PL 2026/27 Preview Part 1: Title Fight
The PL has produced three different champions in the last three seasons, and there are reasons to believe the title could change hands again in 2026/27. Here is part 1 of our PL preview for the upcoming season with the opening weekend less than two weeks away!
Arsenal finally ended their 22-year wait last season, finishing seven points clear of Manchester City after three consecutive campaigns as runners-up. Their challenge now is to turn one championship into an era of success.
City are entering unfamiliar territory following the departure of Pep Guardiola, while Liverpool have also changed manager after an underwhelming title defence. Chelsea are attempting an even more dramatic transformation after appointing Xabi Alonso.
Four clubs enter the season believing they have the quality to win the league. However, they do so from very different starting positions.
Read Part 2 of our PL 26/27 preview here.
Read Part 3 of our PL 26/27 preview here.
Read Part 4 of our PL 26/27 preview here.
Read our preview of the French 26/27 season here.
Read our preview of the Spanish 26/27 season here.
Read part 1 of our preview of the Italian 26/27 season here, with part 2 also out.
Arsenal – Can the champions do it again?
Last season: 1st
Manager: Mikel Arteta
Arsenal spent years getting closer before finally completing the job. After finishing second for three successive seasons, Mikel Arteta’s team won their first PL title since the Invincibles of 2003/04. They finished with 85 points, seven ahead of Manchester City, and also possessed the best defensive record in the division.
David Raya kept 19 clean sheets to claim his third successive Golden Glove, while Arsenal’s strength from set pieces remained an important weapon throughout the campaign. The question this summer was therefore not how to rebuild the champions, but how to make an already successful squad even stronger.
The biggest addition is Bruno Guimaraes. Arsenal have paid £75m to take the Brazilian midfielder from Newcastle United, giving Arteta another elite option alongside Declan Rice and their skipper.
Christos Tzolis has also arrived to increase Arsenal’s attacking options, while goalkeeper Illan Meslier provides further competition in the squad.
Guimaraes could be particularly important. Arsenal have relied heavily on Rice, and adding a midfielder already proven at PL level should allow Arteta to rotate more effectively during another campaign involving both a title defence and CL football.
Tzolis offers something different in attack and should reduce the workload placed on Bukayo Saka, whose fitness requires careful management following a demanding international tournament.
There are, however, some early concerns. William Saliba is set to miss an extended period with a back problem, while Jurrien Timber is also expected to miss the beginning of the season. Arsenal’s defensive depth could therefore be tested immediately.
Pre-season has not been flawless either. A 2-3 defeat against Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates followed another loss, although Arteta has been integrating players returning at different stages following this summer’s international football action. Guimaraes was presented to the supporters ahead of the Dortmund match and will need to settle quickly.
Arsenal may still add to their squad before the transfer window closes, particularly if the opportunity arises to bring in another difference-maker in attack or additional defensive cover.
The important thing is that this is no longer a team trying to prove it can win the league. Arsenal have done it. Now they have to prove they can stay at the top.
ArcticBet verdict: Arsenal begin as our favourites. The champions have retained the core of their title-winning side and added Guimaraes to an already outstanding midfield. Injuries in defence are the main early concern, but Arteta has the strongest combination of continuity, quality and recent evidence.
Manchester City – Life after Guardiola begins
Last season: 2nd
Manager: Enzo Maresca
For the first time in a decade, Manchester City begin a PL season without Pep Guardiola in the dugout. Enzo Maresca has returned to the Etihad to replace him, having previously worked at City as both an assistant and coach of the club’s development side.
Following Guardiola is one of the toughest jobs in European football. City still finished second last season with 78 points and scored 77 league goals, but Arsenal were clearly the more consistent team. Their star striker nevertheless remained as devastating as ever, scoring 27 times to claim his third Golden Boot in the league.
Maresca inherits enormous quality, but he does not inherit Guardiola’s squad unchanged. There has been a significant clearing-out of experienced players. John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji have all departed, removing an extraordinary amount of experience from the dressing room.
Goalkeeper James Trafford has also left for Leeds United. City’s headline response has been the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a club-record fee. The England midfielder was one of the league’s outstanding central midfielders last season and gives Maresca a player capable of carrying the ball, winning possession and operating in several midfield roles.
The future of Rodri is another major storyline. Barcelona have already had an offer rejected for the Spanish midfielder, and City will desperately want clarity over one of their most influential players.
There is also a tactical transition to negotiate. Maresca worked under Guardiola and shares many of the same positional principles, but this will not simply be a continuation of the previous regime. His first pre-season match ended in a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan before City lost the resulting penalty shootout.
There have since been encouraging signs. City ended their Asian tour with a 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid in Seoul. Omar Marmoush scored twice in quick succession and Rayan Ait-Nouri added the third as City came from behind to beat Diego Simeone’s side.
Marmoush could be particularly important if he carries that form into the competitive season, while Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Savinho give Maresca numerous ways to support their popular star striker.
More transfer activity would not be surprising. City have lost several senior defenders and have been looking at further additions before the window closes. There is enough quality here to win the PL. The uncertainty comes from replacing the manager who defined an entire era.
ArcticBet verdict: City are Arsenal’s most dangerous challengers. Man City have a squad packed with talent, but Guardiola’s departure and the loss of several hugely experienced players make this a season of transition. Maresca can win the title, but he has very little time to make the new City work.
Chelsea – Can Xabi Alonso turn talent into a title challenge?
Last season: 10th
Manager: Xabi Alonso
No club in this group enters 2026/27 with more to prove than Chelsea. A 10th-place finish was nowhere near acceptable for a club with Chelsea’s resources and ambitions, and the response has been another major summer of change.
Xabi Alonso is now in charge. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach arrives with a reputation for tactically sophisticated football, and Chelsea have again invested heavily to provide their new manager with options.
Morgan Rogers is the standout addition. The England international has arrived from Aston Villa following an outstanding period at Villa Park and gives Chelsea another powerful ball-carrier capable of operating behind the striker or from wider positions.
The prospect of Rogers combining with Cole Palmer is one of the most intriguing elements of the new Chelsea.
Maxence Lacroix has strengthened the centre of defence after impressing at Crystal Palace, while Valentin Barco has arrived to provide another option on the left.
Chelsea have also made the unusual move of adding considerable PL experience. Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck have joined a squad traditionally built around younger players, potentially addressing a lack of leadership that has been evident at times in recent seasons.
Alonso has already started experimenting with the shape of the team, with a three-man defence one obvious possibility given the systems he has previously favoured.
Pre-season, however, has provided reminders that this remains a work in progress. Chelsea lost 1-0 to Juventus in Hong Kong before drawing 3-3 with Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim. The latter game also produced another defensive concern when Aaron Anselmino was forced off injured during the first half.
There has been positive news elsewhere. Mykhailo Mudryk has returned to action following his lengthy absence and could effectively provide Alonso with another attacking option.
The size of Chelsea’s squad remains both an advantage and a problem. There is extraordinary talent available, but Alonso must quickly establish his preferred XI and give the team an identity.
That is a considerable challenge. Chelsea finished 27 points behind Arsenal last season. Closing that entire gap in one summer would represent an enormous improvement. But the quality available means they cannot simply be dismissed.
ArcticBet verdict: Chelsea are the outsiders among our four title contenders. Alonso is an exciting appointment and the addition of Rogers could transform their attack, but moving from 10th to champions in one season is a huge ask. A genuine title challenge requires everything to click remarkably quickly.
Liverpool – A new era without Salah
Last season: 5th
Manager: Andoni Iraola
Liverpool’s 2025/26 title defence never developed as hoped. The champions from 2024/25 fell to fifth place last season, finishing 25 points behind Arsenal. Arne Slot subsequently departed and Liverpool turned to Andoni Iraola after his impressive work with Bournemouth.
The managerial change alone would make this a fascinating season at Anfield. Then Mohamed Salah left. The Egyptian has joined Trabzonspor after one of the greatest individual spells in Liverpool’s history, leaving Iraola with the enormous task of rebuilding an attack that has revolved around Salah for almost a decade.
Liverpool have made two significant additions. Centre-back Jeremy Jacquet has arrived from Rennes, while winger Victor Munoz has joined from Osasuna. Munoz scored five goals and provided seven assists in all competitions last season and fits the profile of quick, aggressive wide attacker that Iraola favoured at Bournemouth.
The problem is that Liverpool may still need more. Iraola himself has acknowledged that there are gaps in the squad, and replacing Salah’s output cannot realistically be placed entirely on the shoulders of a 22-year-old arriving from Spain.
There remains enormous attacking quality. Alexander Isak provides Liverpool with an elite centre-forward, Florian Wirtz can create and score from midfield, and Cody Gakpo remains another major threat. Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch give Liverpool a technically excellent midfield when everyone is available.
Mac Allister has had an extended break following Argentina’s long run in this summer’s international tournament and is only now preparing to return, while Joe Gomez has also suffered an injury during pre-season. Jacquet has had his fitness managed carefully.
The biggest concern, though, may be defensive rather than attacking. Liverpool’s pre-season tour exposed problems when defending transitions, and those issues were visible again at Anfield against Monaco.
Iraola’s side led 2-0 through goals from Isak and Wirtz but eventually lost 3-2. Liverpool’s high defensive line was repeatedly exposed, and Iraola admitted afterwards that his team could not allow its performance level to drop as dramatically as it did.
That is particularly relevant because Iraola’s football demands intensity. At Bournemouth, his teams pressed aggressively and attacked quickly. Liverpool possess players suited to that approach, but implementing it while simultaneously correcting the defensive problems from last season will take time. There is still time in the transfer window to solve some of those issues. Liverpool probably need to.
ArcticBet verdict: Liverpool have enough elite players to return to the title race, but they also have more unanswered questions than Arsenal or City. Iraola is an excellent fit stylistically, yet Salah’s departure is enormous and the defensive warning signs from pre-season cannot be ignored. Another major attacking signing would significantly improve their prospects.
Who will win the 2026/27 PL?
There is no overwhelming favourite among the four contenders. Manchester City still have the best striker in the league and one of the deepest collections of attacking talent in Europe, but replacing Guardiola while simultaneously refreshing an ageing squad represents a major challenge.
Liverpool are beginning again under Iraola and must discover how to replace Salah. Chelsea have made another statement in the transfer market, but asking Alonso to turn a team that finished 10th into champions immediately may be expecting too much.
That leaves Arsenal. Arteta’s side have spent several years building towards this position. They finished second three times, learned how to sustain a title challenge and finally converted that experience into a championship last season.
Guimaraes makes the midfield stronger, while the core of the title-winning squad remains intact.
The Saliba injury is significant, and Arsenal need to manage the workloads of players who went far in this summer’s international tournament. There may also be another signing to come before the window closes. But of the four leading contenders, Arsenal have the fewest questions to answer.
ArcticBet prediction
1. Arsenal
2. Manchester City
3. Liverpool
4. Chelsea
Arsenal are our choice to retain the league title. City should push them hardest, while Liverpool have the potential to move much closer if Iraola gets the defensive balance right and receives further backing in the transfer market.
Chelsea should improve substantially under Alonso, but a championship challenge looks one season too early.
Don’t forget that we also have Early Payout on this league, which you can read more about here.
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last Updated: 21.08.2026
