Grisly Premier League prediction Schwarzer hates to make
The hunters have become the hunted after Arsenal finally broke their tortuous 22-year, 8060-day Premier League title drought in May.
Within that painful dry spell, the Gunners used 165 players, were led by four different managers in two different stadiums, spent 984 days at the top of the ladder and came runners-up on five occasions.
So, can mastermind manager Mikel Arteta maintain the rage?
That’s just one of the burning questions Stan Sport put to a quartet of decorated ex-Socceroos on its Premier League preview show ahead of Arsenal’s season opener against Frank Lampard’s promoted Coventry City on August 22 (AEST).
Goalkeeping great Mark Schwarzer lives in London and will be in thick of the action for Stan Sport.
The ex-Middlesborough, Fulham, Chelsea and Leicester City custodian holds the record for the most Premier League appearances by an Australian, with 514.
He was also the first non-British player to pass 500 games in the competition.
Meanwhile, ex-Manchester United star Mark Bosnich is one of only two Australians to have won the Premier League, alongside Robbie Slater.
Bosnich returns to Stan Sport’s Sydney-based coverage in 2026-27 along with ex-Socceroos captain Craig Foster and new signing Tommy Oar, who played for the newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
Who will win the 2026-27 Premier League title?
Schwarzer: Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool. I think they’ve got a phenomenal squad.
Yes, they’ve got some injury issues defensively, but I think they’ll be OK. They’ll either bring in new players or they’ll just be OK. But the going forward style of football that Iraola’s going to bring to Liverpool will suit them perfectly, and I feel that they’ll just have enough to regain the Premier League title.
Bosnich: I’ll go Arsenal, but it’s going to be very, very open. But the dark horse is Chelsea because they’ve got no European football (to congest their schedule).
Craig Foster, Tommy Oar and Mark Bosnich. Stan
Foster: Arsenal. I am worried about them, I’ve got to say, but I do think the stability is critical. And for Arteta, you can’t have a better opportunity, quite frankly. The others (great managers) - (Pep) Guardiola had to fight against (Jurgen) Klopp all the time.
(Jose) Mourinho had to fight against (Arsene) Wenger and so on. And all of a sudden, you’ve won it, you get to strengthen as well, and all of those guys (legendary managers) have walked away. I mean, you have to win it.
Oar: I think Manchester City. Enzo Maresca of course, new manager. But if Rodri stays, I think they’ve just got too much quality.
Who will win the Premier League golden boot?
Schwarzer: Leading goalscorer, Erling Haaland. I don’t see anyone else.
He is a phenomenal footballer, phenomenal goalscoring machine. Does it time and time again, wherever it is, so I think he’s the one that’s going to do it.
Bosnich: I’ll go Joao Pedro. Scored 15 goals in the Premier League last season, so I will go with him.
I mean, 26 goals and seven assists from all games, so I’m going to go for him as something different because obviously Haaland is favourite.
Foster: Haaland.
Oar: Haaland but I think Viktor Gyökeres will go close.
Who will be relegated from the Premier League?
Schwarzer: This is always a very tough one, and whoever you say you’re going to get criticised for. But I’m going to go with Hull City and Ipswich Town - I just don’t think they’re going to have enough to keep themselves in the Premier League.
And unfortunately, I feel that for Sunderland, it might be a season too far, purely because they’re in Europe. They had so much success last season, they were phenomenal. I just feel second season syndrome, it’s so difficult. There’s a level of expectation and I don’t know whether they’re going to be able to deliver that in their second season, with all the other distractions around them.
Bosnich: Hull City, Ipswich and Leeds.
Foster: The promoted teams (Hull, Ipswich and Coventry). I think Leeds have got an issue, but I think the promoted clubs are going to struggle a bit here.
Oar: Hull, Coventry and Nottingham Forest.
Who will be the first manager sacked this season?
Schwarzer: I don’t like to predict any manager losing their job, but I think Hull City’s Sergej Jakirović.
The obvious reason for me is they’re in the Premier League almost against expectations. Maybe within the club they had these expectations, but I feel that they will try and do whatever they can to stay in it. And if things don’t go well early, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pull the trigger quickly to change the manager.
Bosnich: I’ll go Daniel Farke as I said Leeds for relegation. But a special word for (owner) Evangelos Marinakis and Forest (whose manager is Oliver Glasner), you never quite know there.
Foster: I agree with Schwarzy, as bad as that is, but I think that Hull are really going to find it difficult.
Sergej Jakirovic of Hull City reacts. Sergej Jakirovic of Hull City reacts.
They’re not spending a lot, they’re not going in the transfer market a huge amount, and they only finished sixth last year in the Championship. So I think it’s going to be difficult (for Jakirović).
Oar: Glasner for me at Forest. A very erratic club and I just think that his days are numbered.
Football’s new home, Stan Sport, is the only place to watch the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, WSL, J.League, NWSL and K League
