Five of the 'Big Six' begin 2026-27 Premier League season with new managers as Guardiola and Salah depart

Ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season, five of the 'Big Six' clubs start with new managers and the competition will proceed without Pep Guardiola and Mohamed Salah. Nineteen of the 20 head coaches at the helm this season are yet to win the Premier League.

“A new era begins,” the preview of the campaign says, and that reality both strengthens and complicates Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s case as champions. Bruno Guimaraes adds depth and vision to Arsenal’s midfield, but Arteta must manage the fitness of William Saliba (expected to miss a couple of months), Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice after their gruelling World Cup campaign; historically only three clubs have retained the trophy in the Premier League era.

Manchester City have parted company with Pep Guardiola after a 10-year reign that produced 20 trophies, and the club has also lost Rodri and Bernardo Silva. Enzo Maresca is the new head coach and the side will rely heavily on Erling Haaland’s finishing to anchor a rebuild. City are targeting midfield reinforcements to partner new signing Elliot Anderson.

Xabi Alonso arrives at Stamford Bridge following his unceremonious time at Real Madrid and will take charge of Chelsea this season. Chelsea has been active in the transfer market, most notably signing playmaker Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117 million.

Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool remains in a stalemate with Paris Saint-Germain over valuations for Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Iraola’s principal challenge is to sustain his high-intensity style while balancing Liverpool’s domestic and European ambitions.

No club has won more Premier League points than Manchester United since Michael Carrick took charge on January 13, 2026 (39 points in 17 games), a run that took the club to third on the table. Carrick begins his first full season with the side after those results and the squad has added what the preview describes as prudent midfield signings.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur, which narrowly escaped relegation last season, has been spending heavily in the transfer window. Newcastle United, now under Matthias Jaissle, is reported to be struggling to hold on to its top players, setting up a congested tactical landscape across the league.

The Premier League’s latest tactical chessboard is set. Who will make the better moves as a wave of fresh faces steps forward to dominate the new landscape?