⚽ Premier League 2026/2027 Discussion Thread ⚽

[Cyber_warrior]

Chelsea has started misbehaving with thier hopes during thier last match against Arsenal. Many people expected the match to either ended in draw, exepecially when Chelsea scored thier first goal in an early time. well done played to Arsenal on that achievement.

Chelsea scored so early in the match, and I knew they just going to find it difficult to maintain the goal lead with the kind of defense which Chelsea are having. I expected the win from Arsenal, because they have a better squad than Chelsea, I don’t really have any player to blame for Chelsea losing the match, it’s already obvious that their are some positions which Chelsea will have to work on, and Alonso is already taking note of those positions, am sure when the next transfer window is open, he will definitely sign some players to make those positions more stronger.

I won’t say Arsenal have players that are individually better than Chelsea, but as a team they have a very good squad, especially in that defense and midfield. Arsenal have been together with this same coach and project for over 7 years, for Chelsea it just barely a month, so the difference will always be there. For me, I won’t use that arsenal game to judge Chelsea, not just yet.

Chelsea will play leeds United in the EFL cup today and play hill city in the premier league by weekend, these are 2 big games. I believe Chelsea will win both since it will be played at Stamford bridge. So far I think Alonso have done a good work, especially in that Attack.

[Alex077]

Being not in champions league is not an advantage in my view because it means you are not a top team of your league. Chelsea finished 10th last season while they were 4th in 2024/25 season and they must try to improve their performance in ongoing season. Chelsea fans must not be happy with the way their team has started this season, its just start of the season and Chelsea must figure out the mistakes right now otherwise it wont be possible to make a comeback in the middle or towards end of the season. Chelsea was lucky to win two games by narrow margin and its very unlikely that they will be lucky throughout the season.   

Not playing in Champions League is definitely a big advantage for Chelsea. Because most of the team in Champions League are relatively strong. If you face strong team in busy schedule then your players will have less time to rest. Players posibility to get injured may also increase a lot.

Chelsea will not play in  Champions League, so they will be able to give their full focus to Premier League matches now. They will not play in any very busy schedule either. Chelsea players will have more time to prepare for Premier League matches compared to Manchester United, Liverpool and Villa players.

[Silence Scream]

Being not in champions league is not an advantage in my view because it means you are not a top team of your league. Chelsea finished 10th last season while they were 4th in 2024/25 season and they must try to improve their performance in ongoing season. Chelsea fans must not be happy with the way their team has started this season, its just start of the season and Chelsea must figure out the mistakes right now otherwise it wont be possible to make a comeback in the middle or towards end of the season. Chelsea was lucky to win two games by narrow margin and its very unlikely that they will be lucky throughout the season.   

Not playing in Champions League is definitely a big advantage for Chelsea. Because most of the team in Champions League are relatively strong. If you face strong team in busy schedule then your players will have less time to rest. Players posibility to get injured may also increase a lot.

Chelsea will not play in  Champions League, so they will be able to give their full focus to Premier League matches now. They will not play in any very busy schedule either. Chelsea players will have more time to prepare for Premier League matches compared to Manchester United, Liverpool and Villa players.

I expect Chelsea to finish ahead of Manchester United and Aston Villa in the league this season behind only Arsenal and Manchester City. This is because Chelsea does not face the exhausting and risky fixture schedule associated with the Champions League. Furthermore, I believe this situation actually benefits Xabi, it accelerates the process of the players getting accustomed to one another. If they were to plunge into a packed schedule before being fully ready, poor results could disrupt the harmony within the squad. Therefore, Chelsea needs to capitalize on this advantage.

[Nightwatchmare]

I don't know, it hard to say but in real fact I'm beginning to believe what people was saying about Michael Carrick, they were saying if they should give him the job completely they will see the other side of him, and I'm beginning to think towards that, because he literally cost Manchester United their first lost of the season, then the second match they did quite okay, but this last one was not really pleasant, not many that believes Manchester United will drew with Everton in that game, I'm beginning to have double thought towards him.

I did even think Michael Carrick will show his real self if he is giving the job to manage Manchester United not as interim coach but as a head coach, in fact i completely believed Michael Carrick will do well this season after he finally becomes Manchester United head coach because he is going to sign players to strengthen his team and cover the loopholes in his team but i am completely surprised how Michael Carrick got only 4 points from 3 games he played so far this season. I know it is too early to judge Michael Carrick, but some Manchester United fans and legends are not happy with the performance of Manchester United, so Michael Carrick should avoid losing points any how and get Manchester United to compete for the league title.

[Nwadiche]

;
Not playing in Champions League is definitely a big advantage for Chelsea. Because most of the team in Champions League are relatively strong. If you face strong team in busy schedule then your players will have less time to rest. Players posibility to get injured may also increase a lot.

Chelsea will not play in  Champions League, so they will be able to give their full focus to Premier League matches now. They will not play in any very busy schedule either. Chelsea players will have more time to prepare for Premier League matches compared to Manchester United, Liverpool and Villa players.

Absolutely right, because most of the big clubs now focus on Europe competitions which Chelsea attention is on England premier league, FA Cup and league Cup. Is big advantage for them to qualify for champions league next season even if they didn't win the league,  because i could remembered 2024/2025 when Manchester United finished 15th with 42 points they which they didn't participate in any of Europe competitions and they didn't start very well in the beginning of last season, later turn up making top four now they're playing champions league.

Chelsea last two win Fulham and Brighton we can see their performance, what I'm really surprised of us how they keep scoring early goals this matches they've played, and i think where Xabi alonso need to work on is the defence area and the last match against Arsenal was the midfield. If the coach is able to work on the defence and midfield Chelsea will be a title contender because they have good attackers now which we all have seen it and me i strong believe they'll make top four this season.

[liasbaa]

Being not in champions league is not an advantage in my view because it means you are not a top team of your league. Chelsea finished 10th last season while they were 4th in 2024/25 season and they must try to improve their performance in ongoing season. Chelsea fans must not be happy with the way their team has started this season, its just start of the season and Chelsea must figure out the mistakes right now otherwise it wont be possible to make a comeback in the middle or towards end of the season. Chelsea was lucky to win two games by narrow margin and its very unlikely that they will be lucky throughout the season.   

Not playing in Champions League is definitely a big advantage for Chelsea. Because most of the team in Champions League are relatively strong. If you face strong team in busy schedule then your players will have less time to rest. Players posibility to get injured may also increase a lot.

Chelsea will not play in  Champions League, so they will be able to give their full focus to Premier League matches now. They will not play in any very busy schedule either. Chelsea players will have more time to prepare for Premier League matches compared to Manchester United, Liverpool and Villa players.

Spending a busy time in multiple tournaments keeps the team dynamic but also creates a risk of injury for some players. In the past, one of the reasons for the increase in injury problems of many clubs' players was the busy schedule. The opposite situation can also be seen between clubs, as seen from Arsenal's consistency last season, how well the team played and won trophies in the EPL, qualified for the UCL final and narrowly missed out on winning a trophy. It is also true that if Arsenal could have focused on any one tournament, the chances of winning the trophy would have been much higher. Perhaps because of their focus on one tournament, PSG was successful in the last two seasons.

[TedMosby]

[...]
I did even think Michael Carrick will show his real self if he is giving the job to manage Manchester United not as interim coach but as a head coach, in fact i completely believed Michael Carrick will do well this season after he finally becomes Manchester United head coach because he is going to sign players to strengthen his team and cover the loopholes in his team but i am completely surprised how Michael Carrick got only 4 points from 3 games he played so far this season. I know it is too early to judge Michael Carrick, but some Manchester United fans and legends are not happy with the performance of Manchester United, so Michael Carrick should avoid losing points any how and get Manchester United to compete for the league title.

Yeah, I think so, you can't just be like, "Carrick, we bought players for you, train these players, and win the league using these players." He should be allowed to sell and buy based on his needs for the team. But the way United only hired Carrick as head coach is also reasonable, they just don't want to build a new squad from scratch every time a new coach/manager gets sacked. So far, I think United under Carrick is still better than under Amorim despite having the same points in the first 3 games. The problem is just the in match player management, not the tactic.

Also, I think the record probably would be the same as last season under Amorim, 4 points in 4 matches, because the next match Man United would play against Man City. Not because Man City is better as a team, but because it's just 2 days after their first UCL match against Sabah FK. Man City is in a better situation because they have 4 days of rest.

It reflects in the odds too. Clearly, Man United is not favored for this upcoming match.

[Alex077]

I expect Chelsea to finish ahead of Manchester United and Aston Villa in the league this season behind only Arsenal and Manchester City.

Alonso is new to Chelsea. Also he is new to Premier League and lacks extensive experience. Nevertheless, managing this team and bringing stability to their performance might be somewhat easier for him, as he won't be dealing with any congested fixture schedule. But their defense is not particularly strong. Therefore, his primary objective should be to fortify defense side.

I am not certain if Alonso will be able to finish ahead of United in standings. Michael Carrick's squad is also very strong. While the team did not get off to the expected start but Carrick's side cannot be underestimated this season.

[Pablo-wood]

I expect Chelsea to finish ahead of Manchester United and Aston Villa in the league this season behind only Arsenal and Manchester City.

Alonso is new to Chelsea. Also he is new to Premier League and lacks extensive experience. Nevertheless, managing this team and bringing stability to their performance might be somewhat easier for him, as he won't be dealing with any congested fixture schedule. But their defense is not particularly strong. Therefore, his primary objective should be to fortify defense side.

I am not certain if Alonso will be able to finish ahead of United in standings. Michael Carrick's squad is also very strong. While the team did not get off to the expected start but Carrick's side cannot be underestimated this season.

Xabi Alonso might be new to the Premier League but he doesn't lack experience because he has managed Real Madrid and Bayern Leverkusen which should be enough experience to build a formidable team in Chelsea. Xabi has been wonderful so far in his managerial role except for his last game against Arsenal. Xabi defense isn't completely bad the only challenge I see is that he plays more of an attacking game which makes his defense slack. He should learn to balance his tactics.

[Pandu Geddon]

Xabi defense isn't completely bad the only challenge I see is that he plays more of an attacking game which makes his defense slack. He should learn to balance his tactics.

A more aggressive playing style in attack is actually good for Chelsea. What needs to be considered is the transition tactic from attacking to defending that must be strengthened, or reinforcing the defensive players. Currently, Xabi's focus is definitely on using the available players and forcing them to play better. But if by mid-season their defense does not improve, the option of bringing in new defensive players can be taken.

[Wake Up]

Xabi defense isn't completely bad the only challenge I see is that he plays more of an attacking game which makes his defense slack. He should learn to balance his tactics.

A more aggressive playing style in attack is actually good for Chelsea. What needs to be considered is the transition tactic from attacking to defending that must be strengthened, or reinforcing the defensive players. Currently, Xabi's focus is definitely on using the available players and forcing them to play better. But if by mid-season their defense does not improve, the option of bringing in new defensive players can be taken.

Of course, Xabi’s primary goal is to extract the best possible performance from the existing squad. He needs to unlock the players' latent talent to elevate the team's performance. He achieved this remarkably well at Bayer Leverkusen, leading them to the Bundesliga title. Admittedly, the task at Chelsea is more difficult, but he could restructure the squad this season and steer the team toward the championship next year with better players. Xabi is a manager whose abilities I truly believe in.

[Inwestour]

Xabi Alonso might be new to the Premier League but he doesn't lack experience because he has managed Real Madrid and Bayern Leverkusen which should be enough experience to build a formidable team in Chelsea. Xabi has been wonderful so far in his managerial role except for his last game against Arsenal. Xabi defense isn't completely bad the only challenge I see is that he plays more of an attacking game which makes his defense slack. He should learn to balance his tactics.

It is actually Chelsea's defense that I have the most issues with, as they have conceded far too many goals in their opening matches. However, thanks to their attack, they have managed to avoid defeat, with the obvious exception of the match against Arsenal. I think Alonso can already be considered an experienced coach, given his work at Bayer and Real Madrid. The way he is currently working with Chelsea suggests he is capable of achieving good results. But it remains unclear whether he can compete with Arsenal and City over the course of the entire season.

[sokani]

Also, I think the record probably would be the same as last season under Amorim, 4 points in 4 matches, because the next match Man United would play against Man City. Not because Man City is better as a team, but because it's just 2 days after their first UCL match against Sabah FK. Man City is in a better situation because they have 4 days of rest.

Actually, United has just two days of rest before playing City, and not four days. United will play Sabah on Thursday, rest on Friday and Saturday, and then face City on Sunday.

UEFA did a shitty job with the match schedules. They would have taken into consideration the domestic features when scheduling the matches. If United were playing today, it would have been better. It would have given them more time to rest. Well, I will be hoping Carrick does his best in managing the players in order to get the best out of them. I would expect him to play his second eleven tomorrow and reserve most of his first-team players for the Manchester derby.

[KingsDen]

Xabi Alonso might be new to the Premier League but he doesn't lack experience because he has managed Real Madrid and Bayern Leverkusen which should be enough experience to build a formidable team in Chelsea. Xabi has been wonderful so far in his managerial role except for his last game against Arsenal. Xabi defense isn't completely bad the only challenge I see is that he plays more of an attacking game which makes his defense slack. He should learn to balance his tactics.

This is exactly what I was saying in the other thread. You have acknowledged that Alonso is not doing bad as a coach except for Arsenal match. Why do you feel that he did bad in Arsenal match or why do you feel that Chelsea was supposed to win Arsenal or draw against Arsenal. Don't you know that Arsenal is the defending champion of the English Premier League? Are you not aware that Arsenal is a better team than Chelsea?

So, why does Alonso losing against Arsenal mean that he performed badly? You guys keep underrating Arsenal or treating them like an average team while they are arguably the best team in the world.
Chelsea who is not in any European competition lost to the Arsenal that are finalists of the Champions league, it is normal and expected and shouldn't be counted as a poor match for Xavi Alonso.

[New Judgement]

So, why does Alonso losing against Arsenal mean that he performed badly? You guys keep underrating Arsenal or treating them like an average team while they are arguably the best team in the world.
Chelsea who is not in any European competition lost to the Arsenal that are finalists of the Champions league, it is normal and expected and shouldn't be counted as a poor match for Xavi Alonso.

Stop hyping Arsenal that much, Arsenal are not arguably the best team in the world, have you forgotten they lost to a team in the champions league final you are making reference to? It’s unfortunate that Chelsea are not living up to the expectations of the fans, if not who is Arsenal to talk when Chelsea fans are talking. Xabi Alonso knew he did bad against Arsenal and he need to do better. When you are losing to the big six, how do you intend to win the league. Even if they couldn’t win, a draw would have been better. Losing a game you were wining is a bad performance.

[SOKO-DEKE]

It would have given them more time to rest. Well, I will be hoping Carrick does his best in managing the players in order to get the best out of them. I would expect him to play his second eleven tomorrow and reserve most of his first-team players for the Manchester derby.

Manchester United’s opponent may not be that strong, but the fact is that they should not underestimate them. So, for me, Carrick should just make use of the team’s first eleven. If the match is found to be so easy in the second half, he can come up with the idea of removing those key players. But Carrick may decide to use the second eleven and should not find the match that easy, which could be hard to correct later by trying to bring in those key players.If they get a result that is not expected, the fans will not be happy with him, which could also lead to pressure on the players, and that may affect them against the Manchester City match.

In fact, the season has just started, and I did not expect the players to get exhausted already, especially when their matches are so close together. It is after they have played a number of matches that I would expect them to get exhausted, and that is the period when players need enough rest.In fact, if Manchester United can win their Champions League match by many goals, it could even be a motivation for the players, and they can use that happiness and confidence to play against Manchester City.

[blue Snow]

Chelsea will not play in  Champions League, so they will be able to give their full focus to Premier League matches now. They will not play in any very busy schedule either. Chelsea players will have more time to prepare for Premier League matches compared to Manchester United, Liverpool and Villa players.

Even though they aren’t playing in the Champions League, that doesn’t automatically give Chelsea a slight advantage in the Premier League over other teams competing in European competitions. Chelsea’s focus isn’t limited to Premier League matches; they also need to take the FA Cup and the EFL Cup seriously. I think Alonso has already considered this because he also wants to win a trophy this season with Chelsea. That’s why Chelsea’s players must stay focused on the three domestic competitions, while Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Aston Villa are competing in the Champions League, and naturally, they won’t be as focused on the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, which presents an opportunity for Chelsea to end the season by winning a trophy.

[Solodoski]

I don't know, it hard to say but in real fact I'm beginning to believe what people was saying about Michael Carrick, they were saying if they should give him the job completely they will see the other side of him, and I'm beginning to think towards that, because he literally cost Manchester United their first lost of the season, then the second match they did quite okay, but this last one was not really pleasant, not many that believes Manchester United will drew with Everton in that game, I'm beginning to have double thought towards him.

I still think Michael Carrick is a decent manager with potential,  so I don't expect the board to put too much pressure on him. He has only managed to get 4 points in a possible 9 points game. I agree with you that he cost them the first game of the season and also his changes in the last game also affected the game, but I still believe that he is a decent manager and will get the team winning soon. I just think that Manchester United fans should not expect him to win the premier league this season,  because I don't think he can, but he will be able to do it if he is giving time on the job.

[Ruttoshi]

I still think Michael Carrick is a decent manager with potential,  so I don't expect the board to put too much pressure on him. He has only managed to get 4 points in a possible 9 points game. I agree with you that he cost them the first game of the season and also his changes in the last game also affected the game, but I still believe that he is a decent manager and will get the team winning soon. I just think that Manchester United fans should not expect him to win the premier league this season,  because I don't think he can, but he will be able to do it if he is giving time on the job.

He added some new players into the team which is why we are seeing those flaws. When the new players have fully understood his game tactics and blend with it, winning will become easy.

However, Carrick should focus more on winning and stop making some decisions that will affect the outcome of the game in the favour of his opponents. I believe United will be better soon.

[len01]

but i am completely surprised how Michael Carrick got only 4 points from 3 games he played so far this season. I know it is too early to judge Michael Carrick, but some Manchester United fans and legends are not happy with the performance of Manchester United, so Michael Carrick should avoid losing points any how and get Manchester United to compete for the league title.

You really shouldn't be surprised in a situation like this. If you remember last season's success, Amorim played a part in it. What I mean is that Carrick inherited a squad that had been built by Amorim, and Carrick was smart enough to continue using that squad while implementing different tactics and strategies.

Now, however, Carrick has started bringing in new players, while some players have also left the club. This means the manager has to adapt and find a way to build chemistry between the new and existing players. On top of that, other teams in the EPL have started improving after bringing in new players, and that has also made it harder for Carrick to lead Man United to maximum points.

So, MU need a little time to find their best form. At the moment, Carrick's main objective is not simply winning games to compete for the title. Instead, his goal is to maintain the squad's consistency and keep Man United in the top 3.