Watching the 2025/26 Premier League campaign draw to a rollercoaster end on Sunday afternoon, we have been treated to another blockbuster season from across England’s elite.
With Arsenal getting their hands on a first domestic crown in over two decades and a Champions League final fast approaching on the horizon, Spurs’ dramatic charge for survival also stole plenty of the headlines over the past few months.
With another record-breaking campaign now officially in the history books, we have taken an in-depth look at some of this season’s biggest talking points.
Arsenal cement their spot as England’s new poster boy
Settling for yet another silver medal finish among England’s elite during the 2024/25 campaign and failing to get their hands on a single piece of domestic silverware, Mikel Arteta opened proceedings back in August more than aware that he had a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders.
Nevertheless, despite suffering public FA Cup heartbreak as they fell to a 2-0 loss back in March, the Gunners came roaring back in a sensational fashion and shattered plenty of long-standing records.
Clinching a first Premier League title since way back in 2004 and fending off Man City’s late charge with time to spare eventually, Arsenal have also become the first club in top-flight history to go a whole campaign without receiving a red card or giving away a penalty.
Gaining a fearsome reputation for their defensive grit, the Gunners have cemented their spot as England’s new poster boy and they signed off their record-breaking domestic campaign with a 2-0 win away at Crystal Palace.
Crowned domestic title-winners for the first time in over two decades, Arteta’s full attention will now fall on Saturday’s trip to Budapest for their iconic Champions League showdown against reigning European champions PSG.
For the first time in 22 years, @Arsenal lift the Premier League trophy. pic.twitter.com/9WmZWEK7SG
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 24, 2026
Carrick’s sensational Old Trafford return
While there might have been plenty of raised eyebrows across the continent as Michael Carrick made a shock return to the Old Trafford dugout on a temporary basis, Manchester United have embarked on a seismic rise under their former midfielder.
Getting Carrick’s second tenure underway with a famous 2-0 win against arch-rivals Manchester City back in January, the Red Devils have found the mood around Old Trafford at the highest in recent memory.
Signing off the 2025/26 campaign with a stunning 3-0 victory away at Brighton on Sunday afternoon, United also eventually wrapped up a bronze medal finish with plenty of time to spare.
Likewise, booking a lucrative Champions League return for next season, it was no surprise that Carrick’s return to the red half of Manchester was made official prior to Sunday’s trip to the south coast and the 44-year-old has put pen to paper on a new deal.
Watching talismanic skipper Bruno Fernandes officially be crowned as the 2026 PFA Player of the Season, United supporters feel that they are a genuine title charge next year.
It’s Carrick, you know ❤️
We are delighted to announce Michael Carrick will continue as our head coach, having signed a new contract.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 22, 2026
Guardiola bids farewell to City
Although Manchester City might have eventually fallen short in the race to reclaim their Premier League crown this season, that was not the reason the Etihad was so emotional on Sunday afternoon.
Despite getting their hands on both the FA Cup and Carabo Cup respectively over the past few months, the iconic Pep Guardiola announced earlier in the week that he would be officially drawing a line under his historic decade-long spell in the blue half of Manchester.
Since arriving at the Etihad back in 2016, the Spanish tactician has cemented his spot as one of the greatest managers in Premier League history and it is almost impossible to see how the City hierarchy replace Guardiola over the summer.
With it confirmed prior to Sunday’s finale that the newly-developed and expanded North Stand at the Etihad Stadium will be named ‘The Pep Guardiola Stand’, the one-time Barcelona boss leaves the Premier League with an astonishing record.
Along with spearheading City to a maiden Champions League crown back in 2023, Guardiola secured 17 major trophies during his sensational 10-year stint and that also includes six individual domestic titles.
Pep Guardiola to step down after incredible decade as City Manager
https://t.co/u84AZYY23t pic.twitter.com/QYTPARaprO
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 22, 2026
Sunderland & Bournemouth upset the establishment
Having to come up via the Championship play-offs last summer, Sunderland opened their first Premier League campaign in eight years simply with their sights set on avoiding an immediate second-tier return.
However, signing off proceedings with another iconic performance at the Stadium of Light as they claimed a 2-1 victory against English heavyweights Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, Regis Le Bris’ side also punched a remarkable Europa League ticket in the process.
With the mood around Tyneside at a famous high, the Black Cats have firmly cemented their spot as the Premier League’s ultimate surprise package and they have a blockbuster European adventure pencilled in for next season.
While Andoni Iraola might have shockingly announced last month that he would be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, the ex-Rayo Vallecano boss wrote himself into Cherries folklore and leaves the Vitality as a modern era hero.
Following in the footsteps of Sunderland and shattering a string of personal records, Bournemouth booked their own respective Europa League spot and next season’s trips on the continent will be the first European campaign in their history.
And on this day in 2026, we qualified for the EUROPA LEAGUE https://t.co/C6kZbveEta pic.twitter.com/NzzwzbFlGg
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 24, 2026
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