The Premier League’s 2026–27 summer transfer window closed on September 1, with spending records falling for the second season running as England’s top-flight clubs shelled out roughly £3.46 billion ($4.67 billion). Moreover, nine clubs changed managers over the summer, with three of them from the traditional top six: Andoni Iraola, Enzo Maresca and Xabi Alonso now lead Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.
Arteta will hope his side can sustain that form and defend the title, something only Manchester City have managed since 2009. The Gunners have won all three of their opening games — against Coventry City, Aston Villa and Chelsea — conceding once and scoring six, with two goals apiece from Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
They beat Fulham and Brighton but lost to Arsenal, and have had less of the ball than their opponents in every match so far, with a season-high possession share of just 46%, in the game they lost. But the first game after the window closed brought a turnaround: a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town, and a clean sheet. They lost their opener to newly-promoted Hull City, came from behind to beat Ipswich Town in a seven-goal thriller, and were held 2-2 by Everton.
European qualification is the bare minimum expected of Alonso this season. The opening three matches have been high-scoring: Chelsea have scored eight goals, level with Brighton and Hove Albion, but conceded seven — their defensive frailty already exposed. The season began poorly, with draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in the first two matches. Record signing Alexander Isak showed glimpses of the form that prompted his signing, and Barcola made his Premier League debut. Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes looks dejected after Everton’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles scores their second goal | Photo Credit: Reuters Their start has been shaky. Four points from three games leaves them 11th. Tottenham survived a relegation battle last season, scraping to safety on the final day by two points. This is Roberto de Zerbi’s first full season in charge, following the mid-season departures of both Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor last term. Turnover has been heavy: Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle United, along with Mateus Fernandes, Omar Marmoush and Andy Robertson, while Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Richarlison, Djed Spence and others left.
