The Rondo, Premier League preview: Can Arsenal repeat? Will Liverpool and Spurs deliver?

Tom Hindle: Arsenal, though it might not be all that comfortable. They are the most experienced team here, coached by the only manager in the Premier League who has won the league before. There is, indeed, great irony in the Gunners going from perennial bottlers to clear favorites, but it has been a summer of immense change in the Premier League. For that reason alone, it is Arsenal's to lose, even if they will no doubt be pretty tired with four competitions to go for. Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City might make it uncomfortable. But by February, Arsenal will pull away and get over the line.

Alex Labidou: Arsenal. Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United will challenge, but the title will remain in North London. Defense wins championships, and Mikel Arteta’s side remains stout in that area. The key will be whether Viktor Gyökeres can go from decent to a star. Kai Havertz appears set to start up top, but Gyökeres is Arsenal’s true No. 9, and the club invested heavily in him. In tight matches with chances at a premium, Arteta will need the striker to step up. Will he?

Ruby Naylor: Nottingham Forest. I don’t bet against my own team...ever. My head, unfortunately, says Arsenal. I really, really do not want to predict back-to-back Premier League titles for them, but no one else has made a convincing case yet. Unless we see a major last-minute transfer - Liverpool landing Bradley Barcola, for example - it is difficult to see who stops Arsenal.

TH: Bit boring, but the three promoted teams. Hull basically stumbled their way in, Ipswich don't have the quality, and Coventry committed the cardinal sin of winning the Championship by playing football. They can't do the same in the Prem. Would be nice to see some variety, and Fulham, Newcastle and perhaps Bournemouth will feel the heat. But they will all have too much.

AL: Hull, Ipswich and Fulham. The odds won’t be kind to the three promoted sides, and I expect two of them to go straight back down - most likely Hull and Ipswich. Fulham, meanwhile, have taken a full swing at recruiting youth. With a new manager in Álvaro Arbeloa and a squad relying heavily on players without Premier League experience, will the Cottagers have enough? Newcastle are my dark-horse relegation candidate after losing several key stars, but Fulham are my third pick.

RN: Hull, Ipswich and Leeds. I expect another close relegation battle involving some established Premier League teams, including Crystal Palace. In the end, though, at least two of the promoted clubs will go straight back down, and I’m picking Hull and Ipswich. The final spot is a toss-up, but I’ll go with Leeds.

TH: Arsenal, Man City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea. No hot takes here, really.

Man City are a team full of winners, and they have Erling Haaland. Man United are actually a really good football team who have strengthened in midfield. Liverpool will play some good football, but their defense is suspect. It's tempting to give Chelsea a bit more of a boost, especially with no European football. But there are a lot of moving parts, and even a coach with the talent of Xabi Alonso might have trouble getting them going in the early days of the season.

AL: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City. Enzo Maresca still needs a few additions, or City could be in for a challenging first season after Pep Guardiola.

RN: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool.

TH: Nottingham Forest. They had four managers last year, and really struggled in the league while contending with a tricky European slate. With none of that to deal with and a really talented coach in Oliver Glasner brought into the fold, they will compete for Europe again - loss of Elliot Anderson be damned.

AL: Chelsea. Yes, it’s difficult to call a club that has spent more than £1 billion on recruitment since Clearlake Capital’s arrival a team that could “surprise.” But consider the Blues’ recent history. Chelsea once challenged for trophies in England and Europe almost every season under Roman Abramovich. Since his departure, the club has cycled through managers, cut ties with stars and relied extensively on youth.

Now, under highly regarded new manager Xabi Alonso, Chelsea look far more balanced than they have in recent years. If Alonso can get Enzo Fernández fully committed after a summer of transfer speculation, the Blues could go from 10th to the title race.

RN: Brighton. Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea will be a major improvement on what we have seen over the past couple of years, but that should not be especially surprising. Brighton are my real pick: I expect them to make a strong push for European qualification and enjoy a deep run in the Conference League.

TH: Spurs are a decent shout given the amount of money they have spent retooling. Their starting XI is almost completely brand new, and it will be fascinating to see how things play out. Anything less than Europe would be an immense let down. I worry about Aston Villa, though, who lost both Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa, and haven't done enough to replace them."

AL: Newcastle are the easy choice, considering the major stars they have lost without adequately replacing them. So how about Spurs? Roberto De Zerbi is a great manager, and almost anything would be an improvement on last season’s hellish run.

But after already spending more than £230 million - with that figure potentially approaching £400 million if the reported moves for Savinho and Omar Marmoush are completed - the expectation will surely be a Champions League challenge. This squad still has holes.

The midfield looks formidable, and Spurs are reportedly attempting to address their attacking needs. But neither Savinho nor Marmoush is through the door yet, and neither gives them a proven 20-goal-a-season Premier League scorer. Is there an elite, top-10 Premier League center back in this squad?

Tottenham should comfortably return to the top half, but would finishing eighth or ninth be enough for a notoriously fickle ownership group and fan base after this level of investment?

RN: Aston Villa. They will struggle to keep pace with the Premier League’s top teams. We have seen plenty of success and improvement over the past few years, but I expect regression in 2026-27. Villa have lost too many key pieces - Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and now Ezri Konsa - without replacing them convincingly.

TH: Arsenal's pursuit of a back-to-back title. Mikel Arteta went all LinkedIn bro in a recent interview, claiming that Arsenal are "attacking" the Premier League title, not "defending" it. TED Talk nonsense aside, going back-to-back would put this Arsenal side among the PL greats on stats alone. Let's see if they can do it.

AL: Whether Manchester United are truly back. The Red Devils passed on several talented managerial options, including Mauricio Pochettino, to keep Michael Carrick, a former star who impressed after taking over and guided them to third. Can United sustain the form they showed during the second half of last season?

This club has cycled through managers who made strong first impressions before results eventually slipped. If Carrick can deliver consistency, United may finally begin to resemble the global giant they should be.

RN: Whether Man City can be the same team - or even a similar one - without Guardiola. If their 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal was any indication, they’re in trouble.