In his latest column, Paul Merson predicts the 2026/27 Premier League season at both ends of the table. The new season kicks off on Friday as champions Arsenal host promoted Coventry City, with six games live on Sky Sports over the course of the opening weekend. Merson has picked his top six, assessed the contenders for relegation and selected one team to overachieve and upset the big boys this season...
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player I just can't see anybody stopping Arsenal. They'll win it quite comfortably. I don't see a single weakness in them regarding the Premier League.
They do have a few weaknesses in the Champions League but for the Premier League, they remind me of when Manchester City first started dominating the league: two players in every position. William Saliba and Gabriel are unbelievable but then Cristhian Mosquera comes in and you wouldn't even think Saliba was missing. Jurrien Timber is out but Ben White comes in and keeps Jeremy Doku quiet.
Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest sports news, videos, features, analysis and much more I watched the Community Shield win over Manchester City in Cardiff and I was going: 'Oh, I forgot about Viktor Gyokeres. I forgot about Eberechi Eze.' And they were coming on with five or 10 minutes to go. And Christos Tzolis is like Ronseal - does exactly what it says on the tin.
He looks like a manager's dream. You'll tell him in the dressing room what you want him to do, what his job is, and he does it to the absolute. He got up and down that left wing all through the game, held his position, never let the full-back get beyond him.
I don't think him and Gabriel Martinelli take you to the Champions League but Arsenal must have something in the pipeline. I'd be shocked if they didn't have a key signing before the start of the season or before the end of the window. And I mean a key signing.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
