Sunday, 31 May 2026
Another Premier League campaign done and dusted, and this was a dramatic one indeed. A historic end to Arsenal's dry streak, heartbreak in Europe, off-the-pitch theatrics up and down the table, and the departure of an iconic Premier League manager. Let's get into it.
A historic moment for Arsenal, who claimed their first title in 22 years, only to suffer the heartbreak of a penalty shootout defeat in the Champions League final, mere days later. Let's put that 22 years into perspective. The last time they won the title was before the Iraq war. Tony Blair was Prime Minister. There are whole alcohol-drinking adults in this world who have never known Arsenal as a credible title contender. It's been a while is what I'm saying. They had also hoped to add a first ever European title in this weekend's hotly anticipated final against PSG, but was not to be. That makes to 2 finals, 0 wins for Arsenal in the Champions League.
Elsewhere, a different sort of history made for Manchester City, who bid farewell to their longtime manager Pep Guardiola. The move comes as little surprise; the rumours had been swirling for months, while Pep himself has seemed to lack his usual lustre these past few years following City's Champions League triumph in 2023. He is to be replaced by former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, itself a tasty subplot for next season.
That segues nicely into the ongoing circus at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea started the season World Champions and spent much of the first half of the season competing in and around the top of the table, before yet another bust up between owners and manager over transfer policy resulted in then-manager Maresca handing in his resignation, with the club appointing the obviously unqualified Liam Rosenier. The resultant collapse is one for the history books (everyone making history this season it seems), with the club dropping down to tenth by season's end.
Elsewhere, Sunderland impressed, achieving European Qualification in their first season in the top flight. Bruno Fernandes lit up the league for Manchester United, breaking the assists record in the process. West Ham and Burnely were relegated, as predicted, with Wolverhampton Wanderers joining them in the drop.
So as you can see: quite the season of twists and surprises. Now let's get to some awards and the team of the season:
The Ephemeric Premier League Awards 2026:
Winners: Arsenal
Relegated: West Ham, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Player of the Year: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
U-21 Player of the Year: Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
Best Goalkeeper: David Raya (Arsenal)
Top Scorer: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) (27)
Most Assists: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) (21)
Manager of the Year: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
Best signing of the season: Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)
Worst signing of the season: Alexander Isak (Liverpool)
The Ephemeric Premier League Team of the Season 2026:
So there we have it, another season of Premier League football gone by. We'll see you again next season!
