The new Premier League season begins on the evening of 21 August, with reigning English champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City at Emirates Stadium. Coventry City, managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, are returning to the top flight for the first time in 25 years. The opening fixture launches a campaign filled with major managerial changes, ambitious spending and uncertainty among several established clubs.
Lampard joined Coventry City in autumn 2024 and guided them into the Premier League within 18 months. The Sky Blues produced an outstanding Championship campaign, collecting 95 points from 46 matches. They scored 97 goals and conceded only 45, making them the division’s best side in both attacking and defensive records.
After difficult spells at Chelsea and Everton, Lampard has rebuilt his reputation as a coach. The immediate question is whether Coventry City can carry the same bold, quick and aggressive style into the Premier League.
A number of clubs have also changed managers since the end of last season.
Andoni Iraola left Bournemouth after leading the club to European football for the first time in its history and moved to Liverpool. The Cherries have appointed Marco Rose, the former manager of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, and his ability to maintain the club’s progress will be closely watched.
Oliver Glasner also departed Crystal Palace after becoming the first manager to deliver a major trophy in the club’s history. In 2024-25, the Eagles won the FA Cup by beating Manchester City in the final. They then added the domestic Super Cup against Liverpool at the start of the following season before claiming the UEFA Conference League in May.
Glasner’s achievements represented the current squad’s maximum potential, according to the article, and the Austrian decided to seek a more ambitious project. Frenchman Pierre Sage has taken charge at Crystal Palace, although the club’s prospects appear unclear.
Eddie Howe’s exit from Newcastle United was the most surprising managerial change. Although his future had been debated for some time, Howe and the club had agreed to continue working together after last season.
That relationship broke down after Newcastle United sold three important players during the summer: Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali. Howe left three weeks before the start of the campaign, with 38-year-old German Matthias Jaissle appointed as his replacement after previously managing Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli.
Newcastle United were competing in the UEFA Champions League only recently, but the article suggests they are unlikely to challenge near the top of the Premier League this season.
At Fulham, Portuguese manager Marco Silva left after the campaign ended. The Cottagers then made the unexpected decision to appoint Alvaro Arbeloa, who spent the second half of last season at Real Madrid.
Arbeloa’s promotion to the senior Real Madrid team came unexpectedly, but he failed to establish himself. His inability to build relationships with senior players was cited as one reason for the club’s disappointing season, during which Real Madrid failed to win a trophy.
Fulham did not qualify for European competition, meaning there should be limited pressure on Arbeloa. Working with a modest squad in a calmer environment could prove decisive for his career. Success may lead to a bigger opportunity, while failure could leave him without a club for a considerable period.
New challenges for familiar names
Glasner has now been brought in to rescue Nottingham Forest after their dramatic decline. Following an excellent 2024-25 season, Forest only narrowly avoided relegation in the previous campaign. The club changed managers three times in less than a year, but none of them produced consistent results.
Glasner has been given the opportunity to restore stability, and there is a belief he could emulate Nuno Espirito Santo by taking Nottingham Forest back into European competition.
Iraola’s move to Liverpool represents another major test. During his three seasons at Bournemouth, the young Spanish manager finished 12th in his first Premier League campaign, ninth the following year and then achieved the club’s historic European qualification.
The 48-year-old has earned the chance to manage a club of Liverpool’s size. Arne Slot, meanwhile, endured a disastrous campaign despite the club spending half a billion on its squad, making his dismissal in the summer appear a logical decision.
Aston Villa face concerns similar to those affecting Newcastle United, although Unai Emery delivered results last season. Villa finished fourth and qualified for the UEFA Champions League, but the club lost several key players during the summer transfer window, including Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans and, most significantly, Morgan Rogers.
Emiliano Martinez could also leave. With important players departing and Villa competing on several fronts, another successful campaign is difficult to predict. Emery’s position could come under threat during the season.
Tottenham Hotspur have spent more than 300m euros on new signings this summer, including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke. The London club are not expected to stop there, with a further investment of about 300m euros planned before the transfer window closes on Cody Gakpo, Savinho and Omar Marmoush.
Expensive recruitment does not guarantee success, as Liverpool’s recent experience demonstrates, but Roberto De Zerbi’s project at Tottenham Hotspur is becoming increasingly intriguing.
The post-Guardiola era
Xabi Alonso is another former Real Madrid manager to arrive in the Premier League. At Bayer Leverkusen in 2023-24, he led the club to a historic Bundesliga title and oversaw a 51-match unbeaten run, an unprecedented record in European football.
After his impressive work in Germany, Alonso joined Real Madrid last summer. Expectations were high, but he was dismissed after only six months.
He now takes charge of Chelsea, who finished 10th in the 2025-26 English championship. The article argues that Enzo Maresca’s dismissal in January was a mistake because Chelsea had been competing for UEFA Champions League qualification under the Italian.
Alonso must therefore begin again at Stamford Bridge and attempt to revive a team that ended the season well below expectations.
Pep Guardiola announced at the end of May that he would leave Manchester City after a decade at the club. He transformed City into one of the leading forces in English and European football, but said he had run out of energy and decided it was time to move on.
His successor is Enzo Maresca, who faced criticism immediately after his first competitive match. Manchester City lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the English Super Cup, producing an unconvincing performance. However, that defeat came at the beginning of Maresca’s tenure, and it remains possible that he will lead the Citizens through the next decade.
Arsenal began the season as the leading candidates for the Premier League title. Their emphatic victory over Manchester City strengthened that status, although their position is partly the result of difficulties elsewhere.
The Gunners are currently the only major club to have maintained consistent performances over several years without embarking on a major summer rebuild. That stability could prove decisive in the championship race.
