Chelsea
Chelsea's Portuguese midfielder #07 Pedro Neto (centre L) celebrates with Chelsea's English midfielder #17 Morgan Rogers (centre R) after scoring the team's second goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge in London on August 30, 2026.
When the transfer window closed on Tuesday we got a clearer picture of how the 2026-27 season might pan out.
While still heavy favourites to defend their title, Arsenal have some concerns about depth especially in attack.
Chelsea strengthened in all the key areas and may be the top contender leapfrogging more recent foes Manchester City and Liverpool.
So how will things look on Sunday when Arsenal get their first true test of the season hosting fellow undefeateds Chelsea in this weekend’s must-see match?
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Chelsea lost Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on deadline day, but that may be addition by subtraction as he was frequently a lightning rod in their squad. Two key areas the Blues have upgraded, and raided them both from Aston Villa, Emi Martinez, the Argentinian national goalkeeper, and England’s attacking midfielder/forward Morgan Rogers. Striker Cole Palmer looks rejuvenated and he and Rogers have been friends since their time playing together as kids and progressing through Manchester City’s youth team before going their separate ways. They’re tight on and off the pitch and have an understanding of what each of them are going to do during a game.
Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion.
Chelsea have been criticized by their fans for spending too much money on youth and potential and then been found wanting when leadership is needed. Bringing in Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson gives them options off the bench when they need cool heads to get a game over the line.
They’ve scored seven goals in their two opening games this season and now get to put that profligacy up against Arsenal’s stoic back line. This is not just a treat of a game this early in the season it should be a bellweather as to if Arsenal really are the runaway favourites or if this season is going to be marked by unpredictability.
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Arsenal are missing one of their stalwarts, centre back William Saliba, for a signifcant time to come as he rehabs a knee injury, but their defensive record is still on the league’s best. They’ve got potent attackers still but losing Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli along with attacking midfielder Leandro Trossard in the transfer market this summer could leave them slightly toothless up front if they have bad luck with injuries.
Stock up:
Brentford. For the first season in a while held on to most of their top players and have continuity. Sunderland this weekend is a game they should win which would give them their best Premier League start. Last season wasn’t a fluke and this is a disruptive team to watch.
Hull. Beating Manchester United on opening day was a coup. Adding a win against fellow promotion new boys Coventry didn’t offer the same spark, but they’re still 2-0 and have pointless Aston Villa this week. Two clean sheets to open the season is a great sign for the Tigers. Of course the bubble will burst at some point but getting points in the bank early can really change the season for a team that’s just come up.
Manchester City. Two wins out of two may not be that unexpected but they bring in Fernandez from Chelsea now in a remade midfield with Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi. They’ve also brought in striker Ilimane Ndiaye to give an option to Erling Haaland who boosted his global stardom with a tremendous World Cup. Pep Guardiola’s gone but so far it looks like Enzo Maresca’s job as the new manager is off to a golden start.
Stock Down:
Aston Villa. They lost Youri Tielmans, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins to go along with Morgan Rogers and Emi Martinez. Those were arguably their five best players last season and it’s shown with them losing their first two. They didn’t even score a goal in their first four games last year before fighting their way into the Champions League places and finishing fourth. But with the loss of so much core talent and not a lot of new to replace them, along with the demands of playing in the Champions League on top of that, they can’t afford to fall so far behind the pack this season.
Everton. Transfer plans were a shambles. They sold Ndiaye with the belief they were getting Folarin Balogun to replace him. That fell through on the last day over wages as did a deal to bring back Richarlison from Spurs. They’re off to a decent start with four points from their first two and did agree to a loan to get Jack Grealish back. But this week’s match against Manchester United will tell us a lot as they look woefully short at fullback and striker.
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Crystal Palace. They got battered in the transfer market, again. After losing their manager who had dragged them above their mediocre history, they’ve done little to inspire their fans that growth is on the horizon. Similarly, Fulham showed promise last season but mostly stood still and the pair of London teams meet this weekend both looking for their first point. Nothing like killing all your fans optimism before the first international break.
Crisis Club: Tottenham. Speaking of underachieving London clubs … things are still Spursy. After two nervy relegations battles things looked like they’d be different this season when manager Roberto Di Zerbi spent an eye-watering $420 million on new players. Mateus Fernandes, Omar Marmoush, Sandro Tonalli, Jan Paul van Hecke lead the list of 10 new players brought in. But two games into the season they’re rock bottom with no goals scored and goal difference of minus-5. They simply have to win at Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Friday: Ipswich vs Liverpool.
Saturday: Newcastle vs Bournemouth; Brentford vs Sunderland; Brighton vs Leeds; Fulham vs Crystal Palace; Manchester City vs Coventry; Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham; Hull vs Aston Villa.
Sunday: Everton vs Manchester United; Arsenal vs Chelsea.