Four pointers to most open Premier League title race in years
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- Five of the big six — Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham — start 2026-27 under different managers than last season, with Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola at City and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso taking charge at Chelsea.
- Arsenal defender William Saliba is set to miss an "extended period" with a back injury from the World Cup; since his 2022 debut Arsenal's Premier League win rate drops from 68.7% across 131 matches with him to 47.6% across 21 matches without him.
- Chelsea and Tottenham are out of European football in 2026-27 while nine other Premier League clubs (including Manchester United, who played just 40 matches last season — their fewest since 1914-15) are competing, with United already adding midfielders Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.
- Chelsea signed England midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m — the largest fee ever paid for a British player — and have also spent £47m on Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra, with further moves for Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, and Maxence Lacroix close.
- Tottenham have spent a club-record £237m this summer, breaking their transfer record twice in two days with Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85m and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100m.
- Pep Guardiola left Manchester City having won six of the past nine Premier League titles during his 10-year tenure, ending an era in which the last two championships were won by at least seven points.
Why it matters: A decade of City dominance — six of the past nine titles, with the last two won by 7+ points — is collapsing simultaneously: Guardiola has left, five of the big six have new managers, and Arsenal's most reliable defender could miss months. With Chelsea and Tottenham also spending over £350m combined while sitting out European football, 2026-27 is the most genuinely unpredictable title race in years.
