The 2026/27 Premier League season has only just kicked off, but major questions are already beginning to emerge. This campaign is not just about the title race: it is also the proving ground for new head coaches at England's biggest clubs.
Manchester City have entered a new era under Enzo Maresca following the end of Pep Guardiola's tenure. Liverpool have appointed Andoni Iraola, Chelsea have handed their rebuild project to Xabi Alonso, while Tottenham Hotspur are counting on Roberto De Zerbi to turn the club's form around.
Amidst all this upheaval, Arsenal are the only major side operating with full continuity. Mikel Arteta remains at the helm of The Gunners after delivering their Premier League title last season. This stability is widely seen as a major advantage for Arsenal, at a time where almost all of their closest rivals have made changes in the dugout.
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Arsenal opened the season with a convincing 3-0 win over Coventry City. That result has already seen the English media label them the "team to beat" this term. This assessment remains untested however, having only played one fixture so far. Their second match against Aston Villa will be the next chance to see if the defending champions can maintain the high standards they set last campaign.
Manchester City Are The Most Intriguing Contender
Life after Guardiola means City must prove their sustained dominance was not solely dependent on the legendary coach. Maresca's tenure got off to an unconvincing start, with City scraping a narrow 2-1 win over Bournemouth. But they responded in emphatic fashion, dismantling Crystal Palace 4-1 in their next outing.
Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland both netted braces in that match, leaving City with six points from their opening two games. This early form suggests Maresca has got his side adapting quickly, though it is far too early to say that City have fully settled into their new identity.
Winning matches is only part of the challenge for Maresca. He must demonstrate that City will remain England's benchmark side after so many years operating at the exceptional standard set by Guardiola.
Over at Liverpool, the adjustment period is proving much slower. Iraola is still waiting for his first victory after two matches: Liverpool drew 2-2 against Newcastle United, then recorded another 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.
This is not just about results for Liverpool. Iraola is working to overhaul the side's playing style, particularly their out-of-possession structure and approach against high-pressing opponents. That said, the way Liverpool fought back to earn a point in both matches shows that the squad's underlying quality is still present.
Chelsea have made a far more promising start. Alonso has led The Blues to back-to-back wins against Fulham and Brighton, with the side already scoring seven goals in their first two fixtures.
This attacking productivity has come alongside clear defensive weaknesses however. Chelsea have conceded five goals so far, and have now gone 18 league matches without keeping a clean sheet. Should Alonso fix this defensive fragility without blunting their attacking aggression, Chelsea have every chance to emerge as genuine title contenders this season.
Tottenham by contrast are under severe early pressure. De Zerbi was backed with over £300 million in transfer funding to rebuild the squad, yet Spurs have lost 0-3 to Brentford then 0-2 to Newcastle. They are yet to score a single goal or register a single point after two matches.
This poor start has laid bare that big spending and new signings do not automatically translate to success. De Zerbi is now under pressure to quickly find a working system that can make Tottenham competitive.
For all four new coaches, the opening 10 matches of the season will act as a critical early litmus test. Maresca must prove City can sustain their dominance without Guardiola.
Iraola needs to turn Liverpool from a side that can fight back into a side that can win matches. Alonso is tasked with bringing balance to Chelsea, while De Zerbi must deliver tangible returns on Tottenham's record-breaking transfer investment.
Arteta faces a very different challenge. He has an established, proven system and squad, but now must show that Arsenal can defend their crown as their rivals all find their feet under new leadership.
This leaves the biggest unanswerable question of this Premier League season hanging: will Arsenal remain the team to beat, or will Manchester City reassert themselves as the dominant force under Maresca?
Two matches are nowhere near enough to provide a definitive answer. But if City continue their upward trajectory and the likes of Alonso settle into their roles, this title race looks set to be far more open than recent campaigns.
This developing Premier League title picture was the focus of a recent episode of the ITSMe Podcast, featuring football analysts Ronny Pangemanan and Kesit Budi Handoyo.
Hosted by Gilang Respaty and Pudila live from the Sentul studio in Bogor, the pair broke down the challenges facing each new head coach, and assessed the title prospects of Arsenal, Manchester City and the rest of England's biggest clubs throughout the 2026/27 season.
