Ranking all 20 Premier League clubs by how exciting they’ll be to watch this season
The Premier League is back, baby. To get you in the mood for the opening weekend of the season, we’ve ranked all 20 clubs by how exciting they’ll be to watch in 2025/26.
20) Fulham
They’ve signed a back-up goalkeeper. That’s the summer. The only flicker of intrigue is the potential signing of a Brazilian called Kevin, which is as amusing as it is genuinely exciting.
19) West Ham
Graham Potter’s a top coach, but his first few months have been flat. Jarrod Bowen, an in-form Lucas Paqueta, and the occasional James Ward-Prowse free-kick are the only real reasons to tune in this campaign.
18) Burnley
Their 100-point promotion was built on defence, and Scott Parker looks set to keep it that way. It might be smart, but it won’t be fun.
17) Wolves
Matheus Cunha was the one player worth watching. He’s gone. Unless Jhon Arias takes the league by storm, expect some dull viewing.
16) Brentford
Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and (pretty much) Yoane Wissa have all gone. There’s still some talent here, but with rookie boss Keith Andrews in charge, survival looks tougher than entertainment.
But the tough season people are expecting makes them one of the biggest talking points going into the opening weekend.
READ MORE: Relegation candidates Brentford one of six Premier League teams in ‘I fear for them’ territory
15) Aston Villa
Minimal changes this summer. Yawn. Unai Emery’s still brilliant, but the squad feels a bit samey compared to last year.
14) Nottingham Forest
Lots of new signings, all attack-minded. Big fees for James McAtee and Omari Hutchinson add intrigue. I’m excited to see them, just less so than the teams above.
13) Crystal Palace
Without Eberechi Eze, they lose some sparkle. Oliver Glasner’s style should keep them watchable, but the drop-off in quality will be obvious if he leaves.
12) Bournemouth
Defence has been gutted, attack remains strong. Andoni Iraola should still serve up entertaining football, though perhaps in the same way that Blackpool did under Ian Holloway in 2010/11.
11) Leeds United
Leeds are back, and that’s always fun. They’re back where they belong, people.
Their signings haven’t necessarily been exciting, but they’ve been very smart and point to a more controlled, well-rounded Whites team this time around. We could get some delicious managerial drama as well, with Leeds reportedly considering sacking Daniel Farke at the end of 2024/25, despite leading them to the Championship title. A poor start could see the Elland Road bosses act…
10) Newcastle United
A grim summer in the transfer market, but still a squad full of players worth watching — Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Lewis Hall. Results might dip, but entertainment shouldn’t. Even without Alexander Isak, Newcastle are a good team.
9) Everton
David Moyes with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye could be box-office. Throw in Tyler Dibling and I’m becoming a fully-fledged Evertonian.
8) Sunderland
A proper Barclays club returns, with a new face for the top flight in Regis Le Bris and a busy summer. Granit Xhaka might provide us with a lovely meltdown if Sunderland struggle. And lots of young players from foreign leagues are in, which is becoming the norm for a promoted club’s summer window. Not necessarily to great success.
7) Arsenal
Big summer signings, big expectations. Viktor Gyokeres could be a hit or a disaster. Martin Zubimendi looks superb. Just hope Arsenal don’t go full set-piece robots again, otherwise they’ll plummet down to 20th here.
6) Tottenham Hotspur
If the Super Cup is any clue, they’ll attack big games the right way by not being completely gung-ho, while finally looking dangerous from set-pieces. Ange Postecoglou refused to work on the latter and was too proud to move away from the former.
5) Brighton
Talented squad, promising coach, attractive football. They should be right in the mix for a top-five finish. Yes, that’s right. I’m going big on Brighton this season.
4) Chelsea
Cole Palmer is reason enough to watch, but there’s quality and flair all over the pitch. Estevao might make us forget Neymar never played in the Premier League. Joao Pedro looks f***ing brilliant. And as always, there are plenty of new faces around the place. The Blues are expected to challenge for the title this time around…
3) Manchester United
Unpredictable and capable of glorious chaos. Could be great, could be a mess, often in the same match. That’s why we love them. Kind of.
Bring on a front three of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, though, with Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings behind them. Yum.
2) Manchester City
Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders are exciting additions. Pep Guardiola’s side already play some of the best football in the world, and these signings should make them even more entertaining. You’ve got to love a flying, skillful full-back, and Ait-Nouri is just that, while his arrival hints towards a change in style from natural centre-backs in left-back. And with natural midfielder Matheus Nunes on the other side? City should be attack, attack, attack, with Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush up front to combine for 50 league goals.
1) Liverpool
Champions last season, and now even stronger. Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, two attacking full-backs (one of which is pretty much a winger), and a top young centre-back — the Slot machine is built for another year of high-tempo, high-quality football.
If that opener against Bournemouth is anything to go by, Liverpool will provide us with a chaotic and very entertaining season.