Ten KEY questions for the 2025/26 Premier League season

All the biggest talking points ahead of the start of the new campaign on Friday

The new Premier League season is finally here. Alex Keble discusses all the latest trends, the birth of a new era and what we can expect, including:

- Can Liverpool defend their title or has Slot changed too much?

- Will this be the most exciting title race ever?

- If continuity will help Villa and Newcastle?

- How will Amorim handle this make-or-break moment for Man Utd?

- What will the shift from Postecoglou to Frank feel like for Spurs?

- Can promoted clubs buck the recent trend and stay up?

- How will the middle-class teams cope with key player sales?

- Can Forest and Palace juggle European football?

- Will a full summer help Potter, Moyes and Pereira?

- Will this be the year of the No 9?

Can Liverpool defend their title or has Slot changed too much?

There is huge excitement about Liverpool’s summer spending and Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Writz, and Hugo Ekitike were all impressive in the Community Shield last weekend.

But that game also gave pause for thought. Rarely, if ever, do Premier League champions change so much over a summer. It is possible Arne Slot has disrupted a winning team, sacrificing the togetherness of his title winners.

Liverpool haven’t won back-to-back league titles since 1984 and after a quiet summer in 2024 there is no doubt reinforcements were needed, while a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend is nowhere near enough evidence for genuine concern.

Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see whether Liverpool’s signings are, initially, a help or a hindrance. Ekitike and Wirtz are brilliant players, but does adding Wirtz mean Liverpool aren’t as solid in central midfield? And is changing both full-backs too much too soon?

Once Ryan Gravenberch returns from a one-match ban after getting sent off against Palace on the final day of last season, he should help stabilise things, as will some tinkering from Slot over the first few weeks as he works out the best way forwaqrd.

There are far more reasons for optimism than pessimism. But the Community Shield performance has raised a few eyebrows – and made it all the more likely 2025/26 will be a closely-fought title.

Will this be the most exciting title race ever?

Not since 2013/14 has the Premier League had a three-horse title race that lasted the distance, when an iconic battle between Liverpool, Chelsea, and winners Manchester City was defined by Steven Gerrard’s slip.

We could get something just as special this season. Certainly the stage is set for three, or possibly four, big clubs fighting through until May.

Liverpool ought to be better challenged by Arsenal, whose capture of Viktor Gyokeres finally addresses their need for a No 9. Mikel Arteta’s team are brilliant defensively, and now they have a striker with the movement to help unlock the low blocks Arsenal are increasingly facing.

They also have Noni Madueke for added depth and the potentially game-changing addition of Martin Zubimendi in midfield. In short, Arsenal have a stronger squad than at any point in Arteta’s reign.

Yet even finishing in the top three might be a challenge. Pep Guardiola looks highly motivated for a revival of Man City, and by signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki indicates a move towards more vertical, dynamic football.

There are enough new bodies to suggest City will be refreshed and ready to challenge again. Guardiola, after all, has never gone more than a single season without winning the league title, a record that stretches across a 17-year managerial career.

Then there’s Chelsea, invigorated by the FIFA Club World Cup triumph and made stronger by Liam Delap and Joao Pedro in particular. This is a huge year for Enzo Maresca’s project. His bosses will believe Chelsea are ready to win the title for the first time since 2017.

Yet the competition has never been tougher. There are four clubs hoping to win the league… and maybe even more than that.

After frustration this summer, will continuity actually help Villa and Newcastle?

Fans of Aston Villa and Newcastle United find themselves frustrated by the lack of transfer activity, and yet their quiet summers could be a blessing in disguise.

As Liverpool showed by winning the title last season, new signings can be overrated. Holding a team together is a big success these days, especially for teams on the way up and liable to have their star players poached. Villa and Newcastle might find that while others recalibrate they can hit the ground running.

For Newcastle, that of course depends on what happens with Alexander Isak. If he stays, then Newcastle will be in a good position to kick on in the UEFA Champions League, especially with Anthony Elanga arriving to strengthen their right-wing.

Villa look to have held onto all of their players, including Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins, whose futures were far from certain back in May.

There are high expectations, too, for Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana, and Donyell Malen, all of whom could be like new signings after spending some time bedding in at Villa Park.

Perhaps a title challenge is outlandish for either club. But don’t underestimate the value of continuity.

How will Amorim handle this make-or-break moment for Man Utd?

Over £200million reportedly spent on three forwards – Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko – signals Man Utd’s intent. They are all-in on Ruben Amorim’s project and demand a considerably better showing than last season’s 15th-place finish.

It is a monumental season in the history of Man Utd, and although that so often feels like the case in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years, this one is different. There is a growing sense at Old Trafford that if Amorim can’t make it work – if an exciting young tactician can’t turn things around – then, well, maybe nobody can.

Not that pessimism is particularly in the air. Man Utd fans are ready for a reboot following Amorim’s first summer in charge of training. Reports indicate the squad has been working tirelessly on tactical detail; some decent pre-season performances and results suggest it’s working.

But crisis never feels far away from the modern Man Utd. The scrutiny will be as intense as ever. Their trajectory will once again be one of the stories of the season – for better or worse.

What will the shift from Postecoglou to Frank feel like for Spurs?

Ultimately it’s a results business and Thomas Frank’s success at Tottenham Hotspur will be judged in the same way as everyone else.

But what makes Spurs such an engaging story this season is the screeching turn from Ange Postecoglou’s wildly entertaining football to the considered pragmatism of Frank.

Spurs are associated with attacking football to such an extent that hand-wringing over ‘‘club DNA’’ has dominated discourse around every manager since Mauricio Pochettino. Frank is not as negative as Jose Mourinho, but his counter-attacking Brentford are about as far away from expressive attacking football as Antonio Conte or Nuno Espirito Santo.

What makes Frank an especially intriguing appointment in the context of the ‘‘Spurs way’’ - and chairman Daniel Levy’s ever-changing relationship with it - is that Frank coached expansive possession football in the Championship, only switching to a more restrained approach after Brentford were promoted.

It will be interesting to see which way he goes over the first few months of the season.

Can promoted clubs buck the recent trend and stay up?

For two consecutive seasons the three promoted clubs have gone straight back down, prompting fears this could become the new normal.

Sunderland have reportedly spent over £100m and brought in a good mix of talent and experience, Granit Xhaka and Simon Adingra being the pick of the bunch. It arguably puts them in the strongest position of the three to finish above the dotted line.

Then again Burnley conceded just 16 goals in 46 Championship games last season, an astonishing record that might mean Scott Parker’s side have less adjusting to do than is customary. If Burnley do stay up, they will almost certainly begin a new trend, showing how to win promotion in a way that prepares the ground for the step up.

Leeds United also won 100 points, suggesting quality, although reports that Daniel Farke’s position was under threat in May has not helped their preparation or the sense of stability inside the club.

How will the middle-class teams cope with key player sales?

In years to come, perhaps the biggest takeaway from the 2025/26 season will be the consolidation of power at the top because, like when Leicester City won the title in 2015/16, the biggest clubs have taken it upon themselves to reassert their dominance after a year in which the middle-class closed the gap.

Brentford lost their manager, Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, and maybe soon Yoane Wissa. AFC Bournemouth have sold three of their first-choice back four in Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Kerkez.

Palace might be losing Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi. Nottingham Forest clung onto Morgan Gibbs-White but sold Elanga. Brighton & Hove Albion saw Joao Pedro depart for Chelsea. West Ham United sold Mohamed Kudus. Fulham haven’t lost anyone, but it will sting to see former player Joao Palhinha move on loan to Spurs.

Of this middle group of clubs, Brighton look the best placed to tread water or even push on, especially considering Fabian Hurzeler and his reported £200m of signings last summer should get better in their second season in England.

Brentford are in the most trouble. Keith Andrews was a risky appointment and he must navigate the departure of the club captain, as well as Mbeumo, who scored 20 Premier League goals last season.

Can Forest and Palace juggle European football?

They both enjoyed superb domestic seasons but now comes the potential for a hangover.

There is no guarantee that either Palace or Forest will be able to successfully navigate the extra European games and stay competitive in the Premier League. If they do, it will mark a significant change in their status.

If they don’t, then most supporters would probably rather their club focuses on European competition.

Palace are devastated to have missed out on UEFA Europa League football despite winning the FA Cup, but who knows, nine months from now they might be celebrating that sliding doors moment – because Oliver Glasner’s side could go and win the Conference League instead.

As for Forest, such is the power of the Premier League we cannot rule out the possibility they will win European silverware for the first time since 1980.

Will a first full summer help Potter, Moyes, and Pereira?

Graham Potter, David Moyes, and Vitor Pereira joined West Ham, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively during the 2024/25 season – with varying degrees of success.

Pereira performed magnificently, lifting Wolves from 19th (with nine points from 16 games) to safety, winning 33 points from 22 matches, an average that would win 57 points over a full season, or enough to finish ninth in 2024/25.

Moyes, too, took Everton away from trouble, and considering his history at the club it just feels right that he will lead Everton into their new Hill Dickinson Stadium this month. Potter, on the other hand, barely performed better than Julien Lopetegui.

All three coaches will have been grateful for a summer on the training ground, especially one free from international interruption. Of course, that means there are no excuses if performances aren’t good enough.

Will this be the year of the No 9?

Gyokeres, Ekitike, Joao Pedro, Delap, Sesko: it feels like every Premier League club has been in the market for a true No 9 this summer.

They are definitely back in fashion following a period in which Guardiola’s influence saw the rise of the ‘‘false nine’’.

A return to more transition-heavy football has also helped the striker enjoy a renaissance, although with fewer out-and-out No 9s being coached at academy level, their recent return to fashion means there aren’t too many of them around, hence the high prices.

Erling Haaland, Chris Wood, Watkins, Wissa, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Evanilson - the list goes on and on. They’ve been creeping back in for a while, then, but this is the summer when seemingly all the top clubs decided it was time to prioritise the No 9 again.

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