Arsenal gift City PL title, Spurs relegated, two more managers sacked among ten pending 25/26 PL shocks
All logic has gone out the window in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, and it has been a bloody joy to witness.
Sure, the overall quality of the league has declined, but there has been no shortage of entertainment and highlights, with the division much more competitive than it was a year ago.
Plus, unlike previous years, just about everything remains to play for in the run-in phase: Wolves and Burnley are doomed but West Ham have reignited the relegation battle, Manchester City are closer to the top than league leaders Arsenal would like, and no one knows who will qualify for all three European competitions.
So we thought we’d select ten plausible shocks that could arise during the remaining 12 matches of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign…
Arsenal do not win the Premier League
At this point, there’s no denying that Mikel Arteta’s side are the best in the Premier League and arguably Europe, so they should (and probably will) end their long wait for silverware by winning at least a few trophies this season.
Arsenal’s list of accolades for 2025/26 will most likely include the Premier League title, but it won’t be as comfortable for the perennial finalists as it was a few months ago.
There has been a shift in momentum in recent days, with Man City winning at Anfield against Liverpool and Arsenal’s draw at Brentford illustrates their different moods.
There are only four points left between Arsenal and Man City in the standings.with this margin certainly enough to give Pep Guardiola’s men plenty of encouragement that history can repeat itself in this showdown.
READ: Big weekend: Aston Villa v Newcastle, Arsenal, Arne Slot, Crysencio Summerville
Manchester City wins the Premier League
Arsenal, as the Premier League’s most consistent team, are top of the table for a reason, but it’s refreshing that this title race appears flawed; It won’t be the end of the road for them or Man City if there is a single screw-up in the coming weeks.
Real questions should be asked of Arteta if they fail again, because there are no more excuses; their £250m summer spend ensures they have top-quality options at every position and are equipped to deal with their ongoing injury problems.
Arsenal’s nerves might get the better of them during the race, but Man City will inevitably slip up too and this current Guardiola side would arguably be the weakest to win a title if they cross the finish line.
At both ends of the pitch, Erling Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma are great equalizers for Man City as world-class players, while the January additions of Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo have given them a boost. Yet this team is far from impenetrable and it would be a huge scalp if they overcome their frailties to snatch the title in Guardiola’s potential final season.
Manchester United finish third
Michael Carrick’s interim appointment has gone better than anyone associated with Man Utd could have hoped, with INEOS risking finding themselves in an impossible position this summer if he guides them, as he now should, to Champions League qualification.
Unlike his predecessors, Carrick, who won the manager of the month award for January, did not inherit a disorder; Ruben Amorim and others made his job rather simple.
Man Utd have benefited from Carrick implementing several obvious changes, but he deserves credit for allowing his team to solidify so quickly, which has significantly increased their hopes of Champions League football.
With Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and co. sparkling and with no cup competitions to contend with, a third place seems increasingly achievable whereas it was unthinkable under Amorim.
MUST READ F365 FEATURES…
* How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue missions have gone so far: from Adebayor’s hat-tricks to winning a real trophy
* England ‘sh*tshow’ removes Manchester United question after Tuchel ‘cop-out’
* How Arsenal fan Frank ‘confusing’ Spurs players, gave ‘preferential treatment’ to star and almost left in November
Aston Villa misses Champions League
And Man Utd could contribute to Aston Villa missing out on Champions League qualification altogether, as they did last season.
After the stupid sacking talk at the start of the season, Unai Emery did a remarkable job in the middle of this campaign as Villa threatened to challenge for the Premier League title.
It also meant that a Champions League place seemed certain, but their recent decline has given hope to the teams below them that another place in the competition could be up for grabs.
With Liverpool’s performance, Villa should be at least fifth with their current eight-point advantage over the Premier League holders, but that is no longer a guarantee as injuries have hit them badly in midfield.
Sunderland qualify for Europe
Refer to this European qualification explainer for everything you need to know on how this process works for Premier League clubs, but it’s fair to say that Sunderland are there to secure a place for either seventh place or an FA Cup win.
The Black Cats might well fail and settle for a mid-table place, but it shows how well they have performed that their supporters are even capable of dreaming of a season in Europe at this stage of the season.
The pre-season favorites for relegation have been a revelation under head coach Régis Le Bris, thanks to his wise approach and superb transfer work, which has set up a rather exciting end to the campaign.
Brentford qualify for Europe
Sunderland and others could be pipped to Brentford for a place in the Europa Conference League, who are currently in the lead to finish seventh, three points ahead of their nearest rivals.
Brentford, another pre-season relegation favorite, was tipped by almost everyone as really struggling without Thomas Frank and several departed stars, but the ‘best run club in the country’ thrived in his absence.
Keith Andrews proved to be more than just a manager in taking Brentford to another level with an inferior team to the one Frank managed last season.
Brighton sack Fabian Hurzeler
The Seagulls have also been touted as one of the best-run clubs in the Premier League, but their model has been somewhat exposed by their decline this season.
Despite backing Hurzeler more than any other manager with a £300m outlay, Brighton backtracked and are currently looking over their shoulders after sleepwalking through the relegation conversation.
Rightly so, there are now rumors that Hurzeler is under pressure and he is the new favorite to be the next sacked Premier League manager. Back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Brentford could seal his fate after flirting with a Champions League challenge around November.
READ MORE: Dyche humiliated by only other Premier League manager sacked for failure against Wolves
West Ham United avoid relegation
West Ham looked dead and buried for much of this season, but they now look like a appropriate team led by Nuno Espirito Santo, who will be rather smug if/when his team survives and Nottingham Forest are relegated.
Nuno looked like a broken man when he appeared on the brink of dismissal around the New Year, but West Ham were rewarded for backing the famous fireman as his transfer activity in January contributed to his massive improvement.
The Hammers have three wins from five, and they would have taken maximum points if not for their late errors against Chelsea and Man Utd. They have a points deficit to make up, but they are arguably the more accomplished team between them, Forest and Spurs and could pull off the great escape.
Nottingham Forest fire Vitor Pereira
Pereira is Forest’s fourth permanent manager for the 2025/26 campaign, with the 57-year-old having signed a contract until the end of the season to repeat his previous rescue job at Wolves.
Having four permanent bosses in a single season is already a Premier League record, but it’s certainly not out of the question that controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis will hit the panic button again if there is no bounce back from this appointment.
In reality, it’s Marinakis who should be sent miles from the City Ground.
Tottenham Hotspur are relegated
With just five points separating Spurs from the bottom three with 12 games remaining, the north London side are definitely in a relegation fight.
Spurs rolled the dice with Igor Tudor to try to get them out of trouble, but his recent work at Juventus suggests this appointment could go wrong.
Ultimately, Spurs will surely have enough quality in their squad to edge Forest out and survive, but the March 22 match between these teams could end up having a monumental impact on their seasons.