PL 2026/27 Preview Part 3: No Man’s Land
There is a strange place in the PL where a club can have a perfectly respectable season and still finish with very little to show for it. In Part 3 of our PL 26/27 preview, we take a look at the teams we expect will finish mid-table.
Brighton, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton and Fulham all enter 2026/27 with enough quality to expect survival without spending nine months looking nervously over their shoulders.
The problem is what comes next. Breaking into the European positions has become increasingly difficult, with traditional heavyweights joined by ambitious clubs prepared to spend heavily. For teams in the middle of the PL, a couple of injuries or a poor run can quickly turn dreams of Europe into another season somewhere between eighth and 15th. That is the challenge facing these five clubs.
Read Part 1 of our PL 26/27 preview here.
Read Part 2 of our PL 26/27 preview here.
Read Part 4 of our PL 26/27 preview here.
Read our preview of the French 26/27 season here.
Read our preview of the Spanish 26/27 season here.
Read part 1 of our preview of the Italian 26/27 season here, with part 2 also out.
Brighton – Are they actually too good for this group?
Last season: 8th
Manager: Fabian Hurzeler
Brighton are the obvious candidates to escape the league’s no man’s land. Fabian Hurzeler guided the Seagulls to eighth place last season, finishing only seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool and securing European football in the process.
That achievement becomes even more impressive when considering Brighton’s problems in front of goal. Danny Welbeck enjoyed the best PL scoring season of his career with 13 goals, but no other Brighton player managed more than five. The Seagulls underperformed their expected-goals total and frequently failed to turn good performances into victories.
Welbeck has subsequently left for Chelsea, making the search for goals even more important. Brighton have responded to other departures with their usual willingness to search across Europe for talent.
Zadok Yohanna has arrived from AIK in Sweden, while Costinha has joined from Olympiacos and Michael Svoboda from Venezia. Portugal Under-21 international Rodrigo Rego is another addition after arriving from Benfica. There has also been significant investment in central defence.
Pascal Struijk has joined from Leeds United, while Luka Vuskovic has arrived from Tottenham. Those moves became particularly important after Jan Paul van Hecke moved in the opposite direction to Spurs.
Brighton have also said goodbye to several familiar faces. Adam Webster and Solly March left when their contracts expired, while James Milner retired after breaking the all-time PL appearance record last season. Diego Coppola’s loan move to Paris FC has also become permanent.
It is another sizeable turnover of players, but Brighton have become specialists at dealing with exactly that. Their recruitment model repeatedly identifies replacements before departures become crises, and Hurzeler now has a squad containing another collection of young players with significant upside.
Pre-season has offered encouragement. Brighton opened with a 4-1 victory over Wycombe and, more significantly, beat Roma 3-0 at the Amex. Yasin Ayari scored twice in that victory after Georginio Rutter opened the scoring.
The obvious concern remains at centre-forward. Brighton needed a more ruthless striker even before Welbeck departed. Without him, that requirement becomes even clearer. If the club solves that problem before the transfer window closes, the ceiling rises considerably.
European football also complicates matters. Brighton will have ECL commitments to manage alongside the domestic campaign, meaning Hurzeler needs greater depth than he required last season.
ArcticBet verdict: Brighton are the team most likely to make our category look foolish. They finished eighth despite lacking a consistent source of goals outside Welbeck, and another successful recruitment cycle could push them higher. Sign the right striker and another serious challenge for Europe is possible.
Brentford – How much further can the Bees climb?
Last season: 9th
Manager: Keith Andrews
Brentford came remarkably close to turning an excellent season into a European one. Keith Andrews’ first campaign in charge produced ninth place and 53 points, level with Brighton and only one point away from seventh. That leaves Brentford in an interesting position.
They are clearly too good to be discussed among the relegation candidates, but moving from the upper half of mid-table into consistent European qualification requires another step. The summer recruitment suggests they intend to take it.
Jannik Schuster has joined from Red Bull Salzburg after making 29 appearances in Austrian football last season. The young centre-back represents another example of Brentford investing in young players before they reach their peak value.
Jaidon Anthony is a more familiar addition. The winger scored eight PL goals and provided two assists for Burnley last season despite their relegation. In a stronger attacking team, Brentford will hope those numbers can improve.
Then there is Callum Wilson. The former Newcastle striker has arrived on a free transfer and gives Andrews an experienced alternative to Igor Thiago. Wilson’s injury history means Brentford cannot build their attack around him, but as a squad option he could prove extremely useful.
Both strikers were on target in Saturday’s 4-2 pre-season victory over Rennes, with Thiago opening the scoring before Wilson also found the net. That attacking depth is important because Brentford’s biggest weakness last season was not necessarily at the other end of the pitch.
They conceded 52 league goals, more than Nottingham Forest down in 16th, and their problems defending attacks down their left side were particularly noticeable. A settled solution at left-back would therefore make sense before the transfer window closes.
The bigger picture is positive. Brentford have survived losing managers and important players before because their structure is bigger than any individual. Andrews took over in difficult circumstances and immediately demonstrated that the club’s methods could continue working under another head coach.
The danger is stagnation. Ninth place is an excellent achievement for Brentford, but once a club reaches this level, improvement becomes increasingly expensive and difficult. The teams immediately above them possess significantly greater financial resources.
Brentford must therefore continue doing what they have done better than almost anyone: find value that other clubs overlook.
ArcticBet verdict: Brentford should be comfortably clear of relegation and could again threaten the European positions. Anthony adds goals from wide areas and Wilson gives them another experienced striker. Improving the defence could be the difference between another ninth-place season and something more memorable.
Crystal Palace – A new manager after a historic era
Last season: 15th
Manager: Pierre Sage
Crystal Palace’s league position tells only a small part of the story of their 2025/26 season. Fifteenth place and 45 points represented a disappointing domestic campaign, particularly given their problems converting chances.
But Palace also won the ECL, adding another major trophy to the FA Cup and Community Shield successes achieved under Oliver Glasner. That era is now over.
Glasner departed when his contract expired and former Lens and Lyon coach Pierre Sage has taken charge. Sage inherits a club with European silverware in the cabinet but several important issues to address.
The most obvious is goals. Palace scored only 41 times in the PL last season. Their conversion rate was among the worst in the division, and a team built to attack quickly somehow failed to score from any of its 37 recorded fast breaks. That lack of efficiency contributed heavily to their bottom-half finish.
There has also been a major defensive departure. Maxence Lacroix, one of Glasner’s most important players, has joined Chelsea for a substantial fee. Oscar Mingueza was the first senior addition under Sage, arriving from Celta Vigo. His ability to operate at centre-back or right-back should suit a coach expected to continue with a three-man defensive structure.
Palace have since added Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Japan international has PL experience from his years with Arsenal and can cover several defensive positions. His injury record requires some caution, but if Palace can keep him fit, signing a player of his quality represents excellent business.
Palace and Everton agreed a deal that saw Brennan Johnson move to Merseyside and Dwight McNeil come to Selhurst Park. and McNeil would provide another left-footed creative option for the Londoners.
That could help address Palace’s attacking problems. Pre-season has been inconsistent. A 5-1 victory over Swindon was followed by a surprising 3-0 defeat against Bromley, while Sage has also used games against Lens, Famalicao and Fulham to begin implementing his ideas.
There is enough quality in the squad to improve considerably on 15th. Adam Wharton remains one of the league’s most talented midfielders, while Palace possess players capable of producing far more offensively than they managed last season. But losing Glasner and Lacroix simultaneously creates uncertainty.
ArcticBet verdict: Palace are difficult to place. Their cup achievements show how high the ceiling can be, but 15th place and 41 league goals show why optimism should be tempered. Sage inherits genuine quality, and Tomiyasu could be an excellent signing if he stays fit. A comfortable mid-table finish looks more realistic than another push towards Europe.
Everton – Can Moyes move them beyond stability?
Last season: 13th
Manager: David Moyes
Everton have spent much of the recent past simply wanting a quiet PL season. They finally got one last year. Thirteenth place and 49 points represented stability after several seasons dominated by relegation battles, financial problems and points deductions.
The move to Hill Dickinson Stadium has also changed the atmosphere around the club. Everton now need to decide whether stability is enough. David Moyes will believe it is not.
The summer recruitment has concentrated heavily on midfield. Hayden Hackney has arrived from Middlesbrough after establishing himself as one of the Championship’s leading midfielders, while Everton have made the loan deals for Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George permanent.
Hackney is particularly important following Idrissa Gueye’s departure at the end of his contract. Everton have also said goodbye to one of the defining players of their modern era.
Seamus Coleman left after 17 years with the club and 374 PL appearances. Replacing his leadership will be as important as replacing his contribution on the pitch. There are still holes in the squad.
Everton scored only 47 league goals last season. Iliman Ndiaye remains one of their most dangerous attacking players, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall provides creativity from midfield, but Moyes needs more consistent production in the final third.
Beto and Thierno Barry offer physical options at centre-forward, although neither has yet established himself as the kind of striker capable of pushing Everton towards Europe.
The arrival of Brennan Johnson could therefore be significant. Johnson struggled after moving to Palace in January, but his previous Tottenham form demonstrated his ability to score PL goals from wide positions. A fresh start could suit everyone involved.
Pre-season has been mixed. Everton opened impressively by beating Dundee 4-0, with Beto, Barry, Harvey Foster and McNeil (who has since signed for Palace in the Johnson deal) scoring. A goalless draw at Bolton followed, and a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart highlighted that there is still work to do.
James Garner has also undergone groin surgery, although he is expected to return around the beginning of the competitive season.
There is a solid foundation here. The question is whether Everton possess enough attacking quality to turn solid into ambitious.
ArcticBet verdict: Everton should not be involved in another relegation fight. The midfield looks stronger and Moyes provides stability, but the attack remains the difference between lower mid-table and a genuine top-half challenge. Adding Johnson should help. Another forward or creative player could help even more.
Fulham – A new era begins under Arbeloa
Last season: 11th
Manager: Alvaro Arbeloa
Fulham are entering their biggest period of change for several years. Marco Silva has gone and Alvaro Arbeloa has taken charge on a three-year contract after his spell managing Real Madrid.
It is a fascinating appointment. Arbeloa arrives with an elite playing background and experience coaching within Real Madrid’s system, but the PL presents an entirely different challenge. He also inherits a squad that has lost important experience and creativity.
Harry Wilson departed after contributing 10 goals and seven assists in the PL last season. Those 17 direct goal contributions represented more than a third of Fulham’s league total. Replacing him is essential.
Raul Jimenez has also left following the expiration of his contract, while Issa Diop has been sold to Ipswich Town. So far, the rebuild has been slow.
Teenage striker Jonah Kusi-Asare has completed a permanent move from Bayern Munich after spending last season on loan at Craven Cottage, but Fulham had not made another senior addition by the beginning of August.
That is beginning to change. The club are now closing in on Southampton midfielder Shea Charles in a deal worth around £30m including add-ons. Until that transfer is formally completed, however, Arbeloa still has a squad that looks lighter than the one Silva managed last season.
The need for creativity is obvious. Fulham created only 41 big chances last season, the lowest total in the PL. Wilson was responsible for a substantial amount of their attacking output, meaning simply replacing him numerically in the squad will not be enough. Arbeloa needs players who can create.
Pre-season has hardly removed those concerns. Fulham began with a 2-0 defeat against Norwich before travelling to Portugal for their training camp. Games against Al-Ahli and Farense followed, along with a behind-closed-doors meeting with Crystal Palace. Stuttgart was beaten 1-0 in their final friendly ahead of their opening PL match at home against Chelsea.
There is still time. The transfer window remains open beyond the start of the PL campaign, and Fulham have demonstrated in previous years that they are prepared to wait for the right opportunities. But Arbeloa needs help.
The squad has enough established PL quality to avoid being considered a serious relegation candidate, but losing Silva and Wilson in the same summer creates considerably more uncertainty than Fulham have faced recently.
ArcticBet verdict: Fulham are the biggest unknown in this group. Arbeloa could prove an inspired appointment, but he needs reinforcements, particularly in creative areas. The current squad looks capable of surviving comfortably but not obviously capable of improving on 11th. The final weeks of the transfer window are important.
Who can escape PL no man’s land?
The interesting thing about this group is that none of the five clubs should be satisfied simply because relegation is unlikely.
Brighton already have European football and finished only seven points behind the CL positions last season. They possess the recruitment structure and coaching quality to threaten the top seven again.
Brentford were even closer. One additional point would have transformed an excellent season into a historic European qualification. Those two appear the strongest candidates to move upwards.
Everton’s trajectory is also encouraging. Moyes has restored stability, the midfield has been strengthened and another couple of attacking additions could make the top half a realistic target.
Palace are harder to assess because Sage is following a hugely successful manager while Lacroix has departed. There is nevertheless far more quality at Selhurst Park than last season’s 15th-place finish suggests.
Fulham carry the greatest uncertainty. Losing Silva, Wilson, Jimenez and Diop represents significant change, and Arbeloa still needs more additions before his squad looks complete.
ArcticBet prediction
10. Brighton & Hove Albion
11. Brentford
12. Everton
13. Crystal Palace
14. Fulham
Brighton are our strongest team in this group and could easily finish higher than 10th if they solve their goalscoring problem.
Brentford should again be competitive in the top half, while Everton appear capable of another step forward under Moyes.
Palace have enough talent to improve on 15th but face a period of adjustment under Sage, while Fulham’s outlook depends heavily on what happens before the transfer window closes.
For all five, the distance between a successful season and an anonymous one may only be a handful of points.
Don’t forget that we also have Early Payout on this league, which you can read more about here.
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last Updated: 21.08.2026
