Tim Howard has named the ‘frontrunners’ to clinch the Premier League trophy this season – and feels there’s a second team who are a ‘wildcard’.
The ex-Manchester United and Everton goalkeeper feels four clubs will be in the 2025-26 title race – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Arsenal have finished as runners-up for the last three seasons in a row and are desperate to get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 2004.
Chelsea are also in the mix after making huge improvements under their head coach Enzo Maresca, winning the Club World Cup over the summer.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are the defending champions of England having won the top-flight title in Arne Slot’s debut season as their manager last term.
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City cannot be discounted either, having landed four Premier League trophies in a row before Liverpool ended their winning streak last season.
Howard: Liverpool are the frontrunners
Quizzed for his thoughts on the 2025-26 title race at the Premier League Summer Series pre-season tournament, Howard told Sky Sports: ‘Liverpool, for me, are the frontrunners.
‘They’ve made incredible signings. They’re going to start the season flying, I know it.
Who have Liverpool signed this summer?
- Milos Kerkez – Bournemouth, £40m
- Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen, £116m
- Jeremie Frimpong – Bayer Leverkusen, £29.5m
- Giorgi Mamardashvili – Valencia, £29m
- Hugo Ekitike – Eintracht Frankfurt, £79m
- Armin Pecsi – Puskas Akademia, £1.5m
- Freddie Woodman – Preston, free
‘[But] I can’t bet against Pep Guardiola. They’ve only had one bad season under him. They could come good.
‘Arsenal have done amazing business [too] – they got their No.9 (Viktor Gyokeres) so they could really challenge.’
Howard: Chelsea the ‘wildcard’ to win title
‘Chelsea is the wildcard,’ Howard added. ‘The won a European title (the 2024-25 Conference League) and the Club World Cup.
‘I’m thinking, ‘This is coming together really quick’ – quicker than I thought.
Who have Chelsea signed this summer?
- Jamie Gittens – Dortmund, £51.5m
- Joao Pedro – Brighton, £60m
- Liam Delap – Ipswich, £30m
- Jorrel Hato – Ajax, £38.5m
- Estevao Willian – Palmeiras, £29m
- Dario Essugo – Sporting, £18.5m
- Mamadou Sarr – RC Strasbourg, £12m
- Kendry Paez – Independiente del Valle, £17.3m
‘For me, that will be the Premier League top four. I also think it will be tight because all of these teams will take points off each other.
‘But Liverpool are the frontrunners.’
Liverpool host AFC Bournemouth in their first Premier League match of the new season on August 15, while City take on Wolves on August 16.
Arsenal and Chelsea both play their opening matches on August 17, against Ruben Amorim’s United and Crystal Palace respectively.
