Last season’s Premier League threw up plenty of surprises.
Who thought Chelsea, fresh from being crowned world champions, would finish outside the European spots and burn through two full-time managers?
Who thought Sunderland, who clinched a spot in the top flight after edging out Sheffield United in the play-offs, would finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League?
Who thought Alexander Isak, the most expensive signing in British football history, would end his first season at Liverpool with three Premier League goals?
You get the gist.
Here are our surprising predictions for the 2026/27 campaign…
1. Leeds challenge for a Champions League spot
Daniel Farke’s well-documented tactical tweak at Manchester City in November transformed Leeds’ fortunes and the West Yorkshiremen looked very comfortable in the Premier League thereafter. They suffered just four league defeats in 2026 and also reached the FA Cup semi-finals. The signings of Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic and James Trafford will further improve a good squad and with so many of the established challengers starting afresh under new managers, this opens the door for a memorable season at Elland Road.
2. Matthias Jaissle sacked by Christmas and Newcastle go down
Newcastle have a fortnight to sign some quality before the transfer window closes. If they continue to muddle along – being rejected by a player as distinctly average as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is a major red flag – then they are in serious danger. The departures of Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes leave a gaping hole and while the replacements may be talented, they have no experience of the rigours of the Premier League. New boss Jaissle has an almost impossible job unless his squad is bolstered.
3. Coventry and Ipswich stay up
Sunderland and Leeds provided the blueprint last season on how to survive as a newly promoted club. Ipswich have been active in the transfer market – and appear to have learned the lessons from their last top-flight stint. Gone are the punts on good Championship players and, instead, they have signed the likes of Saka Lukic, Issa Diop and Florentino Luis, all of whom have top-flight experience. Chuck in the £24m signing of Toulouse striker Emersonn and you can see why optimism is high in Suffolk. Coventry start from a stronger base having won the Championship last season and they have done well to re-sign goalkeeper Carl Rushworth on a permanent basis. Energetic midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi could prove a very shrewd acquisition.
4. Hull win fewer points than Wolves did last season
You can debate whether this is actually a surprising prediction. Hull did wonderfully well to clinch promotion last season but their summer business merely lends weight to the expectation they will make a swift return. The likes of Matt Target and Jack Butland weren’t good enough on their last stints in the Premier League while Konstantinos Tzolakis and Jens-Hjerto-Dahl are unknown quantities. Wolves claimed 20 points in a miserable 2025/26 season that seemed doomed from the outset. This could be a similar tale of woe.
5. Chelsea fail to make Europe again
Xabi Alonso has been brought in to right the wrongs of last season but he first has to contend with a hugely bloated squad that needs serious work. The Blues have 41 senior players on their books with the possibility of more arriving. The signings of Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck also point to an alarmingly complacent atmosphere in a dressing room populated by young players on hugely lucrative long-term contracts. It appears a mess and it may take Alonso a couple of years to get them back on the right track. Whether he’s afforded that amount of time is another question altogether.
6. Viktor Gyokeres beats Erling Haaland to the Golden Boot
Gyokeres scored 14 league goals in his first season at the Emirates despite regularly looking short of confidence. But, following Arsenal’s title success, the Swede can break free of the shackles and sparkle this year. Haaland comes into a Premier League campaign without Pep Guardiola as boss for the first time. He may also need a little longer to get up to speed after a lengthy post-World Cup break. Enzo Maresca is renown for his patient build-up which may mean fewer chances for Haaland to put away.
7. Pierre Sage is the first Premier League manager to be sacked
Sage worked wonders at Lens last season but will find the Premier League a different beast. At some point Palace’s inability to keep hold of their best players will come back to bite. Maxence Lacroix is the latest man to leave Selhurst Park, leaving a squad that already appears short of quality. If majority owner Woody Johnson runs the Eagles like he does the New York Jets then it won’t take long for a change to be made.
8. Isak scores fewer than 10 Premier League goals
The Sweden international has struggled for fitness since moving to Merseyside. And it is unlikely he would have welcomed the arrival of new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola. Iraola’s high-energy, high-press game may have suited Isak at Newcastle but his recent injury problems mean he is susceptible to a relapse. Expect plenty of niggles and little rhythm for a player who needs to convince Reds fans he is worth the huge outlay.
9. Benjamin Sesko scores more than 20 Premier League goals
Sesko flitted in and out during his first year at Manchester United but still finished the season as joint top-scorer with 11 league goals. The Slovenian should assume the mantle of first-choice number nine and repeat his prolific numbers at both RB Leipzig and Salzburg. With creative genius Bruno Fernandes operating behind him, this should be a big year for Sesko as he looks to justify his hefty price tag.
10. Enzo Fernandez receives four or more red cards
The combative Argentina midfielder reportedly wants out of Chelsea but with no takers at present he will be forced to stay. His antics during the World Cup, when he was a key antagoniser in Argentina’s last-four win over England before being dismissed in the final defeat to Spain, will mean he is a marked man when the Premier League resumes. His frustration at not getting a move, and being the focus of fans’ fury, will manifest itself in an ill-disciplined campaign.
