Why Liverpool could win the Premier League ahead of Arsenal and Man City despite Andoni Iraola facing transfer uncertainty

Liverpool will begin their pre-season campaign on Saturday night, when the club kicks off Sunderland at Nahsville.

While supporters look forward to Andoni Iraola’s reign, with the Basque tasked with restoring the Reds’ identity, many fear another disappointing season.

Arsenal and Manchester are considered favorites for the The Premier League topic, especially as the Merseysider has been inactive in this summer transfer window so far, but it should be noted that the Gunners have yet to strengthen in any meaningful way.

City are serial winners, but with Pep Guardiola now out, there is great uncertainty at the Etihad for the first time in a decade.

Here, Sports mole looks at why Liverpool can win the 2026-27 Premier League title.

Premier League winner: Who will win the title according to ChatGPT?

It would be fair to say that Liverpool fans are not feeling very optimistic after seeing the club endure their worst campaign in 10 seasons.

Those fears were shared by ChatGPT, who predicted a fourth-place finish on 78 points, an 18-point improvement on last season, but still 11 points short of champions Arsenal.

“I expect a close race until April, when Arsenal beat Manchester City by three points,” wrote AI. “Chelsea look capable of returning to the top tier of the league if their top-quality additions are fixed quickly, while Liverpool remain strong but could finish a little short of the top three if they don’t fully replace the key departures.”

A lot can change between now and the end of the summer transfer window, but even ChatGPT shares the concern among Reds fans that they will miss out on a 21st title.

© Consport / PA Images, Azzuu

Premier League title race: Arsenal and Man City are weaker than you think

While there are legitimate concerns about the form of Liverpool’s squad, it is important to remember that they will be competing against imperfect opponents.

Arsenal won the title last season thanks to their defensive resilience, although they enjoyed a bit of luck when it came to refereeing decisions given that they didn’t concede a single penalty or receive a single red card.

The Gunners are unlikely to enjoy the same fortune next season, and if they are to go behind too often due to incidents such as penalties, they will have to rely on their attack to come to their rescue in crunch time.

However, Mikel Arteta’s side have scored just 71 goals in the Premier League in 2025-26, their worst record since Leicester City finished first in 2015-16.

Arsenal are also dealing with serious injury problems, like a temporary one William Saliba has already missed months of playingthere are also major concerns about the fitness of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

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Man City may be seen by many pundits as natural opponents for the Gunners, but they still have Pep Guardiola in the dugout.

The Spaniard won six league titles during his time at the Etihad, and while new manager Enzo Maresca has previously worked at the club as an assistant, it would be surprising if there were no problems for the Italian.

There is also the small matter of Rodri entering the final year of his contract, and with a lot of interest emerging Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germainhis exit should not be ruled out.

It is also possible that the City will be penalized for allegedly violating the financial rules of this section, and the sanctions may include the deduction of points.

While there are flaws in Liverpool’s squad, their title rivals are not without their imperfections, and the race for the first time could be open.

© Consport / LiveMedia

Liverpool transfer news: How many players does Andoni Iraola need?

Liverpool will not win this title without more signings, so if the Reds fail to make any further additions before the end of the transfer window, the fans’ fears would be completely justified.

However, there is more than a month left in the summer transfer window, and it should be remembered that the Reds did not secure Alexander Isak until the 2025 summer deadline.

There is no reason to think that the Merseysider will go into the upcoming campaign without much input, but he may not need as many signings as observers think.

Iraola already has four three-position options in the forward line – not including the recent return of Hugo Ekitike – and their attack may need one more addition for Iraola to have enough depth.

Right-back Conor Bradley is expected to miss months with a serious knee injury, while another full-back will be welcome at Anfield, but the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong could come in for the Northern Irishman.

The performances of midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have been a concern for a long time, but perhaps just one addition in midfield would be enough.

Gravenberch is physically gifted enough to provide the defensive cover Liverpool need, and if he can recapture his form as a number eight, then the Reds defender could be in for a treat.

It remains to be seen how much business the Merseysiders complete between now and the end of the transfer window on August 31, but they do not need a full squad to challenge for the title.