It's that time of the year when the sight of signings in fresh kits brings a sense of endless possibility ahead of kick-off in the new Premier League season.
With the often injury-ridden winter months still too far off to warrant serious examination, fans of all 20 teams can be forgiven for clinging on to the hope of watching their side march towards glory.
For most, though, the 2026-27 season will be one to forget as disillusioned players down tools and managers come and go.
So how should you feel about your team ahead of the start of the new campaign?
Arsenal
Why fans should be optimistic: A winning core in a changing league
One of the biggest criticisms of Mikel Arteta before last season was that, despite building an elite squad, his Arsenal team weren't winners.
After finally clinching the Premier League title, that stigma has gone. Arteta is the longest-tenured manager in the league and has an extremely settled squad -- Leandro Trossard is the only major departure thus far this summer -- who all know the system, know their roles, and most importantly know what it takes to get over the line. With so much change elsewhere in the division, that's got to count for something.
Arsenal have had the stingiest backline in the league for three straight seasons and there's no reason to expect that to shift this year, while there's strength in depth across the squad to compete on all fronts. Bruno Guimarães only helps on that front (hello, more Declan Rice rests), while this could be Max Dowman's true breakout season.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Can Arteta evolve again?
While Arsenal got over the line last year, they arguably only played a handful of games at their fluid best throughout the campaign -- and certainly not in the last few months. Arteta leaned heavily on defensive solidity and set pieces and -- with the league catching up on the latter -- it's a huge risk to expect that strategy to work again. Surely Arteta has to evolve, and strike more of a balance between defence and attack this year.
What would help with that would be finding solutions at some key forward positions. While Trossard was by no means a superstar, he was by far Arsenal's most efficient left winger last year and that now looks like a bit of a patch-up job, with Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze and summer signing Christos Tzolis -- whose best seasons have come in Belgium -- currently those battling for that role.
There are also fitness concerns about some key players, with William Saliba likely sidelined for much of the early months of the season and Bukayo Saka not looking the same since his injuries last year. Rice, also, looked extremely leggy with England after a mammoth campaign. -- Matt Morlidge
Aston Villa
Why fans should be optimistic: A settled identity
With so much of the Premier League in a state of flux, those who have stuck with a winning formula are likely to benefit.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, only Mikel Arteta has been in post longer than Emery has at Villa Park.
His tried and tested methods have returned Villa to the Champions League after a year away and they appear set to pair their Premier League campaign with another exciting adventure on the continent.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Key players leaving the club
Morgan Rogers' £116 million move away from Villa Park this summer may not have been unexpected, but it won't have made it any less painful.
He was the player that opposition fans feared most when he lined up against their team, and his exit leaves the team shorn of obvious attacking quality.
While less of a headline maker, Lucas Digne had also been one of Emery's most trusted lieutenants. His return to Paris Saint-Germain hands Ian Maatsen the chance to make the left-back spot his own. -- Tom Chambers
Bournemouth
Why fans should be optimistic: European adventure awaits
The Premier League season doesn't offer any guarantees but Bournemouth fans can pack their bags safe in the knowledge that they will be watching their team take on some European heavyweights in the Europa League next season, owing to their sixth-place finish last term.
They will find out their opponents when the league phase draw takes place on Aug. 28.
It is the high-water mark of a decade that has seen them go from the fourth tier to the second biggest European club competition inside the space of 15 years.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Iraola leaves big shoes to fill
Iraola left Bournemouth after masterminding the club's greatest season despite watching some of his best players leave the previous summer and in January.
The Spaniard proved successful at producing consistent results amid Bournemouth's market strategy of developing players before moving them on for profit. Whether Marco Rose can navigate those choppy waters as adeptly as his predecessor remains to be seen.
In fairness, the Bournemouth hierarchy have provided Rose with more stability this summer, overseeing two signings and two departures. But the rigorous demands of a European campaign often call for a larger squad to compete on multiple fronts and that is something the south coast club have not pursued so far.
Brentford
Why fans should be optimistic: Proven goalscorer up front
If it wasn't for Erling Haaland, Brentford would have the Premier League's deadliest striker among their number.
Igor Thiago's 22 goals helped The Bees seamlessly transition from Thomas Frank to Keith Andrews as they finished ninth despite being tipped by many for relegation.
The Brazilian's keen eye in front of goal in the Premier League didn't translate to the World Cup, but if he can get somewhere near 20 goals again, Brentford are set for another successful season.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Late-season slump a sign of things to come?
After appearing well-placed for European qualification, Brentford ended last season with one win in 10.
Was it a classic sign of a team that was 'on the beach' after most of the targets that had been set back at the start of the campaign had been met? Or was it the sign of a set of players that was losing its way?
Andrews drew plenty of plaudits for his performance in the Brentford dugout last term, but the answer to that question will define Brentford in the 2026-27 Premier League season. -- Tom Chambers
Brighton & Hove Albion
Why fans should be optimistic: Hürzeler has proved his worth
At more than one point last season it felt as if Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton tenure was coming to an end, but he ended up guiding them to an eighth-place finish and a return to Europe.
With an extra year's worth of experience under his belt, the Brighton boss should be well-placed to take this Brighton team to the next level, especially as their famed recruitment model continues to bear fruit.
There is plenty of excitement around the arrival of 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for a club-record transfer fee. The Croatian centre-back has long been tipped to become one of the best defenders in Europe.
Why fans should be pessimistic: European travails might hinder domestic efforts again
Brighton's last European campaign -- the 2023-24 Europa League -- brought famous trips to Marseille and Athens, but it also contributed to the team's worst finish of the last five years (11th).
Few players from that season are still at the club, such is Brighton's transfer model, and so the Thursday-Sunday toll of the Conference League is a new experience for an untested squad.
It is logical to expect Brighton's domestic form to suffer as a result of their continental commitments. -- Tom Chambers
Chelsea
Why fans should be optimistic: Key players rested and raring to go
Chelsea's tail-off at the end of last season was of course influenced by the whole Enzo Maresca debacle in January but it was also fairly predictable due to the Club World Cup and the lack of a break for their players.
A combination of the drop off and injuries mean that Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Levi Colwill and Estêvão all had the summer off and are looking to begin this one fit and firing.
Add in Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix and a seemingly top-quality manager in Xabi Alonso and it feels as though the puzzle is coming together. Without European football to juggle, too, this could be a fun season for the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Why fans should be pessimistic: A squad that is simply too big
A lack of European football will surely be an advantage for those who do get onto the pitch but it also takes away opportunities for rotation.
Chelsea have nearly 40 first-team players on their books, including seven centre forwards, which is probably four too many.
The club have plenty of time for more exits and there is interest in some of their players but as things stand, Alonso has a serious job on his hands to keep everyone happy, while getting the most out of training with that many players will be a challenge. -- Tom Masters
Coventry City
Why fans should be optimistic: Cruised to promotion with experienced manager
Promoted teams tend to find the Premier League a tough nut to crack, but the way in which Coventry bounded their way to the Championship title is as good a sign as any that their true level is in English football's top tier.
A stellar first half of the season from Frank Lampard's men (they were the second side in history to have amassed 50+ points while also scoring 50+ goals at the halfway point of the season) gave way to a brief wobble before promotion was secured with three games to spare.
And in Lampard, Coventry possess an arguably underrated head coach who, during his time as Chelsea's permanent manager, had a better Premier League record than Mauricio Pochettino managed during his time at Stamford Bridge (P: 84, W: 44, W%: 52.38% vs. P: 51, W: 26, W%: 50.98%).
Why fans should be pessimistic: Can squad live with Premier League quality?
Coventry fell just short of 100 goals when winning the second tier with Ephron Mason-Clark, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Ellis Simms chipping in at vital times behind their focal point Haji Wright.
While all proved their quality in the Championship, examples of unheralded names stepping up to the Premier League are few and far between.
If their summer transfer business is anything to go by, it seems Lampard's Coventry are hoping to share the goals around in the top flight this coming season -- it's a bold ploy, but their Premier League survival likely depends on it.
Crystal Palace
Why fans should be optimistic: Wharton looks set to stay
Crystal Palace fans have grown used to seeing their best players poached by their rivals in recent years. Man City won the race to sign Marc Guéhi, Eze is a Premier League winner with Arsenal and Michael Olise has developed into one of the world's best players since joining Bayern Munich in 2024.
With Lacroix following Oliver Glasner out of the club this summer, Palace fans could have been forgiven for thinking they were about to witness a mass exodus.
But with the transfer window drawing to a close, it seems they are going to keep hold of their crown jewel, Adam Wharton, for at least another season and that bodes well for Palace's chances this term.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Glasner has taken the good times with him
With an FA Cup and Conference League winners medal in his back pocket, the German coach is unquestionably the greatest manager in Palace's history.
A first major trophy, a first European trophy and a Community Shield (if you count it as a piece of major silverware) is quite the legacy and new boss Pierre Sage has plenty to live up to.
However it turns out from here, Sage will have to be remarkable in the role to deliver even half as much as Glasner managed during his two years at Selhurst Park.
Everton
Why fans should be optimistic: Foundations have been laid
The last couple of years have been tumultuous for the Toffees. Since December 2024, they have had a new owner, a new manager and a new stadium. There was also the small matter of an existential relegation battle in their final season at Goodison Park to ratchet up the pressure.
But now David Moyes has an entire season under his belt and the transition to the Hill-Dickinson Stadium has been dealt with. With attacking talisman Iliman Ndiaye looking likely to stay at the club, there is a clear platform from which Everton can lift off into their new era.
European qualification will be the aim for Moyes this season.
Why fans should be pessimistic: The lack of transfer activity
Christian Norgaard remains Everton's big-name signing so far this summer. There has been little clarity on their pursuit of Jack Grealish, who impressed in his injury-curtailed loan spell last season but has returned to parent-club Man City.
While Thierno Barry and Beto made key contributions last season, they managed just 17 league goals between them. The lack of firepower in the squad is a cause of concern.
Everton ran out of steam towards the end of their season and went winless in their last eight games to lose out on a place in Europe. To avoid suffering a similar drop-off, a better and deeper squad is necessary. -- Shubi Arun
Fulham
Why fans should be optimistic: Youthfully exuberant signings
It has been a transfer window unlike any other for Fulham with business done early and the signings all being young and exciting talents.
The arrivals of Gonzalo García and César Palacios from Real Madrid are particularly intriguing, with new manager Álvaro Arbeloa using his links to the Bernabéu to bring in a pair of players he has worked with all the way up from the La Fábrica academy to the senior team.
Jonah Kusi-Asare still feels like one for the future but the arrival of Shea Charles from Southampton is another brilliant addition on paper as Fulham's ambitious new era gets under way.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Experience gone both on and off the pitch
Fulham have signed young and said goodbye to older players. On the face of it, that doesn't seem like a bad ploy.
But losing Harry Wilson on a free to Leeds will hurt, especially after his 10 goals and six assists last season, while Raúl Jiménez, Sasa Lukic and Issa Diop are all hugely experienced Premier League players.
Add to that the departure of Marco Silva, who managed Fulham to four successive mid-table finishes and there is a feeling that if the going gets tough at Craven Cottage, there may be a lack of experience to regroup -- the first five matches including Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool make it a tough start for Arbeloa. -- Tom Masters
Hull City
Why fans should be optimistic: Sunderland showed it can be done
Hull are the clear favourites to finish bottom of the Premier League and return to the second tier at the first time of asking, sharing the fates of recent playoff winners Luton Town and Southampton.
However it must be remembered that last season's playoff victors Sunderland were in the same position during the summer before shocking their detractors by finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe in one of the best campaigns by a newly promoted club in Premier League history.
Much of that was down to the 15 players brought in ahead of the season to raise the overall quality of the side, though, and that is not a strategy Hull have replicated.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Step up in quality could prove an insurmountable task
While coming through the cutthroat nature of the playoffs to book their place in the top flight was impressive, it didn't change the fact that Hull finished sixth in the second tier last season, seven points off fifth-placed Middlesbrough.
It doesn't speak to a side that was knocking down the door of the Premier League in the way Leeds and Burnley did last season with their respective 100-point seasons.
If Hull are to survive in the Premier League, they will have to finish nine places higher up the English football pyramid than they managed last season -- a daunting task for any group of players, let alone one whose marquee summer signing is a 23-year-old goalkeeper.
Ipswich Town
Why fans should be optimistic: Club may have learnt from its mistakes
The benefit of being relegated from the Premier League so recently is that the mistakes of the past remain fresh in the mind.
In 2024-25, injuries were not kind to Ipswich and their plan of signing young English talent such as Liam Delap, Jaden Philogene and Omari Hutchinson delivered mixed results. The five red cards shown to Ipswich players didn't help either.
If the club can avoid making those same mistakes again, then the future could be rosy for the Tractor Boys.
Why fans should be pessimistic: McKenna's exit leaves a void
Kieran McKenna may have failed to keep Ipswich in the division two years ago, but he remains the man most credited with masterminding the club's recent resurgence.
His untimely resignation after returning them to the promised land may have taken the wind out of Ipswich's sails.
Time will tell if his replacement, Gary O'Neil, can generate the same level of buy-in from fans and players during their desperate bid to avoid another relegation.
Leeds United
Why fans should be optimistic: Momentum is with Farke's team
Leeds ended their first season back in the top flight strongly, losing just once in their final nine games (and that was a final-day game in which they had nothing to play for at West Ham).
Since then, their transfer activity has caught the eye. Harry Wilson has arrived on a free from Fulham having delivered his best goalscoring year in the Premier League last season (10), somewhat of a coup for a side who finished three places below Fulham last year. Goalkeeper James Trafford has also arrived in another deal which will thrill Leeds fans.
A second season in the Premier League for a promoted club is always about consolidation but the impressive arrivals, plus Leeds' hot form at the back end of 2025-26, will have the Elland Road faithful wondering how high up the table they could climb.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Second-season syndrome to strike again?
Before Daniel Farke's promotion, Leeds ended a 16-year wait to return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa's watch. Bielsa's brave, attacking team -- led by Raphinha -- didn't blink in the face of improved competition and ultimately finished ninth in their first year in the top flight.
But it suddenly went badly wrong in Bielsa and Leeds' second year in the Premier League. Bielsa was sacked, Jesse Marsch replaced him, and Leeds clung on to 17th thanks to a final-day win at Brentford. The fear is that a second-season capitulation could happen again.
Last year, Dominic Calvert-Lewin shrugged off his historic injury issues and scored 14 goals (his second-best return ever) to earn another England cap. But can Calvert-Lewin repeat that feat, and stay fit? -- James Dielhenn
Liverpool
Why fans should be optimistic: Some squad continuity
If it feels like I'm scratching around for positives here, it's because I am... But it's not quite all doom-and-gloom for Liverpool.
Losing Ibrahima Konaté to Real Madrid on a free transfer was a blow, both in terms of the missed financial opportunity and in footballing terms -- despite his below-par season, Liverpool have lost an experienced international. Any club would feel the departure of a player like Mohamed Salah, but his move felt like the right time for both parties. Other than that, the core of the squad has a familiar feel to it.
With several new signings and disruptions last season, things never really clicked. Alexander Isak coming in-and-out of the team, for example, did not help, while Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez didn't hit the heights many hoped they would.
Liverpool were clunky, inconsistent and hard to watch at times last season.
However, all of those players know what is expected of them this season and they should feel a lot more at home at Anfield this term. While Andoni Iraola will bring his own systems, there is a core group of players who will now have a good understanding of each other and should be better connected.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Managerial uncertainty
There's no getting away from the fact a lot of fans wanted Arne Slot to go, and they got their way in the end. And while Andoni Iraola proved himself at Bournemouth, Liverpool is a completely different beast. Add to that the summer transfer reinforcements have been limited, and there's bound to be a feeling of uncertainty on Merseyside going into the new season.
Where will the goals -- in the absence of Salah and, for the bulk of the season and the injured Hugo Ekitike -- come from? Isak has yet to find his feet in red and him scoring 20+ relies heavily on Liverpool playing to a style that suits him, as well as the Sweden star staying fit.
But it's in defence where there are major concerns. The injured Joe Gomez will miss the start of the season, leaving Virgil van Dijk, Jérémy Jacquet, a 21-year-old who is unproven in the Premier League, and Giovanni Leoni, 19, as the centre-back options. The squad depth charts don't make great reading for Liverpool fans and those who have come into the squad lack Premier League experience. -- James Regan
Manchester City
Why fans should be optimistic: Rodri and Haaland at their peak
Since rupturing his ACL in innocuous circumstances in September 2024 -- just a month before being awarded the Ballon d'Or -- Rodri has struggled to get back to his imperious best.
But just as Guardiola had predicted, the 30-year-old was his old self once again this summer when leading Spain to their second World Cup triumph. If City can keep him out of Madrid's clutches, they have the best player in the league in their team.
Haaland also took the World Cup by storm as his star arguably rose quicker than any other player as he found a new level of fame among the U.S. public.
He scored seven goals as Norway reached the quarterfinal stage where they were knocked out by England.
Haaland's memorable summer could have given him even more confidence in front of goal -- you'd be brave to bet against him winning his fourth Golden Boot.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Guardiola's exit likely to prompt decline
In the season after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Man United earned 25 points fewer than they managed when winning the title 12 months earlier and dropped six places down the table. The decline after Arsene Wenger's Arsenal exit wasn't quite as marked, but the club drifted in the years between him stepping down and Mikel Arteta taking the top job.
Arne Slot was able to make all the right tweaks and make Liverpool Premier League champions the year after Jürgen Klopp walked away from Anfield, but he is already out of a job after a difficult second season.
It's impossible to know how exactly Enzo Maresca will fare as he steps into Guardiola's shoes, but history tells us that whenever a legendary manager leaves their club, things tend to go south sooner or later. -- Tom Chambers
Manchester United
Why fans should be optimistic: Carrick bringing glory days back
After years of mediocrity and downright badness, United got a timely shot in the arm from Michael Carrick's return to the club in January and their subsequent rocket up the table.
That comfortable third-place finish, seemingly achieved by taking things back to basics, was an incredible achievement.
If Carrick can deliver the same, or even better results, with a team already attuned to his methods and perhaps a notable arrival or two, there could be no limit to what he could achieve on his Old Trafford return.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Europe offers stern test of squad
As impressive as Carrick's results were last season, it must be remembered that they were achieved amid a lack of European football.
Continental competition puts a drain on a squad like nothing else and it remains to be seen whether Carrick can continue to get the most out of his team with less time on the training pitch.
The club's hierarchy haven't exactly boosted his numbers so far this summer, with the arrival of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea being the only major summer moves made to date.
Newcastle United
Why fans should be optimistic: Team has had a full reset
The Saudi project at Newcastle is distinctly into its second phase, with all the key architects of the success over the last five years having left the club.
An air of toxicity and discontent has hovered over St. James' Park since Alexander Isak's prolonged exit last summer. The sales of Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, Guimarães along with Eddie Howe's departure signal the slate being wiped completely clean.
They have taken significant hits, but they are now at least through to the other side and could have a bright new manager ready to lead them to the promised land.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Squad has been gutted of proven quality
Newcastle have lost their top scorer in all competitions from last season, the player who made the most appearances, their club captain as well as their talismanic head coach of five years.
They came 12th last season and the five non-relegated teams that finished below them have all either significantly strengthened (Tottenham, Leeds) or consolidated (Everton, Crystal Palace).
If Matthias Jaissle doesn't hit the ground running as head coach, the fans could quickly turn on him and the pressure weighing on a young squad could cause them to sink fast. -- Shubi Arun
Nottingham Forest
Why fans should be optimistic: Oliver Glasner at the helm
Vitor Pereira deserved his chance to lead Forest into the new season after saving them from relegation in May, but pivoting to get Oliver Glasner was a bullish, ruthless and brilliant move.
His record with Palace both domestically and in Europe made him an irresistible prospect.
Couple that with a rare summer of continuity where the squad is concerned (Elliot Anderson, while a big loss, is the only major departure) and Forest look solid, especially with the arrival of Ousmane Diomande.
But the last moments of the transfer window will still be important. You feel they need a couple of reinforcements, but with Glasner, someone you'd think players will want to play for, Forest should be targeting at least a top-half finish this season.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Squad lacks x-factor
While Morgan Gibbs-White is a genuine star, scoring 15 league goals last season, Forest are short of another player or two who can win games on their own.
Chris Wood will be under the microscope given his recent injuries, and Igor Jesus could only manage six goals as his side scrapped for survival.
It's a lot on Gibbs-White's shoulders, especially following Anderson's departure. -- James Regan
Sunderland
Why fans should be optimistic: Retained key players
Despite talks of an exit earlier in the summer Granit Xhaka stayed at the club and along with him so has the spine of the team.
Several key men such as Robin Roefs, Enzo Le Fée and Brian Brobbey were all linked with moves away but have stayed -- it offers great encouragement for Sunderland in terms of continuity after a brilliant first season back in the Premier League.
Why fans should be optimistic: More games offers daunting challenge
Sunderland are no longer an unknown quantity and there is considerable added pressure on the team now to maintain the levels of last season.
That could be hampered by the addition of European football which naturally means more games and more fatigue.
How Sunderland cope with that will be vital in regards to their Premier League season. A few new faces for the deadline wouldn't go amiss too, especially with the aforementioned heavier schedule. -- David Cartlidge
Tottenham Hotspur
Why fans should be optimistic: Big-money signings
After a historically poor Premier League season (12 months on from the previous historically poor season), the storm clouds appear to be lifting over the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the mood buoyed by a transfer window spree that had been unthinkable under Daniel Levy's leadership.
Having relegated West Ham on the final day of the season with their win over Everton in north London, Spurs broke their transfer record to acquire midfielder Mateus Fernandes from their bitter rivals for £85m. Four days later, Spurs broke that record by signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle in a deal worth up to £100m.
Spurs have also brought in plenty of Premier League experience with the arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dúbravka. If Roberto De Zerbi's new-look Spurs team can gel quickly, they should be able to put the memories of consecutive 17th-place finishes behind them.
Why fans should be pessimistic: Lack of goals
Spurs have never quite recovered from the goal deficit created by Harry Kane's exit in 2023 and the decline of Son Heung-Min that followed.
Richarlison was Spurs' top scorer in the Premier League last season with 11. None of his teammates managed more than five.
The question of who is going to score Spurs' goals this coming season might be answered by the club's reported aim to sign several top-quality attackers before the window closes, as well as Dominic Solanke's return to fitness.
But until the day those players sign on the dotted line, there's going to be plenty of burden placed upon a set of attackers who have not produced the goods for two years now. -- Tom Chambers