REUTERS/David Klein
Before long, the 2026/27 Premier League season will be kicking off as reigning champions Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry City on 21 August. Last term, the Gunners won the prize for the first time since 2004, and Mikel Arteta's men will be strong favourites again.
That said, there are plenty in the chasing pack who will feel in with a shot at going all the way this time around. Manchester City and Liverpool are interesting propositions, as both clubs begin the campaign with new managers, Enzo Maresca and Andoni Iraola, replacing title-winning former head coaches, Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot.
Manchester United have also appointed a new permanent boss, with Michael Carrick landing the big job at Old Trafford after arriving as interim last season. Adding to the new faces, Xabi Alonso has taken over at Chelsea and will hope to recreate his Bundesliga-winning form enjoyed at his previous club, Bayer Leverkusen.
In the race for European football and possibly more, Aston Villa can't be discounted under Unai Emery, while the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United will also harbour ambitions of finishing at the top end of the table.
Arsenal Players and Mikel Arteta With the Premier League Trophy
Arsenal Players and Mikel Arteta With the Premier League Trophy
John Barnes Expects Two-Horse Title Race
John Barnes
With so much unknown ahead of the new season, this is the time of year when pundits offer up their predictions. Peter Crouch, for example, has named his top four in order, while Michael Owen has suggested a full top six.
Another former Liverpool attacker has now weighed in on the debate, with John Barnes revealing his Premier League top five for 2026/27. As quoted by the Mirror, the ex-England winger didn't quite land on a winner, but instead predicted it to be a two-horse race before then listing the rest in order:
"I think Arsenal and Man City will be the two favourites.
"Then it'll be Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, so I think that will be the top five. It'd be great if Liverpool can actually win or finish second, but I think in this transitional moment, I will not be too disappointed if we finish third in Iraola's first year."
He explained why it's worth showing patience in the new Liverpool boss, noting: "Mikel Arteta finished 8th, 8th and 5th before he won the league, and they stuck with him and supported him and look what happened. So are we going to say, if you finish 3rd or 4th, we're going to sack the manager because we didn't finish first. I think that's how we have to look at it."
Arsenal Premier League Fixtures
Liverpool Premier League Fixtures
Man United Premier League Fixtures
Barnes Warns Against Klopp Comparisons For Iraola
Andoni Iraola via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
In a separate interview, Barnes has given more thoughts on new man Iraola, insisting that it would be unfair to compare the former Bournemouth boss to Liverpool icon Jurgen Klopp. As quoted by the Liverpool Echo, he said:
"What Iraola has to do is bring his own style to the club. He can't be somebody else. And if that's who he is and that's how he wants to play, then that's what should happen.
"We have to forget about Jurgen, as much as we love him. We will remember him forever. But if you're going to live on Jurgen's legacy, then you can look at what happened at Manchester United.
"Alex Ferguson left, then they got rid of David Moyes, then Louis van Gaal, then Jose Mourinho, who are all good managers. "Arsenal, when Wenger left, they got rid of Unai Emery, yes, but then Arteta came in, and the club said 'do it your way'."
He added that fans will have to accept that Iraola's style will be different to Klopp's, and must show patience if the Reds hit a bump in form. He concluded: "Now, if all of a sudden we lose the first three or four games, or, you know, we don't start off well and we don't win all the games, are we then going to say 'let's get rid of him?'. We have to stop that, or Liverpool will end up like Manchester United "