All eyes turn to EPL 2025-26
Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Real Betis in Wroclaw in the final of the UEFA Conference League was the closing act of the 2024-25 season for English clubs. All eyes now turn to the EPL 2025-26.
But there’s been a seismic shift in the landscape of the English Premier League (EPL) in 2024-25, which may ripple through to next season.
clinched the title with five games to go
For starters, the reign of Manchester City is over – at least for the time being – and, instead, it was Liverpool, under the new management of Arne Slot, who dominated. The fact that they clinched the title with five games to go says everything about the outstanding job done by the Dutchman.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, they were again the bridesmaids, finishing second for the third successive season, and for head coach Mikel Arteta, it was an opportunity missed. After having, for once, seen off the challenge of Pep Guardiola’s City, this time his Gunners were forced to watch the next big show in town soar off into the distance.
Even despite failing to win their final four ‘dead rubber’ games, the Reds of Merseyside still won the title by a mammoth ten points, with the other UEFA Champions League places going to Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, and Newcastle United.
Horror seasons for Spurs and United
Notably missing from that list are two of the so-called ‘big six,’ Tottenham and Manchester United, both of whom had horror seasons in the EPL. Spurs, however, did end the season with a trophy after, ironically, beating United in the final of the UEFA Europa League.
But a 15th place finish for United and a 17th place finish for Spurs were, quite frankly, embarrassing for two teams who consider themselves to be among Europe’s elite.
both clubs appear to be miles away from challenging Liverpool
Whether this is representative of a changing of the guard in English soccer, or whether it merely reflects a one-off oddity of a season will only be revealed in season 2025-26. But what does seem clear is that both clubs appear to be miles away from challenging Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, and, possibly, Chelsea for next season’s title.
The bookies agree.
Liverpool, unsurprisingly, open as the favorites at +220 while Arsenal are predicted to be bridesmaid again as +250 joint-second-favorite with Man City (more on them later). Newcastle, perhaps surprisingly, sneak in ahead of Chelsea as fourth favorite at +1800 (the Blues are pitched at +2200), with Aston Villa, at +4500, ahead of Man Utd (+5000) and Tottenham (+7000).
At the other end of the table, the bookies agree with most pundits and, as ever, the three promoted teams – Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland – are listed as the three favorites to get relegated. While this may not reflect well on the state of English soccer, it is based on fact, as in the last two seasons, the EPL’s three promoted have gone straight back down to the Championship.
Man City soon to learn their fate on 115 charges
But there is a giant curveball in the mix. In fact, there are a few.
For starters, Man City still await the verdict of 115 charges brought against them by the EPL. The outcome, originally scheduled for the spring of 2025, has been delayed due to the complexity of the charges brought against them and the fierce defense offered by their lawyers.
ranging from expulsion from the EPL (not going to happen) to a slap on the wrists
The verdict is, however, expected to land over the next couple of months, and then things could get interesting. If found guilty – and with 115 charges against them it’s almost impossible that they will be acquitted of all of them – the EPL have a range of sanctions available to them ranging from expulsion from the EPL (not going to happen) to a slap on the wrists in the form of a fine (quite possible).
But, interestingly, sandwiched somewhere in the middle of those two extremes is a points deduction, which could, reportedly, range from anything between just two to more than 20, and/or a transfer embargo.
The prospect of points deductions will, of course, have a massive bearing on City’s chances of winning the EPL title. Even a two-point deduction could be significant given the emergence of Arne Slot’s Liverpool and the constant presence of Arsenal, but anything in double-figures could all but end any hopes of lifting the trophy at the end of the campaign.
No more de Bruyne at the Etihad
Yet, any significant sanctions could go deeper, especially the possibility of a transfer embargo. By Pep Guardiola’s admission, his squad needs a major overhaul – a process that has started with the departure of Kevin de Bruyne, so long the doyen around whom the City team has been built.
But this ageing Manchester City squad needs more than just a new de Bruyne to be restored to its former unstoppable self – it’s a process that is likely to take more than one transfer window, even when armed with Sheikh Mansour’s billions – and the inability to trade would massively hinder that process.
anything other than a ‘not guilty on all charges’ verdict will have an impact on City
Worth noting, though, is that any sanction imposed by the EPL will almost certainly be appealed by City’s lawyers, a process that would delay the outcome further still. In short, anything other than a ‘not guilty on all charges’ verdict will have an impact on City going forward, whether that be in 2025-26 or further down the line.
Good and bad news for Villa
City are not the only show in town, though, despite their dominance of the last decade, and there is a clutch of teams, led by Aston Villa, who are desperately trying to gatecrash the top six and also the so-called ‘big six’.
Villa’s fine run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League was a good indicator that they have made progress in that quest, albeit their failure to achieve UCL qualification for 2025-26 has, for the time being at least, hindered that progress.
Toon have now qualified for the UCL for the second time in three seasons
But they are far from alone in having ambitions that extend beyond being the seventh-best side in England. It could be argued that Newcastle United have edged Villa in that battle. The Toon have now qualified for the UCL for the second time in three seasons and, this season, won their first major domestic trophy since the 1950s, when they lifted the EFL Cup.
In terms of ambition and having owners with the wealth to realize that ambition, there is little to choose between the two, but lurking in the background is another sleeping giant, which is equally keen to make life as uncomfortable as possible for those who consider themselves to be among England’s big six.
Everton on the rise
While the last few seasons have been a struggle for those who inhabit the blue half of Merseyside, Everton look to be a club on the move. Both literally and metaphorically.
To start with, season 2024-25 was the first in a while in which the club hadn’t entered the final few weeks of the campaign with a very real threat of relegation hanging over its head.
Despite hovering around the relegation zone during the first four months of the season, their decision to part company with manager Sean Dyche in January and replace him with David Moyes, formerly their manager between 2002 and 2009, was an inspired one.
looking a completely different outfit to the one that found wins hard to come by under Dyche
It propelled them to the safety of a 13th-place midtable finish, with the Toffees losing just three games under Moyes and looking a completely different outfit to the one that found wins hard to come by under Dyche.
Three wins in their final three games of the season sent Everton fans off for the summer in a positive move; their penultimate game, a 2-0 home win over Southampton, being the final ever game played at their home for 133 years, historic Goodison Park.
New stadium for Toffees
In 2025-26, the Toffees will have a new home – a magnificent 52,888-seater state-of-the-art ground that has been built on the banks of the River Mersey, which will be known as the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
And with new, wealthy US-based owners on board, things are starting to look rosy for Evertonians who, for a very long time, have lived in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbors.
Toffees fans have plenty of reasons to believe that the gap can be closed
While all of the above may not add up to an immediate challenge to Liverpool and co for the title, Toffees fans have plenty of reasons to believe that the gap can be closed and they can, at least, be challenging in the top half of the EPL table.
Key to this will be how quickly they adapt to their new surroundings. Goodison Park was known for its ferocity and how difficult the home crowd could make things for visiting teams, and they desperately need the Hill Dickinson Stadium to become a similar type of fortress.
One thing is for sure: Everton FC have given themselves a chance to be a major force again.
PSR and the summer transfer window
Much will depend, of course, on the business the 20 EPL 2025-26 teams can do over the summer in the transfer market, both in terms of players they can attract and players they can afford to attract.
The EPL’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are designed to ensure the league is not simply a competition to be won by the club whose owners have the deepest pockets. Instead, it is designed to ensure clubs are run on a sustainable footing and not rely on owners covering year-on-year losses.
may not be the free-for-all of summer transfer windows gone by
This is part of the case against Man City, but other clubs, like Everton and Nottingham Forest, have already fallen foul, and others, like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, are in danger of suffering the same fate. Therefore, this summer may see a more targeted approach from EPL teams, especially from those on the danger list, and may not be the free-for-all of summer transfer windows gone by. But it will be crucial.
Teams that get value for their buck and who can bring in players who will significantly improve their squad will be the ‘winners.’ The team with the most obvious need is Arsenal’s, who, for at least two seasons, have been missing a 20-goals-a-season striker.
Oddly, this summer’s window is a two-parter, to allow for FIFA’s World Club Championship. It initially opened on June 1 and will close again on June 10, with the second part re-opening on Monday, June 16, before finally closing on Monday, September 1.
SKY dominating coverage in UK; NBC in US
Finally, another significant change for UK soccer fans will be when and how they consume their sport. Sky Sports (UK) has, for EPL 2025-26, acquired four out of the five live rights packages and so will be showing a minimum of 218 of the 267 live televized games next season. TNT is the only other provider in the UK to win a package.
As a result, in order to be able to show such a huge volume of live soccer, Sky viewers will be further encouraged to view the online streams, in addition to watching their soccer in the traditional way.
In the US, soccer fans have unlimited access to the EPL. In 2025-26, NBC won the rights to show all 380 games across its platforms, which include NBC, USA, and Peacock
