham’s Sandro Tonali fits Nicholson’s long-standing tradition of Spurs spending big on a player who was excellent elsewhere and then regretting it. Watson fears for Morgan Rogers under the weight of his fee, and Watach is stunned that he is the second most expensive signing in Premier League history.

Soutar doesn’t hold back on Ronald Araujo – “proper bobbins” – and also sees Victor Munoz struggling at Liverpool. Oldham points to Andrey Santos, arguing that £50m is “A LOT”. Gonzalo Garcia at Fulham is Stead’s choice, citing their poor record when spending heavily.

Best Bargain: Freebies, Cut-Price Midfielders and a Future England No.1

In a warped market, defining a bargain is almost as hard as finding one.

Youri Tielemans at £35m is Winterburn’s “steal”. Bannister agrees that fee looks shrewd for his quality, even if Manchester United might not see much resale value. Watach is staggered that Hayden Hackney only cost an initial £16m, calling it “crazily low” given the rest of the summer business.

Leeds again dominate the value conversation. Harry Wilson on a free is hailed by Stead, Nicholson, Tickner, Watson and Soutar as outstanding business and a perfect fit. Free transfers might feel like cheating, but the panel keeps coming back to him. Watson also flags Xaver Schlager as a smart free.

Michael Lee takes a different angle and calls Trafford a bargain despite the record fee, arguing he’ll save Leeds so many points that the price will look cheap. Oldham highlights Christian Norgaard as a great pick-up for Everton after a superb season at Brentford. Bannister can’t quite resist another nod to Tzolis at Arsenal, insisting worse wingers have moved for more than £34m.

Player of the Year: Arsenal’s Engine Room vs Haaland’s Goals

Last season’s PFA Player of the Year, Bruno Fernandes, wasn’t on many radars in August. That sense of unpredictability hangs over this category again.

Winterburn goes for Bruno Guimaraes, believing he’ll add another layer of creativity to the champions. Oldham also backs him, citing his strong World Cup and potential partnership with Declan Rice. Watson, Tickner and Watach all plump for Rice himself, convinced that a deeper and better-stocked Arsenal midfield will allow him to dominate games and grab the headlines.

Stead picks Bukayo Saka, fresh from his World Cup hat-trick. Soutar and Michael Lee both go for David Raya, a rare shout for a goalkeeper. Nicholson thinks Elliot Anderson will peak enough to claim the award, while naming Brian Madjo as his Young Player of the Year.

Bannister keeps it simple: if Haaland scores a bucketload again and wins the Golden Boot, he’ll take this too.

First Manager Out: Fulham Nerves, Hull Turmoil and Sunderland Fears

Predicting the first managerial casualty is always a dark little game. This year, several names feel precarious before a ball is kicked.

Alvaro Arbeloa at Fulham makes multiple lists. Winterburn says it “just doesn’t feel quite right”. Watson worries about Fulham and tips Arbeloa to go, joking that the manager can thank him when he eventually gets a statue. Oldham also has him gone after a poor start.

Hull City’s Sergej Jakirovic is another popular fall guy. Nicholson picks him. Michael Lee does too, anticipating an owner keen to become a “Main Character” and stir up drama. Watach says Jakirovic has the expendable vibe of a horror-movie extra. Soutar doesn’t even bother with the name and simply calls him “the bloke from Hull” and “doomed”.

Tickner leans on history and chooses Oliver Glasner at Nottingham Forest, citing Evangelos Marinakis’ hair-trigger approach to managers. Stead throws David Moyes into the mix. Watson wonders about Diet Pep being under pressure early at City but ultimately stays with Arbeloa. Bannister’s worry is Sunderland’s Regis Le Bris, who might be a victim of second-season syndrome after arguably overachieving too quickly.

Too many new faces. Not nearly enough patience.

Champions League: Barcelona, PSG or Arsenal’s Next Step?

On the continent, the panel splits three ways.

Barcelona are Winterburn’s pick, and also Watach’s and Michael Lee’s – provided they sign a proper centre-back to play alongside Pau Cubarsi. Rodri, they argue, is the missing piece for the sort of total control that powered Spain at the World Cup.

PSG still have believers. Nicholson thinks they’ll be hard to beat again. Oldham sees them as “too good” and tips them to retain the trophy. Michael Lee has them as favourites if Barcelona don’t complete their defence. Bannister is convinced: PSG to make it three in a row, finally having worked out how to manage themselves for the biggest nights.

Arsenal, though, loom in this conversation too. Tickner notes their Champions League trajectory – quarter-finals, then semi-finals, then runners-up – and says there’s “only one way” this season can go, backing a Premier League–Champions League double and calling anything less failure. Soutar leans on the same “science” of steady progress and tips them to finally lift the trophy.

Real Madrid get a nod from Watson, because they always do. Matt Stead, typically, calls it a “pretty simple guess” without actually spelling it out.

And What Are We All Actually Looking Forward To?

Strip away the analysis and it comes down to this: what excites people?

Winterburn loves “so very many new managers”. Stead offers “An offside penis; not Richarlison.” Nicholson is eyeing “Montrose In Scottish League One”. Tickner anticipates a “neverending moral panic about corners”. Watson just wants “Tottenham Hotspur making Tickers smile”.

Soutar is bizarrely thrilled by “Keys and Gray’s podcast returning”. Oldham dreams of “Rotherham United maybe winning more”. Michael Lee revels in “No VAR in the Championship”. Watach sums it up in five words: “New managers; uncertainty, unpredictability, chaos.”

On this evidence, he’s going to get exactly what he wants.