Home of football statistics and historyArsenal finally broke their long-standing Premier League drought last season, winning the title in convincing fashion, seven points ahead of runners-up Manchester City in Pep Guardiola’s final year in charge of the Cityzens.
Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad Stadium after ten memorable years in charge of the Manchester giants marked the end of an era in England’s top flight, with Enzo Maresca trusted to fill the massive void in the dugout.
Maresca’s touchline debut didn’t go to plan as Arsenal trounced Man City in the Community Shield, emerging 3-0 victors in Cardiff to potentially set the tone for another remarkable campaign.
Mikel Arteta refused to hide his excitement for the Gunners’ emphatic victory at the Millennium Stadium. Nevertheless, winning back-to-back league titles for the first time since the 1930s could be a tall order for Arsenal.
Title race
Arsenal head into the 2026/27 season as the leading candidates to defend their crown, sitting well ahead of Man City and Liverpool, who enter the new campaign under Andoni Iraola.
Last season was disappointing for the Reds, even though they eventually sneaked into the top five, with Arne Slot sacked at the beginning of the summer in favour of the former Bournemouth manager.
With the arrivals of Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet, Liverpool will hope to eradicate defensive blunders that plagued them last term and mount a serious title challenge this season.
Iraola’s side fared well in pre-season, and it would take a brave man to write them out of the title conversation before the season’s kick-off, especially now that Man City are adjusting to life without Guardiola.
The odds remain stacked against the Anfield club, but Liverpool have enough quality in their ranks to make the title race far more competitive than the 2025/26 campaign suggested.
Prediction: Liverpool to win the title
Top-five race
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Maresca’s appointment, Man City remain strong favourites to secure a top-five finish, alongside Liverpool and Arsenal, leaving the two remaining Champions League spots open for the taking.
Whether Manchester United’s resurgence in the second half of last season was just a flash in the pan or a sign of a genuine turnaround under Michael Carrick will become clearer as the new campaign unfolds.
However, the Red Devils come into the season with renewed optimism and will be looking to match last year’s third-place finish at the very least, despite facing stiff competition from Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs avoided the ignominy of relegation by the skin of their teeth last term and will seek redemption on the back of one of a raft of high-profile summer signings, including Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Consecutive 17th-place finishes paint a bleak picture, but with Roberto De Zerbi in the dugout, Tottenham will hope their ambitious summer recruitment can finally spark a revival and propel them back into the Champions League places.
A comeback of this magnitude is not out of the realm of possibility, although they’ll have to keep an eye on city rivals Chelsea, who are set to embark on a new chapter under Xabi Alonso.
Given the Spaniard’s underwhelming tenure at Real Madrid, the Stamford Bridge faithful may want to temper their expectations rather than hold their breath for an immediate renaissance.
Prediction: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd & Tottenham
Overperformers
Tottenham were undoubtedly the biggest underperformers last season, but after narrowly escaping relegation, Spurs look determined to return to the top of the Premier League table.
It may sound irrational to put the North London powerhouse in this category, yet it’s been a dismal couple of years for Tottenham, who will have a point to prove in De Zerbi’s first full season in charge.
Recently praised by former caretaker boss Chris Hughton, De Zerbi has what it takes to restore Tottenham to their former heights, with a revamped squad giving him the tools to make an immediate impact.
Underachievers
As ever, Chelsea will approach the new season with high expectations, hoping Alonso could transform the club’s fortunes after another frustrating campaign, but another disappointment could be lurking around the corner.
Mauricio Pochettino, Liam Rosenior and Maresca all failed to deal with the Blues’ bloated squad, with Chelsea’s never-ending cycle of signings only adding to the pressure and making it increasingly difficult for any manager to find the balance.
Despite his historic Bundesliga triumph with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso faces a completely different challenge in West London. For the sake of Chelsea fans, he may be able to bounce back from his nightmare spell in Madrid.
Relegation picture
It took Coventry City over two decades to return to the Premier League, but we all know how Frank Lampard’s previous managerial stints in England’s top flight turned out.
The former Chelsea and Everton manager must defy the odds to keep the Sky Blues away from the bottom three, yet we don’t like his chances.
An immediate return to the Championship may not be on the cards for Coventry alone, with Ipswich Town and Hull City widely expected to suffer the same fate.
Prediction: Coventry, Hull & Ipswich
Top scorer
No matter who’s in charge of Man City, Erling Braut Haaland will always be among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot, with his ruthless finishing making him the obvious choice to lead the scoring charts.
The Norwegian superstar has won the Golden Boot in three of his four previous Premier League seasons, reaching a 27-goal landmark on each occasion. Indeed, in a sport of few guarantees, Haaland packing a punch is a virtual certainty.
After a gut-wrenching maiden season at Anfield, Alexander Isak might have a say in the matter, while Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, Man Utd’s Benjamin Sesko and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres could also fight for the award.
However, Haaland should once again come out on top.
Prediction: Erling Braut Haaland
Best player
Bruno Fernandes was named the ‘Player of the Season’ in 2025/26, but no player has won the award twice in a row since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007 and 2008.
It’s also worth noting that he remains the only player from outside Liverpool and Man City to have won the award since 2016/17.
Considering just how dreadful Isak’s first season at Liverpool was, many would probably laugh at the idea of him picking up the prize this term, but stranger things have happened in football.
Best signing
Tottenham’s bid to re-establish themselves as genuine top-five contenders may rest on Tonali’s shoulders after the Italian midfielder became the club’s record signing this summer.
His experience, leadership and proven quality in the Premier League make him a natural candidate to spearhead Spurs’ revival and also secure this flattering recognition.
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