A new Premier League season is almost upon us and with it comes plenty of questions for every club in the English top flight.
From defending champions Arsenal to the newly promoted sides Ipswich Town, Hull City and Coventry City, everyone has something to answer for.
ESPN takes a deep dive into the biggest questions facing every Premier League club as the 2026-27 season draws near.
- From Arsenal to Hull, where all 20 teams will finish
- Why every fan should be optimistic, pessimistic about their team's season
- PL manager changes: Alonso, Iraola, more - and their biggest challenges
Arsenal
Can the defending champions go back-to-back?
The big question for Arsenal is an obvious one. Can they retain their Premier League crown? It took them 22 years to win the title again after last winning it in 2004, under the guidance of Arsene Wenger, and last season's victory was well-deserved for Mikel Arteta's men.
They had knocked on the door for the previous three seasons before finally winning it again and will be keen to ensure that the trophy stays at the Emirates come the end of the 2026-27 season.
As for the transfer window so far, Arsenal's marquee signing has been Bruno Guimarães, the former Newcastle captain and talisman. The 28-year-old is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and bolsters the Gunners' star-studded midfield, which already consists of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze.
The Gunners have also brought in highly-rated Greek winger Christos Tzolis, while Piero Hincapié -- who enjoyed a highly successful loan spell with the Gunners last season -- has signed permanently and former Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier has joined on a free transfer.
It is possible that Arsenal will be licking their wounds after having the carrot of Vinícius Júnior dangled in front of them, only for him to sign a new six-year deal at Real Madrid.
But even without managing to capture a star as huge as Vinícius, Arsenal have had a promising transfer window so far.
Perhaps the major concern for the Gunners heading into the new season is the absence of defender William Saliba, who is set for a spell on the sidelines for an extended period.
The Frenchman -- whose partnership with Gabriel was an essential factor in Arsenal's title triumph last season -- does not require surgery but will be out of action for a while.
Yet Arsenal should be confident ahead of the new season. As other top clubs are entering a transitional period with new head coaches -- including Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea -- the Gunners will be hoping they can keep on doing exactly what they've been doing as Arteta enters his seventh year in charge.
Aston Villa
How will Unai Emery cope after losing key players this summer?
Following last season's Europa League triumph, plenty has changed at Villa Park. Since then, they've lost key players Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans -- to Chelsea and Manchester United respectively -- but have brought in Alejandro Garnacho on loan, João Gomes from relegated Wolves and breakout star for Switzerland at the World Cup, Johan Manzambi.
Over the past three seasons, though, Tielemans and Rogers have played vital roles in Unai Emery's system at Aston Villa. A large part of their success in recent years, as they went from a midtable side to regulars in Europe, has been down to Tielemans and Rogers -- although some of Emery's other key men, such as John McGinn and Ollie Watkins, remain at the club.
In 85 appearances for Villa, Rogers recorded 21 goals and 17 assists. His playmaking ability and eye for a goal are exactly why Chelsea spent £117 million ($156.9m) to sign him. Tielemans, meanwhile, was beloved at Villa by Emery for his passing ability -- particularly his penchant for line-breaking passes -- his reading of the game and his press resistance. He is Belgium's captain for good reason.
Villa will also be missing another vitally important player for Emery this season -- Amadou Onana, who sustained an ACL injury while playing for Belgium at the World Cup. Onana featured 38 times in all competitions for Villa last season and is a huge loss for the team.
Villa fans got a taste of what this new-look side may look like this season, against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup, when teenager Brian Madjo announced himself.
The 17-year-old striker became the youngest goalscorer in Super Cup history and, despite the sting of losing, Villa fans will have been delighted by Madjo's performance and will be looking forward to seeing what else might come from the young man.
The big question going into this new season for Villa is how will they handle losing some of their best players in one summer?
With a Champions League campaign coming up, too, it will be a test for Gomes, Manzambi and Garnacho to show that they can cut the mustard the way Rogers, Onana and Tielemans did.
AFC Bournemouth
What does life after Andoni Iraola look like?
Bournemouth enjoyed a fantastic Premier League season last time around, as they qualified for the Europa League for the first time in their history as they finished sixth in the table. Sealing a European spot was a remarkable achievement considering that the Cherries lost a number of their star players over the last year, from Antoine Semenyo to Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, who left for Man City, Real Madrid and Liverpool respectively.
Under Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth hit heights they never would have expected to reach before. But Iraola has left now, although he remains in the Premier League as Liverpool's head coach, and former RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose is in the driving seat at the Vitality Stadium.
After Iraola made them a team to fear -- a team that got the better of many top sides including Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City -- the question is will they still prove a tricky encounter for many under the guidance of Rose?
Bournemouth have grown accustomed to raising expectations every year for the last three seasons but they may find the 2026-27 season a challenging one, as they will have to balance Europe with domestic demands while also adapting to the style of a new head coach.
The Cherries will also be missing forward Junior Kroupi, who is set for around a three-month spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a foot injury.
Bournemouth also lost key defender Marcos Senesi on a free transfer earlier this summer. He subsequently joined Tottenham Hotspur.
But they have brought in defender António Silva from Benfica and striker Álvaro Rodríguez from Elche and have shown before that they are capable of adapting to losing top players, the question now is will the new boss Rose prove as innovative and as popular as his predecessor Iraola?
Brentford
Can the Bees qualify for Europe?
Brentford were arguably the surprise package of last season. After losing their long-time manager Thomas Frank (who left for a disastrous spell at Tottenham Hotspur) and selling star players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, along with Christian Nørgaard, many pundits tipped Brentford to struggle.
Instead the Bees performed far better than expected and finished ninth in the Premier League last season, just narrowly missing out on European qualification.
The question now is: Can the Bees go even further and secure historic European qualification this season?
This transfer window, Brentford have brought in Mamadou Sangare from Lens for a club-record fee, along with Jaidon Anthony from Burnley, Jannik Schuster from RB Salzburg and Callum Wilson on a free transfer from West Ham.
If Igor Thiago can continue his goalscoring form in the 2026-27 season -- despite a disappointing World Cup showing for Brazil -- then Brentford will once again be a force for teams to fear.
With a number of the teams around them, including Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace, competing in Europe this season and facing a stacked calendar, then Brentford will be fresher for league fixtures and can use that to their advantage as they seek to secure a European spot for themselves.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Will the Seagulls unearth yet another young gem or two?
Brighton have developed a reputation for themselves in recent years. They've got a habit of signing young, largely unknown players and developing them into some of the most exciting players in the Premier League, and then, often, profiting from their transfers to clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool and more.
Examples include Moisés Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, João Pedro (Chelsea) and Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), with Cucurella since going on to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The league has gotten used to superstars breaking through at Brighton. This summer, they've brought in a few promising youngsters -- but will any of them be the next big thing?
Zadok Yohanna, and Luka Vušković, both 19, are the two standout young summer signings, with Yohanna arriving from AIK Stockholm while Vušković has joined from Tottenham with former Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke headed in the other direction.
In his first interview with Brighton, Yohanna said the club's reputation for developing young players was what convinced him to choose the Seagulls -- despite interest from top teams in Europe.
Less than two years ago, Yohanna was playing for local Nigerian club Ikon Allah Football Academy. His rise to becoming a Premier League player has been rapid and Brighton will be hoping that he will soon make a name for himself in England.
Vušković, meanwhile, was part of Croatia's World Cup squad this summer and started against England in their opening match. Despite never actually playing a competitive match for Tottenham, the 19-year-old defender left the north London club for a hefty fee.
Whether he or Yohanna will turn out to be as successful as some of Brighton's previous youth signings remains to be seen.
Chelsea
What can the Blues achieve under Xabi Alonso?
New season, new manager for Chelsea. Since the BlueCo takeover in 2022, Chelsea have had six permanent head coaches in the dugout. Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and Liam Rosenior have all been and gone and now Xabi Alonso is the man in the hotseat.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder's arrival has been regarded as a coup -- after all, he is one of the most exciting head coaches in world football. He led Bayer Leverkusen to the first Bundesliga title in their history in the 2023-24 season -- a campaign in which they went unbeaten in the league. Under Alonso, Leverkusen also won the DFB-Pokal and reached the Europa League final.
Alonso was named Real Madrid head coach in May 2025 but left by mutual consent eight months later, as Los Blancos lost ground in the title race to eventual winners Barcelona and lost to their fierce rivals in the Spanish Supercopa final. His time at the club was marred by rumours of disputes with senior players, in particular with Vinícius Júnior.
Chelsea appointed Alonso this May and have certainly been backing him with transfers, as they have brought in some top talents in the form of Morgan Rogers -- signed in a record-deal for a British player -- Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, and Valentín Barco, amongst others.
The Blues have pursued a transfer policy this summer that differs from their usual approach, as they have targeted experience rather than youth products. Lacroix is 26, while new arrivals Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson are 35 and 36 respectively.
Alonso spoke in preseason of the need for "balance" in the squad and it appears that the powerbrokers at Chelsea have heeded his call. With no European football this season, Chelsea will have a far less packed schedule than the teams they will aim to be competing with, such as Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Manchester United.
The west London club will be hoping that Alonso, without the constraints of European fixtures, will help to guide them to a return to the upper echelons of the league after a disappointing 10th-place finish last season.
The former Spain international is undoubtedly a top coach. Will Chelsea be able to compete for the top honours under him?
Coventry City
Can Frank Lampard prove himself as a manager in the Premier League?
Coventry are back in the big time after a 25-year absence. The Sky Blues took the EFL Championship by storm last season, finishing first with 95 points -- nine points clear of Ipswich in second.
But now, they face the tough task of mixing it with some of the best teams in the world. Staying in the Premier League as a promoted club is no easy feat, as is evidenced by the recent yo-yoing of Burnley, Southampton and others between the first and second tier of English football.
One of the driving factors behind their promotion last season was the guidance of head coach Frank Lampard. The Chelsea legend was crowned the Championship Manager of the Season in April and will no doubt be looking forward to preparing his Coventry players to face the likes of the 'Big Six,' as well as reigniting the rivalry with fellow Midlanders Aston Villa.
This isn't Lampard's first time in the Premier League as a manager. He was previously in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, leading his old club, on two separate occasions -- between July 2019 and January 2021 as a permanent manager and back again as caretaker manager from April 2023 until May 2023.
On both occasions when Lampard was Chelsea manager, Chelsea's league position and results were far below expectations. He was dismissed in his first spell after the Blues fell to ninth in the table and was replaced by Thomas Tuchel.
When Lampard took over as caretaker manager after Graham Potter's dismissal in 2023, Chelsea finished in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1996. During his 11 matches in charge in that period, Chelsea won just one of those games.
He also managed Everton for just under a year and, although he guided the Toffees to Premier League safety in the 2021-22 season, he was dismissed in January 2023 as the club once again fell into a relegation battle.
All in all, Lampard has not truly experienced a successful stint as a Premier League head coach yet. Will things be different with Coventry? Will he be able to keep them in the top-flight and prove that he's got the chops to be a solid manager in the best league in the world?
Crystal Palace
Will the Eagles soar high in Europe once again?
It was another history-making season for Crystal Palace last time out. After winning the FA Cup (their first major trophy) in the 2024-25 season, they followed that up by winning the Europa Conference League at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Two years, two trophies (three if you count the Community Shield) it wasn't bad going for the Eagles, was it? Their Conference League success marked the first time that Palace have ever won a European trophy.
Their European adventure is set to continue, too, as they qualified for the Europa League thanks to their Conference League triumph. They'll be mixing with some European giants, including Juventus, AC Milan and Marseille, and their fans can look forward to more unforgettable away days.
There's a new man in the dugout for Palace this season, with Oliver Glasner having departed on a high, and Pierre Sage -- formerly of Lens -- taking the reins at Selhurst Park.
Sage guided Lens to French Cup glory and a second-place finish behind PSG last season and is now tasked with continuing Palace's golden era, as they dream of yet more European joy.
Last season, Palace were kicked out of the Europa League after a breach of UEFA's multi-club ownership rules -- American businessman John Textor owned 43% of the club alongside a majority stake in French side Lyon -- and Nottingham Forest instead took their place in the competition.
It will surely feel satisfying for Palace fans that they are now in the Europa League and Forest are not.
It is difficult to balance competing in the Premier League and domestic competitions with a European campaign. It requires a deep squad and wily management. Palace suffered a disappointing league campaign -- finishing 15th -- but that was mostly forgotten by fans who witnessed something many had never thought they'd see on that night in Leipzig.
With a European trophy now under their belt, who's to say that Palace can't use that momentum to succeed on the continent again?
Everton
Can David Moyes take this team where they want to go?
Everton experienced a mixed 2025-26 season. For a brief period of time, it looked like they might qualify for Europe but their form then took a nosedive and they finished the season in 13th and failed to win any of their last seven games.
There are some very talented players in this Everton squad, including Iliman Ndiaye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, new signing Hayden Hackney -- who was widely considered one of the best midfielders in the EFL Championship during his time with Middlesbrough -- and they now boast a Premier League winner in their squad, having brought Christian Nørgaard in from Arsenal.
They are, however, without Jack Grealish following the end of his loan from Man City. Grealish was something of a revelation for Everton last season before picking up an injury. He only managed 20 appearances but his trickery with the ball at his feet and ability to get past his man thrilled Toffees fans for a while.
Everton have made reinforcements in attack, with Tyrique George's loan made permanent and Brennan Johnson joining from Crystal Palace in a swap deal that saw Dwight McNeil go the other way. However, Johnson failed to score in 26 appearances for Palace last season following his move from Spurs.
At the helm is David Moyes, who joined the Toffees for a second stint in charge in January 2025, and helped steer the club away from the threat of relegation that season.
Moyes previously spent 11 years at Everton during his first spell as manager and his figure looms large over the club. He is beloved by many fans and the period last season in which Everton looked like contenders for Europe brought out joyous scenes at their new home -- the Hill Dickinson Stadium. But many fans were also left frustrated by the Toffees' drop in form from the spring onwards.
Everton were inconsistent under Moyes last season and, though he stabilised the club when he took over in January 2025, there are questions as to whether the Toffees can maintain a good run of form for a sustained period this season.
Is Moyes the man to propel Everton towards consistency and European qualification?
Fulham
Will the Real Madrid-inspired revolution work at Craven Cottage?
Fulham's summer has been heavily influenced by Real Madrid, it seems.
The Cottagers have replaced former head coach Marco Silva -- who had been at the club for half a decade -- with Álvaro Arbeloa, who took over temporarily at the Bernabéu following the departure of Xabi Alonso back in January this year.
The appointment of Arbeloa came as quite a surprise given that, prior to his temporary stint at Real Madrid, he had only coached the Real Madrid B team and, after taking over from Alonso, oversaw a disappointing six months at Los Blancos, in which the team went trophyless.
And it isn't just Arbeloa that Fulham have brought over from Real Madrid. Gonzalo García and César Palacios have both left the Spanish capital for west London this summer and are set to play a large role in the Cottagers' season.
García, 22, scored 13 goals in 51 games for Real Madrid and is considered one of Spain's most promising young forwards, having made his debut for the national team earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Palacios, 21, is a Spain youth international and a central midfielder highly rated by Arbeloa.
Arbeloa coached both players when he was in charge of Real Madrid Castilla and his relationship with them both should bode well for the pair as they settle in at their new club.
For Fulham, Palacios and García are both exciting signings and the club are in need of players who can make an instant impact, having said goodbye this summer to both Raúl Jiménez and Harry Wilson -- who so often both popped with goals in vital moments.
The appointment of Arbeloa is, arguably, a gamble. With no managerial experience outside of the bubble that can be Real Madrid -- and only six months in charge of the men's senior team under his belt -- only time will tell if he will be able to cut it as a head coach in the Premier League.
If Fulham's Real Madrid-inspired refresh pays off, the club and its fans will be delighted. But there remains the chance it could go wrong, despite the glamour of it all.
Hull City
Have the Tigers done enough in the transfer window to stay up?
Hull City have returned to the Premier League for the first time in 10 years.
The playoff final that they won against Middlesbrough was arguably overshadowed by "Spygate" -- the scandal that rocked English football last season, as Southampton were expelled from the playoff final after spying on the training sessions of opponents and Middlesbrough faced off against Hull in the Saints' place.
Hull beat Middlesbrough 1-0 thanks to a 95th minute Oli McBurnie strike and are now preparing for life in the top-flight again. Having been in the Premier League before, and having been relegated from it twice, Hull will know that it takes a deep squad to compete against some of the best teams in the country.
So far, they've had a pretty busy summer. They've brought in 11 new players, including Japan international Hidemasa Morita, and former Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.
Elliott Stroud -- who played in all four of Sweden's games at the 2026 World Cup -- has also joined from Mjällby AIF, while Nobel Mendy has arrived from Rayo Vallecano in an undisclosed club-record deal and Australian star Lucas Herrington -- who enjoyed a breakout World Cup this summer -- is now a Tiger, too.
But the Premier League is a different beast to the Championship and it will become clearer after the transfer window shuts whether or not Hull have strengthened their squad enough to survive.
The Tigers face Man United in their first match and may well receive a rude awakening if they have not adequately put together a team capable of competing in the top-flight.
Ipswich Town
How will the Tractor Boys fare without Kieran McKenna in the dugout?
After a year away, Ed Sheeran's beloved Ipswich are back for another go at the top.
This time around, though, they'll be without former head coach Kieran McKenna who was in charge of the team for five years. McKenna left Ipswich in June in favour of a break from management.
McKenna was a much-loved figure at Portman Road, having guided them to a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002, and then sticking with the team when they returned to the Championship, rather than taking a job elsewhere.
And after just a season in the Championship, McKenna led them back to the Premier League.
The Northern Irishman has been synonymous with Ipswich for the last five years and it's likely his absence will be felt.
Gary O'Neill has replaced him as head coach and this isn't the first rodeo for O'Neill as a manager in the top-flight. He previously had spells in charge of Bournemouth and Wolves but was sacked by both clubs after less than a year at each, respectively.
O'Neill has not had the easiest of times in the league. His final two games in charge of Wolves ended in brawls, as Mario Lemina was stripped of the captaincy for a confrontation with Jarrod Bowen of West Ham, while Matheus Cunha appeared to fight with Ipswich's staff in O'Neill's last game before he was dismissed.
Ipswich have acted decisively in the transfer market and have brought in 10 new signings so far, including Daizen Maeda -- who scored 79 goals in 212 appearances at Celtic -- Issa Diop, Sasa Lukic and Florentino Luís.
They clearly mean business when it comes to strengthening their squad as is required for the Premier League -- but will the team cope without the guidance of McKenna?
Leeds United
How ambitious are Daniel Farke's side?
Last season, Leeds were one of the favourites to go down.
After a difficult run, Daniel Farke's job looked like it was in danger last December -- but then he pulled off a remarkable turnaround, which started with a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road, and meant that Leeds secured Premier League safety in May with two games to spare.
Oh, and they reached an FA Cup semifinal!
The question for Leeds now is: What exactly are their ambitions and how far do they want to go under Daniel Farke?
The head coach said in May, after Leeds clinched survival: "I'm ambitious and this is quite important for me going forward."
There have been two particularly significant arrivals at the club this summer. James Trafford has arrived from Man City for a club-record fee and provides an immediate boost to Farke's side.
Trafford is considered one of the best young British goalkeepers around at the moment and -- although Gianluigi Donnarumma was Pep Guardiola's preferred No. 1 last season -- he played a key role in the domestic cup competitions, both of which City won. Trafford picked up a winners' medal from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup finals, both of which he started in.
The other summer arrival at Elland Road that should excite Leeds fans is Harry Wilson. The Whites have brought him in on a free transfer from Fulham and the Welshman just enjoyed the most productive season of his career so far.
Last season, Wilson scored 10 goals and registered seven assists across 36 appearances in the Premier League. He is, undoubtedly, a solid acquisition for Leeds. Along with Dominic Calvert-Lewin -- who scored 14 goals last season -- and Noah Okafor, who scored eight goals last time out despite an injury layoff, Leeds' forward line looks impressive.
The arrivals of Wilson and Trafford are exciting, as is the signing of centre-back Tarik Muharemovic -- but do they signal a desire from Leeds to be ambitious, to aim for a season in which they could pursue silverware in the domestic cup competitions?
There are still three weeks of the transfer window to go. By the time the window shuts, it will become clearer just what Leeds intend to compete for this season and whether or not their work in the summer has satisfied Farke.
Liverpool
Will Andoni Iraola make the Reds title contenders again?
It's all change at Anfield. Gone is Arne Slot, the man that led the Reds to their 20th league title, and in is Andoni Iraola -- formerly of Bournemouth.
There's no doubt that Liverpool endured a deeply disappointing season by their standards last time out. They finished fifth, won no trophies, and their big-money signings such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz failed to make much of an impact.
There was a public falling out between club legend Mohamed Salah and then-coach Slot and the Reds just about managed to qualify for the Champions League. The club acted ruthlessly in dismissing Slot -- just one year on from winning the Premier League -- and it seems clear that the hierarchy expect better this time around.
Iraola, while at Bournemouth, arguably had the Cherries playing some of the best football in the league over the last few seasons. Even when Bournemouth lost key players such as Antoine Semenyo, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez -- the latter of whom now plays for Liverpool -- they adapted well and, last season, Iraola led them to qualify for a European competition for the first time in their history.
The former Rayo Vallecano boss is one of the most exciting managers around. It is no surprise that he's made the leap from Bournemouth to a club of Liverpool's size and stature. After such a feeble defence of their title last season, the Reds will be expected to far better -- and far more exciting to watch -- under Iraola.
But the club are currently shouldering some serious injury issues and shortages on the pitch. Joe Gomez got injured in preseason, Giovanni Leoni was signed last year but suffered an ACL tear in September and has not played for the club since then, while new signing Jérémy Jacquet has been struggling with a shoulder injury all summer.
They have, however, strengthened their defence by bringing in Ronald Araújo on loan (with an option to make the deal permanent) from Barcelona and are still pursuing a move for PSG's Bradley Barcola.
After a bruising season that followed immediately after title success, Liverpool fans will be hoping that Iraola can make them contenders for the Premier League again and the Liverpool powerbrokers will be banking on the fact that they've brought in one of the best available managers in a bid to return to the summit.
Manchester City
Will Enzo Maresca be able to keep City at the top now Pep is gone?
And so it begins. Life without Pep Guardiola. The last decade at Manchester City has been defined by the Spaniard, whose reign changed English football and brought the club a historic Treble, along with four Premier League titles in-a-row, 100 points in a season and so much more.
City fans have never had it as good as they've had it for the past 10 years and what comes next is utterly unknown.
Maresca was once Guardiola's assistant at the club and is a disciple of the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss. As for Maresca's experience, he won two trophies while he was in charge of Chelsea -- the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup -- and, before that, led the charge for Leicester's promotion to the Premier League in 2024.
City are going through a transitional period. Not only at a managerial level but also on the pitch.
Their midfield is undergoing a transformation, with their talismanic World Cup-winner Rodri on his way to Barcelona, while Bernardo Silva has departed for Real Madrid, and Elliot Anderson has joined the City n a club-record deal.
Stalwart defender John Stones has left the club after a decade, while Nathan Aké too is gone.
Although it is historically not an indication as to how a season will play out, City were thrashed 3-0 by an ominous-looking Arsenal in the FA Community Shield just days ago and so the Maresca era has not exactly got off to the best start possible.
Anderson and Phil Foden both struggled in the match, while Arsenal looked assured and new boy Tzolis registered two assists.
For the last decade, Man City have dominated English football. They have been, simply put, a relentless winning machine that hoovered up both talent and trophies and struck fear into any team that came up against them.
But nothing lasts forever.
For the first time in a long time, no one knows what to expect from this City team. Will it be heaven or hell under Maresca?
Manchester United
How will Michael Carrick's side cope with a packed schedule?
Last season, the departure of Ruben Amorim and the arrival of Michael Carrick revitalised Manchester United. They finished third in the table, as they amassed more points than any other team in the league following Carrick's arrival and returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2023.
The arrivals of attackers Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Šeško and Matheus Cunha proved to be brilliant, while new goalkeeper Senne Lammens helped to transform United's fortunes. United finished the season on a high and Carrick was rewarded by being appointed as head coach permanently on a two-year contract.
But something that benefited the Red Devils last time out won't be possible this time around. Due to no European football, along with early exits from the domestic cup competitions, United only played 40 games last season.
It was their shortest season in more than 100 years.
With only game a week to play, Carrick's side had plenty of time to prepare for each match and players were significantly less tired than others in the league who had to balance both the demands of Europe and the Premier League.
Now, however, they will be taking part in Europe's top-tier competition and, already, must play more games than they did last season -- even if they don't make it past the initial league phase of the Champions League.
But have United strengthened enough so far to cope with a packed schedule? It hasn't been a particularly busy transfer window, with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans the only significant arrivals so far.
The Red Devils missed out on the signing of Mateus Fernandes -- who joined Spurs instead -- and influential midfielder Casemiro has left on a free transfer to Inter Miami, while Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury playing for Uruguay at the World Cup and will miss most of the season.
If United want to challenge for the top honours this season, then they need to bolster their ranks more. They are in need of a holding midfielder and left-back cover. Carrick said last week that United "need" more signings and must keep pushing with just under three weeks left to go until the transfer window shuts.
Expectations, for United, are always high but fans and pundits alike will be expecting big things from Carrick's side now that the head coach has had a full preseason with his players and has been involved with the recruitment this summer.
Will adventures in Europe derail this promising United side?
Newcastle United
After a bruising summer, can the Magpies really compete at the top?
The past two months have been utterly brutal for Newcastle.
They have lost their best players. The core of their midfield has been ripped out. Eddie Howe has left the club after five years at the helm. They have been pipped to the signing of key targets Víctor Muñoz and Johan Manzambi by Liverpool and Aston Villa, respectively.
It has been a disastrous summer on Tyneside.
Anthony Gordon has joined Barcelona, while Sandro Tonali and former Magpies captain Bruno Guimarães have departed to play on either side of the north London Derby, with Tonali at Spurs and Guimarães now a Gunner.
Just a few years ago, the arrivals of Guimarães and Tonali at St James' Park seemed to signal a disruption to the Premier League -- as Newcastle spent big in an attempt to wrestle power away from the traditional "Big Six."
To an extent, it worked. Since the Saudi takeover of the club in 2021, the Magpies qualified for the Champions League twice and won the Carabao Cup in 2025.
But it hasn't lasted. Newcastle have failed to hold on to their best talents, including Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool in the most expensive Premier League transfer of all-time last summer. They finished 12th last season, and have not repeated the ambitions that were on display in the transfer windows that came shortly after the Saudi takeover.
Howe, who delivered a first major domestic trophy for Newcastle in 56 years, is gone and has been replaced by Matthias Jaissle -- who had previously been managing Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. Howe was a much-loved figure on Tyneside and Jaissle has some big shoes to fill in the dugout.
Fans have been left frustrated by the manner in which they have lost their stars this summer and the fact that their rivals Sunderland are currently preparing for a Europa League campaign won't be helping matters.
Newcastle are in a tough spot right now and must hope that a fresh start will be just what they need as they seek a permanent seat at the top end of the table.
Right now, however, their ambition to be "in the debate about being the top club in the world" by 2030 -- as CEO David Hopkinson has said -- looks pretty far off.
Nottingham Forest
Evangelos Marinakis has rolled the dice again. Will Oliver Glasner be a success?
There's never a dull day at the City Ground. There were four different head coaches in the dugout last season and, earlier this summer, Vítor Pereira found himself on the chopping block despite stabilising the ship and guiding the club to Premier League safety.
Pereira said that his departure came "without warning" and he has since been replaced by Oliver Glasner -- who led Crystal Palace to FA Cup and UEFA Conference League glory during his time in south London.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is no stranger to drama, having publicly argued with former head coach Nuno Espírito Santo and having previously been handed a ban by the FA for misconduct, and the dismissal of Pereira -- who had turned the club's fortunes around to escape relegation and seemed a popular figure with Forest fans -- is just the latest episode of the soap opera that never seems to end at the City Ground.
So, Glasner is in. He was, undoubtedly, a roaring success at Palace. But it's been a somewhat disappointing transfer window for Forest so far. They lost arguably their best player, midfield star Elliot Anderson to Man City -- although they did receive £116 million ($157m) for his departure -- and their only two arrivals this summer are Xaver Schlager and Ousmane Diomande.
Morgan Gibbs-White is set for another season with Forest and, as he was not part of the England squad at the World Cup, will be ready and raring to go, potentially with a point to prove to a certain Thomas Tuchel.
While Glasner has proved himself to be an excellent manager in the league, the ousting of Pereira may have run the risk of unsettling a squad that bonded with the coach that helped to save the club from relegation. The impact that the constant chopping and changing of managers can have on a team must not be underestimated.
Does Glasner himself feel confident that he'll remain in charge at the City Ground for the whole season? Looking at recent history, he must be sweating a little bit already. If he maintains Marinakis' backing for the season, there's no reason to think Glasner won't be successful at Forest. But maintaining Marinakis' support seems to be a major challenge in itself.
Sunderland
Are the Black Cats prepared to handle the demands of Europe?
Sunderland are the team that defied everyone's expectations last season. Many expected the Black Cats to go straight back down to the Championship but not only did they achieve Premier League safety, they also managed to finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League.
They did the double over Chelsea, beat fierce rivals Newcastle twice and massively impressed both pundits and fans alike. The signing of the former divisive Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka turned out to be a stroke of genius and they've managed to hold on to the Switzerland international, and club captain, for the coming season, too, despite interest from Chelsea.
But they're now facing an altogether different type of challenge than simply aiming to stay in the league. They must now balance Europa League fixtures with the Premier League, which requires a deep squad and the ability to multitask.
It's been very quiet for Sunderland on the transfer front. The only arrival so far has been that of 34-year-old Thomas Meunier on a free transfer from Lille. Crucially they've been able to keep their best players from last season, including Brian Brobbey, Nordi Mukiele and Enzo Le Fée.
Last summer, the Black Cats went on a spree in the transfer market and broke the record for the most money spent on transfer fees by a promoted club in Premier League history.
Perhaps after the success of last season, the club don't feel the need to spend this time around. But European competition is demanding. Some of the other teams competing in the Europa League this year are European giants, including Juventus and AC Milan, and they will not be easy to beat should Sunderland come up against them.
If the Black Cats truly want to go down in history, that may require resting some key players for major European clashes and not playing their usual starters in every league game.It still feels like they need to do more in the transfer window to give themselves the best chance of both sealing survival in the league again and going deep in Europe.
Tottenham Hotspur
Will Spurs' summer spending spree pay off?
After two seasons of finishing 17th back-to-back, something had to give at Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Spurs escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season -- at West Ham's expense -- and club executives have acknowledged that they narrowly avoided catastrophe, largely thanks to the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as head coach in one final roll of the dice with seven games of the season left to go.
Since confirming the continuation of their top-flight status in their final game of the season against Everton, Spurs have been extremely busy trying to ensure that they finish much higher than 17th this season.
They brought in two club-record transfers -- one after the other -- in the space of a few days this summer, first when Mateus Fernandes joined the club from West Ham for £85 million ($115m) on July 2 and then when Sandro Tonali made the switch from Newcastle for £100m ($135m) on July 6.
Spurs have also spent £52m ($69.8m) on defender Jan Paul van Hecke, while Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dúbravka have arrived on transfers. According to ESPN reports, they remain interested in Man City winger Savinho and Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo and De Zerbi has said that the club are not yet finished in the transfer market.
Former head coach Ange Postecoglou once said that he never thought Spurs would spend £100m on a player. Now they have.
This seems to be a new Spurs. It seems that the hierarchy have realised what it takes to truly compete at the top of the table and do not intend to find themselves in a situation again in which relegation is a real prospect.
Tonali is, arguably, one of the best midfielders in the league and has been an essential component of Newcastle's rise in recent years. Fernandes was a major bright spark in a West Ham side that were relegated last season and had also attracted the interest of Man United. Spurs rarely break the bank to sign players so do it twice in one window suggests that things have finally changed at the club.
In further positive news, two of Spurs' most important players, World Cup-winner Pedro Porro and lightning-quick Micky van de Ven, have both signed bumper new contracts this summer.
After years of being asked by fans to back the manager, it appears that the board are now doing just that. Spurs have also cleared house, with former captain Cristian Romero -- whose lack of discipline and subsequent suspensions often left Spurs fans frustrated -- having departed for Atlético Madrid, while Yves Bissouma, Djed Spence, and Luka Vušković have all left the club, too.
If Spurs' splurge turns them into Champions League contenders again and has them competing at the top of the table, then it will be money well spent. If not, the board will be forced to ask questions of itself yet again.
