In the 2025/26 season, Arsenal finally won the Premier League title for the first time in two decades. They finished seven points clear of runners-up Manchester City, and 14 ahead of Manchester United (who last won the league in 2012/13, incidentally). Mikel Arteta’s side maybe didn’t win over too many new fans with their pragmatic playing style, but it was effective, and they deserved to win the title. The question is, can Arteta and his coaching team devise a strategy to ensure the Gunners can build upon their triumph and work towards a period of dominance that other Big 6 sides have enjoyed in the EPL era?
One reason Arsenal fans might be optimistic about their side’s chances of retaining the title in the 2026/27 campaign is that all the teams traditionally classed as their main title rivals (i.e. the other five of the Big 6) have made much more recent managerial changes. Okay, sometimes a change of head coach can lead to immediate success, such as when Arne Slot won the title in his first season in the Liverpool dugout. But invariably there’s a period of adjustment, of rebuilding the squad and of relative uncertainty among the playing staff. So let’s take a look at the managers taking charge of the Manchester clubs, Spurs, Liverpool, and Chelsea as we approach what could be a very interesting Premier League season.
Big 6 Managers
| Club | Manager / Head Coach | Start Date |
| Arsenal | Mikel Arteta | 22 Dec 2019 |
| Chelsea | Xabi Alonso | 1 Jul 2026 |
| Liverpool | Andoni Iraola | 4 Jun 2026 |
| Man City | Enzo Maresca | tbc |
| Man United | Michael Carrick | 13 Jan 2026 |
| Tottenham | Roberto De Zerbi | 31 Mar 2026 |
Manchester City – Maresca Has Gigantic Boots to Fill
At the time of writing, Manchester City haven’t quite confirmed the appointment of former Chelsea and Leicester boss Enzo Maresca as the replacement for Pep Guardiola, but it’s reportedly more or less a done deal. Given how many trophies Pep won with the Cityzens during his tenure, Maresca is certainly brave to attempt to follow him. When legendary Premier League managers have moved on in the past, clubs have struggled to emulate the success they’d enjoyed. This was the case when Arsene Wenger left Arsenal (until Arteta led the Gunners to glory last term); and it was especially true when Alex Ferguson left Manchester United… they still haven’t won the league since!
Pep Guardiola to step down after incredible decade as City Manager 🩵
🔗 https://t.co/u84AZYY23t pic.twitter.com/QYTPARaprO
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 22, 2026
There are reasons to suspect, however, that Maresca might not struggle as much as others in similar positions have. Unlike when Ferguson left United and Wenger left Arsenal, Man City’s squad is excellent, with recent additions Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi settling in brilliantly. On the flip side, City still have scores of financial fair play charges hanging over them, and if they get resolved anytime soon, their title challenge might be over before it even begins.
Chelsea – Alonso Hopes to Bring Stability and Purpose to the Bridge
It’s been a tumultuous period at Chelsea, with a few highs (such as Club World Cup and Conference League success) but far too many lows (for example, finishing 10th in the league last term, behind the likes of Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brentford). The appointment of former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss Alonso might be just the thing to steady the ship, however. A serial winner, he is likely to instigate a regime that is focused and determined, while he is very unlikely to tolerate any kind of dissent from players or undue interference from the board.
Whether the trigger-happy owners will give Alonso enough day-to-day control to shape the club into a successful outfit remains to be seen. But if the Spaniard is given enough autonomy – and time – there’s every chance the Blues could be challenging for the title again before long. We think they don’t have the players to trouble Arsenal in the coming season, but if they make a couple of shrewd purchases in the summer, they should certainly mount a challenge for a top-three finish.
Liverpool – Iraola Seeking to Emulate Slot’s First-Season Success
Andoni Iraola led Bournemouth to back-to-back top 10 finishes in the Premier League in the last two seasons, with their sixth place last term being their highest ever league finish. The only trophy he’s actually won as a manager, however, was the Cypriot Super Cup in 2018 when in charge of AEK Larnaca. Slot was perhaps a little unlucky last term in relation to injuries and underperformance, but Liverpool fans will be hopeful that Iraola can bring the best out of the likes of Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak, and budding starlet Rio Ngumoha. We think that will take a little time, so a title challenge is more likely to come in 2027/28, in our view.
Manchester United – Carrick Can Build on Positive Start
Michael Carrick worked wonders when he took charge at Man United in January 2026, but it would be foolhardy to assume he’ll be able to maintain the momentum in the new season. It’s important to remember that Carrick did not have to worry about any competitions other than the Premier League, as his side had already been knocked out of everything else. When the Red Devils are fighting on more fronts, notably the Champions League, it will be more of a challenge to pick up positive results in the league. Time will tell, but we suspect he’ll do well to guide his side to another top-four finish this time around.
Tottenham – Can De Zerbi Propel Spurs Back into Europe?
There’s little doubt that Roberto De Zerbi saved Spurs from relegation last season. Whether he can enable the side to aim higher – a lot higher – in 2026/27 remains to be seen. We suspect the club will need to invest in the transfer market if they want to make any kind of push for Europe, let alone put together a challenge for the title. If they finish in the top six, it would be seen as great progress, and Arsenal certainly won’t view their north London neighbours as serious title rivals for a good while yet.