Football moves on fast. The Premier League no longer has the enigmatic Pep Guardiola, nor does it have the prolific Mohamed Salah.
Nineteen of 20 head coaches at the helm this season are yet to win the toughest league in the world — a fact that lends weight to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s cause. Counterbalancing the Gunners’ case is a daunting statistic: only three clubs have ever managed to retain the trophy in the Premier League era.
Manchester City has not only lost Guardiola, after a 10-year reign with 20 trophies, but also midfield masters Rodri and Bernardo Silva. No club has won more points than Manchester United since Michael Carrick took charge of the Red Devils on January 13, 2026 (39 points in 17 games), ultimately taking the club to third on the table. While Bruno Guimaraes adds depth and vision to Arsenal’s midfield, Arteta will have to be wary of the fitness of William Saliba (expected to miss a couple of months), Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, all coming off a gruelling World Cup campaign. Head coach Enzo Maresca will lean heavily on Erling Haaland’s lethal finishing to anchor the rebuild, even as the club targets midfield reinforcements to partner new signing Elliot Anderson. Armed with some prudent midfield signings, it remains to be seen what Carrick can conjure up in his first full season. 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?