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From 20 to 11: Studs Up! Podcast's Premier League predictions
Sport Nation • August 20th, 2026 2:05 pm
Tune into Studs Up! with hosts Daniel McHardy & Riccardo Ball, 6pm Wednesdays, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
The Premier League is back, and Studs Up! Podcast hosts Riccardo Ball and Daniel McHardy have peered into their crystal ball to predict the EPL ladder, from 20th all the way to the champions.
There is plenty of agreement at the bottom, but the boys have very different ideas about who will survive, who will slide and who could surprise.
Sport Nation will bring you five Premier League matches every week - live on radio, the app, and web - thanks to talkSPORT.
Now, let's find out who's going down to the Championship!
20th
Riccardo: Hull City / Daniel: Hull City
Neither of the lads expect the Tigers to last long in the top flight, with their defensive numbers from last season a major concern.
Hull conceded 66 goals in the Championship and ranked 23rd out of 24 teams for expected goals against.
“It’s not going to be a pretty season,” Riccardo said.
19th
Riccardo: Coventry City / Daniel: Ipswich Town
Riccardo fears Coventry will struggle defensively, while Daniel thinks Ipswich’s recruitment may not be enough to keep them up.
Ipswich have added Premier League experience, but Daniel is not convinced it will be enough to survive the step up.
"They've spent 150 million euro. And I'm not sure what that squad is," McHardy said.
Coventry City celebrate securing promotion to the EPL | Photo: AP
18th
Riccardo: Fulham / Daniel: Coventry City
Riccardo has Fulham going down after losing key contributors, while Daniel expects Coventry to return to the Championship.
“I don’t see how they’ve replaced it,” Riccardo said, pointing to Fulham’s departures such as Raul Jiminez and Harry Wilson, who contributed 19 Premier League goals between them last season.
17th
Riccardo: Ipswich Town / Daniel: Fulham
Riccardo believes Ipswich’s experience could save them, but Daniel is deeply unconvinced by Fulham’s new manager and the loss of Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson.
“If Arbeloa makes it to Christmas, I’ll be surprised,” he said.
16th
Riccardo: Newcastle United / Daniel: Sunderland
Riccardo sees Newcastle’s unsettled summer catching up with them, while Daniel expects Sunderland to struggle with the demands of European football.
Sunderland were one of last season’s great stories, but the extra workload could prove costly.
Sunderland's Brian Brobbey celebrates a late winner at Newcastle | Photo: AP
15th
Riccardo: Everton / Daniel: Crystal Palace
Everton are backed to survive after some smart business, although the lack of firepower remains a concern.
Daniel expects Palace to drift back into the pack after their strong campaign last season.
14th
Riccardo: Crystal Palace / Daniel: Leeds United
Palace remain just outside the danger zone for Riccardo, while Daniel believes Leeds have enough attacking quality to stay clear of trouble.
Harry Wilson adds creativity, while James Trafford is viewed as a major upgrade in goal.
13th
Riccardo: Leeds United / Daniel: Newcastle United
Riccardo likes Leeds’ recruitment and expects them to improve after a strong finish to last season.
Daniel remains wary of Newcastle’s direction after a turbulent summer.
“Their project has been back to front,” he said.
"They splashed the big money, it hasn't worked, now they lost all of those players and are now going with even younger unpolished diamonds. I would have thought it would have been the other way around."
Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | Photo: AP
12th
Riccardo: Sunderland / Daniel: Everton
Riccardo is buying into Sunderland’s recruitment, including the arrival of Thomas Meunier.
Daniel believes Everton’s lack of goals could hold them back, even after some encouraging business.
11th
Riccardo: Brentford / Daniel: Brentford
Both lads expect Brentford to finish safely in mid-table, although neither sees them pushing for Europe.
Look out for part two, where Riccardo and Daniel reveal their top-10 predictions!
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