The World Cup may have dominated the summer, but attention is now turning back to the Premier League. With less than a month until the new season gets underway, each of the 20 clubs starts with renewed hope.
Yet optimism across the division is far from evenly spread and there are plenty of questions still to answer before a ball is kicked. Who is under pressure from the outset? Which teams can build on last season? And, perhaps most importantly, who will be lifting the Premier League trophy in May 2027?
With the countdown to the new campaign well underway, here are the biggest questions hanging over the new Premier League season.
Gunning For Glory
After a wait of 22 years, Arsenal finally returned to the top of English football in May and now that they have climbed the mountain top that comes with Premier League success, manager Mikel Arteta must concoct a plan in order to do so again.
The top tier of English football is incredibly tough to dominate; it is even more difficult to hang on to the silverware you have just collected. Something that the Gunners will be incredibly aware of now that they are the team with the target on their backs.
No major additions at the Emirates at the time of writing, but you could argue that their dealings of last summer gave them the edge over their title rivals and therefore, just a couple of tweaks in terms of personnel will place Arsenal in good stead for another title tilt.
One of those tweaks has already taken place in terms of a departure as Leandro Trossard has swapped North London for Besiktas, but at the age of 31, Arsenal will feel they have already got the best out of the Belgian international.
Which begs the question as to what Arsenal do in terms of attacking personnel: is Viktor Gyokeres the player to lead them to a second successive title? Can Kai Havertz stay healthy enough to displace him from the starting eleven? Or do they go all out and land Vinicius Jr from Real Madrid? Watch this space.
The New Boys
Of the Premier League’s elite members club known as the ‘Big Six’, three of its half-dozen members have switched managers over the course of the summer. Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all have new faces in the technical area, all hoping to lead their new employers to greatness once again.
For City, it is the arrival of Enzo Maresca after a few months in the wilderness. His appointment after Pep Guardiola’s departure from the Etihad was perhaps football’s most open secret due to the former Chelsea boss' blatant touting for employment while still in charge at Stamford Bridge.
That less-than-clandestine pitch was the reason that Maresca got the boot in West London and now the Italian has the near-impossible task of filling the void left behind by Guardiola. Could this be similar to when David Moyes took the reins from Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford?
That stint as the chosen one by Sir Alex was nothing but a poisoned chalice for Moyes and it would not even last until the end of his first season in charge. The bar will have been set just as high for Maresca in the blue half of Manchester – the time for transition will be minimal.
Not Too Xabi
While the same could also be said of the next man to take the managerial baton at Chelsea. Xabi Alonso may not be the direct successor to Maresca at Stamford Bridge, but he is the man to lead the Blues into battle at the start of the season.
The Spaniard’s stock would have taken a dent after his sacking by Real Madrid at the start of the year and after success in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, he will hope that Chelsea are the perfect vehicle to rebuild his reputation,
Not that Chelsea will be in a mood to hang around if the club are stuck in neutral under Alonso, but even with the pressures that come with working under Todd Boehly’s ownership, it looks like this partnership could be a promising one.
Eyes On Andoni
A partnership that was forged due to beating Liverpool to the punch. Admittedly, the move would have been more difficult for the Merseyside outfit to make due to Arne Slot still being in charge, but now the Dutchman has been moved on at Anfield, they have instead turned to Andoni Iraola.
After announcing his departure from Bournemouth at the end of the 2025/26 season, Iraola had a list of suitors that stretched across Europe and although a move back home to Athletic Bilbao looked likely, it is the switch to Anfield that continues his career trajectory.
Has this move come too quickly for the 44-year-old, or is it a move up the coaching hierarchy at just the right time? Of course, this is a Liverpool side that is now operating in a Mohamed Salah-free environment; is that going to be a help or a hindrance to the former Bournemouth boss?
Howe For Now
If there was one manager who is arguably under the most pressure before a ball has been kicked, that man is Eddie Howe. A disappointing end to last season means no European football for the Magpies to look forward to; that and some of Howe’s Magpies have now flown the nest.
Sandro Tonali switching Tyneside for London, Anthony Gordon exchanging Byker for Barcelona. Bruno Guimaraes could also be edging closer to the exit doors of St James’ Park as defending champions Arsenal watch with interest.
The club are notably feeling the pinch of PSR as the project to be one of the very best has notably stalled and with transfer targets now moving towards potential rather than ready-made, the recruits may not blossom quickly enough to rejuvenate Newcastle back to the European places.
What About Spurs
The team that could be the wildcard next season is surely Spurs. The North London outfit have recorded two successive 17th place finishes in the Premier League; their early summer transfer exploits suggest that there must be some form of improvement this time around.
The big question is just how much progress is made under new manager Roberto De Zerbi and with no European football to distract them this season, it is a return to continental football that will surely be the target at the end of the campaign.
There is no doubt that De Zerbi has looked to get his house in order with smart defensive recruitment. The arrival of Andy Robertson offers the experience that Spurs have been crying out for; the additions of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke also offer plenty of promise.
However, the big question surrounding Spurs is whether they can solve the ongoing issue through the centre of attack. Dominic Solanke and Richarlison's struggles for fitness have been well documented; De Zerbi’s plea for reinforcements up top are seemingly getting louder by the day.
Villa In Transition
Celebrations just a few months ago after winning the Europa League, but the mood feels less optimistic in the West Midlands this summer. Aston Villa seemingly having an end-of-season sale, losing key first-team players in the process.
Morgan Rogers’ big-money move to Chelsea obviously grabbing the headlines, Youri Tielemans’ move to Manchester United could also hurt Villa’s performances at the start of the campaign, but some quarters have argued that his departure was well timed.
Johann Manzambi and Joao Gomes have been drafted in by manager Unai Emery as replacements, along with the capture of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea. Whether the sum is now greater than the parts at Villa Park remains to be seen.
The Promoted Outfits
While the Premier League’s new additions of Coventry, Ipswich and Hull will be hoping they do not return to the EFL Championship at the first time of asking – a task that is easier said than done when considering the transition from the second tier to the first.
For any manager of a promoted club, there is always a sense of “what have you done for me lately?” Promotion no longer something that can be used in your favour when convincing the board to keep you in the job; the only thing that matters is results in the Premier League.
Whether the trio of Frank Lampard, Gary O’Neil and Sergej Jakirović are equipped to deal with the other 17 teams in the division depends on how their respective players perform; do not be surprised if one of these three men is looking for employment elsewhere by the turn of next year.
