It’s a brand-new slate for English soccer’s 20 best teams ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

The new campaign begins on Friday when reigning champions Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry City, managed by former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, as part of a busy opening weekend that also features Manchester City vs. Bournemouth in a battle between two top-six clubs from last season.  

Here are five storylines to keep close tabs on during the upcoming English top-flight season.    

Arsenal looks to repeat as Premier League champions  

Arsenal topped the Premier League table by seven points over Manchester City last season to claim their first title since 2003-04, and they look poised to repeat as champs.

The good news for manager Mikel Arteta is that a majority of the Gunners’ championship roster from last season remains intact, which includes defenders Jurriën Timber and William Saliba, and midfielder Declan Rice, who were all named to the league’s best XI, as well as top scorers Viktor Gyökeres, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, who combined for 43 goals across all competitions in 2025-26.

What’s more, the London-based club has strengthened its squad with the summer transfer acquisitions of Greek forward Christos Tzolis (from Club Brugge) and Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães (from Newcastle United), giving Arteta even more quality options to choose from.

Arsenal gave us a taste of what to expect from them this year when they rampaged to a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield final last........

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