Manchester City
Manchester City begin the 2026/27 season in genuinely new territory: for the first time since 2016, someone other than Pep Guardiola is in the Etihad dugout. Enzo Maresca takes charge on a three-year contract, arriving after guiding Chelsea to Conference League glory and the FIFA Club World Cup, with earlier spells at Leicester (where he won the Championship title) and within City's own academy and coaching setup.
It's a significant summer of transition both on and off the pitch, with City moving on from key figures including Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Nathan Ake as Maresca reshapes the squad around his possession-based philosophy. City finished agonisingly close to the Premier League title last season, pushing Arsenal all the way to the final weeks before ultimately falling short — with several analysts still rating them genuine title contenders under their new manager.
The new era begins with the Community Shield against champions Arsenal, before City's Premier League campaign opens at home to Bournemouth on Sunday 23 August, kick-off 2pm. A first Manchester derby of the season follows away at Old Trafford in just Gameweek 4, an early litmus test of how quickly Maresca's ideas are taking hold.