ALEX CROOK: Tales of the 2025/26 Premier League Season

Star Sports ambassador ALEX CROOK is back with a special blog, discussing the main talking points from the 2026/27 Premier League season…

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🏆 ARSENAL SHOULD BE EYING BACK-TO-BACK TITLES

Arsenal’s long wait to be crowned champions is over, and there is every chance Gunners fans will be celebrating again this time next year.

For all the criticism over their pragmatic playing style, Mikel Arteta’s men are worthy title winners and arguably could have won it by a bigger points margin.

Arteta has to be targeting a repeat next season, given the seismic impact Pep Guardiola’s departure will surely have on runners-up Manchester City.

Third-placed Manchester United are still at least two transfer windows away from being serious contenders for the big prize while Liverpool and Chelsea both have a lot of work to do to improve their squads.

It could be that Premier League trophies are like London buses for Arsenal. They wait 22 years for one and then two come along at once.

I also think Arteta would like to win it with a playing style more pleasing on the eye next season.

Arsenal to win 2026/27 title – currently at ? with starsports.bet

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⚒️ WEST HAM MAY NOT COME STRAIGHT BACK UP

There was anger in the air as West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League came crashing down.

Fans turned on owner David Sullivan, who was advised by security staff to vacate his seat in the soulless London Stadium.

The Hammes’ relegation has been several years in the making but also felt entirely avoidable, born out of bad managerial hires and poor recruitment from the £105m Declan Rice sale.

There is also a distinct lack of leadership and accountability at the club.

Nuno Espirito Santo is not going to stick around to spearhead their bid for Championship promotion next season and all of their best players will have to be sold to balance the books.

In 2005 and 2012 the Hammers came straight back up but they might find it so easy this time around.

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🔵 MISSING OUT ON EUROPE CAN HELP ALONSO

I’m not sure what would have been more humiliating, Chelsea missing out of Europe altogether or ending up in the Conference League.

Their 2-1 final day defeat at surprise Europa League qualifiers Sunderland ended any faint hopes of a top eight finish.

Incoming manager Xabi Alonso can be forgiven for not shedding too many tears over that loss.

Alonso only needs to look at Manchester United to see the benefit of only having to navigate one game a week, and sometimes one every three weeks.

Having no mid week European games will allow Alonso to trim the dead wood from the squad and more time on the training pitch to get his methods across.

It feels to me like a blessing in disguise.

Chelsea to win 2026/27 title – currently at ? with starsports.bet

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🏅 REGIS LE BRIS OR KEITH ANDREWS MY MANAGER OF THE SEASON

Mikel Arteta may have won the title, but pound for pound there are only two contenders for manager of the season in my eyes.

Keith Andrews has worked wonders to get Brentford so close to Europe having been handed the unenviable task of replacing Thomas Frank last summer.

Not only was rookie Andrews stepping into the shoes of the Bees’ greatest ever boss, but he also had to do it without Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard.

The Bees were written off by many, me included as relegation-fodder, but have proved all their doubters wrong.

Meanwhile Regis Le Bris has led Sunderland into Europe for the first time in more than half a century; no mean feat given they weren’t even the best team in last season’s play-off final.

Led by Le Bris as well as their brilliant captain Granit Xhaka and shrewd summer signings like goalkeeper Robin Roefs and Bryan Brobbey, the Black Cats have been a breath of fresh air.

The Stadium of Light under the lights will be rocking next season.

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🔴 SLOT HAS TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

Liverpool limping into the Champions League after losing 12 games, only one fewer than 14th placed Leeds, probably says more about the failings of many of the so-called ‘big 6’ than about the champions.

Once again the Reds failed to hold onto a lead they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Brentford, meanwhile there was no winning send-off for Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.

Arne Slot must have been tempted not to play Salah after his explosive social media post in which he threw his manager under the bus.

But Slot is wise enough to know that would have only alienated those Liverpool fans still standing by him, who are in the minority.

The Dutchman does not have much credit left in the bank from last season’s title win and has to get off to a flier next term to win back the supporters.

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