Premier League

With the Premier League fast approaching, meet the 20 managers who are set to lead their clubs in 2026/27.

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

Arteta is the longest-serving manager currently in the Premier League. After being appointed in December 2019, he restored Arsenal as title challengers and ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League trophy in the 2025/26 season, which led to Arteta also winning his first Barclays Manager of the Season award.

After playing for Everton and Arsenal, he retired in 2016 and became Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City for three-and-a-half years.

He left Man City to take his first managerial job at Arsenal, midway through the 2019/20 campaign. That season, they won the FA Cup and qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

Arteta subsequently went toe-to-toe with his former mentor Guardiola in several seasons, before finally beating Man City to the title. The Gunners also reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2025/26, losing on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain.

Unai Emery (Aston Villa)

Emery took his second job as head coach in the Premier League when he took over at Aston Villa in October 2022. Previously, he spent 18 months as manager of Arsenal.

Emery built his reputation as a manager taking Lorca Deportiva into the second tier, before spells at Valencia, Spartak Moscow and Sevilla, where he won three successive Europa League trophies.

Emery won the French Ligue 1 title at Paris Saint-Germain before replacing Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. When he left the Gunners he joined Villarreal, winning the Europa League for a fourth time.

Aston Villa were 16th in the Premier League table when he was appointed and he has delivered a period of sustained success. They have qualified for the Champions League in two out of three seasons and he won a record fifth Europa League in 2025/26.

Marco Rose (AFC Bournemouth)

Rose joined Bournemouth ahead of the 2025/26 season, replacing Andoni Iraola.

As a defender, Rose spent the majority of his career at Mainz 05, playing under former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

It was also where he made a breakthrough as coach, taking Mainz’s second team as player/assistant coach in 2010/11, before his first managerial role at Lokomotive Leipzig.

Three years later, he became Under-16s head coach at RB Salzburg in Austria, before being named head coach of the first team in 2017. Rose won back-to-back league titles and did not lose a home match during his two-year tenure.

When he returned to Germany, with Borussia Monchengladbach, he guided them into the Champions League before being offered the Borussia Dortmund job. He led them to second in the Bundesliga in 2021/22, then joined RB Leipzig and won the DFB-Pokal in 2023.

Keith Andrews (Brentford)

Andrews was promoted internally by Brentford to become their head coach in June 2025.

Following his retirement from playing in 2015, he held roles as an assistant at MK Dons and with the Republic of Ireland’s senior and Under-21 teams, before joining Brentford as a set-piece coach in the summer of 2024.

After his promotion to head coach a year later, Andrews helped the Bees equal their highest-ever Premier League finish when they came ninth in 2025/26, narrowly missing out on qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history.

Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Hurzeler was appointed by Brighton in June 2024, becoming the youngest-ever head coach to take charge in the Premier League at the age of 31.

He moved into coaching at 23, starting off as a player-manager at FC Pipinsried. In 2020, Hurzeler was named as assistant coach at St Pauli before taking the manager’s job and becoming the second-youngest head coach in German football's second tier.

Hurzeler won his first 10 league matches, steering St Pauli away from the relegation places to a fifth-place finish in 2022/23.

They were unbeaten in their opening 20 Bundesliga 2 matches in 2023/24 and won promotion to the Bundesliga as champions.

After replacing Roberto De Zerbi as Brighton boss, Hurzeler guided the Seagulls to an eighth-place finish in 2024/25 with 61 points, just one shy of their all-time Premier League best of 62 in 2022/23.

He led Brighton to eighth again, but this time it was enough to qualify for the UEFA Conference League, just the second time the club have reached Europe in their history.

Xabi Alonso (Chelsea)

Alonso started as Chelsea manager in July 2026.

He is best known in the Premier League for his five years as a player at Liverpool, where he won the Champions League and lifted the FA Cup.

He went on to win league titles and domestic trophies at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. In Spain, he won a second Champions League with Real.

He also won two UEFA European Championships and the FIFA World Cup with Spain from 2008 to 2012. Alonso began his coaching journey with Real Madrid’s Under-14s before taking charge of Real Sociedad B in 2019, achieving their first promotion to the Spanish second tier in 59 years.

In his first senior managerial role, he masterminded an unprecedented, unbeaten domestic double at Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season. It was the club’s first Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal.

He next took charge at former club Real Madrid, in the summer of 2025, but departed less than eight months later. After a short break, he agreed to move to Chelsea.

Frank Lampard (Coventry City)

After being appointed Coventry head coach in November 2024, Lampard guided them to Premier League promotion in his first full season in charge.

Lampard began his career as a central midfielder at West Ham United, before moving to Chelsea in 2001. In 13 years, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cup trophies and the Champions League, becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 211 goals in all competitions.

Lampard's managerial career began in 2018 at Derby County, leading them to the Championship playoff final, which they lost to Aston Villa.

He was appointed Chelsea head coach in 2019, securing a top-four finish and an FA Cup final appearance in his debut season.

A spell at Everton followed, where he successfully kept them in the top flight, before a brief return to Chelsea as caretaker manager in 2023.

Pierre Sage (Crystal Palace)

Sage was appointed as Crystal Palace head coach in June 2026.

Sage did not play professional football but worked at Lyon in a senior academy leadership role before being promoted to academy director in June 2023.

He got his break when he was made interim manager of the first team and guided them to Europa League qualification, earning him the job on a permanent basis.

After leaving the club in January 2025, he was appointed at RC Lens that summer. In his only season in charge, he led them to their first Coupe de France trophy and secured qualification for the Champions League.

Such success caught the attention of Palace, who hired Sage following the departure of Oliver Glasner at the end of the 2025/26 season.

David Moyes (Everton)

Moyes was appointed for his second spell in charge of Everton in January 2025.

First making a name for himself in coaching at Preston North End, he became Everton manager for the first time in March 2002.

In 11 years in charge, he established Everton as a regulars in Europe and qualified for the Champions League with a fourth-place finish in 2005 – their highest in the Premier League era.

He was appointed as manager to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013/14, but departed before the end of the campaign. He had spells at Real Sociedad and Sunderland before two at West Ham.

He guided them to safety in his first, then in his second led the Hammers to a famous victory in the Conference League final against Fiorentina in June 2023, ending the club’s 43-year wait for a major trophy.

After leaving West Ham again after a successful five-year stint, he was back in the Premier League in January 2025, taking over at Everton.

Alvaro Arbeloa (Fulham)

Nine years after he last played in the Premier League, Arbeloa returned as a manager as Fulham’s head coach in July 2026.

After coming through Real Madrid’s academy, he moved to Deportivo La Coruna before signing for Liverpool in January 2007. A few months after his move, Arbeloa helped the Reds reach the Champions League final.

He returned to Real Madrid in 2009, winning LaLiga, two Copa del Rey trophies and the Champions League twice.

Arbeloa was also part of the Spain squad that lifted the 2010 World Cup and back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

After retiring in 2017, following a brief stint at West Ham, he took charge of Real Madrid’s Under-19s then their B team, becoming interim head coach of the seniors in January 2026.

They reached the Champions League quarter-finals and finished second in LaLiga, but he stepped down at the end of the season.

Sergej Jakirovic (Hull City)

Jakirovic became Hull City head coach in summer 2025 and won promotion to the Premier League in his first season.

After hanging up his boots in 2017 following a 20-year career spanning five countries, he moved into management, starting out at Sesvete and then Gorica in Croatia, before a short stint at Maribor in Slovenia.

He led Zrinjski Mostar to the Bosnian Premier League title in 2021/22, then moved to Rijeka in Croatia’s top flight, before becoming boss of Dinamo Zagreb, winning a league and cup double.

Jakirovic’s next assignment came in Turkey with Kayserispor, before he moved to England with Hull. He led them to promotion via the playoffs.

Gary O’Neil (Ipswich Town)

O’Neil became Ipswich manager in June 2026 after Kieran McKenna stepped down shortly after steering them back into the Premier League.

After making more than 214 Premier League appearances across spells with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham and Norwich City, O’Neil retired in 2019 and took charge of Liverpool’s Under-23s.

He joined Bournemouth as a first-team coach in 2021 before taking over when Scott Parker left at the start of the 2022/23 season.

He steered Bournemouth to Premier League safety with a 15th-place finish, before he moved on to Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2023, guiding them to 14th in 2023/24.

O’Neil left Molineux in December 2024, then was appointed by Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, who he took to the semi-finals of the Conference League.

Daniel Farke (Leeds United)

Farke became Leeds United manager in July 2023.

The German spent his playing career as a forward in the lower divisions of his homeland then, after retiring aged 31, became a sporting director at club SV Lippstadt 08.

He was Borussia Dortmund’s reserve team head coach before Norwich appointed him manager in May 2017, winning promotion as Championship winners twice, in 2018/19 and 2020/21, suffering relegation in between.

Departing Norwich, he returned to Germany as boss of Borussia Monchengladbach before joining Leeds. He guided them into the Premier League, winning the Championship title with 100 points then kept them up in the first season back.

Andoni Iraola (Liverpool)

Iraola replaced Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach in June 2026, after three successful years at Bournemouth.

As a player, he made over 500 appearances for Athletic Bilbao, helping them reach the Copa del Rey final twice, as well as the Europa League final in 2012, before ending his career at New York City FC.

Before joining Bournemouth, he had spells at Cypriot side AEK Larnaca and Spain’s Mirandes, developing a reputation as giant killers.

In August 2020, Iraola took charge of Rayo Vallecano and guided them back to LaLiga in his first season.

He was appointed at Bournemouth in summer 2023 and a hugely successful spell culminated in the club qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history.

Enzo Maresca (Manchester City)

Maresca succeeded Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

After a playing career that took him from AC Milan to West Bromwich Albion, Juventus and Sevilla, among several clubs, he started coaching in charge of Man City’s Elite Development Squad, winning the Premier League 2 title.

He then had a spell in charge of Parma before returning to Man City in June 2022 as one of Guardiola’s assistants.

Taking over at Leicester City, he led them back to the top flight before being appointed as Chelsea head coach in summer 2024.

They won the Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, and qualified for the Champions League, before he stepped away midway through the following season.

Michael Carrick (Manchester United)

Carrick has been head coach of Manchester United since 13 January 2026.

Considered a leading midfielder of his generation, he started at West Ham before joining Spurs then Man Utd. In 12 seasons he made 464 appearances, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup, among a glittering array of silverware.

After retiring in 2018, he became a first-team coach under Jose Mourinho then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He took interim charge in November 2021.

His first managerial role came at Middlesbrough, reaching the 2022/23 playoffs and the EFL Cup semi-finals the following year. He left in June 2025 and was reappointed Man Utd head coach after Ruben Amorim left.

After a successful spell, guiding the club to third in 2025/26, he was handed the role permanently.

Eddie Howe (Newcastle United)

Following a 15-month break from football after making his name at Bournemouth, Howe took over at Newcastle in November 2021.

In an astonishing period, he guided Bournemouth from the fourth tier to the Premier League, managing them in the top flight from 2015 to 2020, before succumbing to relegation.

He left the club before returning to football with Newcastle, turning them into a regular Champions League side and winning the EFL Cup to secure the club’s first major domestic trophy in 70 years.

Oliver Glasner (Nottingham Forest)

Glasner joined Nottingham Forest as head coach in July 2026.

Having played 19 years as a defender at Austrian club Ried, he built his reputation as manager at Wolfsburg, qualifying for the Champions League and Eintracht Frankfurt, where he won the Europa League.

Glasner took charge at Crystal Palace in February 2024 then delivered trophies in back-to-back seasons, winning the FA Cup – the club’s first ever major trophy – followed by the Conference League.

Regis Le Bris (Sunderland)

Le Bris has been Sunderland head coach since June 2024.

Turning to coaching aged 27, he quickly excelled winning the French equivalent of the FA Youth Cup and Under-18 title at Rennes.

Le Bris was handed the opportunity as manager of the senior side in 2022 and a run of eight wins in his first 10 games helped towards a 10th-place finish.

Le Bris then led the Black Cats back to the Premier League in his debut season with a dramatic 2-1 turnaround win against Sheffield United in the 2024/25 Championship playoff final at Wembley.

In his first season in the top flight he guided them to a shock seventh-place finish and the club’s first European qualification in 53 years.

Roberto De Zerbi (Tottenham Hotspur)

De Zerbi took over at Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2025/26 season.

He spent most of his playing career in Italy’s lower divisions, before winning promotion with Napoli and claiming two domestic titles and the Romanian Cup with CFR Cluj before hanging up his boots.

In management, he honed his reputation across clubs in Italy before his first major success winning the Ukrainian Super Cup at Shakhtar Donetsk.

In September 2022, he was appointed Brighton head coach and led the Seagulls to their best-ever Premier League finish of sixth in 2022/23, securing European football for the first time in the club’s history.

After leading them to 11th the following season, he moved to Marseille, leaving after a second-place finish in Ligue 1.

He was brought in by Spurs initially to save them from relegation and guided them to safety on the final day.

As two of the greatest strikers in Premier League history Harry Kane and Erling Haaland share a lot in common, namely their goal records and defining influence in their respective eras.

But as No 9s the two are stylistic opposites.

Haaland is a ruthless machine in front of goal, a hoarder of individual and team accolades. He is cutthroat-sharp, streetwise, cold; a lurking presence who comes to life inside the penalty area.

Kane is a creator, an orchestrator, and a scorer of a wide range of goals. He wore the number 10 shirt at Tottenham Hotspur to reflect how he sees himself: the beating heart of the team, not just its razor edge.

Both have achieved incredible things in the Premier League, and although it has so far been a rivalry in parallel - Kane and Haaland shared just a single year in England, 2022/23 – there are chapters still to be written.

Haaland hopes to catch up to Kane’s Premier League tally and Kane – who knows? – still has time to return to England in search of the all-time goalscoring record with only Alan Shearer and his 260 goals ahead of him.

But before all that, Kane and Haaland go head-to-head on Saturday when England take on Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final.

Ahead of their showdown, we dive into the numbers to decide who is the better player. Using our player comparison tool, you can also compare Kane and Haaland's exceptional Premier League records across a broad range of stats, including goal involvements, penalties and xG.

Haaland’s goalscoring rate is unique, but Kane is ahead overall… for now

The headline numbers show both are among the most impressive players the Premier League has ever seen.

Haaland v Kane: Premier League goal records compared

Goals (all-time rank) Goals per 90 (all-time rank) Haaland* 112 (25th) 0.91 (1st) Kane 213 (2nd) 0.71 (4th)

*Haaland's PL stats correct as of July 2026

Kane is only 47 goals behind Shearer's all-time record – meaning he would likely only need another 18 months in the Premier League, at his 25-goal a season rate, to reach number one – and he has scored almost double the number of Premier League goals as Haaland.

However, Kane had nine Premier League seasons as a first-team regular at Spurs, whereas Haaland has only had four.

At Haaland’s rate of 0.91 goals per 90 – the best in Premier League history – he needs 113 more games (four campaigns, at his current rate of 33 matches per season) to get the 102 goals needed to usurp Kane into second in the all-time list.

Watch: How Haaland’s ‘Viking’ mindset made him a star

Haaland has eight years remaining on his current contract. He needs only half of those to overtake Kane – and then another 52 matches to score the remaining 47 needed to climb above Shearer.

In other words, give it time and Haaland will emerge as the greatest goalscorer in the competition’s history.

Watch: Haaland and Kane scoring EVERY type of goal

Evenly split on records and awards – but Haaland’s teams have won more

Kane’s entry to the Premier League was a slow burn - he was 21 during his explosive breakthrough season under Mauricio Pochettino in 2014/15 - whereas Haaland burst onto the scene, smashing the single-season goals record with 36 in his debut year in English football.

Watch: The unstoppable rise of Haaland

That season, 2022/23, was Kane’s last at Spurs and the England captain scored an impressive 30 goals, the second time he reached that figure in the Premier League.

Indeed, with Haaland topping out at 27 in any single year since that remarkable 36-goal haul, Kane has more entries in the single-season top five between the two.

Haaland v Kane: Top five Premier League scoring seasons

Top five seasons Player Goals (season) 1 Haaland 36 (22/23) 2 Kane 30 (22/23) 3 Kane 30 (17/18) 4 Kane 29 (16/17) 5 Haaland 27 (25/26)

Of course, it’s important to once again caveat any Kane "victory" in this comparison by pointing out that Haaland just hasn’t had the same amount of time in the division.

Despite that fact, Haaland and Kane are pretty similar on awards and records won.

Haaland holds the record for fastest player to 100 goals, most goals in a single season, and best per-90 ratio ever. Kane has the most goals for a single club (213) and the most goals in London derbies (51).

Watch: Kane's best Premier League moments

In terms of personal awards, not much separates the players, which, again, is a mark in favour of Haaland given that he is seven years younger and therefore likely to accelerate away:

Individual accolades Haaland Kane Golden Boots 5 (3x PL, 2x UCL) 9 (3x PL, 3x Bundesliga, 1x UCL, 1x World Cup, 1x Euros) Player of the Year 3 (1x PL, 1x Bundesliga, 1x UEFA) 1 (Bundesliga) European Golden Shoe 1 2

Of course, football is a team sport, therefore arguably what matters most are the trophies won, with Halaand out in front:

Team honours Haaland Kane League titles 3 (2x PL, 1x Austrian Bundesliga) 2 (Bundesliga) European titles 1 (UCL) 0 Domestic cup wins 5 (2x FA Cup, 1x EFL Cup, 1x DFB-Pokal, 1x Austrian Cup) 1 (DFB-Pokal)

Others, however, would argue that Kane’s extended time spent outside the title-winning level makes his goals record all the more impressive.

Bundesliga record – and a remarkable 2025/26 – give Kane the edge

Indeed, the extraordinary figures Kane is hitting at Bayern Munich suggest he could be streets ahead of Shearer if his Premier League career had been at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Kane has scored an absurd 98 goals in 94 Bundesliga matches. Those are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo numbers.

Haaland fights back, though, when it comes to international football, where he can make a similar argument about hitting elite numbers in a non-elite setting: 62 goals from 54 caps and scoring in each of his last 14 internationals is astonishing, especially playing for Norway, and a far better ratio than Kane’s (also brilliant, also record-breaking) 85 in 119 for England.

Haaland v Kane, international goal scoring record

Caps Goals Goals per 90 Haaland 54 62 1.26 Kane 119 85 0.83

Where does that leave us? Relatively even, with Kane leading on many metrics only because he has been in the game longer and Haaland winning more trophies only because he has had a greater opportunity to do so.

But as of July 2026, Kane comes out on top for one simple reason: in the year just gone Kane scored the most goals in Europe in all competitions – and considerably more than Haaland:

Rank in 2025/26 Player Goals in all club comps 1 Kane 61 2 Mbappe 42 3 Haaland 38

Right now, Kane is the best striker in the world. Haaland has a chance to prove otherwise on Saturday.

The Scout picks out clubs and players who can be paired together effectively in opening squads for 2026/27 Fantasy Premier League and give FPL managers a great run of early fixtures.

Fulham and Spurs

Owning a defender from both Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur can help you immediately profit from a great run of home matches over the first five Gameweeks.

That occurs in Gameweek 5, when Spurs entertain Aston Villa.

This kind run is also backed up by the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), with each of those matches scoring only three.

Fulham and Spurs rotation, GW1-5

GW Club Opp. FDR* 1 FUL CHE (H) 3 2 TOT NEW (H) 3 3 FUL CRY (H) 3 4 TOT EVE (H) 3 5 TOT AVL (H) 3

*Scroll across on mobile to see full table. 1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture

Who will be the best budget defenders?

Joachim Andersen's dominance of defensive contributions (DC) looks certain to ensure he will be the highest-priced Fulham asset at the back in 2026/27 Fantasy.

The centre-back (who is suspended for the Cottagers' Gameweek 1 home match against Chelsea) amassed 40 DC points last season, at least 26 more than any team-mate.

Andersen's price will ultimately determine whether managers in Fantasy will have any budget options among the Fulham defence.

For example, if he's priced at £5.0m, then you might expect the full-backs to be £0.5m cheaper.

It's uncertain at present who will be Fulham's first-choice full-backs this season, though, after Alvaro Arbeloa replaced Marco Silva as head coach.

Ryan Sessegnon looks very likely to be reclassified from a midfielder to a defender in Fantasy this season after featuring as a left-back in the previous campaign.

Antonee Robinson is his main competition for the left-back berth, while Kenny Tete and Timothy Castagne are positional rivals on the right.

For Spurs, their two new centre-backs, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, are likely to cost more than £5.0m after their strong displays for AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion in 2025/26.

And the same can be said for right-back Pedro Porro, who offers far too much potential at both ends of the pitch.

But it could be at left-back where the value is here, if one of Andrew Robertson, Destiny Udogie or Djed Spence can secure regular starts in Spurs' first full season under Roberto De Zerbi.

There's even an argument that Spurs' first-choice goalkeeper - whether it's Antonin Kinsky or Guglielmo Vicario - could merit a move into the budget bracket due to the club's recent defensive record.

In 2024/25, Spurs conceded 65 goals - the fifth-most in the league - while their total of 57 against last season was better only than the three relegated clubs.

Next: Bournemouth and Everton

Also in this series

Still no stopping Haaland as Man City star tees up England showdown

Erling Haaland’s explosive first FIFA World Cup continued as he bagged his third brace of the tournament to fire Norway to a memorable 2-1 win over Brazil in the last 16, setting up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash against England.

The Manchester City striker is firmly in contention to win the World Cup Golden Boot at the first time of asking, leading that race with seven goals alongside Kylian Mbappe (of France) and Lionel Messi (Argentina) as things stand.

Sunday’s game was Haaland in a nutshell – four shots, three on target, two goals – as he became the first European player since Italy great Christian Vieri in 1998 to score in their first four World Cup appearances.

He’s already racked up more goals in the competition than numerous greats – among them Premier League icons Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie.

Man City’s goal machine will be playing against familiar opposition in the quarter-finals as Norway take on England – who used nine Premier League-based players during Sunday night’s epic 3-2 victory over Mexico.

Haaland could also come up against current and former club team-mates in Marc Guehi, the recently signed Elliot Anderson, Nico O’Reilly and John Stones – the latter of whom has just left Man City after the expiry of his contract.

Worryingly for the Three Lions, Haaland has scored in each of his last 14 international outings – and not only that, but he’s averaged just shy of two goals a game during that run.

De Zerbi hails ‘special’ Tonali after midfielder completes Spurs move

Sandro Tonali’s move from Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur represents a reunion of sorts, as the Italy midfielder links up with compatriot Roberto De Zerbi.

But the connection is much more concrete than just their nationality: Tonali came through the youth system at his new head coach’s hometown club, Brescia, making almost 100 appearances before joining AC Milan.

Watch: Sandro Tonali's STANDOUT Premier League moments

De Zerbi told the Spurs website: “I have followed him for a long time, as he came through the youth system at my hometown club, Brescia, and I'm so happy to be working with him now.

“Given his qualities, there was a lot of interest in Sandro this summer. However, he was very clear in his desire to join Tottenham, and I know our fans will love what he brings to the team.”

Tonali added: “I spoke to the head coach for close to two hours about the club, the fans, the stadium and our football. It was like magic because I knew immediately that I had to sign for Tottenham.”

The 26-year-old arrives at Spurs after making 110 Premier League appearances in three seasons with Newcastle, where he established himself as one of the top flight’s most well-rounded midfielders – something which won’t have come as a surprise to De Zerbi.

Tonali could link up alongside Mateus Fernandes in De Zerbi's engine room after Spurs signed the Portuguese midfielder from West Ham United last Thursday.

Premier League legend wins World Cup epic for England – but loses voice

England recorded one of their most famous World Cup triumphs by overcoming Mexico’s formidable record at the iconic Estadio Azteca to inflict just the co-hosts’ third competitive defeat there in 90 games – and it was a Premier League legend who notched what proved to be the winner.

Three Lions captain and three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Harry Kane dispatched his second penalty of the tournament as England ground out a momentous victory despite playing most of the second half with 10 men after former Liverpool defender Jarrell Quansah saw red.

And England’s understandable ecstasy was epitomised by Spurs great Kane, who embraced another ex-Spurs striker Peter Crouch, and celebrated almost to the point of speechlessness after the game.

“It was a crazy game,” Kane reflected. “We had to fight. I’ve just been singing there – can’t really talk.”

Newcastle’s Dan Burn, making his World Cup debut, echoed Kane’s sentiments, commending England for how they “rose to the challenge” – ironically while initially stooping to reach a microphone considerably lower than his towering 6ft 7in frame.

Having described the night as “probably the best away day I’ve had in an England shirt”, Declan Rice – who ended up with the captain’s armband after Kane was substituted late on – played down the impact of playing at over 7,000 feet above sea level.

“I was surprised,” said the Arsenal midfielder. “The altitude wasn’t as…there’s been so much talk about that and, to be fair, training yesterday was a little bit [difficult], but today I didn’t really feel it as much.”

England will have no such worries in Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway which takes place in Miami – around 13 feet (or roughly two Dan Burns) above sea level.

Henderson’s World Cup over in freak fashion

It wasn't all positive for England, though. Brentford’s Jordan Henderson was taken back to the dressing room on a stretcher and later taken to hospital after injuring his wrist following a freak tumble over an advertising hoarding.

As the rest of the England squad flew back to their base in Kansas City, the Premier League-winning Liverpool captain stayed behind in Mexico City with a member of England's medical staff for treatment.

“Not good, not good,” head coach Thomas Tuchel said of the injury to Henderson. “Jordan fell over and injured his wrist; it looks really bad.”

The Athletic have reported that Henderson requires surgery and is set to miss the rest of the tournament.

New Forest boss Glasner part of Premier League record

Eight Premier League clubs will begin the 2026/27 campaign with new managers – a joint record with the 2016/17 season.

Oliver Glasner is the latest confirmed appointment: the FA Cup and Conference League-winning Crystal Palace boss succeeds Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest head coach having left Selhurst Park at the end of last season.

Pierre Sage has replaced Glasner at Palace, with AFC Bournemouth seeing Andoni Iraola leave for Liverpool.

Roberto De Zerbi was always going to oversee a radical summer rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur and it hasn’t taken long for the north London side to spring into action in the transfer market.

Spurs bolstered their backline first by signing centre-back Marcos Senesi, left-back Andy Robertson and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, following the expiration of their contracts with AFC Bournemouth, Liverpool and Burnley respectively and buying Jan Paul van Hecke, another central defender, from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Now the revolution has now moved further up the pitch.

Spurs have now made their fifth and sixth signings of the summer by securing two high-profile central midfielders, acquiring Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.

Since De Zerbi favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, Spurs’ central midfield has been revamped in one go. But why did De Zerbi need reinforcements in that area, and how do Tonali and Fernandes fit into the Italian's wider plan?

How will De Zerbi use Tonali and Fernandes?

De Zerbi used his first seven Premier League matches as Spurs boss to stave off relegation, effectively putting his tactical overhaul on pause.

But history suggests he will introduce football that blends possession domination with high pressing and explosive gear changes towards direct football.

The defining tactical feature of De Zerbi's Brighton & Hove Albion and Marseille teams was "press-baiting": in other words, passing out from the back in neatly choreographed patterns and encouraging their opponents to pressurise them, before springing behind and galloping forward as if on the counter-attack.

Broadly speaking, this mix of possession control and direct football pulls Spurs away from the Thomas Frank era and back towards the more adventurous days of the Dane's predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

The below graphic, from Opta, shows the similarity between De Zerbi’s all-action, hard-pressing football and Postecoglou’s at their respective peaks: De Zerbi's 2022/23 Brighton team and Postecoglou's 2023/24 Spurs side. Those particular teams are the second and third-furthest circles to the right of the graph.

As the graphic shows, both of those teams produced similar numbers for direct speed upfield (the average speed of ball movement towards an opponent's goal) and passes per sequence (passes in a passage of play before a shot, stoppage or defensive action). This indicates an aptitude for both springing quickly into attack and playing a patient passing game.

That means De Zerbi needs central midfielders who possess energy and aggression. They must also be capable of both controlling possession with elegant one-touch passing under pressure (during the "press-baiting" phase) and playing urgent, direct passes through the lines when the tempo shifts.

At Brighton, he had Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, a brilliant pair who have gone on to star for Liverpool and Chelsea. Fernandes and Tonali are tasked with replicating that duo's influence in north London.

Why Fernandes and Tonali are ideal for De Zerbi-ball

Comparing Fernandes and Tonali with Spurs’ most-used central midfielders in 2025/26, it quickly becomes obvious why these two players have been targeted.

Charging down opponents, and pressing with great zeal, is a hallmark of De Zerbi's tactics, hence why Conor Gallagher played such a pivotal role as an attacking midfielder in the final stages of last season.

The following line graph, plotting every Premier League player in 2025/26, tells us Tonali and Fernandes will add to that.

A position on the top right of the graph would show that a player is adapt at making high turnovers (winning possession in open play within 40 metres of the opposition's goal) and ball recoveries (taking possession of a loose ball).

On the ball, it’s just as stark. On the graph a below, a position on the top right would indicate that a player is skilled at making final-third entries (moving the ball into the final third from outside of it) and being accurate with their attempted passes.

Here, we can see how Tonali and Fernandes complete more passes and more "final-third entries" than most Premier League players, including Spurs' most-used options last season, pointing to that mixture of assurance on the ball with vertical attacking intent.

The statistical disparity doesn’t stop there. As the table below shows, Fernandes and Tonali don’t just improve on Spurs’ current options, they also score similarly to De Zerbi’s favoured pair in his peak Brighton year of 2022/23, Mac Allister and Caicedo.

Stats per 90: Tonali, Fernandes and Spurs' central midfielders 2025/26 v Caicedo and Mac Allister 2022/23

Player Final-third passes completed Forward passes Open-play pass accuracy Possession won in final third Tonali 13.24 16.81 84.8% 0.53 Fernandes 10.30 12.65 87.8% 0.51 Sarr 9.96 10.55 84.4% 0.32 Gray 6.57 10.77 82.7% 0.12 Palhinha 5.53 12.86 81.8% 0.20 Bentancur 7.56 11.70 85.6% 0.33 Mac Allister 14.16 14.16 87.0% 0.90 Caicedo 14.22 15.62 88.7% 0.57

*Scroll across to see full table

How Spurs will use Fernandes and Tonali

Fernandes is a creative midfielder capable of long raking passes, smart through-balls or line-breaking dribbles.

See Fernandes' impressive passing range

He is more akin to a No 10 than the more workmanlike midfielders Spurs already had in their ranks. His creative numbers back that up.

Compared: Tonali and Fernandes v Spurs' centre midfielders, 2025/26

Player Chances created Take-ons attempted Tonali 37 48 Fernandes 32 31 Sarr 11 22 Gray 8 16 Palhinha 8 23 Bentancur 10 32

*Scroll across to see full table

Given that Fernandes played in a cautious West Ham side that were relegated, we can assume Fernandes’s creativity will only increase in a front-foot De Zerbi team.

Tonali, on the other hand, is more like the Caicedo figure, and should essentially function as a destroyer – like Joao Palhinha or Rodrigo Bentancur – but with a more proactive mindset on the ball.

Watch Tonali's standout moments

But for all the statistics, what is perhaps most pertinent is the vibe and sensibility of the two new signings.

Like De Zerbi, they represent a sense of urgency and forward thrust. They are midfielders ready and willing to grab the bull by the horns and take Spurs back towards progressive, daring football.

Roberto De Zerbi was always going to oversee a radical summer rebuild at Tottenham Hotspur and it hasn’t taken long for the north London side to spring into action in the transfer market.

Spurs bolstered their backline first by signing centre-back Marcos Senesi, left-back Andy Robertson and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, following the expiration of their contracts with AFC Bournemouth, Liverpool and Burnley respectively and buying Jan Paul van Hecke, another central defender, from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Now the revolution has now moved further up the pitch.

Spurs have now made their fifth and sixth signings of the summer by securing two high-profile central midfielders, acquiring Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.

Since De Zerbi favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, Spurs’ central midfield has been revamped in one go. But why did De Zerbi need reinforcements in that area, and how do Tonali and Fernandes fit into the Italian's wider plan?

How will De Zerbi use Tonali and Fernandes?

De Zerbi used his first seven Premier League matches as Spurs boss to stave off relegation, effectively putting his tactical overhaul on pause.

But history suggests he will introduce football that blends possession domination with high pressing and explosive gear changes towards direct football.

The defining tactical feature of De Zerbi's Brighton & Hove Albion and Marseille teams was "press-baiting": in other words, passing out from the back in neatly choreographed patterns and encouraging their opponents to pressurise them, before springing behind and galloping forward as if on the counter-attack.

Broadly speaking, this mix of possession control and direct football pulls Spurs away from the Thomas Frank era and back towards the more adventurous days of the Dane's predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

The below graphic, from Opta, shows the similarity between De Zerbi’s all-action, hard-pressing football and Postecoglou’s at their respective peaks: De Zerbi's 2022/23 Brighton team and Postecoglou's 2023/24 Spurs side. Those particular teams are the second and third-furthest circles to the right of the graph.

As the graphic shows, both of those teams produced similar numbers for direct speed upfield (the average speed of ball movement towards an opponent's goal) and passes per sequence (passes in a passage of play before a shot, stoppage or defensive action). This indicates an aptitude for both springing quickly into attack and playing a patient passing game.

That means De Zerbi needs central midfielders who possess energy and aggression. They must also be capable of both controlling possession with elegant one-touch passing under pressure (during the "press-baiting" phase) and playing urgent, direct passes through the lines when the tempo shifts.

At Brighton, he had Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, a brilliant pair who have gone on to star for Liverpool and Chelsea. Fernandes and Tonali are tasked with replicating that duo's influence in north London.

Why Fernandes and Tonali are ideal for De Zerbi-ball

Comparing Fernandes and Tonali with Spurs’ most-used central midfielders in 2025/26, it quickly becomes obvious why these two players have been targeted.

Charging down opponents, and pressing with great zeal, is a hallmark of De Zerbi's tactics, hence why Conor Gallagher played such a pivotal role as an attacking midfielder in the final stages of last season.

The following line graph, plotting every Premier League player in 2025/26, tells us Tonali and Fernandes will add to that.

A position on the top right of the graph would show that a player is adapt at making high turnovers (winning possession in open play within 40 metres of the opposition's goal) and ball recoveries (taking possession of a loose ball).

On the ball, it’s just as stark. On the graph a below, a position on the top right would indicate that a player is skilled at making final-third entries (moving the ball into the final third from outside of it) and being accurate with their attempted passes.

Here, we can see how Tonali and Fernandes complete more passes and more "final-third entries" than most Premier League players, including Spurs' most-used options last season, pointing to that mixture of assurance on the ball with vertical attacking intent.

The statistical disparity doesn’t stop there. As the table below shows, Fernandes and Tonali don’t just improve on Spurs’ current options, they also score similarly to De Zerbi’s favoured pair in his peak Brighton year of 2022/23, Mac Allister and Caicedo.

Stats per 90: Tonali, Fernandes and Spurs' central midfielders 2025/26 v Caicedo and Mac Allister 2022/23

Player Final-third passes completed Forward passes Open-play pass accuracy Possession won in final third Tonali 13.24 16.81 84.8% 0.53 Fernandes 10.30 12.65 87.8% 0.51 Sarr 9.96 10.55 84.4% 0.32 Gray 6.57 10.77 82.7% 0.12 Palhinha 5.53 12.86 81.8% 0.20 Bentancur 7.56 11.70 85.6% 0.33 Mac Allister 14.16 14.16 87.0% 0.90 Caicedo 14.22 15.62 88.7% 0.57

*Scroll across to see full table

How Spurs will use Fernandes and Tonali

Fernandes is a creative midfielder capable of long raking passes, smart through-balls or line-breaking dribbles.

See Fernandes' impressive passing range

He is more akin to a No 10 than the more workmanlike midfielders Spurs already had in their ranks. His creative numbers back that up.

Compared: Tonali and Fernandes v Spurs' centre midfielders, 2025/26

Player Chances created Take-ons attempted Tonali 37 48 Fernandes 32 31 Sarr 11 22 Gray 8 16 Palhinha 8 23 Bentancur 10 32

*Scroll across to see full table

Given that Fernandes played in a cautious West Ham side that were relegated, we can assume Fernandes’s creativity will only increase in a front-foot De Zerbi team.

Tonali, on the other hand, is more like the Caicedo figure, and should essentially function as a destroyer – like Joao Palhinha or Rodrigo Bentancur – but with a more proactive mindset on the ball.

Watch Tonali's standout moments

But for all the statistics, what is perhaps most pertinent is the vibe and sensibility of the two new signings.

Like De Zerbi, they represent a sense of urgency and forward thrust. They are midfielders ready and willing to grab the bull by the horns and take Spurs back towards progressive, daring football.

Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies 10 overseas stars who could headline the Premier League’s summer transfer window.

See: All the deals announced by Premier League clubs so far

Julian Alvarez (Argentina, Atletico Madrid)

Alvarez is a wonderfully gifted, versatile attacker, able to lead the line on his own or play in behind a centre-forward.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a phenomenal UEFA Champions League campaign, scoring 10 goals and making four assists for Atletico Madrid last season. His ball striking is up there with the very best, with his right foot especially deadly, even from long range.

Quick, nimble and capable of taking the ball past defenders with a dribble, Alvarez is always a slippery forward for defenders to contain.

Scoring 49 goals in 106 club appearances for Diego Simeone’s side, the former Manchester City player has strong numbers too, so it is no surprise champions Arsenal are being heavily linked with him, as well as Barcelona.

Watch: Alvarez's top five Premier League goals

Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast, RB Leipzig)

Reports suggest that Liverpool lead the chase for RB Leipzig’s 19-year-old sensation Diomande, who is one of the most coveted wingers in European football.

The Ivorian is left-footed but can score off either foot. He is also capable of operating on both flanks, although left wing is his most natural position.

Only three players in the Bundesliga created more chances than Diomande's 56 last season, with eight of those turning into assists. He also scored 12 league goals in a terrific breakthrough campaign.

When he runs with the ball, Diomande is a difficult man to stop. He laid on a league-high 32 opportunities (and seven assists) from ball carries in 2025/26, and six of his goals also came off the back of a dribble.

See: All you need to know about summer transfer window

Bradley Barcola (France, Paris Saint-Germain)

With just two years left on his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, the exciting wide man Barcola is being linked with a move to Arsenal or Liverpool to get more game time.

The 23-year-old Frenchman is quick, with an acceleration that always stretches opponents. A threat in behind, but also with the ball at his feet, only two players in the UEFA Champions League created more chances from a ball carry than Barcola's 15 last season.

Domestically, the 2025/26 season saw Barcola’s numbers dip, with 12 direct goal involvements in Ligue 1, only half of the previous campaign. Finishing remains an area for improvement, but talent-wise the winger is elite.

Ousmane Diomande (Ivory Coast, Sporting)

One of the most cultured young centre-backs in European football is attracting strong interest, including from Leeds United and Chelsea, if reports are to be believed.

The Ivory Coast star is excellent on the ball, averaging over 63 passes per 90 minutes in the UEFA Champions League for Sporting last season. His 93.49 per cent pass accuracy is also right up there among the very best, showing how calm and press-resistant he is in possession.

Tall and strong in the air, he physically dominates duels with opposing strikers. The 22-year-old is also quick across the turf, making some standout interventions in 2025/26.

Victor Munoz (Spain, Osasuna)

Newcastle United are reportedly looking to sign Spanish international Munoz from Osasuna in this transfer window.

The attacking midfielder is small and stocky in stature, but blessed with outstanding speed, using his low centre of gravity to explode past defenders. Clever in tight areas, Munoz uses a bright mind and quick feet to great effect.

The 22-year-old averages 15.3 metres per progressive ball carry – the best in LaLiga – meaning his directness on the ball is a real standout quality.

Munoz, who scored six league goals last season, is also adaptable and can shine off the left or right wing, as well as in behind the centre-forward.

Rafael Leao (Portugal, AC Milan)

Reaching double figures for goals in each of his last five seasons with AC Milan, Leao marries strong end product with attacking dynamism to great effect.

Tall, lean and fast, the Portugal international has always been recognised as a match-winner in waiting, but until Max Allegri arrived at San Siro that was always as an out-and-out left-winger.

Now used in a roving striker’s role, as part of a front two, Leao has developed another string to his bow and shown he can adapt to playing down the middle. According to reports, the 27-year-old is being monitored by Manchester United and Chelsea.

Maghnes Akliouche (France, AS Monaco)

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Man Utd are said to be among the clubs keeping tabs on Monaco’s classy attacking midfielder.

Akliouche is a player with great imagination, smoothly cutting inside from the right or playing as a central No 10.

He topped Monaco’s rankings for chances created (44) and assists (six) last season, completing over 100 more passes inside the final third than any of his team-mates.

Sharp in tight spaces, and with an eye for opening rival teams up, Akliouche, now 24, looks ready to handle the challenge of Premier League football.

Lamine Camara (Senegal, AS Monaco)

Liverpool, Newcastle and Sunderland are all said to be keeping tabs on Monaco’s top-class central midfielder Camara.

The 22-year-old has been likened to N’Golo Kante as he is equally impressive on and off the ball. Very much the complete midfielder, the Senegal international destroys and creates in equal measure.

A fine technician, he created 35 chances and delivered four assists in Ligue 1 last season. Yet he is also hugely impressive when it comes to regaining possession, topping his club’s rankings for ball recoveries and duels won.

Capable of driving forward with the ball at his feet, and delivering accurate set pieces, Camara is an all-round gem.

Zion Suzuki (Japan, Parma)

Japan’s No 1 goalkeeper stands at 6ft 3in, with a muscular build, and is dominant when crosses come into his box, coming out to catch or punch the ball with conviction. His remarkable spring is regarded as a strength.

The 23-year-old Parma star uses his athletic frame very well when it comes to his shot-stopping too, building a reputation for making fabulous reflex saves.

These are qualities which have put the US-born player on the radar of several Premier League clubs across the last two years.

Valentin Barco (Argentina, Strasbourg)

Chelsea are being tipped to bring the former Brighton & Hove Albion youngster back to England from Strasbourg.

The Argentinian has played as a left-back and as a winger, but during his time at Strasbourg under Liam Rosenior and Gary O’Neil, the 5ft 7in star has become a highly rated central midfielder.

A master of the through-ball, Barco made 39 in Ligue 1 action last season, a full 22 more than Paris Saint-Germain's Vitinha and Ousmane Dembele, who were the next closest. Calm and intelligent on the ball, the 21-year-old is a young player with stacks of technical ability.

Players not at World Cup who might join Premier League

Hayden Hackney

The EFL Championship Player of the Season, Hackney is a box-to-box central midfielder who always sets the tone for Middlesbrough, making them tick with his willingness to get on the ball and make things happen.

Excellent at drifting into space, the 23-year-old captain averaged 2.65 shots per 90 last season and created a very impressive 2.29 chances per game too.

A return of five goals and seven assists does not do justice to the influence Hackney had for Boro across 2025/26. His injury issues late on in the campaign undoubtedly derailed their promotion campaign. Hackney is ready to make the step up, with Everton said to be leading the race of a number of Premier League clubs.

Imran Louza

Morocco international Louza was by some distance Watford’s standout player last season.

From a central-midfield berth he created 26 more chances than anyone else at the club, with 74, as well as attempting 17 more shots than any of his team-mates (85). Scoring seven times, and making nine assists, he was a real talisman for the side.

The 27-year-old left-footer, who has blossomed across the past two seasons, is a wonderful long-range passer who wants to take matches by the scruff of the neck, prompting moves from a box-to-box position.

Tough in the tackle too, he is a well-rounded midfield talent.

It is little wonder Brighton, Fulham and Everton are all reportedly interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

Leo Scienza

The Brazilian wide man lit up the Championship across 2025/26 with a string of stellar individual displays for Southampton.

No one in the division came close to matching his 11 direct goal involvements from ball carries (six goals, five assists) as he constantly raided with quality down the left.

Smooth on the ball, and an exceptionally quick dribbler, the 27-year-old ended his first year in English football with seven league goals and 10 assists.

There is reportedly interest from Brazilian club Palmeiras, but Everton and Leeds are also said to be keen on Scienza.

Christos Tzolis

Producing an incredible 17 goals and 23 assists for Club Brugge in the Belgian top flight last season, Tzolis is linked with a move to Arsenal this summer.

Those are top-class numbers for a left-winger, who is renowned for making smart decisions at decisive moments. A clinical finisher, but also unselfish when a better option is available, the 24-year-old Greece international is maturing into an outstanding player.

Tzolis, who played 14 Premier League matches for Norwich City in 2021/22, is a terrific dribbler with electric pace, but his two-footedness gives him the biggest advantage. He may prefer his right, but many of the 24-year-old’s goals and assists also came via his left too.

Left to right: Hayden Hackney, Imran Louza, Leo Scienza and Christos Tzolis

With the summer transfer window opening on Monday 15 June, football writer Alex Keble assesses each of the 20 Premier League clubs and the area each squad could strengthen with a new signing.

Arsenal – Direct left-winger

If Arsenal are to embrace their status as Premier League champions and “reach another level” by being “very ambitious, very fast and very smart,” as Mikel Arteta said after the UEFA Champions League final, they need to build an attack to match their world-leading defence.

The place to start is on the left wing, where only 33 per cent of their attacks were funnelled last season compared with 43 per cent down the right.

Arsenal's flank attacks 25/26

Arsenal are sometimes accused of playing too slowly in the final third, lacking directness or urgency outside of Bukayo Saka, and the stats agree.

The champions ranked eighth in the Premier League last season for take-ons attempted (700) and 10th for percentage of take-ons completed (38.9 per cent). A fast, dribbling left-winger could correct that.

Aston Villa – Creative No 10

Opta’s "Expected table", based on a team’s Expected Goals (xG) for and against, had Aston Villa all the way down in 12th, on 48.7 points, rather than their actual fourth. This discrepancy is explained by Villa’s remarkable tendency to score long-range goals.

Unai Emery’s side scored 14 goals from outside the box in 2025/26, helping them to outperform their xG by 7.8, the second-most in the division behind Tottenham Hotspur.

Aston Villa's goal map 25/26

While this is hugely impressive, and while Villa’s season-long form scoring screamers flies in the face of those who claim outperforming your xG is unsustainable, it suggests Villa could do with a player who has better accurate-passing creativity to create high-quality chances inside the box.

Bournemouth – Towering centre-back

It was a brilliant campaign for Bournemouth, which means little room for improvement, although a statistical deep dive tells us the Cherries need a new centre-back – and not just because Marcos Senesi left.

Bournemouth won 46.7 per cent of their aerial duels last season, the lowest figure in the Premier League after relegated Burnley. It might explain why Bournemouth conceded the highest xG from set-pieces in the division (18.3xG) and conceded the joint-second most goals from set-pieces (18).

When new head coach Marco Rose looks to replace Senesi, he will need to prioritise a commanding presence in the air.

Brentford – Consistent left-back

A magnificent first season for Keith Andrews was almost perfect, although there was one area that could improve, as evidenced by the fact the Brentford manager never quite settled on a first-choice left-back.

Rico Henry, Keane Lewis-Potter and Aaron Hickey alternated the role despite two of those players not being natural left-backs.

More quality in this position may be all it would have taken to win that one extra point Brentford needed to get into Europe: on the last day, Mohamed Salah had acres of space on Liverpool’s right to pick out a cross for the goal that denied the Bees that spot.

It followed a trend. Brentford shipped 52 goals last season, one more than 16th-place Nottingham Forest, and as the following graphic of Brentford’s concessions shows, far more were assisted from Brentford’s left byline than their right.

Brentford's goals conceded map 25/26

Brighton – Ruthless striker

Danny Welbeck enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career, registering 13 goals in the Premier League, but the 35-year-old cannot be relied upon indefinitely – and Welbeck aside, Brighton’s top league goalscorer was Diego Gomez, with five.

That statistics make it all the more remarkable Fabian Hurzeler’s side finished eighth and qualified for Europe, but with just seven points separating them and Liverpool in the Champions League places, who knows how far they could have gone with a reliable goalscorer.

Brighton underperformed their xG by 5.90 goals, the fourth-most in the division. Ruthlessness is, once again, all they are missing.

Chelsea – Defender with back-three know-how

Ten teams conceded fewer goals than Chelsea’s 52 and seven recorded a lower xG against than their 52.26.

That’s reason enough to seek defensive reinforcements, but it’s an even higher priority considering new manager Xabi Alonso tends to prefer a back three.

With an average starting XI age of 24 years and 191 days, the youngest team in the Premier League needs an experienced defender who can lead by example in a back three.

Coventry City – Experienced Premier League midfielder

Sunderland’s 2025/26 set a template for how to succeed following promotion, and it looks as though Frank Lampard is aware of that.

“There are so many stories about how hard that gap is to bridge and we know that,” the Coventry boss told Sky Sports last month. “We haven’t got Premier League experience. We haven’t got players who have really played there.”

Granit Xhaka’s experience – dictating the tempo, breaking up play, leading in the dressing-room – was invaluable to Sunderland, while the power in Leeds United’s midfield drove their safety. Coventry must follow their examples.

In the Championship last season, Coventry ranked bottom for interceptions (331), the lowest of the top six for recoveries (2,152), and 10th for percentage of ground duels won.

Crystal Palace – Goalscoring attacker

Palace need goals, and not just from a No 9.

They lacked a ruthless touch last season, not only recording the worst goals-to-expected-goals ratio (-17.18) but also ending with the lowest conversion rate in the division (9.28 per cent) after Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Tellingly, despite Oliver Glasner’s tactics focusing so heavily on counter-attacks, Palace failed to score a single goal from their 37 "fast breaks" in 2025/26.

Everton – Creative winger

Last season only two non-relegated teams scored fewer goals than Everton’s 47, and only three non-relegated teams created fewer "big chances" than their 53.

If Jack Grealish returns to Manchester City after his loan, Everton need creative support for Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Fulham – Creative winger

Harry Wilson is set to be out of contract at the end of this month but has been offered a new deal, after contributing 17 goals and assists in the Premier League last season, 36 per cent of Fulham’s total of 47.

Fulham were bottom of the Premier League for "big chances" created (41), while of the non-relegated teams only Sunderland had fewer shots on target than Fulham’s 140.

No matter who replaces Marco Silva in the dugout next season, Fulham may need to replace Wilson’s creativity from out wide if he decides not to stay.

Hull City – Experienced centre-back

Hull’s promotion was a huge upset, at least according to Opta’s "expected points" table, which had them all the way down in 23rd out of 24 clubs.

This is based on Hull’s defensive record. Their Expected Goals against total was 82.5, the second-highest in the Championship, but thanks to either luck or good goalkeeping they conceded 19.5 goals fewer than that.

Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic will know his defence needs reinforcements to cope with the step up.

Ipswich Town – Powerful centre-back

Ipswich know from recent experience what they need to do.

After conceding 82 goals in their previous Premier League season in 2024/25, Ipswich must improve their defence this time around to make more of an impact.

That season, only Man City and Chelsea completed fewer tackles than Ipswich’s 589. A battling, aggressive centre-back would help correct that.

Leeds United – Dribbling winger

Daniel Farke’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation facilitated Leeds’ climb away from relegation trouble, but the one downside of the system is a lack of space for Wilfried Gnonto.

Leeds lack pace and dribbling ability out wide. They attempted 608 take-ons last season, the sixth-fewest in the Premier League, and only 35.2 per cent of their take-ons were successful, which was the fourth-lowest.

Leeds also played the joint-fewest through-balls (28). A bit more invention, especially out wide, can help Farke’s side build on an impressive first year back.

Liverpool – Salah-style right-winger

It goes without saying that Salah’s departure leaves a hole on Liverpool’s right, and despite the clear need for a centre-back, especially after Ibrahima Konate's exit, the biggest concern is how to replace Salah’s goals and assists.

Even in a relatively poor season by his standards, Salah hit 14 goals and assists in just 23 starts.

The only recognisable right-wingers in the squad now are 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa. New manager Andoni Iraola – whose Bournemouth were all about their fast wingers – will want more.

Manchester City – Metronomic central midfielder

Bernardo Silva’s departure only exacerbates an issue that plagued Man City’s 2025/26, a season arguably defined by their very un-Guardiola-like struggle to control the tempo, slow things down, and prevent spacious midfield battles.

City missed a player to dictate the play. It is telling that last season City’s "direct speed" of 1.6 metres/second was their highest for six years, while their total number of build-up attacks was the lowest since Pep Guardiola’s somewhat chaotic opening season in charge.

Season Direct speed (m/s) Build-up attacks 2016/17 1.91 174 2017/18 1.80 247 2018/19 1.69 260 2019/20 1.64 252 2020/21 1.56 220 2021/22 1.56 276 2022/23 1.48 225 2023/24 1.38 294 2024/25 1.43 244 2025/26 1.60 202

If Enzo Maresca, the reported leading contender to replace Guardiola, does come in and instil his slow, chess-inspired (and Pep-inspired) possession football, he may target a new deep-lying playmaker.

Manchester United – Roving central midfielder

It is widely reported Man Utd are in the hunt for central midfielders, with BBC Sport and The Athletic reporting they have agreed a deal to sign Atalanta's Brazilian Ederson.

It has been a problem area for the club for a while, and despite the improved performance of the now-departed Casemiro and a return to the starting XI for Kobbie Mainoo, United’s average possession share (51.6 per cent) was their second-lowest in the last 10 years while their number of open-play passing sequences greater than 10 was their lowest in a decade.

Season Possession No. 10+ pass open-play sequences 2016/17 56.6% 473 2017/18 55.2% 511 2018/19 54.5% 436 2019/20 55.9% 480 2020/21 55.6% 562 2021/22 52.2% 438 2022/23 53.7% 423 2023/24 50.4% 404 2024/25 53.5% 470 2025/26 51.6% 410

Newcastle United – Clinical wide forward

One telling stat captures why Eddie Howe’s transition-focused tactics worked less well in 2025/26: Newcastle had 37 "fast breaks", the seventh-most in the Premier League, but scored just three "fast break" goals, the 15th-most.

For Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa to improve on their debut campaigns up front, Newcastle need clinical delivery and finishing from out wide, especially after Anthony Gordon’s sale to Barcelona.

Nottingham Forest – Second striker

Vitor Pereira got a tune out of Forest towards the end of the season by moving to a 4-4-2 formation, but if that is to stay, he may need a striker who can drop off the front to help the system shift into something closer to a 4-2-3-1.

Morgan Gibbs-White was the club’s top Premier League goalscorer, with 15, and the next highest was Igor Jesus, with six.

Jesus and Chris Wood both struggled to find the back of the net. Forest’s conversion rate of 10.1 per cent was the fourth-worst in the division last season.

Sunderland – No 10

Head coach Regis Le Bris will need reinforcements to juggle European and domestic football, which will force a rethink in how Sunderland set up: they made 63 changes to their Premier League starting XIs last season, the joint-fewest in the competition.

They also took just 396 shots, the fewest of the non-relegated clubs, and produced an xG of 38.9, with only Wolves and Burnley lower.

Enzo Le Fee was excellent in the No 10 role, but Sunderland lack depth in that position.

Tottenham Hotspur – Aggressive left-winger

Roberto De Zerbi’s football relies upon creating "artificial transitions", baiting the opposition into pressing his centre-backs, who, passing out from the back and through that press, trigger attacking scenarios that look a lot like counter-attacks.

When it works, it creates one-on-ones out wide and opportunities for aggressive wingers to burst into the final third (think Kaoru Mitoma at De Zerbi’s Brighton). It should suit Mohammed Kudus on the right, but Spurs lack options on the left.

Between them, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert contributed seven Premier League goals and assists in 2,325 minutes of action in 2025/26, or 0.27 per 90.

As the following graphic shows, few of Spurs’ assists last season were built down their left.

Spurs' goals and assists 25/26

Ahead of 2026/27 Fantasy Premier League, The Scout analyses some of the biggest transfers of the summer 2026 window.

Marcos Senesi has joined Tottenham Hotspur from AFC Bournemouth on a free transfer, where he's just had his best season in Fantasy Premier League.

The Argentinian amassed 175 points in 2025/26, making him Fantasy's third highest-scoring defender.

He racked up 11 clean sheets, six assists, 14 bonus points and, perhaps most importantly, a massive 50 points from defensive contributions (DC), more than any other defender.

He reached the required threshold for two DC points in 25 of his 37 starts, an impressive success rate of 67.6 per cent.

Top defenders for defensive contribution points 25/26

Player DC pts Team Matches played Senesi 50 BOU 37 Tarkowski 44 EVE 37 Andersen 40 FUL 33 Lacroix 40 CRY 35 Esteve 38 BUR 34

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The big question is whether Senesi will maintain his success with defensive contributions after switching teams. Is it something Senesi will offer in Fantasy at ANY club?

Notably, his fellow Bournemouth defender James Hill also performed well for defensive contributions in 2025/26. Despite starting only 22 matches over the season, he returned 28 DC points, a total bettered by just 10 defenders.

This suggests the Cherries' style of play helped their centre-backs to rack up defensive contributions, and that Senesi's success last season was largely due to who he was playing for, rather than something he will naturally offer for any club.

Do Spurs centre-backs get defensive contributions?

Let's look at how Spurs' centre-backs performed in their seven matches under Roberto De Zerbi at the end of last season, after he took charge ahead of Gameweek 32.

Only two defenders managed to return defensive contributions points in that period - Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro.

But the pair did so consistently, each hitting the threshold in five of their seven appearances. Danso's tally, intriguingly for Senesi as a centre-back, came in just 572 minutes played.

See: Why Senesi looks a perfect fit for De Zerbi's Spurs

On the flip side, Micky van de Ven, who played every minute under De Zerbi, failed to get any DC points. In fact, he never got close - his best tally in a match was seven defensive contributions, which he only managed once.

This suggests De Zerbi has clearly defined roles in his back four which has a big impact on which players get defensive contributions, and that Senesi's potential will depend on who he replaces in the Lilywhites' backline.

How Spurs defenders performed under De Zerbi (GW32-GW38)

Player DC pts Matches Mins Danso 10 7 572 Porro 10 7 630 Van de Ven 0 7 630 Romero 0 1 63 Spence 0 6 279 Udogie 0 6 487 Dragusin 0 2 17

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Senesi also offers attacking returns

Importantly, Senesi isn't solely reliant on defensive contributions. Only two defenders got more assists last season than his six.

Defenders with most assists 25/26

Player Total Team Nunes 8 MCI Digne 7 AVL Timber 6 ARS Hartman 6 BUR Senesi 6 BOU Truffert 6 BOU James 6 CHE Dalot 6 MUN Diouf 6 WHU

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Although it is rare for a central defender to produce that many assists, his Expected Goal Involvement tally of 6.2 suggests Senesi more or less delivered the goal contributions that he deserved over the season.

The 29-year-old laid on seven big chances for his team-mates, ranking joint-third among all defenders, and created a chance every 137 minutes.

Senesi also showed his attacking threat two seasons previously, in 2023/24, returning four goals and five assists for Bournemouth.

So, will he offer the same attacking returns at Spurs?

Encouragingly, Spurs' first-choice centre-backs Van de Ven and Cristian Romero scored eight goals between them in 2025/26.

There is other data that suggests Spurs will give Senesi chances from set-plays. Only five players took more successful corners than right-back Pedro Porro in 2025/26, and midfielder James Maddison's return from injury should also increase the set-piece threat.

So, will Senesi be a good Fantasy asset in 2026/27?

It remains to be seen whether Senesi can carry over his impressive Fantasy form at his new club.

Spurs have six senior centre-backs in their squad, which suggests that - barring any departures - Senesi will have to fight for his place at the start of the season.

However, there are encouraging conclusions to be drawn. The Argentinian's underlying attacking data is strong, and Danso has proved there is potential for regular defensive contribution points from a centre-back in De Zerbi's Spurs team.

As the FIFA World Cup kicks off, Premier League fans will see plenty of familiar faces – and a few unfamiliar ones – as the tournament unfolds across the USA, Mexico and Canada over the next five weeks.

Here’s everything Premier League fans should look out for during the summer’s festival of football:

World Cup key dates

Group stage: 11 June to 27 June

Round of 32: 28 June to 3 July

Round of 16: 4 July to 7 July

Quarter-finals: 9 July to 11 July

Semi-finals: 14 July to 15 July

Third-place play-off ('Bronze final'): 18 July

Final: 19 July

Premier League players participating

The Premier League will have more representatives than any other league in the world and they will undoubtedly be some of the stars of the tournament.

As expected, England have the most Premier League stars, with 22 of the 26-man squad featuring – including recent Premier League winners Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Noni Madueke at Arsenal, and Manchester City players James Trafford, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, John Stones, who they pipped to the title.

The Netherlands have the next most, with an impressive 15. Among them are Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, previous Premier League winners at Liverpool, and Tijjani Reijnders, who helped Man City lift the FA Cup and EFL Cup last season.

Belgium and Senegal each have eight Premier League representatives. Spain, Norway, France and Portugal all have seven.

Following a standout season for Man City, Rayan Cherki will play in his first World Cup for France.

Team-mate Erling Haaland, who wasn’t born the last time Norway qualified, will spearhead his country’s attack.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, the EA SPORTS Player of the Season who broke the assists record, will aim to win it with Portugal.

Man City with most representatives

Every Premier League club from the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons – including relegated and promoted sides – has at least one player taking part.

Man City lead the way, with an extraordinary 19 squad players involved across 12 countries, including Abdukodir Khusanov – the first Uzbek to appear in the Premier League – representing World Cup debutants Uzbekistan, and four England players.

Arsenal follow with 15 representatives, four of whom are in the England squad.

Trailing them, Man Utd have 13, while Crystal Palace and Sunderland each have 12 players represented.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have 11. Newly-promoted Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town each have two.

Team-mate clashes

The World Cup always throws up the exciting prospect of Premier League team-mates, who train and play alongside each other all season, facing each other on the biggest stage.

Group L is likely to produce the most clashes, particularly in England’s fixtures.

The Man City contingent – which includes Trafford, though as backup goalkeeper he is unlikely to play – can face Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in their opening match against Croatia, then January arrival Antoine Semenyo when England meet Ghana.

England v Croatia - Wednesday 17 June, kick-off 21:00 BST

England v Ghana - Tuesday 23 June, kick-off 21:00 BST

In Group E, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, representing Germany, could come up against club colleague Piero Hincapie of Ecuador.

Ecuador v Germany - Thursday 25 June, kick-off 21:00 BST

Group L and E

Group L Group E England Germany Croatia Curacao Ghana Ivory Coast Panama Ecuador

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero and new signing Marcos Senesi could find themselves on the opposite side of the pitch to club team-mate Kevin Danso when Argentina face Austria in Group J.

Argentina v Austria - Monday 22 June, kick-off 18:00 BST

And while not club colleagues, Group I will pit Norway against France, meaning striker Haaland and centre-back William Saliba are likely to rekindle their club rivalry of recent years.

Norway v France - Friday June 26, kick-off 20:00 BST

Group J and I

Group J Group I Argentina France Algeria Senegal Austria Iraq Jordan Norway