Arsenal build Nicolas Jover statue, Chelsea to sign Aston Villa striker and what will happen in 2025 | OneFootball

Our reporters have predicted what will happen next year

It’s time to bid farewell to another remarkable year in football with a look ahead at what’s to come.

2024 saw Arsenal become set-piece kings, but fail to topple Man City once again, Chelsea sack yet another manager, buy yet more players, but against the odds mount a serious Premier League title challenge, and Tottenham suffer injury after injury, and defeat after defeat, to finish the year in the bottom half.

What will 2025 bring? We asked our reporters to get out the crystal ball...

Nicolas Jover gets a statue… or a new contract

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Simon Collings

So, what next? Jover t-shirts being sold outside Holloway Road? A statue next to Arsene Wenger’s? Perhaps not, but a new contract will definitely be on the cards for the set-piece guru.

Mikel Arteta wants to tie down all his backroom staff and Jover is a key part of that. He has transformed Arsenal into, arguably, the most dangerous team from set-pieces in Europe.

Chelsea sign an Aston Villa striker

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I was going to throw out the possibility that Chelsea do win a trophy this season but that it’s not the Conference League, which most have down as theirs to lose. Then I looked at the knockout draw again and thought better of it. I just don’t see how they lose a two-legged tie, so it’s a final at least.

Something will surely have to give in the John Duran-Ollie Watkins battle if Villa don’t have Champions League football and the stars could align.

Archie Gray earns senior England cap

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Dan Kilpatrick

It has been a difficult year for Tottenham and it would be easy to make any number of dark predictions about Ange Postecoglou's future or the likely state of the club in 2025. Instead, I'll go for a positive.

It has gone almost overlooked during Spurs' grim run of form this winter that 18-year-old Archie Gray is growing in stature with every game while deputising at centre-back. It is unclear where the teenager will end up playing long-term but he is an outstanding prospect: technically gifted, composed and mature beyond his years.

If new England head coach Thomas Tuchel is looking for a new ball-playing centre-back, an answer to England's historic midfield problem, yet another right-back or all of the above, then Gray should be on his radar next year.

Gray's emergence as a proper Premier League player has been the biggest positive from Spurs' rough season so far and he looks set for a big 2025.

Fullkrug comes good but West Ham finish bottom half

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Dom Smith

Eventually, the West Ham board will grow as tired of the heavy thrashings and confused identity as much of the fanbase already are. 2025 will almost certainly see the end of Julen Lopetegui’s time as Hammers boss. The question is when the situation will become dire enough to bring about that change.

At that point, the club would be wise to look upon matters at Manchester United and this time not fly Ruben Amorim into London for talks over becoming the next West Ham manager, which they did in April, even if flights from Manchester are cheaper than from Lisbon.

The Hammers will finish something like 14th this season. Niclas Fullkrug will come good. I mean it.