Premier League 2026-27 preseason winners and losers
Who has excelled and who has seemingly struggled to get into their best form ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season?
Premier LeagueAFC BournemouthArsenalAston Villa
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There is no exact science for how to predict the upcoming 2026-27 Premier League season. Part of the sport's constant allure is that, for the most part, it is literally unpredictable.
One way to attempt to do so is to look at what happened last season -- where Arsenal pipped Manchester City to the title and Tottenham Hotspur were very nearly relegated. But, with nine clubs hiring a new manager (including City and Spurs), as well as a host of transfer incomings and goings, that doesn't quite work.
The other option is to look at preseason, the time when clubs prepare for the upcoming campaign with warm-up matches played far and wide. While not entirely helpful -- Andreas Pereira was once nicknamed the "Preseason Pirlo" by Manchester United fans for his amazing performances in friendlies only to make a limited impact each season -- they can at least be instructive for what is to come.
So who has performed well this preseason, and who has seemingly struggled in the early showings?
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WINNERS Wonderkids | Igor Jesus Antoine Semenyo | Xabi Alonso
LOSERS Liverpool defense | Preseason injuries Enzo Maresca | Grealish and Maddison
WINNERS
Wonderkids Dowman, Ngumoha, Madjo
Max Dowman earned a surprise nomination for the PFA's Young Player of the Season award despite starting just a single Premier League game for Arsenal. That might have been down to his age -- at 16 years old, he has only just completed his first set of school exams -- but those hoping he will earn more playing time in the coming months will be delighted with his preseason.
The talented winger shone brightly in a 4-1 preseason victory over Girona earlier this month, during which he earned a goal and an assist. However, Dowman received similar hype last summer after friendly appearances in Asia against AC Milan and Newcastle United, so his future first-team minutes are by no means guaranteed.
Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha is also hoping to get more playing time, along with a chorus of fans who demanded to see him more at the end of last season. The 17-year-old has started in three of the club's four preseason games so far, although Cody Gakpo's late return from the World Cup will have contributed to that.
Still, Ngumoha has looked bright, and he scored the only goal in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Wrexham during their tour of the U.S.
However, the most prolific teenager in preseason must be Aston Villa's Brian Madjo. He joined Villa in a £10 million deal from Metz on his 17th birthday in January and has had something of a breakout. He has four goals this preseason -- he scored twice against Walsall, before further strikes against Real Sociedad and an Indonesia league All Stars team. That was all a prelude to the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, where Madjo scored Villa's only goal in a 2-1 defeat to PSG and could have had more.
Previously, Madjo was not allowed to play for Villa at any level due to a FIFA regulation prohibiting international transfers of players under the age of 18. However, The Athletic reports that Villa successfully appealed that ruling this summer.
Madjo can now make his Premier League debut if manager Unai Emery wishes to include him, although it is worth mentioning that the teenager's goal-scoring form has come while first-choice striker Ollie Watkins has been on an extended break following the World Cup.
Nottingham Forest striker Igor Jesus
Jesus was a constant for Nottingham Forest last season, no matter which of their four managers -- Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vítor Pereira -- was in charge.
The Brazilian striker's goal tally was not all that impressive as he managed just six in 37 Premier League appearances. However, there is room for optimism.
Four of Jesus' goals came in the final eight games of the campaign, and he has followed that up with prolific form in preseason play.
He has four goals in consecutive matches for Forest, including in a 2-1 defeat to Sporting CP.
Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo
Semenyo assisted five of City's six goals in preseason in their games against Inter Milan (1-1), K-League All-Stars (3-1) and Atlético Madrid (3-1).
The winger was a revelation in the Premier League last season, scoring 17 goals in 37 games across appearances for Bournemouth and City, as well as providing four assists.
If his preseason form is anything to go by, Semenyo will continue to be heavily involved in City's attack next season.
New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso
Walking into a new club is never easy, but Chelsea boss Alonso will take comfort in the preparation he has been able to enjoy. The Spaniard was appointed in May before officially starting on July 9, meaning he has had more time than most new managers to take stock of his side and plan for the new season.
Alonso has also had the benefit of having plenty of senior players available in the preseason. With most of Chelsea's rivals having to rush players back from post-World Cup breaks before the season, Alonso has been able to spend time with stars João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Estêvão, while other senior players such as Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato and Robert Sánchez have also been available.
Pedro has been one of Chelsea's best performers in preseason with five goals -- he netted a hat trick against Western Sydney Wanderers and two against AC Milan.
However, it hasn't all been smooth sailing: Chelsea lost 2-1 to Tottenham in Sydney, followed by a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong.
LOSERS
Liverpool's ailing defense
The lack of defensive options will have been a worry for Iraola, who has since been given Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo on a season-long loan move. That will help provide cover, but the rock of their defense is a 35-year-old Virgil van Dijk, who started all 68 of his appearances for club and country last season, including the World Cup, totting up a staggering 6,051 minutes. It remains to be seen if he can be a similarly reliable force this season.
Preseason injuries
You could argue that the preseason often brings more to lose than to gain. While it is a chance to regain match fitness, an injury during preseason training or an exhibition match always feels particularly cruel.
There will be few less fortunate players this summer than Bournemouth's Junior Kroupi, who broke out last season and was widely linked with a big-money move to one of Europe's elite clubs. Now, that will have to wait.
The 20-year-old striker suffered a foot injury during a preseason tour of Austria and has since undergone surgery. He faces up to four months out injured, meaning he might have to wait until January to begin his second season in the Premier League.
Kroupi is not alone in picking up an injury this summer. Aston Villa are enduring a spate of knee injuries, including to midfielder Amadou Onana, who suffered a ruptured ACL in July, while his teammate John McGinn landed awkwardly on his knee in a preseason friendly, though he will be fit for the start of the season. New signing Johan Manzambi is also nursing a knee injury, sustained while playing at the World Cup for Switzerland, and could miss the start of the season.
There was positive news, though, for Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga. He was stretchered off after a horror tackle from Valencia defender José Gayà, who was swiftly shown a red card. Elanga was later ruled OK, with just a bruised shin, and should be back in time for Newcastle's Premier League opener.
New Man City manager Enzo Maresca
But one early issue for Maresca has been his lack of time with those stars. City players collectively clocked just under 5,000 minutes at the World Cup, and stars such as Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku, Rodri, Marc Guéhi, Nico O'Reilly and new signing Elliot Anderson made deep runs at the tournament.
Many of those returned only this week, with their first chance at first-team football coming in this weekend's Community Shield against Arsenal.
It must be said, Maresca still found a way to win two of City's three preseason games, and the issue is entirely outside of his control. It is still an early hurdle for him to clear, though.
Lacking fitness: Jack Grealish and James Maddison
In a parallel universe, Grealish and Maddison have been late returners this preseason after a glittering World Cup campaign with England. That isn't the case, though.
Both players missed the World Cup with injury. In Grealish's case, he missed the final four months of last season with a foot injury, meaning his loan from Manchester City to Everton was terminated early.
Grealish returned to training last month, although he was excluded from City's preseason tour of Asia, instead staying behind to work on his fitness in Manchester.
ESPN's Rob Dawson reported on July 29 that no decisions have been made about where Grealish might play next season. He's under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2027.
Maddison has had a similarly quiet preseason. The midfielder missed almost the entirety of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and he has not played a minute this preseason due to a minor hip issue.
