With the Premier League season done and dusted, it’s time to reflect on the campaigns of all 20 top flight sides – from the good, to the bad, to the ugly.
And ugly it was for some. But who is top of the class? Which sides showed their potential? And who’s on the naughty step?
Arsenal
Position: 1st Points: 85
Mikel Arteta lifted Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 years – and managed to steer his side to the Champions League final where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. What a great job he has done.
It’s not been straightforward, either. There was the Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City, a humiliating draw to Wolves and a humbling loss to Bournemouth. Yet, Arteta managed to shake those setbacks off and lead the Gunners to the title in the face of adversity. Bottlejobs, or Set-Piece FC? No, champions. And they’ll take some stopping next season, too. Arteta craves a dynasty. Isaan Khan
Grade: A+
Arsenal finally won the Premier League after 22 years and finish top of the class for 2025-26
Aston Villa
Position: 4th Points: 65
Could not have started the season worse – as Ollie Watkins made clear in the end-of-season parade. But they recovered well – really well – and at one point looked as though they could mount a title charge.
That hope fell away, but they did finish in the Champions League qualification spots, all while progressing in the Europa League, which they won.
Does it get much better? It will be hard to match it next year. But, under Unai Emery, it will feel as though anything is possible. Lewis Browning
Grade: A
Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League again and also picked up the Europa League
Bournemouth
Position: 6th Points: 57
Andoni Iraola delivered the Cherries’ best season in their history, and, next term, they will compete in Europe for the first time ever.
But Marco Rose will be their manager. Why would Iraola want to walk away from this? Only he knows. But, after losing more than £250million worth of talent over the season – including star man Antoine Semenyo in January – he has delivered absolute magic, which culminated in an 18-game unbeaten run to end the season.
From near-relegation from the Football League in 2009 to the Europa League in 2026. Sensation. Lewis Browning
Grade: A
Andoni Iraola led Bournemouth to European competition for the first time in club history
Brentford
Position: 9th Points: 53
Many had predicted Brentford to struggle this season after losing long-time manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham, as well as striker duo Yoane Wisse and Bryan Mbeumo to Newcastle and Manchester United respectively. But Keith Andrews and Igor Thiago had different ideas.
At one point, it looked as though they could have qualified for the Champions League. Andrews took to the manager’s role like a duck to water, and Thiago didn’t stop scoring – he ended the season with 22 Premier League goals and came second in the Golden Boot rankings.
They will be extremely disappointed to have missed out on Europe all together after drawing at Liverpool on the last day. Time will tell if they can have a go again next year. Lewis Browning
Grade: A-
Brentford will consider themselves unfortunate not to have qualified for Europe next season
Brighton
Position: 8th Points: 53
A season Seagulls fans have been familiar with – pushing the European places in a campaign plagued with inconsistency.
Dropped points against the likes of Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves frustrated fans, so much so that Fabian Hurzeler’s side were booed off earlier this season.
They have qualified for Europe – the Conference League – and celebrated the fact but it could have been so much more – losing three of their last four – and they were relying on Brentford not beating Liverpool.
Would have hoped for more, but qualifying for Europe is still a success. Lewis Browning
Grade: B-
Brighton qualified for the Conference League in a season that had promised so much more
Burnley
Position: 19th Points: 22
A disaster of a campaign, and it felt like it was going to be from the start. Burnley were weaker than the side which earned promotion last season, and that showed on the pitch.
Scott Parker appeared to accept his side’s fate early on in the season and eventually lost his job when they were relegated with four matches left to play.
A return next season is far from a guarantee. Lewis Browning
Grade: F
Burnley had a season to forget under Scott Parker and were once again relegated
Chelsea
Position: 10th Points: 52
It’s groundhog day – or year – for Chelsea. Once again under BlueCo, they need to spend big, and need a clear out of dead wood.
The Blues went through two permanent managers and one interim – twice – in another season to forget, which left them failing to qualify for Europe.
The fall out with Enzo Maresca was a mistake, the appointment of Liam Rosenior was a mistake, and it will be hoped that they have finally got it right with Xabi Alonso.
A big summer ahead to turn things around. Lewis Browning
Grade: E
Chelsea finished 10th and will hope that next season can be more positive under Xabi Alonso
Crystal Palace
Position: 15th Points: 45
A strange season for Crystal Palace, with the Premier League quickly becoming secondary as their focus shifted towards European glory.
A superb start saw Oliver Glasner’s side climb to fourth in December after a club-record unbeaten run, but their lack of squad depth was brutally exposed over the winter as they struggled to balance domestic and continental demands.
A return of just three points from nine league games proved critical to their hopes of surpassing the club’s highest-ever Premier League tally of 53 points, though there were still memorable victories over Brighton and Tottenham later in the campaign.
Palace finished as the division’s third-lowest scorers and won only four home matches. But, after beating Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on Wednesday, none of that matters. Will Pickworth
GRADE: C-
Crystal Palace sacrificed their Premier League campaign to compete for another trophy
Everton
Position: 13th Points: 49
It says a lot about the job David Moyes has done that fans are disappointed with a mid-table finish.
After taking over a relegation-threatened side, securing them into that status deserves plaudits.
Yet one cannot escape the feeling that Everton missed a golden opportunity to secure European football next year and they fell flat in the final weeks of the campaign.
A few signings are needed to take the next step and the owners must now back Moyes. Lewis Steele
Grade: C
Everton’s Premier League status was secured but they had an opportunity to qualify for Europe
Fulham
Position: 11th Points: 52
Another mid-table season for Fulham, having finished between 10th and 13th in the last four years. Will be frustrated not to have broken into the European spot after threatening half-way through the campaign.
Star man Harry Wilson will likely depart in the off-season, and they face a fight to hold on to Marco Silva too. An uncertain future. Lewis Browning
Grade: C
Fulham face an uncertain future, with the likes of Harry Wilson and Marco (Silva) likely to leave
Leeds
Position: 14th Points: 47
Pressure was on Daniel Farke early doors but his mid-season switch to a back three transformed Leeds’ campaign.
They relied on the Elland Road atmosphere and were well safe in the end. Dominic Calvert-Lewin turned out to be an inspired signing, netting 14 top flight goals.
A solid first season back in the Premier League, but will be keen to now kick on next season. Lewis Browning
Grade: B-
Leeds did well to secure Premier League survival but will be keen to kick on next season
Liverpool
Position: 5th Points: 60
They were the reigning champions and spent £446million so everyone expected them to kick on. They got worse.
The playing style was boring, Arne Slot was booed by fans and has now been shown the door.
There are mitigating factors such as the immeasurable blow of losing team-mate Diogo Jota in tragic circumstances. Injuries were not kind to them either.
They must improve after getting into the Champions League spots by the skin of their teeth. Lewis Steele
Grade: D
Liverpool spent nearly half-a-billion pounds as defending champions and got a lot worse
Man City
Position: 2nd Points: 78
Pushed Arsenal to the wire and won two domestic cup competitions but there will be a feeling of ‘what if’ from Pep Guardiola’s final season.
The foundations certainly seem to have been laid for future success though, with the turnover of players crucial as City evolve. That they came up just short in the league suggests a team in transition and probably neatly surmises where they are at the moment. Jack Gaughan
Grade: B+
There will always be a ‘what if’ to Pep Guardiola’s final season, and Manchester City now enter a new era
Man United
Position: 3rd Points: 71
Very much a season of two halves for Man United – a dismal opening followed by a much improved end to the campaign.
The Red Devils were going nowhere under Ruben Amorim before his replacement, Michael Carrick, guided the club back into the Champions League with a third-placed finish after winning the most points of any manager in the division following his arrival.
In Bruno Fernandes, United had one of the stars of the season but they will have hoped for more to celebrate than their captain breaking the Premier League assists record. A huge summer awaits at Old Trafford. Liam Morgan
Grade: B-
Manchester United were poor under Ruben Amorim but face a more positive future with Michael Carrick at the helm
Newcastle
Position: 12th Points: 49
Five years after the takeover, Newcastle were supposed to be a lot better off than they are now. Eddie Howe continues to blame financial restrictions, but he has spent heavily on players that simply aren’t good enough.
Fans are running out of patience, but it looks as though Howe will at least get the start of next season to put things right. But, when Newcastle’s home form starts to dip, as it did towards the end of the season, you know something is wrong.
Finishing below Sunderland – by five places – who have just been promoted and managed to qualify for Europe is a worry. Lewis Browning
Grade: D-
It was a season to forget for Newcastle, who have chosen to stick with Eddie Howe
Nottingham Forest
Position: 16th Points: 44
A season of what could have been for Forest. After finishing seventh last season and working their way into the Europa League and managing to keep hold of star man and captain Morgan Gibbs-White, they were looking to show they were ready to permanently dine at the top table.
But a fall out between former manager Nuno Espirito Santo and owner Evangelos Marinakis resulted in the former’s exit, and both Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche would come and go before they finally settled on Vitor Pereira.
He saved them from relegation, but they were knocked out in the semis of the Europa League and now have no European football next season and face the prospect of losing Elliot Anderson. A season of many backwards steps. Lewis Browning
Grade: D
Nottingham Forest had a solid European run and survived in the Premier League but had hoped for more
Sunderland
Position: 7th Points: 54
Tipped by almost everyone to go down – and how wrong they were. Flew out the traps and could rely on their sensational home record for much of the season.
Capitalised on others’ failures to sneak into not just Europe, but the Europa League. What a job Regis Le Bris has done – and a word on Granit Xhaka too, who was one of the signings of the season.
Will be able to attract a new level of talent in the summer – on an exciting journey. Lewis Browning
Grade: A
A fantastic season back in the Premier League for Sunderland saw them qualify for Europe
Tottenham
Position: 17th Points: 41
An embarrassing season on all levels for Tottenham, whose Premier League place was still in doubt in stoppage time on the final day.
Just three league wins at that big fancy stadium was simply pathetic, a tortuous run of 15 matches without a victory in 2026, three managers deployed across the season, complacency shown at boardroom level, players behaving like spoiled brats and lacking any kind of leadership or maturity.
Injuries cannot be an excuse. This was a disastrous season and there is much to be done over the summer. Matt Barlow
Grade: F
Tottenham were simply pathetic and only survived relegation by the skin of their teeth
West Ham
Position: 18th Points: 39
Disaster. West Ham are back in the Championship, three years after their greatest night of winning the Conference League.
It was a disaster under Graham Potter. Nuno Espirito Santo took a while to get it right, then did, but then didn’t again. Ultimately, they weren’t good enough, face the prospect of losing a wealth of talent and huge expectation of promotion next season.
Nuno will be the person tasked with doing that. A rebuild is needed – but, on last season alone, they can be given no better than the worst grade. Lewis Browning
Grade: F
West Ham’s season was a disaster, and they will be playing Championship football next season
Wolves
Position: 20th Points: 20
A season that had been coming and Wolves fans wasted no time in directing the blame at the board. Rob Edwards briefly injected new life into the side after taking over from Vitor Pereira in November, but that faded as the season went on.
At one point, it looked as though they would threaten Southampton’s all-time lowest points record. Will have to change a lot in terms of personnel in the summer – but it’s been a good start with midfielder Andre signing a new deal. Lewis Browning
Grade: F
A season as bad as this had been coming for Wolves – they are bottom of the 2025-26 class
