From almost close to a decade of Premier League dominance from Manchester City and whoever else could stand up to them, which from 2017 to 2021 was Liverpool and from 2022 to 2025was Arsenal, the new 2025/26 season feels like a proper title race is going to take shape. With Liverpool rebuilding and adding fresh young talent to their squad, Arsenal getting the final pieces of the puzzle together, and Manchester City looking to bounce back from a poor season by their standards, all signs do point to a three-way battle for the league that could go down right to the final game of the season. Ambitious transfers, managers evolving tactically, and a sense of unfinished business for certain clubs and players—the ingredients are there for this season to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.

Where better to start off with this discussion than the reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool? At the end of the 2024/25 season, Liverpool were undisputed champions, and Arne Slot joined an exclusive group of managers who had won the Premier League in their first season, and going into his second season, it looks like he and the club want to assert their dominance and win the Premier League again. Liverpool in this summer transfer window have bought up elite young talent such as Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and Jeremie Frimpong and look set to sign, in the eyes of some, the Premier League’s best striker, Aleksander Isak.

The influx of such elite young talent showcases how Liverpool is not attempting to rest on their laurels and is building a squad that can compete in both the present and the future. With the expectation that Slot will evolve tactically and with the presence of legendary players such as Van Dijk and Salah, next season is bound to be an exciting one for Liverpool.

Arsenal have unfortunately finished in second place for the past three seasons, but many feel their squad is close, having the pieces in place, and with the signings the club has made so far, it feels like this is the season where Arsenal are best poised to make a considerable push to become Premier League champions. Over the past three seasons, despite coming up short, Mikel Arteta has been able to incorporate a winning mentality into the players at his disposal and has also been able to create a squad that has a good mix of maturity, youth, and experience.

The additions of Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, and Christian Mosquera add some much-needed depth and quality to the Arsenal squad, and over the course of the whole season this will be a huge benefit to them, as part of the reason Arteta has fallen short is due to a lack of squad depth and key personnel that the club did not buy at the right time. If the signings can bed in to the team quickly and Arteta looks to evolve tactically, Arsenal will be right up there with Liverpool till the final gameweek.

Finally, Manchester City, the team that has won 5 Premier Leagues in the last 7 seasons, had a poor season last season, as they finished third and went trophyless for the first time since Pep Guardiola has been at the club. The squad is going through a rebuild as many players are aging, such as Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Ederson, and Kovacic, and leaders such as Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne have left the club. With a new core needing to emerge, the club has taken steps to buy a mix of experienced players and youthful talent such as Reijnders, Cherki, and Ait Nouri in the 2025 summer transfer window to join Haaland, Rodri, and Foden in order to refresh the team and ensure last season is not repeated. Guardiola is one man who will be under the microscope, as he has always shown the ability to evolve and improve when things have not gone his way, and with the new entrants into the squad, it is interesting to see how City will line up and play this coming season.

Additionally, there are also teams who could be wildcards and be an outside candidate for a title challenge. Chelsea, who are on the back of beating Paris Saint-Germain and winning the Club World Cup, have strengthened their team and have elite talent all across the pitch, so it is not out of the picture for them to be involved in the title race, but how consistent they can be during the whole season will be a big factor. Teams like Spurs, who have a new manager in Thomas Frank, and Newcastle United under Eddie Howe are also outside challengers, as both are good managers and have good squads at their disposal.

It's rare to enter a season where three clubs believe they can all win the Premier League title, as they have the tools to do so. Whether it is Liverpool going back-to-back, Arsenal finally getting over the hurdle, or City proving last season was an anomaly, the 2025/26 Premier League title race is not going to be predictable, and fans should buckle in for an exhilarating season.