A new Premier League season is upon us and it promises to be an intriguing campaign.
Liverpool, such impressive champions last time round, have spent heavily over the summer and will field a much-changed line-up. But the other traditional powerhouses of the English game have also strengthened significantly as they seek to reimpose themselves on the division after their respective (and relative) toils last term.
Are Manchester City over last season’s blip? Will Chelsea maintain their progress? Are Arsenal, tired of being the nearly men, ready to go one step further?
The three teams promoted from the Championship have also demonstrated their ambition in the market this summer, prompting the hope they might buck the worrying trend that has seen all the new arrivals immediately relegated in each of the last two seasons.
So what are the expectations at each of the Premier League’s clubs going into 2025-26? Let The Athletic’s correspondents provide some answers.
Arsenal
Simply put: to win.
After three successive second-place finishes in the Premier League and a run to the Champions League semi-final, there is no question that Arsenal are capable of lifting silverware. Without managing to convert their dominance into trophies yet, the perceived success of this year feels like it could hinge on whether they can get over the line or not.
Art de Roche
Aston Villa
The Champions League. Villa do not plan to be in Europe’s blue-ribbon event every campaign, but the nature of missing out on the final day last time — when it turned out they only needed a point and still ended up losing to Manchester United (who were 16th heading into the game) — was haunting.
Emery does not accept regression on a wider scale, so a Champions League spot is a target.
There is an acknowledgement, however, that Villa have not been able to spend the money they would want to this summer, influencing recruitment and general approach. This is during a time when expected competitors are splashing big sums on top bracket players.
Jacob Tanswell
Bournemouth
Bournemouth have had a pretty dramatic summer, having lost the core of the defence that impressed so often last season, as Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga have all departed and ended up at clubs competing in the Champions League.
Replacements have been signed in key positions, notably Bafode Diakite from Lille in central defence. He became the club’s second-most expensive signing.
Bournemouth may start a little slowly as the team adapts to its new defensive personnel, but they kept their most valuable asset by convincing coach Andoni Iraola to stay at the club and that will give most fans enough confidence that the team can stay in the league and compete well.
Adam Crafton
Brentford
Brentford finished in the top half of the table last season and made an unlikely push for Europe, but this has been a summer of significant change for the west London side.
Thomas Frank has left after nearly seven years in charge to become Tottenham Hotspur’s new head coach, captain Christian Norgaard has joined Arsenal, Bryan Mbeumo moved to Manchester United in a club-record sale while Yoane Wissa is determined to leave.
It is a difficult situation for Keith Andrews, Frank’s successor, to inherit. This is his first senior head coach role and he needs to learn quickly.
There is a lot of quality in the squad, though. Nathan Collins was immense last season and has just been announced as the new captain. Club-record signing Igor Thiago will hopefully avoid any more fitness issues and Fabio Carvalho should be more settled after an underwhelming debut campaign.
Brentford should still avoid relegation but they might find things a bit more difficult as they adjust to life without Frank.
Jay Harris
Brighton and Hove Albion
The same as last season: to push for a European place and have a crack at winning a first major trophy in one of the domestic cup competitions.
They went close last season, ending up eighth to just miss out on Europe. They want another taste of Europe after finishing sixth in 2022-23 under Roberto De Zerbi and reaching the last 16 of the Europa League the following year.
Losing at home to Nottingham Forest on penalties in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in March was painful, especially as rivals Crystal Palace went on to lift the trophy — although that proved it can be done by a club outside the elite.
The League Cup record is poor — not reaching the quarter-finals since 1978-79 — but they have been FA Cup quarter-finalists or semi-finalists four times in the last eight seasons, so they are knocking on the door in the biggest knockout competition.
Andy Naylor
Burnley
As with all promoted clubs, Burnley’s aim is to retain their Premier League status.
After a humbling return to the top flight two seasons ago, the club are hoping lessons have been learned. They are taking a different approach to the upcoming campaign as they aim to surprise people.
It has been another busy summer at Turf Moor. They have lost key players from the Championship promotion campaign — James Trafford, CJ Egan-Riley and Josh Brownhill — but their recruitment has been more balanced than the youth drive they embarked upon two years ago. They’ve added leadership in the experienced Kyle Walker and Martin Dubravka and younger players like Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu who have Premier League experience.
The unity of the dressing room was crucial to last season’s success and that has been retained. The style of play is also different with their Championship success under Scott Parker built on a solid defensive foundation, rather than Vincent Kompany’s total football approach. Whether the outcome is any different, we’ll have to wait and see.
Andy Jones
Chelsea
Chelsea may go into the new Premier League campaign wearing a new gold badge that marks them out as world champions, but internally the message coming from the club hierarchy is to stay humble and keep working.
Enzo Maresca’s young team are trending in a very positive direction and there is confidence that they will continue to do so, buoyed by the belief of lifting the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup within the space of six weeks. All in all, Chelsea won 14 of their final 16 games across all competitions to end the 2024-25 season.
But expectations of Chelsea making a Premier League title challenge in 2025-26 are primarily external noise. The immediate priority is to consolidate their top-four status while adapting to the return of Champions League football to Stamford Bridge.
Liam Twomey
Crystal Palace
Palace have already lifted a trophy after following up their FA Cup final win in May with success in the Community Shield against Liverpool.
But, as far as the new campaign goes, much depends on what happens in the final weeks of a transfer window that has been painfully slow to date in terms of incomings, and undermined further by the uncertainty over the futures of Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.
There is still hope Palace can have a successful season again. That would mean going deep in the Conference League — a competition won by West Ham United and Chelsea in two of the last three years — and at least maintaining last season’s 12th-place Premier League finish.
Matt Woosnam
Everton
David Moyes is a man in a hurry. At 62, he knows his second stint at Everton will likely be considerably shorter than his first (he managed the club for 11 years between 2002 and 2013).
The Scot finished last season aiming to emulate Nottingham Forest’s rise from relegation battler to European contender. Owners The Friedkin Group, meanwhile, have spoken about returning the club to past glories: fighting for silverware and competing for Europe.
Everton, though, are very much in transition. Squad overhauls are rarely easy and things can take time to gel.
Improving on last season’s 13th-place finish will be the main aim. And all in a new stadium to boot.
Patrick Boyland
Fulham
A lack of transfer activity to date will temper expectations from fans and head coach Marco Silva, but that stability could provide a platform.
Sure, a push for European places is probably beyond this squad, but a relegation battle seems just as unlikely. Another season of floating in mid-table might not sound like much fun, but Fulham have been improving in the domestic cups, reaching two quarter-finals and a semi-final over the past three seasons. Going even one step further would be deemed a success.
Throw the excitement building around in teenagers Josh King and Seth Ridgeon, who could inject energy into an ageing squad, and there is enough to give supporters some optimism.
Justin Guthrie
Leeds United
Leeds will expect to fight valiantly against the relegation odds stacked against them and hope they buck the emerging trend for Premier League newcomers.
Managing director Robbie Evans, sporting director Adam Underwood, head of recruitment Alex Davies and manager Daniel Farke will have faith in the process they have been through to identify this summer’s new signings, but, until they see them in action against some of Europe’s finest teams, they cannot be certain what’s coming.
On the face of it, they are hoping a cast of physically dominant players can bridge the chasm between the top two divisions in English football.
Following the agreement to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin in principle after the England striker’s departure from Everton earlier in the off-season, if they can add two more attacking players good enough to start and the back-up full-back Farke wants, they will feel a lot more confident on the back of May’s 100-point conclusion to their Championship title-winning campaign.
Chairman Paraag Marathe, who is a touch more removed from the rationale his recruitment chiefs have devised, is known to be a demanding and ambitious leader.
He will expect the people he has hired or promoted to perform in the jobs he has given them and sustain 49ers Enterprises’ tenure as owner of a Premier League team beyond this season.
Beren Cross
Liverpool
Given the money spent this summer, the aim is for Liverpool to replicate their success in the Premier League last season and defend their title.
Slot has consistently spoken about winning titles since he arrived last year, and he will maintain those standards, as will the experienced players in the squad including Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
There may be some growing pains early on as the new signings bed in — there were four new starters in the Community Shield — and their business is not done yet. New weapons that the head coach spoke about at the end of the season have been added and there is trust that Slot will be able to integrate them quickly.
The biggest focus for improvement will be progressing further in the Champions League. Liverpool dominated the group phase, finishing top, but were unfortunate to draw eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16. That tie came at a time when Liverpool were running out of steam, and the hope is that the versatile squad that has been built will be in better condition at that stage of the campaign.
Andy Jones
Manchester United
“We obviously want to be back in Europe. I think that is a massive, massive thing for the club. Europe, that’s the focus.”
Those were the words of Mason Mount during the pre-season tour of the United States this summer. Regardless of the route or the tiering of competition, United will face a fight to return to European competition. Amorim’s men finished 24 points adrift of fifth-placed Newcastle United last season, with several notable rivals spending the summer strengthening.
But, in early June, an Athletic fan survey revealed that the majority of subscribers view Europa League qualification as an achievable aim for the upcoming campaign.
Carl Anka
Manchester City
Usually, this would be a simple answer: to win everything, or go deep on all four fronts.
Pep Guardiola’s teams have elevated the expectations of what is required to win the Premier League over the past nine years but what started off in September as an aberration in form turned into a deep malaise.
They were vulnerable and chaotic, their flaws brought to the surface for the first time after an unprecedented run of four successive Premier League titles.
In that context, to finish third and secure Champions League football was a relative success but can we now really expect them to simply click back into gear?
On paper, it could be the most open title race in years. Liverpool have a lot of starters but reinvested heavily, Arsenal are still tooling up for a fourth crack at glory, while the Chelsea project made a leap to win the Club World Cup.
City’s serial winners will fancy their chances of lasting the pace, so the title has to be the aim. But given the depths of last winter and the first season without Kevin De Bruyne, simply rediscovering the sort of consistency that allows them to compete has to be the foundation.
Jordan Campbell
Newcastle United
This is not meant to be entirely facetious but who, exactly, would be doing the expecting? The chief executive? There isn’t one. The sporting director? There isn’t one. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Newcastle’s majority owners? How involved are they? Where are they? The first two positions will be filled shortly, but it will take time for a new structure and relationships to settle.
After a testing close season — the second in succession — there should be a level of realism about what lies ahead for Eddie Howe and his team, although the head coach will do everything in his power to minimise excuses. Last time, the baseline internal target was qualifying for Europe. It will doubtless be the same this season, albeit with an asterisk.
George Caulkin
Nottingham Forest
The goal is to build on the seventh-place finish of last season — but there is also an understanding of how challenging that will be.
Forest shocked the rest of the Premier League as they delivered a sustained challenge for Champions League qualification. Yes, there were a few games in which Nuno Espirito Santo’s men rode their luck just a little bit, but it was only in the last few weeks of the campaign that results dropped off, costing them that top-five finish.
The old adage says the harder you work, the luckier you get — but Forest know they will need to work very hard to build again, particularly with the additional challenge that will come with the extra games in Europe and with their squad still needing new additions.
Within the dressing room, there is a belief that the club can go a long way in Europe. Qualifying for the Champions League is also a goal set among the players. It is a lofty target. But why not aim high?
Paul Taylor
Sunderland
All logic now dictates that any promoted club has its work cut out to remain in the Premier League, and Sunderland will be no different. They finished 24 points behind Leeds United and Burnley in last season’s Championship, eventually finding a way up through the play-offs.
A rebuild was unavoidable but it has been done with haste and ambition. Eleven new signings have already arrived, with an expectation for more before the window closes. The cost has gone north of £120m, including record signing Habib Diarra, who joined from Strasbourg for £30m.
Sunderland have faith in their recruitment model and there is a quiet confidence under Regis Le Bris that this can be a competitive squad. Retaining that through the season’s opening months will be hugely important.
A change to the team captaincy also felt significant this week. Dan Neil, academy graduate and midfield mainstay in recent times, saw the armband taken away and handed to new arrival Granit Xhaka — a ruthless move that underlines Sunderland are not content with coming this far.
Phil Buckingham
Tottenham Hotspur
In new head coach Thomas Frank’s opinion, the last time Spurs were genuinely competitive in multiple competitions was the 2018-19 season when they reached the Champions League final and finished fourth in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino. The Dane is determined to correct that after replacing Ange Postecoglou on a three-year contract in June.
It should not be too difficult for Frank to improve on last season’s 17th-place finish — there was promise to be had in the Super Cup final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties — but his bullish words suggest he is aiming for the top six, which will be tricky.
Spurs massively underperformed last season compared to their rivals and the gap has probably only increased over the summer. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United have spent significantly in the transfer window. Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha are the only players who immediately improve Tottenham’s starting XI and they still lack quality cover in certain areas, including up front.
Jay Harris
West Ham United
Life has been a slog for Graham Potter at West Ham since his appointment back in January. The legacy of last summer’s recruitment splurge was an ageing squad that largely underperformed, limping through the campaign before finishing 14th. It was all horribly uninspiring and left the manager contemplating how best to inject some zest back into the setup.
At least the summer offered an opportunity to reset.
The sale of Mohammed Kudus, albeit to rivals Tottenham Hotspur, provided some leeway in the market to make additions — Mads Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf are the most exciting so far — while Potter has worked to make the environment at the club his own. He described pre-season as “positive” on Thursday and will trust in his coaching abilities to improve this group. That Lucas Paqueta is now free from the threat of a career-ending ban will help.
All of which should mean a more upbeat campaign than last time around. This club still believes it should be qualifying regularly for European competition, having tasted success in the recent past under David Moyes. That is the aim. It is Potter’s task to deliver.
Dominic Fifield
Wolverhampton Wanderers
After Wolves avoided relegation with a level of comfort last season under Victor Pereira, the expectation within Molineux is for the club to enjoy a campaign where suffering the drop is never a realistic concern as a stepping stone to something more.
Whether that is a realistic aim will depend largely on how successful their summer recruitment turns out to be, with Jorge Mendes’s Gestifute organisation more involved this summer than in recent years.
Steve Madeley
(Top photos: Getty Images)
