After a short (very short) break from football, we’re back into the swing of things this weekend as the 2024/25 Premier League season gets underway.

So what can we expect from the upcoming campaign? Arsenal finally besting Manchester City in the title race? Manchester United finally getting their sh*t together? Enzo Maresca desperately trying to keep Chelsea’s 100-man senior squad happy?

For an eighth consecutive season, the editorial team at 90min have had a stab at predicting how we thing the Premier League campaign will play out.

Here are our predictions for 2024/25 and a combined consensus Premier League table.

All cycles come to an end at some point and 2024/25 could finally be the year that Manchester City are dethroned. Their successors? Arsenal, in my estimation, who continue to go from strength to strength under Mikel Arteta and are primed to finally end their 20+ year wait for a Premier League title.

Liverpool may not have added to Arne Slot’s squad but it feels as if there’s enough quality to hold onto third, besting Manchester United and Tottenham who will scrap for fourth. Aston Villa’s Champions League adventure will impact them but the signings made by Unai Emery are impressive and may secure another top-six berth. Another team to excel in the transfer window, West Ham, may oust the chaotic transfer window shoppers that are Chelsea, as well as the Alexander Isak-led Newcastle.

Ipswich and Southampton don’t have enough to survive in my estimation, but Leicester may get the job done and force Steve Cooper’s former club, Nottingham Forest, down in the process.

After pushing Man City all the way in two consecutive seasons, I’m backing 2024/25 to be third time’s a charm for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

The Gunners have gone out and fixed the main issue in their team by signing Riccardo Calafiori to play left-back, and the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri will give the team yet another impressive attacking option to call upon too.

Further down the table, I’m expecting a close race between a number of teams for a spot in the top five, with Tottenham and Manchester United ultimately edging the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle and a talented Crystal Palace team to the potential Champions League berths.

At the foot of the table, much like last season, I’m backing the newly-promoted side to go straight back down.

After a nonsense summer filled with international tournaments and players returning late to their clubs, the 2024/25 Premier League season has the potential to be one of the more ridiculous campaigns in recent memory.

Arsenal may hope some rival fatigue can help them topple the current champions, but Manchester City continue to overhaul their challengers when it matters most and have to be backed for a fifth title in a row – assuming they aren’t punished for their off-field demeanours.

Down at the bottom, I don’t expect any of the promoted sides to stay up. Leicester City might have too much to do if they’re handed a PSR points deduction and Southampton and Ipswich Town won’t have enough quality. Nottingham Forest will run all three close given their love of off-field drama which might hinder them.

It’s hard to look beyond Manchester City (again), although Arsenal should be able to run them close (again). Behind them, expect Liverpool to go strong under Slot, while Aston Villa have done enough in the summer window to keep hold of their spot in the top four, but the battle behind them could be a fascinating one as West Ham and Newcastle have built really strong squads.

At the bottom of the standings, Ipswich feel like a certainty to lose the battle to adjust to life in the Premier League. Wolves and Brentford both need to do better this time around if they are to steer away from a relegation scrap which will likely involve all the newly promoted sides.

I think this has to be Arsenal’s year that they finally win the title. Manchester City don’t look overly intent on strengthening a squad which features ageing stars and will be weakened by the loss of Julian Alvarez, who acted as foil for both Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

Beyond that, the race for top four (or even top five) should be exciting and it’s hard to split any of the contenders.

At the bottom, the promoted teams are not stronger than any of the 17 sides who were in last season’s Premier League.

Arsenal lead the table for me, as this has to be their year to lift Premier League silverware. It helps that there is a lot going on in the background at Manchester City, as well as Pep Guardiola’s impending contract expiry, but the Gunners must impress this season – it’s now or never. 

Liverpool have looked lively in pre-season under Arne Slot, so I’ve put them in the third spot. But given that will be the consensus that a lot of people will adopt, they’ll probably finish somewhere around fifth or sixth. I’ve got Everton, Leicester and Ipswich to go down.

I think Southampton could impress and cling on for another season, whereas Everton’s run in the Premier League will come to an end. I don’t think it will be a simple three up, three down this season – or I’m hoping for something more exciting than that. 

Until someone actually does topple Manchester City, it’s difficult to believe anyone will, even though Arsenal got really close last season.

Liverpool have shown in pre-season they will be a force under Arne Slot, Manchester United should improve, but Champions League football might be a tough juggling act for Aston Villa. West Ham’s strong recruitment should make them a fun watch and rise up the table, while there’s nothing about Chelsea’s summer that suggests things will get any better.

It’s going to be tough for the newly promoted sides, but one might just survive. Nottingham Forest could finally get relegated and 10th to 16th feels so fluid and unpredictable, it’s anyone’s guess.

Manchester City will win the title. I know, a revolutionary thought, but I reckon ‘farmer’s league’ status will be solidified for the Premier League by the end of 2024/25. I already believe that Arne Slot is the second coming of Pep Guardiola after a few pre-season wins but Liverpool will have to settle for third spot behind Arsenal in his debut season. Newcastle could reclaim their top four spot with no European distractions this year.

I have a feeling that Aston Villa will struggle juggling Champions League and Premier League football and may fall away in the early part of the season, while Chelsea could also struggle under Enzo Maresca.

If it weren’t for an impending points deduction, I could have seen Leicester avoiding the drop. But, much like last year, it looks likely that the three newly-promoted sides are all goners already.

I will never bet against Manchester City while Pep Guardiola is at the helm. Simple. Arsenal haven’t signed the game-breaker required to win a league title, but they’ll still be very good.

Tottenham start strong but collapse late thanks to a deep Europa League run. Man Utd sack Erik ten Hag and improve, Wolves are the surprise package, while it seems incredibly tough for each of the newly promoted teams to stay up. Southampton could be desperately poor. Although, a Joao Palhinha-less Fulham and a stagnating Brentford could find themselves in trouble. 

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