Premier League 2026-27 winner predictions: Will Arsenal implode like Liverpool in title defence?

The red-and-white decorated Premier League trophy is safely successful Arsenal's possession for a substance of months astatine the precise least, and successful the eyes of many, the colours of the ribbons volition not alteration travel May.

Mikel Arteta's holders person already been earmarked arsenic the steadfast favourites to marque it 2 successful a row, having bolstered their ranks with players successful the premier of their careers, a wide motion that the Spaniard and sporting manager Andrea Berta are seeking to physique a footballing superpower for the now.

But could Xabi Alonso's Chelsea outpouring a astonishment with nary European football? Will Andoni Iraola emulate Jurgen Klopp astatine Liverpool? Was Manchester City's atrocious Community Shield showing conscionable a 1 off? Or bash Manchester United person what it takes to decorativeness astatine the apical of the histrion for the archetypal clip since 2013?

Here, the Sports Mole squad picks their Premier League victor for the 2026-27 campaign.

Barney Corkhill, Editor - Arsenal

Every twelvemonth I effort to debar going for the squad that won it the erstwhile twelvemonth - but erstwhile that squad was highest Pep Guardiola's Man City - due to the fact that past proves that it is exceptionally hard to clasp the Premier League title.

Arsenal ne'er managed it during their aureate epoch nether Arsene Wenger - not adjacent with the Invincibles - and successful information you person to spell each the mode backmost to Herbert Chapman's legendary three-in-a-row squad of the 1930s for the past and lone clip Arsenal successfully defended a top-flight title.

It does consciousness similar Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are taking the nine into hitherto uncharted territory, though. They truthful astir won the Champions League for the archetypal clip successful their past past play and volition beryllium among the favourites to spell each the mode this year, truthful back-to-back top-flight titles would beryllium fitting for a squad that has already written its sanction into the club's past books.

There are 2 main reasons wherefore I consciousness Arsenal are wide favourites to beryllium crowned champions this year.

Firstly, they were the champion squad successful England past season, and they person lone got amended during the transportation window. Not lone person they improved arsenic a team, but they person arguably improved much than immoderate of their imaginable competitors too, truthful if thing the spread betwixt them and the remainder should turn this season.

The informing is that this was my nonstop justification for backing Liverpool to triumph the rubric past season, whereas they utterly flopped successful their defence. It is hard to spot the aforesaid happening to a overmuch much settled Arsenal squad, though.

The 2nd crushed is the authorities of their competitors. If Guardiola was inactive successful complaint of Man City, I would astir apt backmost them. However, with the genius nary longer astatine the helm, and stalwarts similar Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones besides gone, I consciousness we person seen the extremity of the Man City epoch successful the Premier League for now. We shouldn't work excessively overmuch into the Community Shield, but that was a damning effect truthful aboriginal successful Enzo Maresca's reign.

Liverpool are besides a large chartless nether Andoni Iraola, with question marks lingering implicit their defence, portion Man United with European shot to juggle and the always-unpredictable Chelsea are acold from being definite things either.

Arsenal are the lone 1 of the probable rubric contenders to not person a manager successful their archetypal afloat season, and successful specified a play of flux for the league, the Gunners' stability, quality, extent and newfound trophy-winning acquisition marque it hard to spot anyone dethroning them this year.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Arsenal

It is incredibly hard to look past Arsenal for the rubric this season. I've seen shouts for Liverpool and Chelsea, but I'm uncovering it precise pugnacious to ideate either winning it, portion Man City could beryllium successful for a transitional season. Man United volition anticipation to beryllium successful and astir the rubric race, but the Red Devils are not rather acceptable yet. Arsenal are the big, large favourites for maine this season.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator - Arsenal

No-one thought Man City would implode successful 2024-25 aft winning the 2023-24 title. No-one thought Liverpool would regress truthful sharply successful 2025-26 aft winning the 2024-25 title, and the aforesaid applies to Jurgen Klopp's 2020-21 crop.

Defending the Premier League rubric is an creation that lone Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola ever genuinely mastered, but Arteta has my implicit backing to travel successful the footsteps of his mentor and guarantee Arsenal's presumption arsenic England's apical dogs.

Carrick's Man United were adjacent to the adjacent champion happening for overmuch of past season, but the European calendar could hamper them, portion Man City were a shadiness of their erstwhile selves successful Cardiff and antiaircraft concerns are lingering for Liverpool.

A Chelsea squad playing conscionable erstwhile a week for the bulk of the play could outpouring a shock, but if the Community Shield is thing to spell by, Arsenal are already surviving up to their favourites status.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Arsenal

The reigning Premier League champions are usually backed arsenic favourites to triumph the pursuing season, and it is hard to reason against Arsenal retaining their rubric successful 2026-27.

While Mikel Arteta’s Gunners person an unmatched level of stability, their main rivals look monolithic transitions. Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United and Tottenham are each entering unpredictable caller eras nether caller managers.

In contrast, Arsenal’s squad is profoundly settled, cohesive and wholly escaped of tactical upheaval. By retaining each of their cardinal stars and bolstering their ranks with Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, the North Londoners presently look similar the astir prepared rubric contender successful the division.

If they support the league-best antiaircraft robust that anchored their erstwhile run portion prima attackers including Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres occurrence connected each cylinders astatine the different extremity of the pitch, Arsenal could beryllium the squad to bushed erstwhile again this term.

Byron David, Reporter - Arsenal

With the changes that person taken spot with different accepted rubric challengers, lone 1 squad has remained mostly changeless - Arsenal. The rubric winners people participate this run arsenic favourites, and rightly so. Mikel Arteta has recruited smartly, with immoderate different incomings inactive expected earlier the transportation model slams shut. That said, they're successful the champion presumption to support the title, with continuity their superior vantage implicit their rubric rivals. 

Seye Omidiora, Reporter - Arsenal

Unless Arsenal self-destruct, which is highly unlikely, Mikel Arteta's men should triumph the league with comparative easiness this time.

With the unit of carrying the 'bottlers' tag present disconnected and each imaginable challenger undergoing immoderate level of alteration — Man City person a caller manager and person mislaid Rodri and Bernardo Silva; Liverpool nary longer person Mo Salah and person a caller manager successful Andoni Iraola; Man Utd volition play doubly a week nether Michael Carrick for the archetypal time; and perennial handbasket cases Chelsea person a bloated squad and a caller manager successful situ with Xabi Alonso — the Gunners are primed to clasp the Premier League for the archetypal time.

Ignore the nonsense 'Arsenal person not retained the top-flight rubric since 1935' speech too, arsenic the 2026-27 discourse is wholly different. 

Marvellous Adepoju, Reporter - Arsenal

Mikel Arteta's broadside were deserving winners past play and nary of the chasing battalion person done capable successful the transportation marketplace to airs immoderate existent danger.

Arsenal look acceptable to predominate English shot implicit the adjacent mates of years and I would beryllium amazed if the rubric does not stay astatine the Emirates Stadium travel May.

Joshua Cole, Reporter - Arsenal

With different imaginable contenders going into the caller play with caller managers and immoderate level of instability, the Gunners look the astir settled to clasp the title. Mikel Arteta’s broadside inactive person a batch of areas to amended on, which makes adjacent scarier for the different teams.

Joel Lefevre, Reporter - Arsenal

While it looked similar they would vessel it astatine times past season, Arsenal yet got implicit the enactment and claimed the Premier League title. Having yet gotten implicit the hump should liberate them and let them to support their crown successful 2026-27. They inactive person a rock-solid backline that volition beryllium hard to interruption down, with midfield powerfulness and attacking extent that allows Mikel Arteta for seamless tactical rotation. 

Manchester City should beryllium their strongest contenders, but I deliberation adjusting to Enzo Maresca will instrumentality much time and the Sky Blues vulnerability successful modulation volition yet spot them travel up short. Given their continuity, endowment and their quality to travel done successful the clutch past season, I spot nary crushed to judge Arsenal won’t bash it again. 

Pedro Ramos, Trivela Coordinator - Arsenal

Arsenal person gained a important vantage for the upcoming season, and it isn't a caller signing. The Gunners person seen 2 of their main obstacles from caller seasons gone: the impactful departure of Pep Guardiola and the alleviation of yet lifting the Premier League trophy.

With their rubric rivals facing plentifulness of uncertainty, Mikel Arteta and his squad commencement the contention up of the battalion and are well-positioned to go champions erstwhile again