The Premier League 2025/2026 season is over. Now we can reflect on another enthralling season in English soccer’s elite division, which had its winners and losers as always. It was a season in which some clubs shattered expectation ceilings while others, so-called heavyweights, slumped. These are the biggest winners and losers of the Premier League 2026 season based on pre-season expectations.
Arsenal broke their title drought by winning the Premier League 2026 season. The Gunners held firm at the top of the season for the vast majority of the season, with only Manchester City posing any serious threat. Although it wasn’t always free-flowing attacking soccer from Arsenal this season, the Gunners were the best defensive unit in England and Europe. Arsenal’s rock-solid defense leaked only 27 goals in the Premier League, and the Gunners ran out title winners by a clear seven points.
Manchester City may have fallen short in the Premier League 2026 title race with a runners-up finish, but Guardiola’s boys still had plenty to celebrate with two cup triumphs. The Sky Blues defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the League Cup final. A 1-0 win against Chelsea in the FA Cup final secured a domestic cup double. With Man City incorporating new stars like Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi, their reshaped squad showed considerable promise in 2026.
Aston Villa further reinforced their elite dark horse status by securing Champions League soccer for next season with a fourth-placed finish. Emery effectively balanced the competing demands of the Premier League and European soccer this season to sustain Villa’s upward trajectory. Villa outperformed numerous clubs with somewhat higher wage bills in the Premier League.
The biggest triumph for Aston Villa came in Europe with the Lions winning the Europa League final with a 3-0 win against SC Freiburg. Villa lifted a first European trophy in decades during a season of glory. With that European glory thrown in, the Premier League 2026 campaign was perhaps Villa’s best season in the Premiership era.
Finishing sixth isn’t anything special for the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, and Man City. However, Bournemouth had a terrific Premier League season in 2026, qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history with a sixth-placed finish. There were jubilant scenes at the Vitality Stadium when Bournemouth drew 1-1 against Man City to secure the point required for Europa League qualification.
The only slight regret for Bournemouth this season is that they could have qualified for the Champions League had they won their remaining two Premier League games. A late Man City equalizer cost Bournemouth two points. The Cherries squandered a further two points with another 1-1 draw in the final game, leaving them three points adrift of a lacklustre Liverpool side.
Fifth place might not sound too bad, but most pundits had predicted Liverpool would at least be title challengers during the Premier League 2026 season. However, the former champions were hopelessly inconsistent throughout the campaign. With a points total of 60, the Reds were a little fortunate to qualify for the Champions League in fifth place.
To make the campaign worse for the Reds, the legendary Mo Salah departed Anfield at the end of the season. He demanded a return to the heavy metal soccer of Klopp’s Liverpool. Liverpool also gave Slot the boot after the season.
The Premier League 2026 season showed that Chelsea still hasn’t learnt its lessons from previous dismal campaigns. Chelsea had made progress under Mescara, winning two major trophies, but the Blues still sacked him midway through this campaign. The Blues appointed Liam Rosenior as a replacement, who turned out to be a poorer alternative. Chelsea’s form deteriorated, and the Blues slumped to 10th in the Premiership after sacking Rosenior near the end of the season. Consequently, Chelsea failed to qualify for any European soccer.
Tottenham Hotspur might have narrowly averted relegation, but the pathetic spectacle of Spurs players jubilantly celebrating survival in the final Premiership campaign summed up their season. By finishing 17th, Tottenham have completed their worst-ever Premier League season. The 41-point total Tottenham clocked up is also their worst-ever in the Premiership. Thus, this season represents a huge collapse for the Spurs, leaving the club in disarray.
So, Arsenal, Man City, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa had the most to celebrate from the Premier League 2026 season. Tottenham, Chelsea, and Liverpool fell a long way short of pre-season expectations. Although the bottom three were the worst teams, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Liverpool were the biggest losers in terms of wasteful transfer market outlays and squad management.
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