Premier League 2026/27: Key Player for Every Club - Part One, Arsenal to Fulham
Ben McAleer
The 2026/27 Premier League season kicks off this week as defending champions Arsenal welcome promoted Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium.
And with the new campaign just days away, we take a look at each team’s key player for the coming season.
In Part One of this series, we run through Arsenal to Fulham, and pick out the performer who’ll be the most important in their bid to achieve their seasonal goal.
Arsenal - Gabriel Magalhaes
Arsenal’s star centre-back last season, Gabriel Magalhaes put in a commanding display as the Gunners won the Community Shield on Sunday. Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard saw the north London side claim a 3-0 win over rivals Manchester City. And they did so without prized defender William Saliba. The Frenchman suffered a recurrence of a back problem during the 2026 World Cup. While Saliba won’t go under the knife to rectify the issue, he’ll be sidelined for the foreseeable future. This further increase the importance on Brazilian Gabriel, then, as Arsenal look to defend their crown
Aston Villa - Boubacar Kamara
Aston Villa’s midfield has taken a huge hit this summer. Amadou Onana will miss most, if not all of, the 2026/27 campaign with an ACL injury he suffered with Belgium at the World Cup. To compound matters, Youri Tielemans departed for Manchester United after Michael Carrick’s side triggered the £35m release clause in his contract. And when it rains it pours. Joao Gomes, who signed from Wolves over the summer, is set to miss the start of the season. Over to you, Boubacar Kamara. The Frenchman suffered a serious knee injury at the turn of the year, but played 72 minutes of the UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week. Either way, there is now huge pressure on Kamara to remain fit and shoulder the midfield burden.
Bournemouth - James Hill
Eli Junior Kroupi is sidelined, while Alex Scott has been linked with a move away. Centre-back Marcos Senesi departed for Tottenham Hotspur. 22-year-old Antonio Silva has joined to replace the Argentine. It means that new head coach Marco Rose will look to Bournemouth’s tried and tested personnel to boost his chances of a successful debut campaign on the south coast. James Hill may not be the most glamorous name in Premier League football. However, he was a solid centre-back partner for Senesi last season. Hill is suddenly the established star at the heart of the Bournemouth backline.
Brentford - Michael Kayode
Despite being linked with a move away from Brentford, Michael Kayode put pen to paper on a new deal with the west London side last month. The Italian has established himself as one of the division’s best right-backs, thus explaining interest in the former Fiorentina man. Not only does Kayode fly up the right flank, his missile-esque throw-ins wreak havoc in the final third. Not even the Premier League’s towel ban will stop the 22-year-old from maximising this weapon in his armoury.
Brighton - Pascal Gross
Danny Welbeck’s exit means Pascal Gross is the experienced head in this Brighton setup. The German midfielder returned to the AMEX at the turn of the year, and immediately elevated the performance levels within the squad. Now, Fabian Hurzeler will rely on the 35-year-old more than ever. Expect Gross to live up to the challenge. He’s not only the team’s creator-in-chief, he’s the one who knits Brighton together. Back the Seagulls to really take flight as the Germany international takes on the responsibility as the role of figurehead.
Chelsea - Levi Colwill
Xabi Alonso will look to some of his more experienced players in his first year as Chelsea boss. Even at 23 years of age, Levi Colwill fits into this category given his knowledge of the league. The defender missed the bulk of 2025/26 owing to an ACL injury but is expected to play a key role for the Blues as Alonso aims to make an immediate impact in his debut campaign. Colwill has already praised the new Chelsea boss, speaking highly of the style of play the Spanish boss is seeking to implement. The youngster should prove the perfect ball-playing centre-back to thrive under the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid head coach.
Coventry - Carl Rushworth
Admittedly, when a goalkeeper is dubbed a team’s key player for a coming campaign, it doesn’t bode well. However, Carl Rushworth was vital for the Sky Blues as they secured a Premier League spot, ending their 25-year stay outside of England’s top tier. Coventry were desperate to make the 25-year-old’s loan move permanent, and they succeeded in their efforts to retain Rushworth’s services. The Midlands side have been active in the summer window, making no fewer than seven signings following Taiwo Awoniyi’s addition on Monday, but it’s the shotstopper who’ll be their MVP.
Crystal Palace - Chris Richards
Crystal Palace have lost two of their three starting centre-backs in 2026 alone. Marc Guehi moved to Manchester City in January. Maxence Lacroix, meanwhile, completed his move to Chelsea earlier this summer. That leaves just Chris Richards of the surviving trio to hold down the three-man defence under Pierre Sage. Flanked by Jaydee Canvot and Chadi Riad, Richards is now the Eagles’ experienced head at the back. How the USMNT man fares with the burden will determine how well Palace perform in Sage’s debut campaign.
Everton - James Garner
Everton get their Premier League campaign underway against Crystal Palace this weekend. They’ll do so without James Garner. The Toffees star went under the knife to rectify a groin issue earlier this summer, though it rules him out for the season opener. And Everton will hope Garner can return sooner rather than later as they look to build upon last season’s 13th-place finish. The 25-year-old made more tackles (120) than any other player in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Having the midfielder fit and firing makes a huge difference for David Moyes’ side.
Fulham - Gonzalo Garcia
Raul Jimenez’s exit meant Fulham needed attacking reinforcements this summer. New head coach Alphonse Areola utilised his Real Madrid contacts to lure Gonzalo Garcia to Craven Cottage. Los Blancos were more than happy to cash in on the 22-year-old, who managed six goals and one assist across just 955 minutes of league action last season. It’ll be interesting now to see how the youngster performs in England’s top tier. It’s a risk by Fulham to pin their goalscoring hopes on Garcia. His form under Areola for Real Madrid in the second half of the 2025/26 season, though, was certainly promising. A sign of things to come?
