With the new Premier League season just around the corner, excitement is building, predictions are flying in, and all eyes are on how Manchester United will bounce back from a miserable run last year.
And if you ask Alan Shearer—the league’s all-time top scorer—he’s actually pretty hopeful about the Red Devils under new management.
A Rough Start That Needed a Reset
Last season started off as a nightmare for United. Under Erik ten Hag, things went downhill fast.
By October, the club found itself stuck in the bottom half of the table, which led to the Dutch manager being shown the door.
In came Ruben Amorim, the promising coach from Sporting Lisbon, with the hope of rescuing the season.
But despite high expectations, the Portuguese boss couldn’t quite lift the team out of the slump.
In fact, United finished the season in 15th place—two spots lower than when Amorim first stepped in.
A Busy Summer and Fresh Optimism
Fast forward to now, and there’s a sense of cautious optimism around Old Trafford.
The summer transfer window has been buzzing with activity, and United are reportedly set to beat Newcastle—Shearer’s former club—to the signing of highly-rated striker Benjamin Šeško.
Alan Shearer, speaking to Betfair about his predictions for the 2025/26 season, sees this as a major boost.
In his forecasted table, he has United finishing sixth—good enough to bring European football back to Old Trafford after a season’s absence.
Shearer’s Premier League Table Predictions
Here’s how Shearer sees the top of the table shaking out:
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Liverpool
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Arsenal
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Manchester City
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Chelsea
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Newcastle
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Manchester United
And rounding out the bottom three:
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Leeds
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Sunderland
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Burnley
According to Shearer, Liverpool, now under Arne Slot, will make it back-to-back titles.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal—despite finally signing a top striker—will just miss out once again, landing second for a fourth consecutive season.
Not Everyone Shares the Same Faith in United
While Shearer’s backing United for a much-improved finish, not all pundits are buying into the hype. Joe Cole, now a TNT Sports pundit, has United finishing ninth—barely inside the top half.
And former United player Owen Hargreaves? He’s going with seventh.
But when it comes to the title race, Cole and Hargreaves both align with Shearer: they believe Liverpool will take the crown again.
That’s a major vote of confidence for Slot’s squad heading into the season.
Tough Outlook for Promoted Clubs
The forecast looks grim for the newly promoted sides.
The last two seasons have seen all three promoted teams drop straight back down—and both Shearer and Hargreaves think that trend will continue.
Their bottom three includes Sunderland, Burnley, and Leeds.
Joe Cole, though, has a slightly different take.
He believes Burnley, led by Scott Parker, have just enough fight to survive. In his version, Wolves are the ones who’ll suffer the drop instead.
All Eyes on the Premier League Kick-Off
With just over a week to go before the Premier League roars back to life, fans are buzzing with anticipation.
Shearer summed it up best: “It’s going to be a fascinating season,” he said.
“You just have to look at the signings and spending—especially at the top.”
So, will Manchester United make the comeback Shearer envisions? Will Liverpool reign supreme again? Or are there still surprises in store? The countdown has officially begun.