Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of 2025-26 Season

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, celebrates with the Premier League trophy, as Liverpool are crowned the Champions of the Premier League for the 2024/25 Season, following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield on May 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Three months after Liverpool celebrated a record-equalling 20th title, the Premier League is back.

The reigning champions get the ball rolling when they host Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday night, before Manchester City travel to Wolverhampton the folllowing day.

A new-look Manchester United host title contenders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, while Leeds kick off life in the Premier League when they host Everton a day later.

From Liverpool’s summer spending spree to a new era at Everton and from Arsenal’s latest title bid to Ruben Amorim’s first full campaign in charge of United, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the new season.

Here is what to keep an eye out for as the Premier League makes its return.

Can anyone stop Liverpool?

Champions at a canter last time out, Liverpool have embarked on the kind of spending spree the most dominant teams in the Premier League seldom indulge in.

The Reds set a new club transfer record by signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for $158 million (£116 million), while Hugo Ekitike was nabbed from under Newcastle’s nose.

The signings of Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, meanwhile, revamped Liverpool’s options at full-back following the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the headline exit of a host of sales which also included Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.

Liverpool’s summer spending already exceeds $340 million and could rise even further, should they land Alexander Isak, who has effectively gone on strike to force a move out of Newcastle.

If there is an area of concern for Liverpool, aside of how they will cope with the grief following the tragic passing of Diogo Jota, is their defence which remains overly-reliant on Virgil Van Djik.

Second for the past three seasons, Arsenal have strengthened in all the required areas as they Mikel Arteta looks to deliver the Premier League that has been missing since 2004.

Viktor Gyokeres has arrived from Sporting Club for $86m where he scored 54 goals in 52 matches in all competitions last season and Arsenal will hope he can be the elite striker they have been crying out for.

Kai Havertz scored just nine goals last term, yet he was the Gunners’ top scorer in the Premier League. Gyokeres should address that.

Elsewhere, Martin Zubimendi is an upgrade on Thomas Partey in midfield, while Noni Madueke bolsters Arteta’s attacking options.

Like Arsenal, Manchester City have also been aggressive in the transfer market, spending north of $200m on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, James Trafford and Rayan Cherki.

For the first time in his nine years in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola faces a delicate rebuild after ending last season empty-handed.

Arsenal and City have spent well, but it may not be enough to catch Liverpool.

Will Ruben Amorim survive at Manchester United?

Over the summer, Rubem Amorim indicated he sees himself being at Manchester United for the next two decades. It was a bold claim and not just because longevity is an increasingly rare luxury in football and United have churned through five permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford 12 years ago.

In his first season in charge, Amorim oversaw a historically dismal campaign. United finished 15th in the Premier League with 42 points, their lowest position since they were relegated from the old First Division in 1974.

Their 18 defeats were also a club record high in the Premier League era, while their 40 goals pointed an impotent attack. A limp defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final denied United a back door entry in the Champions League and the $120 million cash injection it would have generated.

Amorim arrived in England in November as one of European football’s most exciting managers, but has become under intense scrutiny because of the lack of results and his near-dogmatic 3-4-3 approach.

There are, of course, mitigating factors. The Portuguese took over a squad that was a collection of years of poor recruitment, an issue exacerbated by a club drifting off the field.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new regime has doubled down on Amorim, insisting last season’s pain was a necessary medicine to restore the patient to health.

Matheus Cunha, Briam Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have arrived for a combined $270 million, a significant outlay for a club that continue to face significant financial headwinds.

United remain interested in Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, who would provide an immediate upgrade on the options currently at Amorim’s disposal and a new goalkeeper to replace the erratic Andre Onana should also be a priority.

A season of consolidation may be Amorim’s best hope, but he needs to show tangible improvements if he is to survive.

Can the Premier League newcomers avoid relegation?

For the past two seasons, the three newly-promoted clubs in the Premier League have swiftly returned to the Championship at the first time of asking.

The gap between English football’s top tier and the second division is an ever-growing chasm, which is increasingly difficult to bridge.

That is the challenge awaiting Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland this season. Of the trio, Sunderland have arguably done the best business this summer, while in Daniel Farke Leeds have a manager with Premier League experience – albeit a brief one, as his Norwich City side were relegated at the first time of asking.

Then there is Burnley, who won promotion last season on the back of conceding just 16 goals in 46 matches in the Championship.

That kind of defensive solidity should serve them well in the Premier League, but the departure of James Trafford for Manchester City is a tough blow.

Trafford kept 30 clean sheets last season and while Martin Dubravka is a dependable replacement, he will face an altogether different challenge.

A new era at Everton

It’s out with the old and in with the new at Everton as they move into their new home at Hill Dickinson Stadium after 133 years at Goodison Park.

Having flirted with relegation more or less closely for the past four seasons, the Toffees will be hoping the move to their new ground can coincide with an upturn in fortunes.

David Moyes, however, has not had an easy summer. Everton have missed out on top targets Francisco Conceicao and Johan Bakayoko and are no closer to signing Tyler Dibling from Southampton.

Thierno Barry will serve as understudy to Beto at least initially as Everton look to address their chronic shortage of goals, while Jack Grealish has joined on an expensive loan deal from Manchester City.

Grealish’s arrival is intriguing. The former Aston Villa captain lost his way under Pep Guardiola and never lived up to the hype of being British football’s first $135 million man.

With a World Cup on the horizon, Everton should represent the perfect opportunity for Grealish to reignite his career. On the flip side, the midfielder turns 30 in September and may never recover the form he showed at Villa.

What else is new in the Premier League?

Quite a lot, actually. For a start, Puma has replaced Nike as the official ball supplier after 25 years, with its Orbita Ultimate ball set to make its debut on Friday in the season opener.

New laws have also been introduced, chief among them one which will see goalkeepers concede a corner if they hold onto the ball with their hands for longer than eight seconds.

The semi-automated offsides will return from the beginning of the season after making their debut back in April and fans in the stadiums will be able to hear referees explaining the outcome of VAR reviews.

The cameras referee worn at the Club World Cup will be trialled from the opening weekend for about six weeks and managers can be interviewed at half-time from now on.

Finally, for viewers in the USA all 380 matches will be shown on NBC, with almost half of them streamed exclusively on Peacock and the remainder split between an NBC channel or USA Network.