LONDON: Arsenal emerged as the top favourites to defend the English Premier League (EPL) championship in the 2026-27 season based on predictions from Opta’s supercomputer which ran 10,000 data-based simulations.
Mikel Arteta’s team ended a 22-year wait to be crowned champions last season after beating Manchester City, thus ending three consecutive seasons as runners-up.
If he manages to defend the title, Arteta will become only the fourth manager in EPL history to do so after Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
Based on Opta’s predictions, Arsenal are given a 38 percent chance of lifting the trophy again in May next year, far ahead of their nearest challengers.
Manchester City are in second place with odds of 20.5 percent, followed by Liverpool (9.2), Manchester United (6.2), Aston Villa (4.8) and Chelsea (4.1 percent).
However, Arsenal have one concern as William Saliba’s back injury could have a major impact on their performance. The Gunners’ win rate in the EPL has dropped from 68.7 to 47.6 percent when the French defender is out.
Manchester City is once again seen as Arsenal’s main challenger despite the club losing legendary manager Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool are only given a 9.2 percent chance of winning, while Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick, have a 6.2 percent chance.
Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham are given 4.8, 4.1 and 2.9 percent chances respectively to finish the season as champions. Tottenham are also among the most active clubs in the transfer market after recruiting several high-profile players.
In the relegation zone, the three newly promoted teams are expected to face the highest risk of returning to the Championship. Hull City are most at risk with a 38.7 percent probability, followed by Ipswich (31.2) and Coventry (27.9).
Sunderland have a 25.9 percent risk of relegation after a shock season last year that saw them qualify for Europe. Fulham (23.4), Leeds United (22.5) and Crystal Palace (20) are also among the teams predicted to face relegation threats.