AI has predicted which 20 players will perform best in the 2026/27 Premier League season, with the results offering a fascinating insight into which clubs could also come out on top thanks to their star performers.

In the upcoming campaign, Arsenal will be looking to defend their first title in 22 years, but the chasing pack could be anything but a foregone conclusion. Manchester City would ordinarily be among the favourites to challenge them for the title, but with major changes at several of the ‘Big Six’ clubs, this could be one of the hardest seasons to call in decades.

City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United are all starting the campaign with managers they didn’t have before January, while, as always, there has been an influx of new signings. With so many moving parts and plenty of new faces in the dugout and on the pitch, the Premier League could be in for a season where the form book goes out the window and the usual suspects are given a serious run for their money.

With that in mind, AI’s predictions make for particularly interesting reading, as the players expected to shine could have a huge bearing on where their respective clubs finish come May, as well as who could sweep up individual honours such as the Golden Boot and Player of the Year mantles.

20-16

As the most established and settled of the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs, plenty of Arsenal players are expected to perform to their usual lofty standards again this term. Their consistency is clear for all to see, having finished second three seasons in a row before finally getting over the line and winning the title last season. It’s somewhat surprising, then, that AI has ranked David Raya 20th and his teammate Gabriel 18th.

The Gunners have conceded the fewest goals in each of the last four campaigns, while Gabriel is expected to chip in with a fair few important goals again thanks to Arsenal’s reliance on set pieces. The reason given for their relatively low rankings, however, is that attacking players have been given a higher ceiling when it comes to performance. That’s also why AI ranks Moises Caicedo, who it believes is the league’s ‘best pure defensive midfielder’, in 19th, with his lack of creativity compared to others counting against him.

In 17th, Man City’s Nico O’Reilly is another player expected to go from strength to strength after enjoying a huge breakout season last time out, capped off by scoring twice in the FA Cup final win. Meanwhile, Igor Thiago’s predicted haul of ’18-22′ goals earns him a place in 16th.

15-11

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Bruno Guimaraes, one of the best midfielders in the world, was signed by Arsenal for £75 million from Newcastle earlier this summer. The Brazilian is expected to make his new side’s engine room a whole lot ‘meaner and better’, while Chelsea’s Joao Pedro has been handed a 20-goal prediction for the season – something that would be music to Xabi Alonso’s ears as he looks to address the fact the Blues had no real out-and-out goalscorer last term.

There is no room on the list for Bryan Mbeumo, however. Despite being Man United’s most in-form player during pre-season, it is his teammate Matheus Cunha who is being tipped for the finer campaign, after his 12 goal contributions helped the Red Devils finish third last season. Dominik Szoboszlai has been given the nod at 12th, having often been Liverpool’s saviour during a largely forgettable season that ultimately saw Arne Slot sacked at the end of it.

Just missing out on a place in the top 10 is William Saliba. This might be one of AI’s most surprising picks, given that the Frenchman is expected to be sidelined with injury for the first two or three months of the season, while his defensive teammates tend to produce much more headline-grabbing performances than his understated displays.

10-6

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Rayan Cherki spent all summer wondering why he wasn’t getting enough minutes at the World Cup with France. That pent-up frustration could see him explode out of the blocks when the Premier League gets underway as he hopes to add to his 12 assists from last time out, while Cole Palmer will be hoping to regain his status as Chelsea’s orchestrator under Alonso.

In the worrying case that Palmer fails to rediscover his best form, though, AI believes £117 million signing Morgan Rogers will end up looking like a ‘bargain’. He isn’t quite ready to match Antoine Semenyo’s level yet, though, with his peak season perhaps just around the corner as Man City fans have already hailed Enzo Maresca for making the Ghanaian look ‘better than Lionel Messi’ during pre-season.

In 6th, Declan Rice continues to show he’s one of the best all-around midfielders of his generation. He will no doubt be helped out by club captain Martin Odegaard, as well as the aforementioned Guimaraes, in making Arsenal tick – that companionship perhaps helping him find another gear.

5-1

It’s easy to forget that Florian Wirtz won back-to-back Bundesliga Player of the Year awards before his move to Liverpool, thanks to a disastrous debut campaign on Merseyside. But there’s a world-class player somewhere, and AI believes this coming term is when he announces himself as a genuine Ballon d’Or contender, while making an equally astonishing claim that Bukayo Saka is a top-three player in the world at his best.

In third, AI has gone with Bruno Fernandes, who has created the most chances in the Premier League over the last three seasons. Now armed with good attacking players around him, the Red Devils’ captain is well-equipped to continue breaking records. In second is Jeremy Doku, who added output to his trickery last term to suggest he has more levels to his game still to find.

In first, and with no real surprise, is Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker is a goal machine, and many are still wondering if he’s even human after following up his 27 goals in the Premier League last season with seven in just five World Cup appearances. AI has him scoring a cool 35 goals in the next campaign.

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