Four reasons the 2026-27 Premier League title race could be the most open in years

After years of Manchester City dominance followed by Liverpool and Arsenal winning titles by at least seven points, the Premier League looks due for a wide-open, multi-club title race. Here are four reasons why the 2026-27 campaign could deliver exactly that. New managers, new expectations How do you replace the irreplaceable? Manchester City, champions in six of the past nine seasons, begin this term without Pep Guardiola, their greatest ever manager. The 55-year-old departed at the end of last season after winning 17 major trophies in a decade, and his former assistant Enzo Maresca - out of work since leaving Chelsea in January - has taken over. Chelsea also have a new boss. They sacked Liam Rosenior before the end of last season and appointed former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who won an invincible Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen two years ago but struggled at Real Madrid last term. Many expected Alonso to replace Arne Slot at Liverpool, but the Reds instead turned to Andoni Iraola, who guided Bournemouth to a sixth-place finish last season. That makes three huge clubs with three new managers. Manchester United's Michael Carrick and Tottenham's Roberto de Zerbi only took charge midway through last season, meaning five of the traditional big six will start the campaign with a different manager than they had at the start of the previous one. Only Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, appointed in 2019, remains. Saliba's absence could sink Arsenal As defending champions with an experienced manager, Arsenal enter the season as favourites. But a lengthy injury to a key starter threatens their chances. The club confirmed that defender William Saliba will miss an "extended period" after suffering a back injury while representing France at the World Cup. The 25-year-old made 50 appearances last season, and his partnership with Gabriel was central to Arsenal conceding fewer goals than anyone else in the division. Since Saliba's debut in 2022, Arsenal have won 68.7% of their Premier League matches when he plays (131 games). Without him, that win rate drops to 47.6% (21 games). A tough opening run - Villa and Chelsea in the first three matches - only adds to the concern. Will European football hurt Man Utd? Manchester United played only 40 matches in all competitions last season - their fewest since 1914-15 - and finished third. Chelsea played 59 games and finished 10th; Tottenham played 52 and avoided relegation on the final day, ending 17th. More matches don't always mean a lower league finish - Arsenal won the title last season while reaching both the Champions League and Carabao Cup finals - but a lighter schedule lets teams rotate less, prepare fully and suffer fewer injuries. Spurs had 27 different players sidelined at some point last season. Next season, Chelsea and Tottenham have no European football, while United and eight other Premier League clubs do. United have responded by signing Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively, but whether two midfielders can cover the extra workload remains to be seen. Are Chelsea and Spurs dark horses? Both sides underperformed last season but have gone big in the transfer window. Chelsea made England midfielder Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player in history this month, paying Aston Villa £117m. They also spent £47m on full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta and are close to deals for Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson and Maxence Lacroix. Tottenham have nearly matched Chelsea's spending, committing a club-record £237m this summer. In July, Spurs broke their transfer record twice in a single window. With new managers, a potentially weakened Arsenal, and two well-funded outsiders, the 2026-27 Premier League season might just be the most unpredictable race in years.