Where Alan Shearer Predicted Every Premier League Club to Finish in 25/26

As 2026 draws closer and closer, the Premier League is in the midst of the most hectic period of the season. December and January often sort the weak from the strong — which is especially necessary given how close teams are this time around.

In a months’ time, supporters will have a much better idea of which teams are title contenders or pretenders, which clubs look to be worthy of a Champions League spot, and which sides are destined for a relegation battle. Pundits, meanwhile, will get a better sense of whether their pre-season predictions are set to become a reality, or if they are well wide of the mark.

A host of former players were asked to foretell where English top flight teams would finish from 20th to 1st, but not many have managed to give accurate thoughts. Michael Owen’s pre-season guesses are somewhat wide of the mark currently, but how has Alan Shearer done by comparison? The former Newcastle predicted the table back in August, and it’s fair to say a few teams have surprised him.

Related

Supercomputer Predicts 2025-26 Premier League Table in Full

The Premier League table could look very different in some key areas by the time May rolls around.

Advertisement

Relegation Battle – 20-16

Shearer didn’t believe that any of the newly promoted teams were capable of staying up this year, placing all of Burnley, Sunderland and Leeds United in the bottom three. But while two of those calls have aged well to some degree, Regis Le Bris’ side have put thoughts of relegation to bed.

The Black Cats have enjoyed an excellent season back in the top flight, with them pulling off a number of impressive victories including a 2-1 comeback against Chelsea. While they find themselves in mid-table, Burnley and Leeds are still at risk of dropping down to the Championship, particularly the former, who are currently 19th on 12 points. The Yorkshire-based club are faring somewhat better, with them 16th presently.

Brentford and West Ham were Shearer’s final two picks for the bottom five, but while the Hammers are languishing in the relegation zone right now, Keith Andrews’ squad are sitting pretty in 8th place. Despite losing Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, the Bees have impressed and are hopeful of a top-half finish.

Mid-Table Finish – 15-11

Although they never find themselves in relegation battles, Fulham haven’t kicked on like many other mid-table sides who have recruited well. The Cottagers are faring slightly better than where Shearer predicted them to finish in 15th, but they need to improve if they want to finish in the top half.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, meanwhile, have been one of the biggest shocks of the year, failing to pick up any wins in the first half of the season and sitting bottom of the table on just two points. They were predicted to be 14th, just behind Everton, who have largely lived up to expectations.

Having consistently finished 12th over the years, Shearer could hardly be blamed for putting Crystal Palace where they usually reside. But Oliver Glasner’s Eagles seem to be intent on having a season to remember. They’ve carried over the form that won them the FA Cup last season and are presently 9th, just a couple of points behind European qualification spots.

Related

Crystal Palace ‘Frontrunners’ to Sign £125,000-a-Week Premier League Star

Crystal Palace are among the front-runners to sign the 24-year-old forward.

Advertisement

Completing Shearer’s bottom half are Bournemouth, who were always going to suffer a little after losing key defenders Illia Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen. Their sales are likely why the Cherries were predicted to drop a few places, but some woeful recent form has negated their excellent start to the new season where they were seemingly set to push up the table.

Top-Half Success – 10-6

Shearer thought that Brighton had enough quality to maintain their top half status, despite the departure of Joao Pedro to Chelsea. The Seagulls are just two points behind 10th currently, but haven’t won any of their last five games, perhaps hinting that they won’t be repeating their impressive 2024/25 campaign.

Nottingham Forest were also predicted to maintain the level which saw them qualify for Europe, but the City Ground witnessed turmoil at the start of the new term. Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou were both sacked before Sean Dyche provided stability. And Tottenham, like the Tricky Trees, have also failed to live up to expectations, with both teams languishing in the bottom half.

Aston Villa missed out on Champions League qualification in 2024/25, and Shearer had them and Manchester United both missing out again this season. But while the Red Devils currently lie where the ex-striker thought they might, Unai Emery’s side have bounced back from a sluggish start to the season to rise to third place. And based on their current performances, you wouldn’t bet against them being there come May.

European Qualification – 5-1

It was always likely that Shearer would back his beloved Newcastle United, but the Magpies haven’t been at their best in the opening 18 games of the season. Eddie Howe is coming under pressure with the Geordies in 13th place, well short of their predicted finishing position of 5th.

Despite Chelsea’s Club World Cup success, Enzo Maresca’s side were only forecast to repeat their fourth-place finish in 2025/26. Although the Blues added Joao Pedro and Estevao among others to the fold, there was a belief that they were too inexperienced to challenge the three expected title contenders, something that they proved in their recent 2-1 loss against Aston Villa.

Related

Final 2025-26 Premier League Table Predicted by AI

Will Liverpool retain their Premier League crown, and will the newly-promoted teams survive the drop straight back into the Championship?

Advertisement

However, Shearer didn’t think that Manchester City would be fighting it out for the title this season, nor did he believe that Arsenal were the favourites for silverware. Instead, the former England marksman went for Liverpool, following their summer of heavy spending when they brought in the likes of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.

In reality, the Reds have struggled to gel thanks to all the new parts that they have had to integrate, while both Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola’s sides look much more stable. There’s still plenty of time left for the Merseysiders to recover, but Shearer will need a minor miracle for his predicted top five to become a reality.