For Charleston soccer fans with a keen interest in the English Premier League, the 2025/26 season is shaping up to be a potential classic.
It was Liverpool who managed to claim the English crown last season, but there are a handful of sides who will be going all out to stop the Reds from getting their hands on the famous trophy again this term.
American-Backed Liverpool Determined to Stay Ahead of the Pack
Lifting the trophy for just the second time in the history of the English Premier League last season, Liverpool are plotting how to win back-to-back titles for the first time in this competition. The Reds, who are +163 in the online betting to win the Premier League this season, finished 10 points clear at the top of the standings last term. Arsenal, who are +225 title contenders according to sports betting tips this season, had to settle for second place for a third season in a row. Liverpool’s success last season was even more impressive considering it came in new head coach Arne Slot’s first year in charge.
U.S. fans of the Reds might well have been concerned following Jürgen Klopp’s decision to retire from management at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Liverpool’s American owners in the Fenway Sports Group decided Slot was the man to take the wheel, and the decision proved to be a masterstroke. With much of the same roster that played under Klopp in the German’s final season at Anfield, Slot was able to turn that team into title winners. However, it’s one thing getting to the top and another thing staying there.
Chelsea Looking to Make Up Ground
American-led consortium BlueCo have shown their determination to take Chelsea back to the top of the English game, and the West London outfit are certainly contenders for the title this season. Controlling owner Todd Boehly, who is also co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has overseen an overhaul of the squad since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. There are signs the team is moving in the right direction, and some fans from Charleston got the opportunity to witness the team up close, as Chelsea played in Charlotte, North Carolina on their way to winning this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup on American soil. Also winning a European title in the Conference League last season, the Blues are getting that winning feeling under boss Enzo Maresca.
While U.S.-based Chelsea fans will be excited by what their side can do this season, Arsenal and Manchester City will likely make this a potential four-horse race for the English crown. Arsenal have been the nearly men of the competition in recent years, but head coach Mikel Arteta will be hoping their recruitment over the summer can take the Gunners over that final hurdle. Meanwhile, Man City will be eager to get back to the top of the pile after their four-year winning streak for the Premier League title was broken by Liverpool last season.
With interest in Charleston and across the U.S., there will be plenty following the action across the pond in the Premier League this season. American-backed Liverpool and Chelsea, along with Arsenal and Man City, could make this 2025/26 title race one for the ages.