With seven weeks left before kickoff, oddsmakers have dropped a fresh set of Premier League projections for 2026-27. And at the top, it’s familiar territory. Arsenal sit as the 6-4 favorites, with Manchester City trailing at 7-2, Liverpool at 6-1, and Manchester United at 13-2. Chelsea and Tottenham round out the projected top six at 11-1 and 28-1 respectively.
But the real story might be further down the table, where a few clubs are getting a second crack at proving themselves. Leeds United finished 14th last season — eight points clear of the drop — and Sunderland pulled off a seventh-place finish that earned them a Europa League spot. Both teams defied the usual bounce-back narrative that tends to follow promotion. They didn’t just survive. Sunderland, in particular, turned heads.
Second Season Syndrome Is Real, and So Are the New Boys
Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe has already gone public with the warning that a club’s second season in the Premier League can be brutal. The tricky part is that everyone has seen you once. They’ve got your tape. They know your tendencies. Leeds ended last season ahead of Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, and just two points behind Everton and Newcastle. That kind of company won’t make it easy again.
Meanwhile, three new sides are coming up. Coventry City enter as champions, Ipswich Town as runners-up, and Hull City clawed through the playoffs to join them. That trio will be fighting an uphill battle from day one.
Coaching Carousel Picks Up Steam
Off the pitch, there’s movement. Vitor Pereira has left Nottingham Forest, and according to reports, outgoing Palace head coach Oliver Glasner is set to take over at the City Ground. It’s the kind of mid-summer swap that can reshape a club’s identity before a single ball is kicked. Neither team has confirmed the move yet, but the chatter is consistent.
Burnley, meanwhile, are heading straight back to the Championship after just one season up, alongside rock-bottom Wolves and West Ham — the latter of whom saw relegation confirmed on the final day while Tottenham survived in fourth from bottom. That final-day drama is the kind of thing that reshapes budgets, roster plans, and manager job security overnight.
The odds will shift again before August. They always do. But for now, the preseason picture is set. Arsenal is the team to beat. Leeds and Sunderland are the ones to watch. And the new arrivals are hoping to avoid the fate that swallowed Burnley whole.
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