What is specific about the English Premier League
The English Premier League stands out from all other leagues in many ways. This league is sort of like the NBA of football, and over the years, this comparison will become increasingly apt. It’s a global league, and the teams have countless fans. There are fans of every team in the league all over the world, and there are even supporters of teams in the Championship and Ligue 1.
A Brief History of the English Premier League
The English Premier League has been known by that name since 1992. Before that, the league was called the First Division. Since it was renamed the Premier League, there have been some major changes and with them, big money. Let’s start with the fact that football as a game was born in England, so it makes sense for everything to begin and end there.
But what makes the Premier League unique? There’s always a special charisma and magic to the matches. It’s very distinctive. On the one hand, there are the traditions. In England, no matter how commercialized football may be, there will always be something romantic about it.
For example, in the older stadiums in England you will see how the seats of the stadiums are located literally next to the pitch and any fan can enter the pitch.
When, shortly after mid-December, the leagues take a break, the Premier League hits its stride, with matches played every three days, and between Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s Day, there are constant Premier League matches, with teams often playing two games in less than 48 hours. This is one of England’s greatest traditions.
When it comes to marketing, the Premier League is second to none. The commentators, the studios, the analysis, the overall product, and its presentation are all top-notch. As for the game itself, the Premier League is most recognizable for its incredible intensity, the teams’ fierce physical battles, and the dynamic play and technical skill on display.
What style of football is played in the English Premier League
The style has changed many times over the years. It is heavily influenced by foreign coaches, as well as by the rules of the game, which are constantly changing.
The typical English style of play, which every normal football fan thinks of, involves crosses, long balls, one-on-one battles, and a lot of physical aggression. English football has always been characterized by a more open style of play; that is, fouls aren’t called for every contact with an opponent, as is the case in some other leagues.
Liverpool vs. Manchester City – the big rivalry in recent seasons
At the moment, football in England cannot be defined by a single style. Smaller teams use specific tactics to counter the big clubs and their direct rivals, while the top teams have a wide range of strategies at their disposal.
Between the 2017-2018 and 2024-2025 seasons, Liverpool and Manchester City dominated the Premier League in a way never seen before. One of the two teams won every title during that period. The battle between Klopp and Guardiola (especially in the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 seasons, when the two teams were separated by just one point) is what makes the Premier League so exciting.
Although it was considered an outdated and often mocked tactic, long balls were one of the main weapons of Klopp’s Liverpool. The German literally revolutionized the game by using fullbacks as playmakers. Guardiola, on the other hand, relied on more passing and runs through the middle – Man City had perfected their ability to execute quick, precise combinations so well that for a long time, no team could adequately counter them.
Intensity as a brand
What certainly won’t change in England is the immense intensity and physical demands of the league. Because the league attracts the most money, as it is the most popular and best-represented, it also draws the best players and coaches. Consequently, English soccer is constantly evolving, and not everyone can survive in it.
Tactical Diversity in the Modern Premier League
Every team in the league has its own style of play, but recently the big clubs have started to rely on young managers with close ties to their teams. The 2025-2026 season illustrated this clearly – for the first time since 2016-2017, neither Liverpool nor City won the title. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal claimed the trophy, ending a 22-year wait.
Arne Slot won the title with Liverpool in his first season but failed to defend it and was fired and succeeded by Andoni Iraola. Guardiola left City after 10 years, and Enzo Maresca took his place. Chelsea had a difficult season – Maresca was fired midway through it, and Xabi Alonso took over on July 1, 2026.
The Premier League is never static and that’s exactly what makes it so interesting to follow and bet on.
Schedule, Standings, and Results of the English Premier League
The Premier League runs from August to May each year and consists of 20 teams, each of which plays 38 matches over the course of the season. Three teams are relegated to the Championship at the end of each season, and three newcomers take their place. The standings also determine participation in European tournaments – the top five spots qualify for the Champions League, sixth and seventh place for the Europa League, and eighth place for the Conference League.
The number of Champions League spots may vary depending on England’s UEFA coefficient and whether an English club has won a European trophy. The schedule for each round includes matches on Saturday, Sunday, and midweek, and around Christmas and New Year’s, the pace picks up significantly with the traditional Boxing Day matches.
The 2026-2027 season will begin on August 21, 2026-a week later than usual due to the World Cup. The opening match is between Arsenal and Coventry City, and the final 38th round is scheduled for May 30, 2027.
You can find up-to-date information on standings, the schedule, results, and statistics for all teams and players on the Premier League’s official website. If you’re looking for analysis and predictions for Premier League matches, at Betinum we publish tips before every round throughout the season.
The Best Players in the English Premier League
The English Premier League has attracted and continues to attract some of the best football players in the history of the game. From Alan Shearer, the all-time leading scorer with 260 goals, to Mohamed Salah – the only active player in the all-time top 5, the league has always been a stage for the greats.
Interestingly, the record-holders aren’t just pure strikers – Frank Lampard makes the top 10 as a midfielder, which speaks to the exceptional quality and diversity that the Premier League has produced decade after decade.
In the table below, you’ll find the top 10 all-time goal scorers in the league’s history, along with the number of matches they’ve played and the teams they’ve represented. The stories of underdogs in the Premier League offer yet another fascinating glimpse into the phenomena this league produces.
| # | Player | Goals | Premier League Clubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Shearer | 260 | Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United |
| 2 | Harry Kane | 213 | Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City |
| 3 | Wayne Rooney | 208 | Everton, Manchester United |
| 4 | Mohamed Salah | 193 | Chelsea, Liverpool (still active) |
| 5 | Andy Cole | 187 | Newcastle United, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sunderland |
| 6 | Sergio Agüero | 184 | Manchester City |
| 7 | Frank Lampard | 177 | West Ham United, Chelsea, Manchester City |
| 8 | Thierry Henry | 175 | Arsenal |
| 9 | Robbie Fowler | 163 | Liverpool, Leeds United, Manchester City |
| 10 | Jermain Defoe | 162 | West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bournemouth |
What are the best bets for Premier League matches?
The league is known for its unpredictability and competitiveness, which are hard to find elsewhere, so it can sometimes be a nightmare to predict, but if you follow it closely, things become clearer.
Bets on Specific Teams
The truth is that each team can be analyzed individually to identify its specific trends.
Arsenal, for example, built their championship title in the 2025–2026 season on a rock-solid defense – conceding only 27 goals and keeping 19 clean sheets for the entire season. It is precisely these numbers that form the basis of our mathematical predictions – for Arsenal, bets on under 2.5 goals and a home win paid off frequently.
Tottenham, on the other hand, suffered a historic collapse – they finished 17th, barely avoided relegation, and recorded only 3 home wins all season. Paradoxically, however, they performed significantly better on the road. These specific patterns are exactly what you should be looking for.
Bets on Liverpool and Manchester City
Liverpool won the title in the 2024-2025 season under Arne Slot, but failed to defend it. Nevertheless, they remain a team for whom home wins and late goals are a constant – a tradition built up over the years. Manchester City, for their part, even during tougher periods, continue to produce high-scoring matches thanks to their attacking style. For them, the over 2.5 goals bet has historically been among the most reliable in the league.
Underdog Teams and Their Characteristics
It’s not just the big clubs that offer interesting betting opportunities. Burnley and Leeds, the newcomers for the 2025/2026 season, traditionally enter the league with an aggressive style, making them good bets for both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in their home matches.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, were the pleasant surprise of last season, as they finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League for the first time in their history. Teams with this kind of progress always offer value bets because bookmakers are slow to update their odds.
Tips from Betinum for More Successful Bets
Our main recommendation is not to rely solely on statistics from English Premier League matches. In those games, traditions often carry the most weight, which is why it’s a good idea to find out if there’s a best betting strategy before you place a bet. There are thousands of examples. Take Liverpool, for instance: no matter what form they’re in when they visit Old Trafford, and regardless of Manchester United’s condition or form, they always find it extremely difficult to win at that stadium and tend to play with a bit more tension and respect.
Always take the frequency of matches into account. This means it’s important to be very cautious when betting on a team that isn’t one of the top clubs, doesn’t have a deep bench, and plays matches frequently.
A classic example is teams that are competing in both the Europa League or the Conference League while also battling it out in the lower half of the Premier League standings – fatigue inevitably takes its toll on their results.
For more specific tips on successful betting and strategies, including how to spot value bets in Premier League matches, check out our relevant guides.
The truth is, we can offer thousands of tips with examples of specific teams in specific matches and discuss why, what, and how things happened, but in order for you to truly understand the matches in this league, above all, you need to find them interesting to watch and follow – betting aside. If that’s not the case, either look for leagues that are more suitable from a statistical standpoint, or follow our predictions for today.
At Betinum, we have analysts who focus exclusively on English football and follow it in detail.