Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United striker, Michael Owen, has given his opinion on which teams are in pole position to clinch the Premier League trophy for the 2025/26 season.
Liverpool, his former club, won the title in match week 34 after a 5 – 1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield. The title comes after a race that they led for a long stretch in the season, and after years of chasing down former champions Manchester City.
While congratulating his boyhood club, Owen has also given them a warning ahead of their title defence season. The Premier League pundit was speaking in the wake of Liverpool’s defeat to Chelsea in matchweek 35, in which they relaxed in front of goal, having had the load taken off their backs.
“It’s such a good harmonious dressing room that if you go and bring more and more in, then you get discontent,” he told Premier League Productions. “The better players you have as backup, the more problems you have.”
“It’s a careful balance, and Liverpool have got it spot on at the moment so we’ll see what happens.”
Owen and Hoddle clash over Liverpool’s transfer needs
Owen then went on to make his predictions for the 2025/26 season, stating that Liverpool will still be in the running. “I can’t see anybody beating Liverpool next year,” Owen added. “Man City are miles off it. Arsenal are possibly the only challengers for me.”
Glenn Hoddle, who was on punditry duties with Owen for the game, urged Liverpool to get new players in during the summer market. While agreeing with Owen on their high chances of retaining the title next season, he insisted that Liverpool would struggle without transfers.
“Man City need to build their squad again and Arsenal need to go again,” Hoddle said. “From Liverpool’s point of view, they have a great squad but with the same squad, I can’t see them winning the Premier League next season.
“I don’t think them players will go again if it’s the same squad. Players like (Curtis) Jones and (Harvey) Elliott aren’t ready to take over when they have to play bigger roles next season.
“They had some injuries, but they coped because they weren’t in one unit, and it wasn’t really the spine of the team.
“I don’t see them having that luck again. If they get injuries in the same unit – all at the back or all in midfield – then I think they will have a problem.
“They still need better players in that squad, and now is the time to go and get them to dominate and say we are the team to go and beat. I don’t look at that team and go, ‘Wow’.”
