Liverpool were far and away the best team in the Premier League last season, and although Arsenal came in second place, they were so far out of the picture that it’s barely even worth mentioning them since there was no real title race last season.
Because Arsenal were second for the third straight season in a row, many simply assumed that the Gunners would be Liverpool’s biggest title challengers in the 2025/26 Premier League season.
While Arsenal did push Liverpool to their limit again last weekend in head-to-head competition, they also lost in a much more cowardly manner of playing, so, really, “almost” doesn’t cut it in the slightest when you play as defensively as Arsenal did.
On the other hand, I’ve been much more impressed with their bitter London rivals Chelsea’s start to the 2025/26 Premier League season, and when you compare their transfer window to Arsenal’s, I like their business better, too.
Now, Arsenal did land one of the biggest steals of the summer window in backup center back Cristhian Mosquera, but he certainly isn’t going to swing a title race in his first season at the Emirates.
Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian are superstars
Meanwhile, hyped up new signings Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi do not look like better players than the ones Chelsea have in those positions. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke don’t move the meter either, particularly since Madueke is someone Chelsea were more than happy to offload to Arsenal in another inflated deal between the rivals that benefits the Blues.
Chelsea have question marks defensively after the Levi Colwill injury, yes, but this is a squad that was already rapidly on the ascent last season under new manager Enzo Maresca and got significantly better in the summer with several smart signings.
Andrey Santos hasn’t yet made his full impact, but the defensive midfielder was one of the best overall players in Ligue 1 last season. And he’s only a backup to the best double-pivot in the league between Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, who has been beyond sensational thus far in 2025/26.
The real crown jewel incomings are striker Joao Pedro and right winger Estevao Willian. These two Brazilian forwards are transformative signings who have been among the biggest game-changers at the forward positions so far in the league, and you can make a strong case that Pedro has been the best player in the entire Premier League through the first three matchdays.
Chelsea are undefeated. They were underwhelming in a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace to start the season but have been flat-out dominant against their two other subsequent London foes.
This team is stacked in midfield and attack with so many options and different profiles to choose from, and, like Santos, we still haven’t seen electrifying English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens getting a full run.
Chelsea beat Champions League winners PSG in the Club World Cup Final. Cole Palmer is a Ballon d’Or candidate. Caicedo might actually be, too. And sooner than people think, so will Willian.
The Blues are well-coached, brave in their style of play, exciting, young, vibrant, and a lot of things that Arsenal haven’t been. All of the investment is finally paying off, and, right now, Chelsea look like the true threat to Liverpool in the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.