Premier League top four tips 2025-26: Early value picks

We witnessed an exciting battle for the top 4 in the 2024/2025 Premier League season, one that was only resolved in the last round of the season, highlighting once again why this is one of the most popular outright betting markets.

With that in mind, we are taking a closer look at the Premier League top 4 odds for next season, to see who the bookmakers see finishing at the top at this moment, with the summer transfer window still very much active.

Best Premier League top 4 odds

Selections to watch

The top three teams from this season, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, have the lowest odds of once again finishing in the top four in the Premier League. In fact, the odds are so low that they offer little value, which is understandable since these teams are clearly above the rest of the league, although that does not always translate into results.

After all, we have seen City struggle at one point last season and the Cityzens had to dig deep to secure their place in the top four at the end. Still, it is highly likely that we will once again see these teams at the top and with the odds so low, we will focus on other teams that offer better value for money when it comes to the race for a spot in the Champions League.

Chelsea

With five wins in the final six rounds of the Premier League, Chelsea have finished the season on a tear and managed to clinch fourth place and a spot in the Champions League for next season. As one of the youngest teams in the league that struggled to find the best form for a while, it was an impressive season for them at the end, crowned with winning the Conference League with a victory over Real Betis in the final.

Furthermore, the Blues have made significant moves this summer, bringing in seven new players, including paying £30m for Liam Delap to hopefully provide goals, which is something that Chelsea desperately needed since their forwards did not have a great last season. Chelsea also impressed at the Club World Cup and won that competition with a convincing win over PSG in the final.

While the extra games likely did not make the players too happy, thanks to this the Blues will enter the new season in great form, which could help them have a strong start of the season. They did not get off to the best of starts on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season though, only managing to secure a 0-0 draw at home to Crystal Palace.

Newcastle 

The Magpies were one of the main favourites to finish in the top four last season as well and they have entered the last two rounds in the best position of all teams in the race for fourth place in the league. However, they ended the season with a couple of losses, against Arsenal and Everton, which saw them drop to fifth place, and if Aston Villa had not also fumbled the ball in the last round and lost to Manchester United, they would have finished sixth.

Luckily for them, Villa failed to get that crucial point to overtake them in the standings and thanks to the Premier League getting an extra spot in the Champions League, Newcastle will play in Europe's top competition this season. However, it has been far from an ideal summer for the club so far.

They are almost certainly going to lose Alexander Isak to Liverpool, and they have lost out on several attacking targets, including Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko. How they recruit over the final few weeks of the transfer window will help shape their chances, but as things stand, they are a team to avoid in this market.

Newcastle kicked off the opening weekend of the new Premier League season with a respectable 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa.

Aston Villa

The Villans had a great chance to finish in the top five this season, which would have put them back in the Champions League, but they failed to get even a point against Manchester United in the last round. So, despite running hot in the past couple of months, they will have to be satisfied with playing in the Europa League this season.

Meanwhile, they are one of the teams that offer solid value when it comes to finishing in the top four next season, with odds of 6/1. Aston Villa certainly have the quality to get there, but it will be a fierce competition, and the Villans did not really add much to their squad this summer, unlike other teams gunning for the top four.

Despite that, we can see them getting involved in the race for the Champions League since they have the continuity, and while they did not add many players in the transfer window, they also did not lose any of their key pieces. Villa drew 0-0 at home to Newcastle in their first game of the new Premier League season.

Manchester United

Manchester United have, on paper at least, resolved their lack of goals last season by bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. The key now is bringing in players to help get the ball to this trio, most notably an all-action midfielder.

If the club are successful in their pursuit of Carlos Baleba, then they will have a legitimate shot at making the top four. However, if they fail to sign a top midfielder, then they are unlikely to find themselves that high up the table.

United were encouraging in their performance at home to Arsenal in their opening game of the new Premier League season, but still lost 1-0.

Nottingham Forest

After spending most of the season in second and third place in the standings, Nottingham Forest have suffered a dip in form in the final stretch of the season, which cost them a spot in the Champions League. Forest will get to play in Europe, though, but not in the elite.

While it is hard to see this team fighting for a top 4 finish again next season, especially since they now also have European football to worry about, it's hard to rule them out completely. That being said, one of their key pieces from last season, Anthony Elanga, was sold to direct competitors Newcastle, so seeing Forest fighting for the top this season would truly be a huge surprise, maybe even bigger than what we saw last season.

The Tricky Trees got off to a great start on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, winning 3-1 at home to Brentford with Chris Wood continuing his goalscoring exploits of the 2024/25 campaign by scoring a brace.

Who will finish in the Premier League top 4? Here is our prediction

We are not raising any eyebrows here, but Liverpool, Arsenal, and City should all be in the top four come the end of the season. However, the real question is who will be the fourth team to join them at the top?

Our money is on Chelsea. They have proven they have a lot of quality this season and since they are a young team they are bound to be even better next season.

They made plenty of signings to ensure their depth since they will be playing in the Champions League as well and they showed how good they can be by winning the Club World Cup this summer. So, we can see the Blues finishing in the top four in the Premier League.

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