Premier League 2026-27 season preview: DAZN News panel makes its predictions

Realistically though, some teams and players are more likely to make waves in the 2026-27 season than others. There will be some surprises as well, and that's all part of the fun of looking forward when everyone still has a clean slate.

Here are the DAZN News panel's picks for league winners, Golden Boot winner, dark horse team and player to watch.

Premier League 2026-27 season preview: DAZN News panel's picks

League winners

Arsenal

Ash Rose: Arsenal

I don’t think you can look past Arsenal retaining their Premier League title.

It’s something the Gunners have never done, but having finally got over the line with their first championship in two decades, they look so far ahead of their rivals that it would take a monumental meltdown for them not to make it back-to-back wins.

They have the most settled squad, and their two nearest rivals are under new management in what feel like transitional years, so it feels like the trophy is staying in North London.

Alex Charlton: Arsenal

One of the only top sides to have retained their manager, they are the most prepared side and now have that all-important winning mentality. In Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes, they have strengthened weaker positions, and if their key players avoid injuries, then they should retain their title.

Matt Astbury: Arsenal

I pick Arsenal as favourites to win this season’s Premier League. After years of building, Mikel Arteta has built a squad which looks unstoppable, and with several of their rivals going through transitions, the Gunners could win it at a canter.

When it comes to their closest challengers, I’m expecting it to be Chelsea; the Blues do not have European football to worry about this season, and we saw last season what it did for Manchester United when it came to turning around their fortunes.

Rudi Schuller: Arsenal

It's hard to look past Arsenal's absurd squad depth, which only got better over the summer with the additions of Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and, reportedly, Ezri Konsa.

Mikel Arteta already had one of the deepest squads in Europe at his disposal last season, and they've added more top-quality players to a team that now has championship pedigree and a clear identity.

With many of their key rivals in a state of flux, the Premier League should be Arsenal's to lose.

Golden Boot

Ash Rose: Alexander Isak (Liverpool)

Now that Alexander Isak has had a proper pre-season under his belt and is back fit and firing, we may see the best of the Swede once again.

Obviously Erling Haaland is the favourite, but if Isak is the main focus of the Liverpool attack, then he’ll get plenty of chances and has the killer instinct to rival the Norwegian once again. I think he could have a very good season for the Reds.

Alex Charlton: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

It feels like a rather boring prediction, but it is impossible not to pick Erling Haaland. He has won three of the last four Golden Boots, and unless Alexander Isak significantly ups his game this season, then I can't see who else challenges him.

Matt Astbury: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Once more, it will be Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

New manager Enzo Maresca’s more direct, winger-focused style will see plenty of chances delivered into the box, and more often than not, Haaland will outmuscle those trying to stop him and put the ball in the back of the net.

Rudi Schuller: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

At this point it would be foolish to choose anyone other than the man who has scored the most Premier League goals since his arrival. So I won't.

Dark horse team

Getty Images

Ash Rose: Nottingham Forest

Last season was a ridiculous campaign for Forest as they went through four managers and battled relegation, but I can see a big improvement for them this term.

Oliver Glasner is a sensible appointment, and if the Austrian can work the same magic at The City Ground as he did with Crystal Palace, with arguably a deeper squad, then the good times could come flooding back in Nottingham.

A top-half finish should be the aim, with an eye on some cup success as Glasner repeats the tricks he conjured up with the Eagles.

Alex Charlton: Leeds United

Leeds looked at home in the Premier League last season, and I think they could be the biggest climbers this time round. In Harry Wilson, James Trafford and Tarik Muharemović, they have bolstered several key positions and a top-half finish could beckon.

Matt Astbury: Coventry City

Frank Lampard’s team are already being written off for staying in English football’s top flight, but I’m giving them a chance of defying expectations.

They have not been afraid to spend money and now have a player to lead the attack in Taiwo Awoniyi and the return of Gus Hamer, who was tearing the Championship to pieces, as a creative outlet.

Those are just some of the new names set to wear Sky Blue, and it’s now up to Lampard to show whether he can indeed deliver. If he manages to get this team purring, then Coventry have a great chance of surviving and making the 2026-27 campaign a success.

Rudi Schuller: Tottenham

I got burned by choosing Spurs as my dark horse side last year, but that's not stopping me from doing it again.

Roberto De Zerbi is just the right mixture of mad scientist and intense motivator that the club clearly need at this moment, and after a summer of big spending he should have the tools at his disposal to make Tottenham a team to be reckoned with.

Like last year, I'm not predicting any serious push for the league title or even the Champions League, but Spurs should look more like a proper side rather than the laughing stock they've been for the past few years. Right?

Player to watch

@ChelseaFC

Ash Rose: Morgan Rogers (Chelsea)

Amid the ridiculous amount of bodies at Stamford Bridge, Rogers feels like their best buy in years.

It feels like a platform for the England man to really shine on and become the key man in the Blues’ attack alongside Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, which on paper at least, feels like a formidable trio.

Fingers crossed he doesn’t get washed up by the craziness that often surrounds Chelsea, because if not, this could be his season.

Alex Charlton: Antonio Silva (Bournemouth)

Do Bournemouth ever make a bad signing? Another key player, Marcos Senesi, has departed, but in Silva they have replaced him with another stellar talent.

A first-team regular for Benfica and Portugal, he has consistently produced at the top level and could be the signing of the summer.

Matt Astbury: Brian Madjo (Aston Villa)

The player to watch for me is Aston Villa’s new summer signing, 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo.

He had a strong showing against PSG in the Super Cup, albeit there are still elements to his game which are raw; these flaws will get ironed out in the years to come.

With Ollie Watkins potentially leaving the club, Madjo will be Villa’s leading man, and if managed correctly, he could take the Premier League by storm this season.

Rudi Schuller: Promise David (Brighton)

I'm going to put my Canadian biases on display here, but Promise David is a player that has always seemed destined for bigger things.

One of the most charismatic players around, the 6-foot-5 striker has performed at every level he's played, and he arrives in Brighton after a dominant spell in the Belgian top flight with Union Saint-Gilloise.

His physicality and skill set should translate well to the Premier League, and he'll get plenty of opportunities at Brighton. The 25-year-old is similar in stature and age to Igor Thiago, who made the jump from Belgium to England two years ago and challenged Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race last season.

The difference is that David actually boasts a better strike rate in the Belgian Pro League than Thiago did before making the jump to Brentford. That might not mean much in the long run, but it's certainly nothing.

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2026-27 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.