2025 Premier League: 5 Key Storylines to Follow in the Remainder of the Season
by Sam Cox | by Tyler Doty
There’s not much point wasting time delivering soccer predictions on the title race or relegation battle in the Premier League. Both ends of the table are sewn up with Liverpool cruising to the title and the trio of newly promoted sides destined for the drop.
There’s still plenty to be interested in during this last nine matchdays of the season, however.
Can Newcastle Build on Cup Glory?
Newcastle are one of our best futures bets. The international break fell at the perfect time, giving the Magpies an opportunity to celebrate the end of a 70-year trophy drought.
Having got the celebrations out of their system, will they knuckle down for their final 10 Premier League matches? Or could there be an elongated hangover which leads to a slump over the next few weeks?
Eddie Howe’s side will be favoured in their next four matches. Qualifying for the Champions League is well within reach.
The remainder of this season will reveal a lot about what’s to come for the Howe era at St. James’ Park. If they manage to build on their glorious afternoon at Wembley, they could be seen as a serious title contender heading into 2025/26.
Does Enzo Maresca Get Chelsea on Track?
Briefly threatening to compete for the title earlier in the season, Chelsea have had a subpar first three months of 2025. Pressure is mounting on Enzo Maresca with the Blues out of the FA Cup and only two points ahead of seventh-placed Brighton.
Cole Palmer is woefully out of form. A home match with Ipswich is the only match that looks like a routine win out of a potentially challenging remaining fixture list.
This Chelsea ownership group have been no less ruthless than Roman Abramovich. If the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League, Maresca is unlikely to keep his job.
Ange’s Job Security
Maresca isn’t the only manager under threat in London. Ange Postecoglou has Tottenham languishing in 14th. The once-upbeat Australian has been riled up on several occasions this season, leading to spiky press conferences and confrontations with fans.
Spurs have only won consecutive league matches once since September. The Europa League could save Postecoglou’s job, but the club’s hierarchy will surely be looking for signs of improvement in the final couple of months of the Premier League season, too.
It’s unlikely Daniel Levy pulls the trigger before the end of the season. That doesn’t stop this being a key storyline for the medium- and long-term future of the Lilywhites.
Will Forest Stave off Regression?
Nottingham Forest qualifying for the Champions League would be the biggest Premier League surprise since Leicester City won the title. Ninth in expected goal difference and with Chris Wood suffering an injury on international duty, Forest are at risk of a late-season slump, which could cost them a spot in Europe’s premier club competition.
The FA Cup clash with Brighton this weekend could lead to a crowded schedule down the stretch. While Nuno Espirito Santo’s team have made a habit of getting results against more talented opposition, there are still plenty of tough matches to come, including trips to Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and Tottenham.
A six-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester City could quickly disappear. Newcastle will be only four points behind if they win their game in hand.
The underlying numbers suggest Forest will regress before the end of the campaign. Sportsbooks heavily favor them for a top-four finish, but that’s far from a foregone conclusion, especially if Wood is sidelined for multiple matches.
Manchester United’s Improvement
Manchester United are unbeaten in four league matches, drawing with Everton and Arsenal and beating Ipswich and Leicester. They’re still down in 13th, and only the bottom five teams have a worse expected goal difference per 90 minutes.
The coming weeks will really test if this is a brief upturn in form or the start of more sustained performance from the Red Devils.
Their next three league opponents are Forest, Newcastle, and Manchester City, with the Newcastle match sandwiched between a Europa League tie with Lyon.
