Premier League: Stars and New Signings to Watch

The 2025/26 Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 15, with Liverpool vs Bournemouth opening the campaign and setting the early tone for a title defence at Anfield. Expect a fast audit of pre-season hype: are the champions as sharp as billed, and can Bournemouth spoil the party right away?

Liverpool

Liverpool arrives with a very different look after a blockbuster summer. Florian Wirtz brings line-breaking invention, Hugo Ekitike adds vertical threat, Jeremie Frimpong offers turbo width from wing-back/full-back lanes, and Milos Kerkez deepens the left side. Opening night should reveal how quickly those pieces mesh with the club’s pressing-and-possession blueprint.

Arsenal

Viktor Gyökeres gives Arsenal a true penalty-box focal point, pressing, hold-up play, and first-post runs—while Martin Zubimendi is the metronome to speed up (or slow down) Mikel Arteta’s midfield. Together, they’re meant to convert long spells of territory into clearer chances, especially away from home.

Manchester United

United still orbit Bruno Fernandes for chance creation and set-piece craft, but the attack gets a new gear with Matheus Cunha,a forward comfortable dropping off the line and driving at centre-backs. If the chemistry clicks early, United’s transitions should look far more dangerous than last term. (The reported fee was about £62.5m.)

The known quantities

Some things need no reintroduction: Erling Haaland remains the league’s ultimate penalty-area finisher; Mohamed Salah is still Liverpool’s surest route to goals plus assists; Bukayo Saka keeps Arsenal’s right flank humming with cut-backs and far-post arrivals. The question is less about output and more about how quickly new teammates elevate their strengths.

What to watch this first weekend

System fit: Do Liverpool’s newcomers keep the press intact while adding creativity?

Arsenal’s central timing: Does Zubimendi’s tempo unlock earlier entries to Gyökeres, cutting out an extra pass in the final third?

United’s transitions: Can Fernandes and Cunha connect quickly enough to punish teams that press high?

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