Why Liverpool can 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 take on Sunderland in Nahsville.

While supporters are looking forward to the reign of Andoni Iraola, with the Basque tasked with restoring the Reds' identity, many are fearful of another disappointing season.

Arsenal and Manchester are seen as the favourites for the Premier League title, especially as the Merseysiders have been inactive this summer transfer window so far, but it should be noted that the Gunners have not yet strengthened in any meaningful way.

City are serial winners, but with Pep Guardiola now out of the picture, there is significant 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 particularly optimistic after witnessing the club endure their worst campaign in 10 seasons.

Those fears were shared by ChatGPT, which predicted a fourth-placed finish with 78 points, an 18-point improvement upon last season, but still 11 points short of winners Arsenal.

"I expect a close race until April, with Arsenal edging Manchester City by three points," the AI wrote. "Chelsea look capable of returning to the top tier of the league if their high-profile additions settle quickly, while Liverpool remain strong but could finish a little short of the top three if they don't fully replace key departures."

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

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

While there are legitimate worries about the state of Liverpool's squad, it is important to remember that they will be competing against imperfect rivals.

Arsenal won the title last term because of their immense defensive resilience, though they did enjoy an element of fortune when it came to refereeing decisions given they did not concede a single penalty or pick up a single red card.

The Gunners are unlikely to enjoy similar fortune next term, and if they were to trail more often because of incidents like penalties, they would have to rely on their attack to rescue them in times of crisis.

However, Mikel Arteta's side only scored 71 Premier League goals in 2025-26, the worst tally by a title winner since Leicester City finished first in 2015-16.

Arsenal are also dealing with significant injury concerns, as while William Saliba is already set to miss months of action, there are also serious concerns about the fitness of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

Man City might be seen by many pundits as the natural challengers to the Gunners, but they no longer have Pep Guardiola in the dugout.

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

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

There is also the prospect of City being punished for alleged breaches of the division's financial rules, and sanctions could include points deductions.

Though there are flaws in Liverpool's squad, their title rivals are by no means without imperfections, and the race for first could be wide open.

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

Liverpool will not win the title without extra signings, so if the Reds failed to make more additions before the end of the transfer window, fans' fears would be entirely justified.

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

There is no reason to think that the Merseysiders will head into the coming campaign without more incomings, but they may not need as many signings as observers think.

Iraola already has four options for three spots in the forward line - not factoring in the eventual return of Hugo Ekitike - and their attack likely only needs one more addition in order for Iraola to have enough depth.

Right-back Conor Bradley is expected to miss months of action due to a serious knee injury, and another full-back would be welcome at Anfield, but the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong could fill in for the Northern Irish international.

The performances of midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have been concerning for some time, but perhaps just one addition in the middle of the pitch would be enough.

Gravenberch is physically gifted enough to provide the defensive coverage that Liverpool need, and if he can rediscover his form as a number eight, then the Reds' midfield may be in a strong position.

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 perfect squad to challenge for the title.