⚽ Premier League 2025/2026 Discussion Thread ⚽

[Wake Up]

It will be very  difficult to bring Chelsea to the top 4 this season. Chelsea's overall condition is not strong. Their performance is inconsistent. Alonso will  probably make big changes to the squad. It will be difficult for chelsea to improve very quickly.

Am not really expecting much from Chelsea by next season, and I don’t think anyone should even expect Instant improvement in Chelsea performance, it’s going to be a gradual process. Alonso will have to rebuild the squad gradually, some talented players are already leaving Chelsea, he will need to sign some players. With the current squad which Chelsea is having, if compared with other top teams, I don’t really think Chelsea will be able to make top 4 by next season, but I know Chelsea performance is going to improve by next season.

Chelsea, with their new manager, want to be competitive next season, but these things don't happen overnight. Look at the example of Arsenal. Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for many years. They were constantly finishing second, but eventually they managed to win the championship and reached the Champions League final. They almost won the Champions League too, but lost on penalties. Therefore, trusting the manager and giving him time is the best thing for a team.

[Just Say]

Chelsea, with their new manager, want to be competitive next season, but these things don't happen overnight. Look at the example of Arsenal. Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for many years. They were constantly finishing second, but eventually they managed to win the championship and reached the Champions League final. They almost won the Champions League too, but lost on penalties. Therefore, trusting the manager and giving him time is the best thing for a team.

Yes Chelsea want to compete next season under their new manager Xabi Alonso but these things don't happen overnight, for that Chelsea team needs more experienced players and a great team combination. You are right that Arsenal have been in charge of Arteta for many years as a result of which this manager has gradually shaped this current PL champion team which would have consistently finished second in the Premier League season. We can say that it is under Arteta that Arsenal team has now matured as a result of which they were able to reach this season's UEFA Champions League final and win the prestigious Premier League trophy.

[kriminall]

Chelsea, with their new manager, want to be competitive next season, but these things don't happen overnight. Look at the example of Arsenal. Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for many years. They were constantly finishing second, but eventually they managed to win the championship and reached the Champions League final. They almost won the Champions League too, but lost on penalties. Therefore, trusting the manager and giving him time is the best thing for a team.

Yes Chelsea want to compete next season under their new manager Xabi Alonso but these things don't happen overnight, for that Chelsea team needs more experienced players and a great team combination. You are right that Arsenal have been in charge of Arteta for many years as a result of which this manager has gradually shaped this current PL champion team which would have consistently finished second in the Premier League season. We can say that it is under Arteta that Arsenal team has now matured as a result of which they were able to reach this season's UEFA Champions League final and win the prestigious Premier League trophy.

Everyone's saying the same thing, actually. Chelsea made a good managerial signing, but they need to give him some time. Expecting him to work miracles overnight would be unrealistic. Of course, the Spanish manager will shape his own squad. Chelsea has many high-quality players. I think he'll be much better prepared to utilize these players at this stage. Could Chelsea be a surprise contender in the Premier League next year? Why not? We all remember what he did with Bayer Leverkusen.

[Son Of Blockchain (SOB)]

Yes Chelsea want to compete next season under their new manager Xabi Alonso but these things don't happen overnight, for that Chelsea team needs more experienced players and a great team combination. You are right that Arsenal have been in charge of Arteta for many years as a result of which this manager has gradually shaped this current PL champion team which would have consistently finished second in the Premier League season. We can say that it is under Arteta that Arsenal team has now matured as a result of which they were able to reach this season's UEFA Champions League final and win the prestigious Premier League trophy.

Everyone's saying the same thing, actually. Chelsea made a good managerial signing, but they need to give him some time. Expecting him to work miracles overnight would be unrealistic. Of course, the Spanish manager will shape his own squad. Chelsea has many high-quality players. I think he'll be much better prepared to utilize these players at this stage. Could Chelsea be a surprise contender in the Premier League next year? Why not? We all remember what he did with Bayer Leverkusen.

One good thing about Alonso's career is that if you try to downgrade him with his experience at Real Madrid you'll definitely have a second thought after remembering his record with Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso has the potential to make Chelsea serious EPL contenders again but the management would play a role in that by giving him the players he want.
 They sold some of the important players and they need replacement not just any replacement but the ones that would hit the ground running cause they've sold two important players in strategic areas.

[DanWalker]

Everyone's saying the same thing, actually. Chelsea made a good managerial signing, but they need to give him some time. Expecting him to work miracles overnight would be unrealistic. Of course, the Spanish manager will shape his own squad. Chelsea has many high-quality players. I think he'll be much better prepared to utilize these players at this stage. Could Chelsea be a surprise contender in the Premier League next year? Why not? We all remember what he did with Bayer Leverkusen.

You are right. No matter how experienced the manager is, it will not be easy for any manager to stabilize the performance of a  squad like chelsea. Chelsea's situation is very unstable. Alonso is a talented  manager, that's true. But he needs  to be given enough time and opportunities. Real madrid management is not giving alonso enough time. Hopefully chelsea management will be patient. Also, Alonso will probably be given big funds to buy players. Alonso needs time to  build and stabilize this squad.

[Webetcoins]

The Blues seem to be working with a clearer plan now the biggest difference is that the club appears willing to make tough decisions instead of holding onto players who aren't fully committed if the report an Enzo are true €120m would give them surplus plenty of room to strengthen multiple positions the real test though will be how quickly the new signings adapt and whether the club get the squad playing consistently from the start of the season.

The offer is real, I am sure of it, but we do not know if Chelsea will take it or not. Most of these transfers may have to wait until the world cup is over, it may happen sooner too but I do not expect it to get official until world cup is over.

In which case, you are right that 120 million alone is good enough to get 2 good players, let alone them already having some transfer budget as well, if they get 120 million, and maybe chump change from a couple more, they could get 4 players worth 60 million each.

[Oluwa-btc]

They way we were considered by big teams and the EPL in the coming season fixtures shows how well we have fallen and I'm happy because this is going to bring more pressure on the management, one way or another.

We need to spend on the right players with proper experience, who can be reliable on the team and also ensure our back room staffs are reliable to impact and help them.

That is only if the management love the pressure and wants genuine change for the club and fans. Chelsea is a big side but the management?! They just want to make profits.

Too many good players are being linked with a possible move outside the club and we have not seen quality coming in. The transfer window might have just kicked off but this is a slow start. They better start moving like tye big club that they've been over the years.

[Ale88]

It will be very  difficult to bring Chelsea to the top 4 this season. Chelsea's overall condition is not strong. Their performance is inconsistent. Alonso will  probably make big changes to the squad. It will be difficult for chelsea to improve very quickly.

Am not really expecting much from Chelsea by next season, and I don’t think anyone should even expect Instant improvement in Chelsea performance, it’s going to be a gradual process. Alonso will have to rebuild the squad gradually, some talented players are already leaving Chelsea, he will need to sign some players. With the current squad which Chelsea is having, if compared with other top teams, I don’t really think Chelsea will be able to make top 4 by next season, but I know Chelsea performance is going to improve by next season.

Chelsea, with their new manager, want to be competitive next season, but these things don't happen overnight. Look at the example of Arsenal. Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for many years. They were constantly finishing second, but eventually they managed to win the championship and reached the Champions League final. They almost won the Champions League too, but lost on penalties. Therefore, trusting the manager and giving him time is the best thing for a team.

You got the point. Arsenal believed in Arteta, they gave him years to shape the team and bring in the players he wanted/needed, that is how you build a team and win trophies. Chelsea, on the other hand, are doing exactly the opposite: the change 2-3 managers per year, they buy and sell a bunch of players, the management has no clue about what they are doing.

[len01]

The Chelsea vs Fulham match next season in the EPL is an exciting first match. Do you know why? Because Chelsea is now under Xabi Alonso, while Fulham is under Álvaro Arbeloa. lol

Although some people rate Alonso higher than Arbeloa, the reality is that both managers are facing their own pressure. The expectation to start the season strongly makes it difficult for them to decide what kind of strategy they should use from the very beginning. On top of that, the competition will undoubtedly be very intense, and I don't think Chelsea will have an easy time winning their matches at the start of the season.

[rachael9385]

You are right. No matter how experienced the manager is, it will not be easy for any manager to stabilize the performance of a  squad like chelsea. Chelsea's situation is very unstable. Alonso is a talented  manager, that's true. But he needs  to be given enough time and opportunities. Real madrid management is not giving alonso enough time. Hopefully chelsea management will be patient. Also, Alonso will probably be given big funds to buy players. Alonso needs time to  build and stabilize this squad.

A lot of football fans are not expecting Xabi to just step in and somehow change the performance of Chelsea overnight but for a team to be managed by maresca and rosenior and still be as unstable as water indicates that the problem might not even be the coaches. But let's see if there would be any significant changes made this new season.

[Distraction]

By the way the first week fixtures have been released for the next season.



The last champion Arsenal are facing the dominant Championship winner Coventry at Emirates. Do you expect any surprise in this one?

Tottenham are in a renovation process now. Will they make a good start? Brentford are really tough to face though.    I think Tottenham will be in the fight for a CL ticket this time.

[tygeade]

I don't know if this transfer is finalized, but I think bringing him to Fulham would be a mistake. We didn't see much success with him at Real Madrid, and he didn't seem to have much discipline with his players. He might not last long in the competitive environment of the Premier League. Therefore, I think bringing him to the team would be risky.

While he did not do much at Real Madrid, nobody could have, the team had a chemistry issue and a lot of locker room problems including players literally fighting each other. So not like they are going to be good with any managers. Plus, Xabi himself was fired from that team for not doing great, so he is not that different from Arbeloa in that sense.

Arbeloa was growing under Real Madrid tutlage, from smaller positions to youth team manager to castilla to eventually manage it for six months give or take, so he had good education as a coach, and I feel like he is going to be doing fine. Yes, it is not that easy to handle it all, but it should not be all that expected to do fine neither, we should be considering differently, he can be helpful at Fulham.

[Issa56]

You got the point. Arsenal believed in Arteta, they gave him years to shape the team and bring in the players he wanted/needed, that is how you build a team and win trophies. Chelsea, on the other hand, are doing exactly the opposite: the change 2-3 managers per year, they buy and sell a bunch of players, the management has no clue about what they are doing.

I think Alonso is going to be different, am sure Chelsea management are just going to give him some time for him to fix the team. Maresca spent some time at Chelsea, and Maresca main target was Manchester city, and that was the reason why he left Chelsea, the two managers that managed Chelsea after Maresca left are not the kind of coach which are going to stay long at Chelsea. But with Alonso, I don’t even think Chelsea management are even going to think about changing coach for now, and am sure Alonso will be able to improve Chelsea performance by next season.

[bitgolden]

It will be very  difficult to bring Chelsea to the top 4 this season. Chelsea's overall condition is not strong. Their performance is inconsistent. Alonso will  probably make big changes to the squad. It will be difficult for chelsea to improve very quickly.

Am not really expecting much from Chelsea by next season, and I don’t think anyone should even expect Instant improvement in Chelsea performance, it’s going to be a gradual process. Alonso will have to rebuild the squad gradually, some talented players are already leaving Chelsea, he will need to sign some players. With the current squad which Chelsea is having, if compared with other top teams, I don’t really think Chelsea will be able to make top 4 by next season, but I know Chelsea performance is going to improve by next season.

I would say top 4 is the success metric (although if fifth place goes to UCL yet again, I would say that also works).

I am not saying that gradual process isn't needed, of course they can't be suddenly champions next year, but that doesn't mean UCL is not the goal. If we are talking about "gradual" progress, then UCL entry is the process that they need, otherwise they are not improving at all.

I mean because they finished 10th place, doesn't mean they should finish 8th place and think that is improvement, that could happen with anyone, that's not a big success, they should be going to UCL.

[Derekfunds]

By the way the first week fixtures have been released for the next season.



The last champion Arsenal are facing the dominant Championship winner Coventry at Emirates. Do you expect any surprise in this one?

Tottenham are in a renovation process now. Will they make a good start? Brentford are really tough to face though.    I think Tottenham will be in the fight for a CL ticket this time.

Coventry may be a champion in the championship but they may not be able to win Arsenal because they are not as strong as Arsenal and the league they played before coming to the premier league is not the same thing. As a matter of fact Arsenal is going to deal with them and use them to top the table. About Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford, the game will be tough but I'm sure Tottenham Hotspur must have learnt their lesson and they won't take chances this season

[Danica22]

Coventry may be a champion in the championship but they may not be able to win Arsenal because they are not as strong as Arsenal and the league they played before coming to the premier league is not the same thing. As a matter of fact Arsenal is going to deal with them and use them to top the table. About Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford, the game will be tough but I'm sure Tottenham Hotspur must have learnt their lesson and they won't take chances this season

Comparing Arsenal with Coventry is foolish. Arsenal are a very  strong team. Even if Arsenal fielded their second-tier squad  and made this starting XI , I am sure they would win the match. It is likely to be a one-sided match. Everyone will  definitely bet on Arsenal to win. Teams that perform in the championship are not considered very strong. Most teams  fall back into the relegation zone within 2/1  of the season.

[Nahl]

By the way the first week fixtures have been released for the next season.



The last champion Arsenal are facing the dominant Championship winner Coventry at Emirates. Do you expect any surprise in this one?

Tottenham are in a renovation process now. Will they make a good start? Brentford are really tough to face though.    I think Tottenham will be in the fight for a CL ticket this time.

Coventry may be a champion in the championship but they may not be able to win Arsenal because they are not as strong as Arsenal and the league they played before coming to the premier league is not the same thing. As a matter of fact Arsenal is going to deal with them and use them to top the table. About Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford, the game will be tough but I'm sure Tottenham Hotspur must have learnt their lesson and they won't take chances this season

Coventry have to wait for 25 years return to Premier league, i am sure they will do all of their effort to survive in this competition but surely they had realized their strength and won't put high expectation for the first game but, first game also won't be easy even for defending champion Arsenal that because currently there is world cup and most of Arsenal players have to playing for their national teams and we still don't know yet about who is the players which got injured .

Besides that some new players probably will be appears and required to adapt too so, although only paper Arsenal will gets easy win Coventry, but we have to see Arsenal condition before this game.

[tottong]

Coventry may be a champion in the championship but they may not be able to win Arsenal because they are not as strong as Arsenal and the league they played before coming to the premier league is not the same thing. As a matter of fact Arsenal is going to deal with them and use them to top the table. About Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford, the game will be tough but I'm sure Tottenham Hotspur must have learnt their lesson and they won't take chances this season

The strengths of the two teams are clearly different, as Arsenal are far superior, with both players possessing superior quality and mentality compared to Coventry.
The Premier League is highly competitive, despite this team's recent promotion to the Premier League. Usually, they can match the strengths of their opponents, even if they end up losing. Tottenham have already evaluated their team, and I'm sure they will be slightly better this season. However, mistakes last season almost led to their relegation, so the management must have made a major overhaul to improve the team.
The first match will provide an indication of the club's strength, although it won't be decisive. These matches will be interesting to watch.

[hyudien]

Comparing Arsenal with Coventry is foolish. Arsenal are a very  strong team. Even if Arsenal fielded their second-tier squad  and made this starting XI , I am sure they would win the match. It is likely to be a one-sided match. Everyone will  definitely bet on Arsenal to win. Teams that perform in the championship are not considered very strong. Most teams  fall back into the relegation zone within 2/1  of the season.

In terms of comparing power levels I agree, but I can't underestimate Coventry, this is a competition in the premier league, teams that fall into the underdog category cannot always be underestimated, even if Arsenal fielded their main squad they still might not win this match easily. And the fact that this is the first match in the premier league in the new season, of course the first match will be difficult to predict.

[Sarah Azhari]

The Chelsea vs Fulham match next season in the EPL is an exciting first match. Do you know why? Because Chelsea is now under Xabi Alonso, while Fulham is under Álvaro Arbeloa. lol
Just think about it, this isn't just another match, but a match that holds special meaning for each coach.

I can’t wait to watch this match. I’m especially eager to see whether Xabi Alonso or Arbeloa will come out on top. I imagine their matchup will be full of prestige and emotional moments, since they once swapped positions while at Real Madrid. So, this match will be a chance to prove who’s the better player between Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa.