Premier League Season Preview 26/27: Everything You Need to Know

The Premier League 26/27 Season Preview marks the league’s 35th edition and the 128th season in England’s top flight. The basic structure remains the same: 20 clubs, 38 matchdays, 380 games. Everything else has changed. Star coach Pep Guardiola is gone after ten years, Arsenal has won the title for the first time since 2004, and nine of the 20 coaching benches are occupied by new faces.

The season kicks off on Friday, August 21, 2026, when defending champion Arsenal hosts newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates. That’s one week later than usual. The reason is the World Cup in North America: There are only 33 days between the final on July 19 and the start of the league season, so the end of the season has been pushed back to May 30, 2027. In between are 33 weekends and five midweek matchdays.

The last time there was this much turnover in coaching positions was shortly after World War II. Nine clubs are starting the season with a head coach who was working elsewhere last season.

The most significant changes:

• Manchester City: Guardiola stepped down after ten years and having won every title possible. His successor is Enzo Maresca, who served as his assistant from 2022 to 2023 and signed a contract through 2029.
• Liverpool FC: Andoni Iraola took over on July 1 from Arne Slot, who was forced to step down after falling 25 points behind Arsenal. The Basque coach had previously led Bournemouth to sixth place and a spot in the Europa League.
• AFC Bournemouth: Marco Rose succeeds Iraola, bringing Bundesliga experience from Dortmund, Leipzig, and Gladbach.
• Newcastle United: Matthias Jaissle took over in early August from Eddie Howe, who stepped down after five years.
• Chelsea FC: Xabi Alonso, who was fired by Real Madrid in January, signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
• Fulham FC: Álvaro Arbeloa is moving to England after spending half a year at Real Madrid.

Only three English coaches will be on the sidelines for the season opener: Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, and Gary O'Neil. Mikel Arteta is now the only coach in the league who has won the title himself.

Arsenal enters the new season as the defending champion. Twenty-two years after the “Invincibles” season, the Gunners clinched their fourth Premier League title on the penultimate matchday, when rival Manchester City could only manage a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. David Raya recorded 19 shutouts that season—more than any other goalkeeper.

Behind them, the field was tightly packed, because the previous season had shown one thing above all else: consistency was in short supply.

• Manchester City: Erling Haaland scored 27 goals and was once again the top scorer. The question isn’t about the offense, but whether Maresca can navigate the transition without the “Guardiola effect.”
• Liverpool FC: Finishing fifth wasn’t good enough. Iraola’s counter-pressing is meant to get Florian Wirtz and company back on track, but it requires exactly the kind of runs that the tight schedule leaves little room for.
• Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes was voted Player of the Season and led the Red Devils back to the Champions League.
• Aston Villa: The Europa League champions were last season’s surprise package and set the league’s longest winning streak with eight straight victories.

It’s particularly difficult to predict who will win the championship this year: With nine new coaches and a shortened summer training period, it’s likely that a clear favorite won’t emerge until a few matchdays have passed.

All three promoted teams have played in the top division before; there are no true newcomers among them.

The teams promoted from the Championship:

• Coventry City: Second-division champions with 95 points and 97 goals. Under Frank Lampard, the club is back in the top flight after 25 years and will kick off the season at the Emirates.
• Ipswich Town: Promoted directly as runners-up with 84 points, marking an immediate return following their relegation in 2025.
• Hull City: In the playoff final against Middlesbrough, Oli McBurnie scored in the 95th minute, marking the Tigers’ return after ten years.

Last season's relegated teams: West Ham United, Burnley FC, and the Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Wolves had the worst start to a season in Premier League history, earning just three points from their first 19 games.

• The bottom three teams are automatically relegated; there is no relegation playoff. This has been a tough road for newly promoted teams in recent years: in both the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons, all three were immediately relegated again. Last season, that streak came to an end. Of Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland, only the Clarets were relegated; Sunderland is even playing in the Europa League this season. Still, no one should count on that.
• Coventry at least has a clear game plan with Lampard’s attacking style, while Ipswich brings fresh Premier League experience. Hull City is likely to have the toughest time. Add to that the usual struggling teams from the bottom of last season’s standings.

• 1,045 goals were scored last season, an average of 2.75 per game.
• 654 appearances: James Milner surpassed Gareth Barry as the Premier League’s all-time leader in appearances.
• Five English clubs in the Champions League: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool qualified through the league.
• Nine new head coaches at the start of the season: more than ever before in the modern era.
• August 31, 2026: The transfer window will remain open until then, meaning it won’t close until after the second matchday.

In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Sky remains the go-to channel for English soccer. The network has extended its rights early, through the 2030–31 season. You can stream all the action via Sky Go and WOW.

Important to know: The Premier League schedules its games in blocks. Saturday afternoons, with several matches taking place simultaneously, remain the centerpiece of the schedule, supplemented by games on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. Boxing Day on December 26 has been expanded again for this season, after only one match was scheduled in recent years. On the final matchday, all ten games are traditionally played simultaneously.