Premier League
Arsenal end a 22-year wait with their 14th title and aim to make history by winning the Champions League final against PSG. Ben Elliot/Unsplash

The curtains finally fell on this season's English Premier League title race, with the league title already destined for Emirates Stadium, North London, regardless of Arsenal's final clash with fellow London rivals Crystal Palace.

The match against the Eagles was merely a formality; Mikel Arteta's men were already crowned EPL champions following City's 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth.

That result ended any last-minute surge or dramatic attempt by Pep Guardiola's team to snatch the EPL title from the Gunners. Arsenal's league triumph is the club's 14th in its 139-year history.

IBT Times, in this special report, reviews the winners, surprises, and flops of the recently concluded 2025/26 English Premier League season.

The Biggest Winners

Arsenal

Arsenal undeniably tops the list.

The North London club's all-hype-and-no-substance aura had often led critics and fans to doubt and dismiss its potential as a serious title threat. Usually seen as a top-four contender, the idea of Arsenal winning the Premier League was mocked and considered far-fetched.

The club was often written off before the season began. Even Thierry Henry, a club legend, expressed disappointment over the Gunners' inconsistency and lack of form in recent years in his post-match reaction on CBS Sports Golazo, after Arsenal's victory over Atlético secured a Champions League final berth.

This season, Arsenal shed the 'bottler' tag by winning their first league title in 22 years and their 14th in history. This achievement is remarkable, especially after finishing second three consecutive times.

Former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger, who last led the club to an EPL title in 2003-2004, celebrated the feat. ESPN quoted him saying, 'You did it. Champions go on when others stop. This is your time. Now, go and enjoy every moment.'

The Gunners now have the chance to make this season truly historic by winning the UEFA Champions League final against PSG in Budapest on May 30.

The Gunners would get the opportunity to make this season a memorable and historic one for them by winning the UEFA Champions League final against PSG in Budapest come May 30.

Aston Villa

From Randy Lerner, Villa's former American owner, to Chinese investor Tony Xia, and finally to NSWE, a consortium of Egyptian and American investors, Villa's ownership changes reflect the club's tumultuous journey to stability and greatness.

The Midlands club was a former European powerhouse and Premier League force, winning the league seven times, the FA Cup seven times, League Cup five times, and the European Cup and Super Cup once each.

Its history remains stellar in English football. Recent success in Europe and a top-four finish—after a shaky start with just three points from five matches and being the only team in England's top seven divisions without a goal, according to The Athletic—signaled a turnaround.

Villa won 18 of 37 league games to secure a Champions League spot, pushing Liverpool out of the top four. With UCL qualification secured, Unai Emery's men capped their efforts by winning another European trophy for the club after 43 years.

Manchester United

A falling football power wobbled, struggled, and traumatised millions of fans worldwide. United's indomitable aura seemed to have left with Sir Alex Ferguson when he retired in 2013. Before his exit, the Red Devils won 38 trophies under him.

His haul includes 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups, and four League Cups, according to the BBC. Since then, the club has struggled to replicate that success under successive managers.

The managerial carousel at United hampered progress. The revolving door of interim and permanent managers—David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Erik ten Hag—has held the club back from regaining its fearless aura.

Another attempt with Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim, recruited from Sporting Lisbon to replace Ten Hag, also failed. As reported in THT Sports, Amorim's 14 months at United saw poor results: a 15th-place finish last season and sixth midway through this season before he was sacked in January.

He was replaced by former United player Michael Carrick as interim. Carrick, who won 11 of 15 games, steadied the ship, finished third, and secured Champions League qualification—deserving applause. He saved what looked like another catastrophic season and earned a permanent deal.

Man City

Since the 2008 Arab takeover, City has been a consistent title contender, recording domestic successes under previous managers.

However, City's Premier League bid became more prominent under Pep Guardiola—who recently confirmed his departure. Guardiola won six league titles, along with domestic cups and one UCL trophy. Yet, their dominance has been challenged by Liverpool and Arsenal, with both clubs beating City to the EPL title in recent years.

This season, Arsenal delivered a title heartbreak, but Guardiola's side was consoled by FA Cup and Carabao Cup wins against Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively.

The Surprise Packages

Sunderland

It's a tradition for newly promoted sides in the Premier League to cause a stir.

The Black Cats continued this after returning to a league they had been part of for 10 years before relegation in 2017.

Regis Le Bris's men impressed, finishing 10th with 57 points in 37 games.

They ended strongly, beating Everton 3-1 away.

Bournemouth

There is little to say about The Cherries and their management's ability to keep the team competitive after dismantling the core of the 2024/25 season through massive transfer sales.

The Cherries were targeted by European and EPL heavyweights, with lucrative offers for their players. Andoni Iraola—who confirmed his exit this season—watched helplessly as Dane international Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid for £50m, Milo Kerkez moved to Liverpool for £40m, Illia Zabarnyi left for PSG for an undisclosed fee, and Ghana international Dennis Semenyo joined City for £64m.

Their exits required new players, but those who arrived blended well, helping the Vitality Stadium side finish sixth and secure a European spot.

The Losers

Chelsea

The West London club, known as the Blues, has seen its performances this season pale compared to previous ones. Renowned for competing in the EPL title race and for a top-four finish, Chelsea are considered no push-over.

However, recent league displays have left fans and critics wondering what went wrong. The management couldn't stop the decline despite changes in the coaching department—John Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino—and investments in the squad.
Despite winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup last season under Italian and former boss Enzo Maresca, they failed to maintain momentum into the current EPL season.

According to Mirror, Maresca's poor results—just one win in seven games—led club owners to appoint Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior as his replacement.

Rosenior's tenure lasted only 106 days, despite signing a five-year deal. The former Strasbourg coach was dismissed after a poor run of 11 wins in 23 matches across all competitions, BBC reports.

Calum McFarlane was brought in on an interim basis to finish the season. Chelsea ended eighth, outside the top four, and trophyless.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs! The EPL pretenders, considered a dark horse outside the top four to challenge for the title. Despite promising flashes of greatness in past years, the Lillywhites have failed to own their 'dark horse' tag.

They showed a glimpse of greatness in the 2019 UCL final as debutants, losing 1-0 to Liverpool. But they couldn't replicate that success domestically or in Europe, as inconsistent displays, managerial upheaval, and key star departures left the squad wobbly.

An underwhelming 2024/25 season was salvaged by a Europa Cup win in Bilbao against Manchester United. But the victory wasn't enough; former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou was dismissed.

Since his exit, Spurs have had two managers—Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor—walk in and out before appointing Italian and former Marseille coach Jonathan De Zerbi.

Zerbi's arrival was to rescue a club in relegation waters and secure EPL top-flight status for next season.

West Ham

The Hammers complete the set of London clubs with an underwhelming EPL season. East Londoners have never been serious title contenders but are expected to have a good league run.

Expectations are realistic for league and Europe; achievements like the 2023 UEFA Conference League 2-1 victory against Fiorentina are seen as bonuses.

Like Spurs, the Hammers declined under Nuno Espirito Santo, brought in September 2025 to replace Graham Potter.

From winning the UEFA Conference Cup just three years ago to losing Premier League status, the Hammers' fall from grace is stark.

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