Big Al’s Bold Calls: How Shearer’s 2025-26 Premier League Picks Are Ageing as the Season Bites

The calendar’s turning and the Premier League is at full throttle — the bit of the year where pretenders wobble and contenders bare their teeth. Back in August, Alan Shearer stuck his neck out with a full 1-to-20 prediction. Now, as the table starts to take proper shape, it’s time to ask: how’s Big Al getting on?

If you’re hunting for form lines and odds as this title race takes shape, our best betting sites overview is a handy companion — but don’t let the markets fool you: this season’s script is being rewritten weekly.

Relegation rumble (20–16): promoted punch, claret concerns

Shearer went all-in on the drop for the new boys, tipping Burnley, Sunderland and Leeds to make up the bottom three. That hasn’t quite landed. Sunderland have ripped up the script with a fearless return to the big time — mid-table and buoyed by statement wins, including a spirited 2-1 turnaround against Chelsea. That 19th-place call looks well off.

Burnley, though, are bang in trouble — 19th and stuck on 12 points — while Leeds are hovering above the trapdoor in 16th. The other two names Shearer parked in the danger zone were Brentford and West Ham. As it stands, the Hammers are the ones sinking into the mire, while Brentford, despite losing Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, have defied the doom-mongers and are sitting pretty in eighth with eyes on a top-half finish. Score one for the Bees, not the crystal ball.

Mid-table muddle (15–11): Wolves in freefall, Palace on the prowl

Fulham were pegged for 15th and are tracking slightly better, though they’ve still got gears to find if they want to sniff the top half. The real shock? Wolves. Tipped for a solid 14th, they’ve endured a truly grim first half of the campaign — no wins and a measly two points at the foot of the table. That’s not a blip; it’s an alarm bell.

Everton have largely met expectations, steady if unspectacular. Crystal Palace, repeatedly consigned to 12th in recent memory and again by Shearer, are flying higher — last season’s FA Cup winners have kept the momentum and sit ninth, a couple of points off Europe. Bournemouth rounded out Shearer’s bottom half at 11th; after losing defensive pillars Illia Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen, their sharp early form has faded into an untimely wobble.

Top-half traffic (10–6): Brighton stalling, Spurs and Forest falter, Villa surge

Shearer backed Brighton to remain a top-half operator despite Joao Pedro’s exit. They’re only a couple of points off 10th but winless in five, which hints at a step back from last season’s heights. Nottingham Forest were tipped to keep their European tempo but hit turbulence — managerial upheaval saw Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou depart before Sean Dyche steadied the ship. Tottenham, similarly, have sagged below expectations and are loitering in the bottom half.

Aston Villa, forecast for seventh, have turned a sluggish start into a charge; Unai Emery’s side are up to third and look every bit the part. Manchester United, pencilled in for sixth, are meandering roughly where Shearer expected — competitive, but not convincingly Champions League bound.

European shake-up (5–1): Newcastle drift, Chelsea learning, Liverpool lag

Sentiment aside, Shearer fancied Newcastle for fifth. Reality bites: after 18 games, the Magpies are 13th and Eddie Howe’s under the glare. Chelsea, slated for fourth, are still a work in progress. Even with big additions like Joao Pedro and Estevao, their inexperience has shown — that 2-1 defeat to the resurgent Villa was a timely reminder.

At the summit, Shearer zagged while others zigged: Liverpool to win it, Arsenal second, Manchester City third. The logic? A blockbuster Anfield summer featuring Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. The snag is chemistry — the Reds have laboured to knit the new pieces together, while Arsenal and City look the more stable, streetwise operators right now. There’s time for a Liverpool rally, but Big Al’s top-five forecast needs a late-season surge to save face.

Verdict: brave calls, mixed returns — and a title race still alive

Shearer nailed the jeopardy facing Burnley and Leeds, but Sunderland and Brentford have made a mockery of the doom. Wolves have nosedived, Palace have lifted off, and Villa have muscled back into the elite conversation. At the sharp end, Liverpool’s teething problems have opened the door for familiar blue and red rivals. As ever in this league, the only certainty is jeopardy — and the next month will tell us whether Shearer’s big swing lands in Row Z or the top corner.