With the 2026/27 Premier League campaign approaching, uncertainty hangs over almost every club. Some arrive with momentum, others with major turnover, and several face a season defined by change rather than stability. The questions are different, but the pressure is universal.

Arsenal’s challenge is whether a title drought can finally be lifted without the weight of recent near misses slowing them down. Their squad still looks built for attacking football, with Riccardo Calafiori offering an extra route into the box alongside Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Eberechi Eze. Yet stricter rules on contact at set pieces and the long-term absence of William Saliba may limit familiar strengths.

Aston Villa also enter the new season with serious strain. Unai Emery has delivered remarkable success, but the club have lost important figures across the playing and coaching staff, while Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Amadou Onana’s ACL injury have left the midfield in need of repair.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth face life after Andoni Iraola, Brentford must prove Igor Thiago’s extraordinary scoring run can last, and Brighton step into Europe with the burden that comes with being a Premier League side in continental competition.

Chelsea remain in a cycle of renewal, this time leaning into experience with Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson. Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Hull City and Ipswich Town each have their own defining issue, whether that is upheaval, recruitment, a managerial reset or a difficult leap in ambition.

Leeds United must survive the “difficult and dangerous” second season. Liverpool need to adapt to a more physical game. Manchester City are reshaping a key area of the pitch without Pep Guardiola. Manchester United must handle a far busier schedule. Newcastle have lost too many regular starters. Nottingham Forest have handed another manager a highly volatile job. Sunderland face the demands of Europe, while Tottenham and West Ham are already living with the cost of major squad reconstruction.

The new season begins with one common theme: every club has a question to answer.

With four gameweeks left, Gameweek 35 demands careful moves. Managers still chasing mini-league gains should prioritise reliable returns and inexpensive enablers that free funds for captains in the final stretch.

Goalkeepers: David Raya (£6.0m) remains the standout option among keepers after a 10-point haul last weekend and offers value alongside Arsenal’s defence. Fulham have blanked in four of their last six league games, making a home clean sheet plausible. At the other end of the budget spectrum, Karl Darlow (£3.9m) has accrued 24 points across his last five games and faces relegated Burnley at home, serving as a low-cost enabler. For managers planning ahead to double Gameweek 36, Dean Henderson (£5.1m) is an alternative given Crystal Palace’s two fixtures next round, despite a tricky away match with Bournemouth this Sunday.

Defenders: Gabriel (£7.2m) is a must, while Nico O’Reilly (£5.1m) has become increasingly attractive for managers preparing for City’s double in the next round; he has returned 27 points from his past three fixtures and faces low-scoring Everton away on Monday. Crystal Palace options include Jaydee Canvot (£4.5m) and Chris Richards (£4.4m) as budget routes into their backline, and Daniel Muñoz (£5.8m) offers more attacking upside after scoring in the defeat at Liverpool. Leeds defensive targets such as James Justin (£3.9m), Jayden Bogle (£4.4m) and Pascal Struijk (£4.3m) are also useful given a favourable fixture.

Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) stands alone as the essential midfield pick; he is chasing the Premier League assist record for a single season and has delivered returns in each of his past seven matches, even ahead of Manchester United’s home game with Liverpool. Other options highlighted are Eberechi Eze (£7.2m), who made an impact after being brought off the bench in Europe, Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) with 23 points across his last three matches, Ismaïla Sarr (£6.3m) ahead of a double, Noah Okafor (£5.6m) despite a slight injury concern, and Enzo Fernández (£6.5m) under Calum McFarlane.

Forwards: Erling Haaland (£14.5m) is essential following recent goalscoring exploits. Support options include Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.7m), who could benefit from Burnley’s struggles after Scott Parker’s dismissal, and Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m), who has produced 24 points across his past two home games for West Ham ahead of a trip to Brentford.

April proved a turbulent month across the Premier League, with title hopes wobbling, a managerial dismissal at Chelsea and two clubs seeing relegation confirmed. There will be fresh winners in April after Mikel Arteta and Bruno Fernandes both failed to defend the gongs they won in March.

On the player side West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen tops the assist chart for April, teeing up four goals in three games. His first assist of the month set up the first of two goals Konstantinos Mavropanos has impressively mustered from center back, the same haul as Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

Noah Okafor has contributed three goals in April to help Leeds move away from the division’s trap door. Morgan Gibbs-White scored three in one game for Nottingham Forest against Burnley, a performance that sparked a remarkable turnaround and eased relegation concerns at the City Ground. That display was part of Gibbs-White’s wider form: he is the Premier League’s joint-top scorer across the entirety of 2026. Brentford’s Igor Thiago is the only other player to hit double digits in this period.

Rayan Cherki brings a different sort of impact, combining flair with end product. “When I have the ball, I want people to say: ‘How did he do that? How did he see it?’” Cherki reflected earlier this season. Nico O’Reilly has also drawn gasps during April while the south coast duo Pascal Groß and Alex Scott receive belated recognition for their midfield contributions.

Manager nominations frame two contrasting battles. Pep Guardiola’s blunt criterion remains simple: “This is the easiest award,” the City boss once laughed. “Most points you do in a month is the Manager of the Month. So it’s simple.” Guardiola leads the raw points metric for April, collecting nine points out of nine while also advancing to the FA Cup final. Arne Slot’s Liverpool matched that perfect record, easing past Fulham and Crystal Palace either side of a dramatic Merseyside derby victory at Everton’s new home.

Brighton climbed from 10th to the top six across three matches; Fabian Hürzeler could find himself in the Champions League next season should that position hold and Aston Villa finish fifth. Andoni Iraola and Marco Rose are mentioned as managers who could steer their sides into Europe. At the other end Daniel Farke, Vítor Pereira and Nuno Espírito Santo remain focused on preserving Premier League safety, with Leeds and Forest appearing better placed while Nuno’s Hammers continue to scrap with Tottenham Hotspur.