Can anyone stop Arsenal in the Premier League?

It should be too soon to be asking a question like that. We’ve got a whole season ahead of us, 380 Premier League matches in total, starting on Friday under the lights at the Emirates Stadium and finishing in May next year. That’s a lot of football to be played.

It’s also worth remembering that only three managers — Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, and Pep Guardiola at Manchester City – have won Premier League titles back-to-back across the last 34 years.

Rivals, typically, are re-energised, motivated and determined to put right what went wrong the season before. As for the reigning champions, aside from the fact that everyone wants to beat them, the biggest worry is whether it means as much to the players, or even the manager, the following season. To put it another way, is the hunger still there?

Arsenal’s comprehensive 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield in Wales on Sunday afternoon provided some possible answers in that respect, and not just because of the goals they scored and the emphatic scoreline.

The clues were there in the off-the-ball actions of the Arsenal players too, in their body language and in the way that every duel seemed to mean so much to them, even in a fixture that still prompts debate among many football fans as to whether winning it actually qualifies as a trophy.

Mikel Arteta smiled afterwards when a reporter highlighted to him examples of three Arsenal players (Gabriel, the defender’s international team-mate and new-signing Bruno Guimaraes, and Ben White) revelling in making a challenge or a block on an opponent.

“When you put your soul and your heart into a reaction, that’s what happens,” the Arsenal manager said.

Indeed, the underlying message felt clear at the Principality Stadium: Arsenal supporters might still be basking in the glow of their first league title in 22 years, but Arteta and his players are as driven and ambitious as ever, and that means being hellbent on holding onto the trophy that the club took so long to reclaim.

“Because you want to go through it again,” Arteta explained. “When the desire comes, I want to live that moment again, I want to live all the moments, even bigger than them. We know what it’s going to take, we know the difficulty of the task, that’s why we’ve never done it at this football club (in the Premier League era). So we know that it’s going to demand something special and we are ready for it.”

But are the rest of the Premier League clubs ready? Can a legitimate title challenger emerge from the usual suspects when there has been so much change and churn this summer? City, Liverpool and Chelsea all have new managers, while Michael Carrick is about to embark on his first full season in charge of Manchester United.

The contrast with Arsenal, where Arteta is now the longest-serving manager in English football’s top four divisions, is stark.

Against City, Arsenal looked what they are: a well-oiled machine where all the individual roles are clearly defined, where the movement patterns are familiar (Riccardo Calafiori making runs on the inside on the left, White overlapping on the outside on the right as soon as the wide attacker shifts infield; the two full-backs nearly combined for a goal at one stage), and where a way of consistently winning matches has long been established. And no, that didn’t involve a set-piece goal against City, in case you were wondering.

It’s true that the Community Shield is rarely a reliable yardstick for what’s to come — only eight of its 34 winners before Sunday’s game have gone on to claim the Premier League title. This year’s curtain raiser featured a number of players who were making their first club appearance of any description this summer because of the World Cup. It’s a safe bet that Erling Haaland, who was one of those players, won’t be substituted again after 53 minutes this season unless he’s injured.

Equally, some potentially broader issues were impossible to ignore in Cardiff, not least how different Manchester City’s midfield looks without the effervescent Bernardo Silva and the influence of Rodri. Different is one way of putting it; weaker and lacking leadership is another. It’s unthinkable that City allow Rodri to leave this summer without signing a replacement, whether that’s Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, or someone else.

As for Arsenal, they’ve already strengthened in that department, bringing in Guimaraes from Newcastle for £75million and prompting Mikel Merino to suggest a few days ago that Arsenal now have the best midfield in football. Arteta had a grin on his face when that line was put to him.

As comfortable as Guimaraes already looks in an Arsenal shirt — showing a trademark mix of brains and brawn against City — it was the two players alongside him who played pivotal roles in the goals: Myles Lewis-Skelly, with a lovely disguised pass for the opener after only 24 seconds, and the excellent Martin Odegaard, who had a hand in the second and elegantly scored the third.

“Can we play you every week?” sang the Arsenal supporters after the Norwegian made a fool out of Gianluigi Donnarumma, sitting the City goalkeeper on his backside with a beautiful dummy before slotting into an empty net.

“Are you Tottenham in disguise?” followed moments later.

It was that sort of day for Arsenal, whose fans were greeting passes with “oles” before the hour-mark, taunting City’s new head coach Enzo Maresca about his short-term job prospects, and enjoying the sight of Christos Tzolis, their £34m signing from Club Brugge, mark his competitive debut with two assists. Short of asking the French referee Clement Turpin to play on the left wing, it’s hard to imagine Arsenal could have found a more perfect Leandro Trossard replacement than Tzolis.

All the while, David Raya continued to serve up the occasional reminder with his feet (drilled 40-yard passes into Tzolis) and hands (effortlessly claiming crosses and making an outstanding save to keep out Antoine Semenyo’s late effort) as to why he’s the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.

As the game got away from City (some would argue that was the case inside the first minute) and Arteta started to make widespread changes, there was a reminder of Arsenal’s strength in depth, too.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Piero Hincapie, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze all came off the bench. Merino, a World Cup winner, was an unused substitute, along with the gifted teenager Max Dowman. As for Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus, they didn’t make the cut.

Despite all of that, there is still work for Arsenal to do in this transfer window, both in defence — Cristhian Mosquera performed well alongside Gabriel, but Arteta will want a more established centre-back to step into the shoes of the injured William Saliba — and in the forward positions, where an A-list attacker has eluded them so far this summer and will almost certainly be required in order for the club to take the next step in the Champions League.

In terms of the Premier League, though, it’s hard to escape the feeling that Arsenal, once again, will be the team for everyone to beat.

The Premier League season returns on Friday, when promoted Coventry City travel to defending champions Arsenal for their first top-flight game in 25 years.

In one sense, this campaign may be more unpredictable than any other in recent memory, since nine clubs start the season with a new manager. Two more — Manchester United’s Michael Carrick and Tottenham Hotspur’s Roberto De Zerbi — have not been in permanent control of their teams for much longer.

Five of the traditional Big Six — Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham — begin 2026-27 with a manager who was not in charge this time last year. Of the title favourites, only Arsenal have stability in the dugout.

How will the new men in charge fare? Which teams have recruited best? And is there any hope for the promoted sides?

Our writers from across The Athletic’s global newsroom have joined forces to predict the final Premier League table, which you can see here:

And Carl Anka, Seb Stafford-Bloor, Nick Miller, Tim Spiers, Cerys Jones, Thom Harris, Stuart James and The Athletic FC podcast host Emma Paton have combined to discuss how they see the season going.

---

Who will be much better than last season?

Anka: Many will surely give one of Tottenham or Nottingham Forest as an answer here. Both teams should be much closer to the Europa League positions than the relegation zone. I’m also looking forward to watching a fully fit Yoane Wissa again. Newcastle United fans barely got a glimpse of how good he can be; it’ll be nice if he can return to peak form.

Stafford-Bloor: Florian Wirtz should really benefit from playing for Andoni Iraola, whose work with the midfield and attacking players at Bournemouth was so profoundly successful.

Whether it was Alex Scott, Junior Kroupi, Antoine Semenyo or Evanilson, every player within that part of Iroala’s Bournemouth side improved as an individual, implying that he should be able to draw something from a player who, despite suffering a really difficult first season, is immensely talented.

Miller: Lads, it’s Tottenham, but I’ve also convinced myself, not for the first time, that Manchester United are going to be genuinely good this season. At various points last season, Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all looked pretty good, just not all at the same time. They still need a few enhancements, but if those attackers are all on it, together, with Youri Tielemans in midfield behind them, I think they’ll be much improved.

Harris: I’m excited to see how Chelsea click under Xabi Alonso, and expect them to comfortably improve on their 10th-place finish last season. Recruitment looks to have been geared towards facilitating the 3-4-2-1 shape that Alonso used at Bayer Leverkusen, and I think Cole Palmer could thrive in one of the No 10 positions.

Jones: Chelsea (from a low bar), having balanced out their squad with more experience, added even more attacking quality in Morgan Rogers, and had a full pre-season under Alonso. As for Tottenham, they could do with strengthening a few other departments, but the signings they’ve made so far should be enough for a significant improvement.

Spiers: Nottingham Forest have been disconcertingly quiet in the transfer market (just two permanent additions at the time of writing), but you’d imagine that with Oliver Glasner at the helm and a very talented squad, they will improve considerably on 16th. Snaring Glasner feels like a real coup.

James: Tottenham. A caveat here — finishing as low as 10th would be “much better” than fighting relegation. But Spurs, I’m sure, will be higher than that. De Zerbi is a top coach and I like the look of their recruitment — signing proven Premier League players and breaking their transfer record to bring in Mateus Fernandes. A quick fix.

Mateus Fernandes abrindo os trabalhos com um golaço 🚀😱 pic.twitter.com/KCDlTtRgZU

— Tottenham Hotspur (@Spurs_PT) July 22, 2026

Paton: Leeds. At some point around February, Daniel Farke’s side quietly stopped being a team that survives and became one that was tough to beat. Now add in three terrific signings in James Trafford, Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic. They’ve had a solid pre-season, and for me, the top half is there for the taking.

---

Who will be worse than last season?

Anka: Obvious answers here revolve around teams who have qualified for Europa League/Conference League competition. Can Sunderland/Bournemouth deal with the Thursday-Sunday treadmill? But I’ll plump for Fulham. Marco Silva’s work there went under the radar, and I’m unsure about Alvaro Arbeloa and his new signings.

Stafford-Bloor: Aston Villa. Tielemans gone, Rogers gone, Amadou Onana injured. Johan Manzambi is going to become a really good player and Joao Gomes already is one, but clearly they have taken a step back. Brian Madjo looks terrific — although he and Gomes are expected to miss the start of the season —  but there’s an onus on him to be a reliable source of goals behind Ollie Watkins, which is a heavy burden for a teenager.

Miller: I think Villa are going to struggle, in relative terms anyway. It’s not just that the players they have lost haven’t necessarily been replaced with ones of current commensurate ability; it’s that Unai Emery has been pretty bad at integrating new signings. When it’s, say, Tammy Abraham, it’s not a huge issue because you can just stick him on the bench and broadly forget about him, but when it’s half the team…

Harris: Sunderland spent almost £200m and brought in 18 players last season; so far this summer, they have only signed 34-year-old Thomas Meunier on a free. Their squad is still very strong, and they can beat anyone with the crowd on their side at home, but they did hit a few sticky patches last season, and were actually ranked 18th on expected-goal difference. Europe could distract them too.

Jones: Sunderland did spectacularly well last season and I don’t think they have strengthened anywhere near enough to continue that relative overperformance, especially with the distraction of the Europa League. Villa could drop down the table (though not drastically), with their transfer business so far seeing key personnel leave to directly strengthen rivals for Champions League places.

Spiers: It’d be good banter to say Spurs at this point (adopts Frank Lampard persona; ‘But seriously, they should do really well’) but the obvious answer is Bournemouth. Sixth last year, they’ve lost the best thing about them in Iraola. Sunderland will also probably drop like a stone, unfortunately.

James: Sunderland. As with Forest the season before, Sunderland finished seventh in the Premier League in 2026, which was exceptional. But we all know what happened to Forest next — a season of struggle. Combining the Premier League with playing in Europe will be a major challenge and it feels inevitable there will be a tail-off.

Paton: I agree with others saying Sunderland because of how impressive they were last season, but I’ll go for the other team in the North East, Newcastle. Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon out the door for over £200m, Eddie Howe gone, and in walks Matthias Jaissle to conduct an orchestra that has just sold its string section.

---

Which of the nine new managers will prove to be the best appointment?

Anka: If Glasner can maintain a good working relationship with Evangelos Marinakis, then Nottingham Forest should be in for a good season. A coach of known quantity and brilliant qualities.

Stafford-Bloor: Iraola, by process of elimination. I can come up with reasons to doubt the eight other coaches — because of inexperience, potential difficulty with ownership, or otherwise style, squad and tactical concerns — but Iraola is hard to find fault with. He’ll work well in Liverpool’s structure, as a cog in the machine, and the players he’s inheriting have so much potential.

Miller: Probably Glasner, if only because there are pretty big caveats about the others, mostly not their fault: can you realistically expect Alonso to make sense of Chelsea in one season, for example? Glasner is proven, and broadly speaking has a squad suited to his system, so long as he can keep a lid on the default chaos of Nottingham Forest…

Harris: Marco Rose should oversee a pretty seamless transition in terms of playing style at Bournemouth. It looks as if they have retained Alex Scott and Kroupi, while the arrivals of Antonio Silva and Alvaro Rodriguez are particularly ambitious and exciting. They’ll be a nightmare to play against once again.

Jones: I’m a big fan of Iraola’s work, but I wonder if his demands for intensity will have teething problems given how thin the squad currently looks. I’m not as confident as others that things will be stable under Glasner at Forest, and think Maresca will take time to settle at City. I think Rose has the best chance of hitting the ground running, and that Alonso will improve his team the most over the course of this season.

Spiers: It may prove to be an impossible task to follow Pep Guardiola, but in someone a lot of the players know, who has enjoyed success at two English clubs and whose style will be similar to Guardiola but different enough to feel fresh, Maresca is a good appointment.

James: I totally understand the appeal of Glasner. But I’m going to take a chance and say Alonso. Chelsea’s flawed player-trading model has made it hard for any coach to work with continuity and stability in recent years, but there are signs of a shift in that approach, and there’s a lot to like about Alonso.

Paton: Xabi Alonso at Chelsea. Alonso builds teams the way he played: nothing wasted, everything on purpose. Give him a full season (never guaranteed at Stamford Bridge) and I think Chelsea will be one of the best-coached sides in England.

---

Who will win the title?

Anka: Arsenal by more than five points. There are minor question marks over their attack and what happens if Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka get injured, but Mikel Arteta has built a formidable football machine. Arsenal have the best out-of-possession setup in the Premier League, if not across Europe. Bruno Guimaraes will give them new ways of unlocking low blocks, so changes to referee rules on set pieces shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Stafford-Bloor: Arsenal. I think they will start slowly and spend much of the autumn and early winter waiting for key players to return to full fitness, but having that group — Rice, William Saliba, Saka — fresh in the new year should serve them well. And Guimaraes is a super player, so there’s that too.

Miller: Arsenal, and I don’t think it will be particularly close, if only because the other realistic candidates all have new managers, whereas they have stability, a deep squad and a defined way of playing, even if that’s not especially pleasing aesthetically. They need another proper attacker of some nature to succeed in Europe, but I think they’ll be fine domestically with what they have.

Harris: I’ll go against the grain and say City. Erling Haaland was lethal at the World Cup, while Antoine Semenyo, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki are all game changers. Phil Foden has a point to prove, and while the potential loss of Rodri will sting, the signing of Elliot Anderson will help to plug some of the defensive gaps.

Jones: Dull, but Arsenal, because they are starting from the strongest position. They have strengthened a title-winning squad without tearing it up. Chelsea, City, and Liverpool are adapting to new managers, while United are adapting to being back in Europe. City look the strongest challengers but if their new-look midfield and new manager take a while to gel, I think Manchester United can barge into the title race.

Spiers: I can see Chelsea potentially clicking quite quickly and mounting a challenge, plus they’ll benefit from having no European football, but Arsenal and City should be a level above the rest with the squads they have. Arsenal still have the best defence, so they’re favourites for now.

James: Arsenal. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all have new managers and, to varying degrees, are going through a transitional phase on the pitch, too. As for Manchester United, it’s too soon. Arsenal, in contrast, have an established way of playing (and winning) under Arteta. Wait 22 years for a title and… like London buses and all that.

Paton: Arsenal. Boring, I know. Having strengthened the deepest squad in the Premier League by adding even more quality in Bruno Guimaraes, plus Christos Tzolis (who was a real difference-maker at Club Brugge), I think they’re going to take some stopping.

---

Who is the best signing so far?

Anka: Brentford signing Mamadou Sangare is a shrewd acquisition. The Mali international is a whirling dervish of tackles, interceptions and defensive battling. Give him a few months to acclimatise to the Premier League (he may rack up a few yellow cards before Christmas) and he’ll be the conversation for best player outside the top six.

Stafford-Bloor: Xaver Schlager on a free to Nottingham Forest is good business. He’s not going to attract much attention — he won’t be Fantasy Football gold or anything like that — but he’s an excellent, versatile midfielder and a really solid professional who is still in his prime.

Miller: Christos Tzolis has looked lively in pre-season, and Manzambi will be proper for Aston Villa once he gets settled, but I reckon Tielemans will prove to be an absolute bargain for Manchester United.

Harris: Sangare is an absolute steal, but I’ll shine the light on Ipswich. Florentino Luis is one of the hardest-working defensive midfielders in Europe, while Abdul Fatawu and Emersonn are exciting attacking pick-ups. Julio Enciso could be the pick of the bunch if it goes through — he is a brilliant dribbler, dangerous long-distance shooter and can lead the line himself.

Jones: City need to bring their midfield back to its best to go back to challenging for the title, and Elliot Anderson brings much of what they need to do that. That transfer feels almost old news now, but its importance to City (and therefore the title race) shouldn’t be underestimated.

Spiers: Aston Villa’s recruitment has been poor in recent seasons, but in Joao Gomes, the player who’s made more tackles than anyone in the top five European leagues since 2023, they have a Brazil international who should be one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the division.

James: Is it OK to feel not as excited as previous seasons by the transfer window so far? As it stands, I’m going for Manzambi, the one that got away from Newcastle’s point of view and a player who was a joy to watch at the World Cup.

Paton: James Trafford to Leeds. I’ve tried to look for players outside of the big-money transfers this summer — so £40m for a 23-year-old goalkeeper who may well be England’s next No 1 — is my pick! It’s a bit of a cliche but a good goalkeeper saves you 10-plus points a season… and nobody notices until you haven’t got one.

---

Which player are you most looking forward to watching?

Anka: Tielemans’ £35million ($47m) move to Manchester United might be the best “cost-to-quality” transfer this summer. The 29-year-old should reduce the creative burden on Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo and give Carrick’s side new ways to break down stubborn defences. I’m also interested in how Caleb ​​Yirenkyi gets on at Coventry. The 20-year-old has been dubbed ‘the next Michael Essien’ in Ghana. Now he gets to train under Frank Lampard.

Stafford-Bloor: I’m intrigued by Bazoumana Toure, who has joined Newcastle from Hoffenheim. He improved so quickly during his time in the Bundesliga and was developing at such a pace that it’s natural to wonder what’s next. He’s far from a sure thing and I have a few concerns about his size and the necessary physical adaptation that lies ahead, but the talent is there.

Miller: Not a new addition, but I really hope Wirtz can thrive under Iraola. He’s clearly class, but it felt like he got slightly overwhelmed last season by a new league and in a team that didn’t really make sense. On a slightly lower level but for similar reasons, James McAtee at Forest looks like he fits much better under Glasner than any of the four managers he had last season.

Harris: We didn’t see much of Cherki at the World Cup, but I can’t wait to see him effortlessly open up some defences again. Only Haaland and Fernandes averaged more goal contributions per 90 minutes last season.

Jones: A familiar face: now that Manchester United have reinforced to take some of the burden off him and hopefully allow him a little bit of rest (if he’ll accept it), I wonder if Bruno Fernandes will be even better. A new signing: Daizen Maeda’s performances for Japan at the World Cup, and of course that overhead kick against Rangers for Celtic, have me excited to see what he can offer the Premier League at Ipswich.

Spiers: With Mohamed Salah’s departure, the Premier League only has one genuine global superstar left. In fact, if/when Rodri leaves, probably only one player would be in a ‘top 10 best footballers in the world’ list. It’s Haaland, and we should cherish the Nordic human goal machine while we still can.

James: A big part of me wants to say Max Dowman because his talent is off the scale and I’m fascinated to see how he develops at Arsenal over the next couple of years, in particular how quickly he establishes himself in the first team as a regular starter. England could be calling soon, too.

Paton: Morgan Rogers. While he’s not a new arrival in the Premier League, I’m looking forward to seeing him excel at Chelsea. Yes, £117m is astronomical but he’s not just another signing for the future, he’s a player for now. I genuinely believe Alonso will unlock another level to his game.

---

Which manager is under the most pressure?

Anka: Iraola worked wonders at Bournemouth, but he’s inherited a Liverpool squad with multiple problem positions. A match-sharp Alexander Isak should help, and I’m curious to see how Iraola balances midweek Champions League fixtures with his high-intensity style of football.

Stafford-Bloor: Enzo Maresca. For the obvious reason, because following Guardiola is arduous enough, but he has also been given Elliot Anderson, one of the most expensive players in British football history, as a welcome gift. It needs to go well, quickly.

Miller: Take your pick from any of the new appointments at the big clubs, but Maresca is probably the choice: taking over from Guardiola, probably with an entirely new midfield and some of your most experienced players gone. All the best!

Harris: Matthias Jaissle is very well thought of in the coaching community, but having lost Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon before he even walked through the door, he has a real job on his hands.

Jones: Not in the sense of their jobs being at risk, but expectations are highest on Arteta to follow his own masterclass and Maresca to succeed in the driving seat of a lavish but rusty winning machine. In terms of who could be on their way soonest… if Everton stagnate, patience with David Moyes could run out, and I think the pressure is on Glasner to deliver at Forest, where patience never seems to be in great supply.

Spiers: He’s not under the most pressure, but I do think Arteta needs to evolve Arsenal’s industrial style because results last season masked the natives getting a little restless with the long throws and set pieces. Anyway, the correct answer is clearly Iraola.

James: Maresca. Who would want to follow Guardiola? Some old heads have gone on the pitch too — the departure of Bernardo Silva feels the most significant. But I guess the long and short of it is that City won’t want to finish second again, and that — winning the title — is a tall order for any new coach.

Paton: I can’t disagree with those saying Enzo Maresca. Succeeding Pep Guardiola has got to be up there as one of the toughest acts to follow…ever. The squad is still brilliant but the margin for error is still zero.

---

Who will be top and bottom at Christmas?

Anka: I’ll be boring here. Arsenal top. All three promoted clubs in the relegation zone.

Stafford-Bloor: Liverpool top, Hull bottom.

Miller: Arsenal top, and they’ll stay there. I think Hull will ultimately finish bottom but wonder if they will start quite well, so maybe Ipswich Town in 20th at Christmas.

Harris: Manchester City top, Hull bottom.

Jones: Hull bottom. I’ll play it safe and say Arsenal top — but I think both Manchester teams could be there too.

Spiers: Chelsea to be the surprise Christmas leaders, Hull the unsurprising basement dwellers sweating on beating Derby’s low-points record.

James: Apologies if you’re looking for something unexpected here. Arsenal top. Hull bottom.

Paton: Top, Arsenal (sorry, boring again). Bottom, Hull. Promotion on a shoestring is romantic, right up until the fixture list turns Premier League-shaped!

---

Will any of the three promoted teams survive?

Anka: Lampard’s Coventry are far better out of possession than his Chelsea and Everton teams were. I’m really interested to see how Gary O’Neil gets on at Ipswich, but I don’t see enough goals across the trio of clubs to stay above the line.

Stafford-Bloor: Ipswich, I think. Quietly, they have had a really bold summer, making signings to strengthen their spine. Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic from Fulham. Luis, the defensive midfielder from Burnley. And Emersonn, the centre-forward from Toulouse, who looks physical, technical and capable of causing some problems in the Premier League.

Miller: Regrettably not. Coventry probably have the best chance, but even then I don’t know if I’m saying that for purely nostalgic ‘I’m happy a team from my Premier League youth is back’ reasons.

Harris: I agree with Seb and think Ipswich will stay up. I see parallels with Sunderland last season, who bolstered their squad with top-level quality and athleticism to double down on their threat on the transition. Coventry look to be in good shape too, but I don’t know which other two sides drop into the relegation zone for both to survive.

Jones: No. Not because I think they’re particularly poor — I like Coventry, and Ipswich have made some good signings — but because I don’t see others in the Premier League who look that vulnerable to slipping below them.

Spiers: Coventry will bloody a few noses but probably lack the goals to stay up. Ipswich’s transfer business has been interesting — Fatawu is a lot of fun, Maeda is an intriguing addition, and O’Neil has done well with Wolves before… so put them down for 20th.

James: No. Sunderland and Leeds staying up last season needed to happen because the Premier League was in danger of becoming a closed shop. With Ipswich, Hull and Coventry, I think it will be back to the old routine, largely because I struggle to see who could go down at their expense.

Paton: Possibly? Maybe? Hopefully? I’m looking forward to seeing what Coventry can do but it goes without saying that it will be a big challenge adapting to the Premier League. I think Ipswich have the infrastructure for a better stay than last time – they’ve got the league’s fourth-highest net spend this summer and a manager who’s equipped to keep them up.

---

Which game in the opening weeks will tell us a lot about the season to come?

Anka: The Manchester derby on September 13. Both fanbases have reasons to be confident about 2026-27, but also reasons to be confused, too. This game will have a lot of people trying to make grand conclusions about the state of football in the city.

Stafford-Bloor: Newcastle against Liverpool on the opening Sunday looks really interesting. Both teams have an immediate chance to alter the negative mood around them and generate some early momentum. Whatever the outcome, it will draw a big reaction after that first weekend.

Miller: This might not qualify as the opening weeks, but the first weekend after the mega international break will be good fun: there’s the first Liverpool vs Manchester City game, Manchester United vs Tottenham and Glasner goes back to Crystal Palace with Forest, which should be enjoyably spiteful.

Harris: Arsenal versus Chelsea on matchday three. I think Chelsea can be competitive and if they land a blow, it will have plenty of people prematurely reconsidering their top-four predictions.

Jones: The highest xG (expected giddiness) game will be that early Manchester derby. Both sides will be thinking about the title, and it’s each manager’s first chance to make a statement.

Spiers: The opening weekend will tell us how seriously referees and lawmakers intend to clamp down on time-wasting. There are new countdown clocks for goal kicks and throws, substitutes have 10 seconds to leave the field, and outfield players have to go off temporarily if a goalkeeper goes down ‘injured’. Hmmm.

James: Arsenal versus Coventry, Friday night — because, as with Mr Spiers, I’m intrigued to see the impact of the rule changes (time-wasting in particular, which was ridiculous last season), how well they’re enforced and how different the game looks as a result.

Paton: Newcastle vs Liverpool on the opening Sunday. Two clubs conducting very public experiments in the same 90 minutes. Jaissle’s first competitive game in front of a home crowd that’s still trying to process the summer, and Iraola’s first afternoon as the man asked to make Liverpool feel like Liverpool again. Buckle up!

---

The thing we’ll all be saying in May is…

Anka: “I can’t believe Bruno Fernandes broke his own assist record…”

Stafford-Bloor: We’ll be reflecting positively on the time limits placed upon restarts. It won’t quite be a salute to refereeing standards, but these law changes worked well at the World Cup and should be a subtle but welcome addition to the Premier League.

Miller: “Sean Dyche leading Chelsea out of trouble. Didn’t see that one coming… .”

Harris: “How can anyone compete with Manchester City’s limitless riches?”

Jones: “Shame about Coventry.”

Spiers: “Will this interminable season never end? Anyway, June’s Conference League final between Brighton and Monaco should be good.”

James: “I thought Eddie Howe would have taken a job by now.”

Paton: “Who knew…a shaved head really suits that United Strand guy.”

Amid the Wellington fallout, Brook led England to important ODI and T20 series wins in Sri Lanka, as well as the semi-finals of the World Cup that followed. His own form was superb. In the maelstrom, he drew on an experience from three years earlier.

In 2023, his only season in the pressure cooker of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Brook struggled. After his one significant score for Sunrisers Hyderabad – admittedly an unbeaten century – he said he was glad to “shut up” supporters that had been “slagging me off”.

“I got into a little bit of a rabbit hole with scrutiny and social media when I was at the IPL,” says Brook.

“It didn’t help me as a person on the field or off the field. I decided to, not stay away from social media, but also not go out of my way to look at it.

“On the other hand, I actually feel it’s a little bit of a compliment if people are giving me scrutiny and have an opinion about my game.

“I know it’s not a nice thing to see people slagging you off, but it means people care and people think I can put in a better performance than I have done that day.”

There are comparisons that can be drawn between Brook and Stokes. Maverick players from working-class backgrounds, often finding themselves outnumbered by the well-to-do members of the dressing room.

But, like Stokes, Brook is authentic in the way he plays and speaks, even if that can get him into trouble. One example would be Brook’s “who cares” line about batters being caught in the deep after an ODI against Australia two years ago.

“I would say that I’m an extremely honest person,” says Brook. “I’m honest with myself and honest with my game.

“A lot of people say honesty is the best policy. I probably have got into trouble a few times being too honest.”

Authenticity bleeds into Brook’s batting, for better and worse. He is probably the most thrilling batter to wear an England shirt since Kevin Pietersen and no batter with at least 3,000 Test runs has scored more quickly than Brook, whose strike rate is almost 87 runs per 100 balls.

But Brook can delight and frustrate in equal measure, nowhere more so than on an Ashes tour when an average just under 40 was a disservice to his ability.

Costly crimes included his drive at Scott Boland in the calamitous second-innings collapse in the first Test and trying to hit Mitchell Starc for six over extra cover in the first innings of the second Test. “Shocking shots” were how Brook described them in Australia.

“If supporters get frustrated, imagine how frustrated I get,” says Brook.

“It’s something I’ve been really trying to work on, trying to assess conditions quicker, and read the surface better. To go out there knowing what shots are going to be hard and what is going to be easier.

“I practise every single shot and have done since the age of eight. In the nets, I’d do a 360 challenge with my dad. He’d throw balls and I’d have to try to hit it to a certain place: that corner, then that corner.

“I have the ability to hit it everywhere, I just have to figure it out quicker in games.”