After a thrilling season defined by intense battles for the title, European qualification, and survival, it is time to look back at the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
Top : Arsenal finally ended the wait
Twenty-two years later, Arsenal have finally won the Premier League title again.
After three consecutive second-place finishes, the Gunners entered the season under enormous pressure. Armed with a deep and talented squad, Arsenal finally solved one of the biggest issues that had undermined previous title challenges: lack of depth.
Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres, Martín Zubimendi, and Noni Madueke all played key roles at different stages of the campaign.
Built on impeccable defensive organization, Arsenal looked almost untouchable during the first half of the season. Whether winning comfortably or grinding out narrow victories, Mikel Arteta’s side appeared destined to run away with the title.
However, a major dip in form during February allowed Manchester City to close the gap by April, raising fears of another late collapse.
Unlike previous seasons, though, Arsenal held their nerve. The Gunners responded by winning their final five league matches and secured the championship in convincing fashion.
After seven years of rebuilding, Arteta succeeded where Arsène Wenger repeatedly fell short after 2004.
Arsenal will begin next season as the team everyone is trying to beat.
Flop of the season : Chelsea
Many believed the 2024-25 season had finally stabilized Chelsea’s ambitious long-term project.
A top-four finish, a UEFA Conference League triumph, and a stunning victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Club World Cup gave Chelsea legitimate reasons for optimism entering the campaign.
The first four months were encouraging.
Then everything unraveled.
Following a run of just one win in seven matches, pressure began mounting on manager Enzo Maresca. The Italian openly admitted that Chelsea’s transfer strategy during the offseason had complicated his work, exposing the first cracks within the club’s structure.
Maresca eventually departed on January 1, and from that moment onward, Chelsea’s season spiraled out of control.
Liam Rosenior arrived as a firefighter appointment. While his first four games showed promise, the crisis soon became unmanageable.
After March 4, Chelsea lost six consecutive matches, including three heavy 3-0 defeats and a humiliating thrashing at the hands of PSG.
The Blues limped to a disappointing 10th-place finish and failed to qualify for any European competition.
A poor transfer window, recurring injuries, underperforming players, and growing criticism of the club’s hierarchy all contributed to a disastrous campaign.
Simply put, Chelsea got almost everything wrong in 2025-26.
The surprise package : Bournemouth
The feel-good story of the season came from England’s south coast.
Bournemouth achieved the highest league finish in their history, ending the campaign in sixth place and qualifying for the Europa League.
Guided by a manager with clear tactical ideas and a strong collective identity, the Cherries became one of the most entertaining teams in the league.
They went unbeaten throughout the second half of the season and famously defeated Arsenal in April.
Young talents such as Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott brought energy and creativity, while experienced figures like Marcos Senesi provided leadership. Smart recruitment also proved decisive, with players such as Adrien Truffert and Diakité integrating seamlessly into the squad.
What makes Bournemouth’s achievement even more impressive is that they overcame major setbacks along the way. The departures of key defenders Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, and Milos Kerkez, as well as star winger Antoine Semenyo, could have derailed their campaign.
Instead, Bournemouth’s well-drilled collective continued to thrive.
European nights are now coming to the Vitality Stadium.
The best player : Rice
Although Bruno Fernandes ultimately received the official Player of the Season award, Declan Rice did everything possible to claim the honor for himself.
In an Arsenal team where almost every player experienced fluctuations in form, Rice remained consistently elite from the opening day to the final whistle of the season.
Without him, Arsenal’s title challenge may well have fallen apart.
His versatility proved invaluable. Rice excelled as:
- a ball winner,
- a defensive shield,
- a progressive passer,
- a carrier capable of driving the team forward,
- a goal scorer,
- and a major threat from set pieces.
Few players influenced every aspect of their team’s performance quite like he did.
Rice was the heartbeat of the champions and arguably the most complete midfielder in the Premier League this season.
Best signing : Rayan Cherki
Rayan Cherki reached an entirely new level during the 2025-26 campaign.
The Lyon-born playmaker adapted remarkably quickly to the Premier League and established himself as one of Manchester City’s most exciting players.
As the season progressed, his influence grew with every passing month.
Operating within Pep Guardiola’s demanding and physically intense system is never easy, particularly for creative attacking players. Yet Cherki not only survived—he flourished.
His technical brilliance, vision, and ability to unlock defenses made him increasingly important during City’s title challenge.
The comparisons with Zinedine Zidane may still be premature, but there is no doubt that Cherki possesses the talent to become one of the defining players of his generation.
If this season was his breakthrough, the years ahead could be truly spectacular.