Premier League Predictions for the 2024/25 Season

First things first — the Premier League is unpredictable, and so is the 2024/25 season. 

If there is anything the English First Division has consistently shown anyone, it is that the premier league’s predictability is in itself an unpredictable outcome after all is said and done. Hence, as much as pundits, football analysts or fans have always predicted Manchester City as being obvious winners of the Premier League campaign, there are still surprises leading to the end of the season.

Questions such as who makes the top 4, who doesn’t make it into Europe, the team that surprises everyone and the teams that survive getting relegated are still topics that are left to the unpredictability of Europe’s most watched league. But speaking of its unpredictability, we aren’t going to let that stop us having a look at who has a chance in the 2024/25 campaign or the team that looks very likely to surprise everyone. Are we going to have a Leicester City season this campaign? Or a very dramatic campaign that differs from the others?

At TopNaija, we would start by looking at the 2024/25 season as a blank slate and then by the lens of the team strength and presumed weaknesses before making any prediction.

The popular consensus by now, is that Manchester City are going to win a record 5th consecutive premier league title. And why not? They still have almost the same team that carried them to glory in the last 2-campaigns, they still have a tactically astute manager who never or rarely gets caught off-guard, and then there is the fear factor of them being Manchester City — every team is going to let them do whatever they want and have their way with it.

But can Manchester City do it again for a fifth consecutive time?

At this point, we would give that question, 2 answers — yes and no. Yes, because it is what Manchester City has always done. They start the premier league season poorly only to capitalize on their opponents’ lapses in the mid-season and then take all the glory back to the Etihad come end of the season. There is a precedent and history has now shown them do it time and again.

But why we believe they would not do it, is that the premier league has its karma, and with the Cityzens facing 115-charges, their rivals strengthening in their ranks, confidence growing by the day amongst the lesser known teams, Manchester City could have a very shocking 2024/25 campaign that could be reminiscent of the 2019/20 season, where surprisingly they did not win the premier league.

Who wins the Premier League if not Manchester City?

To go the simple route, everyone would say Arsenal, and of course, why not Arsenal? They have proven they can challenge Manchester City to a title race, even if the two seasons they have done so, they failed to win it.

However, we believe the Gunners are going to finish a surprising 4th this season, with Aston Villa and Unai Emery coming as the X-factor lots of people have slept on in their predictions. The Villans last season, surprised everyone by making it into 4th place when the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United with much more interesting prospects could not do it.

We believe Unai Emery will have a boost from the 2023/24 season to surprise the premier league and emerge either 2nd in the premier league or win it.

Where does the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United finish?

Chelsea no doubt have built themselves a squad, and carried out a very busy summer transfer window. However, we have seen in the 2019/20 season and in the 2015/16 season where Liverpool and Leicester City emerged winners of the premier league, that having a big squad or having a busy summer transfer window, doesn’t mean you get to challenge for the league title or win it.

Of course, there are other precedents that counters it, but for the Blues, they have a different team from last season even though there are same players on it. They also have a new coach, Enzo Maresca with a different style of play that is very dissimilar to Mauricio Pochettino’s. Hence, we see the 2024/25 season as a learning campaign for the Blues who we would predict as finishing 6th.

For Liverpool, this is very tricky…

Having a good pre-season as the premier league has time and again proven, means nothing, and starting with a new head coach, who is new to European big stage can be tricky. Even though many predict the Reds to make it into the top 4, we would exercise caution and predict a top 5 place for Liverpool. The Reds are still vulnerable despite what the pre-season makes them to believe.

Manchester United would finish 3rd 

Erik ten Hag has shown something in his Community Shield face off with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side; he learns, unlearns and relearns. This season is going to be an exciting one for the Red Devils. They surprisingly have a squad for it now who is ready to go for it under a new club hierarchy.

Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United is where it gets tricky…

Spurs and the Magpies in the last 2-seasons built themselves a profile as the campaign’s X-factors, and even if Tottenham Hotspur couldn’t make it into the Champions League spot last season, their 2023/24 season was very impressive under a new manager; Ange Postecoglou who hadn’t a taste of European football prior to his appointment. No one knows what to expect from these two, with Postecoglou and Eddie Howe unpredictable on their own.

However, we would tap into the previous campaigns to suggest the Magpies could finish 7th in the league; joint points with Chelsea, while Tottenham finishes 8th.

Who gets relegated from the Premier League?

There are lots of predictions that say Manchester City could get a nod for the relegation spots following their 115 charges of Financial Fair Play breaches. The premier league is going to provide a verdict this season either way, and if found guilty; relegation could be on the cards for Manchester City. However, we would remove that narrative and peg Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Brighton and Hove Albion for the drop zone.

Who wins the 2024/25 premier league golden boot and golden glove?

The consensus has Erling Haaland doing it again for a third consecutive season, however, we think this season’s golden boot could be a shared affair with the likes of 2 or 3 players getting the piece. We predict this may be Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez’s season, Heung Min-Son for a second golden boot season, and Erling Haaland again.

For the golden glove, we eye Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez having a season of clean sheets.