Ian Darke Maps 20 Premier League Clubs' 2026-27 Best and Worst Cases
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Aug 20
Ian Darke Maps 20 Premier League Clubs' 2026-27 Best and Worst Cases
1 articles · Updated · ESPN · Aug 20
Summary
20 Premier League clubs get a best-case and worst-case forecast from Ian Darke ahead of the 2026-27 season, framing Arsenal as title favorites and the promoted sides as immediate survival candidates.
Arsenal enter after finishing seven points clear of Manchester City, with Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa highlighted as reinforcements, while Chelsea's £117 million move for Morgan Rogers under new boss Xabi Alonso underpins a possible rebound from 10th.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all cast as high-variance contenders because each starts with a managerial or structural reset, from Andoni Iraola at Anfield to Enzo Maresca at City and Michael Carrick's push for more depth at United.
At the lower end, Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town are tipped for relegation fights, while Sunderland and Bournemouth face the added strain of balancing league play with European commitments.
The preview leans on a chaotic 2025-26 campaign—when Manchester United finished above Liverpool and Sunderland reached Europe—to argue that another volatile season could quickly upend expectations.