A Singaporean Guide To The New Premier League Season

Walk around Singapore long enough and you are almost guaranteed to encounter English Premier League football.

The colleague who cannot stop raving about Arsenal’s recent title win and singing "London forever". The friend chat group that somehow turns every conversation into Manchester United vs Liverpool banter. The uncle at the kopitiam who has supported Nottingham Forest since the 70s. The Tottenham fan who insists this is finally going to be "our year" (mind you, they’ve nearly been relegated twice in the last 2 years).

Singapore has somehow developed a remarkably deep relationship with the competition. Could it be our colonial past? Could it be the need to associate ourselves with successful sports teams to validate our identity? Is this getting too philosophical?

As Singapore football enjoys something of a renewed buzz following the ASEAN Hyundai Cup and the arrival of global football icon Keisuke Honda at FC Jurong, it feels like a good time to look at the footballing institution that has long dominated our screens, living rooms, group chats and weekend plans: welcome to the Premier League.

The 2026/27 season is only entering its second week, but already it feels like we have entered a different era.

So, if you are a lifelong football obsessive, a lapsed fan looking for a reason to come back, or someone whose knowledge of the Premier League begins and ends with "Salah plays for Liverpool, right?", here is your Singaporean guide to the new season.

First things first: who are you supporting?

In Singapore, football allegiance can sometimes feel almost hereditary. Fathers pass down their club support to their offspring. I know friends who were baptised in Man U red long even before they could pronounce Eric Cantona.

Even our local football content creators have turned club allegiance into part of their identities. Take Sean Chan, @seanchankw on Instagram who proudly bills himself as "Singapore’s #1 Arsenal fan".

If you are completely new to the Premier League, the traditional route is obvious: pick one of the big clubs and prepare your mental health to be decided by 11 men kicking a ball at a different time zone.

But of course, if you want to be one of those hipster fellas, and want to be contrarian for the sake of it, we got you fam.

You could choose Newcastle United and embrace the Geordie passion. Brighton if you like clubs that punch above their weight. Brentford if you enjoy smart recruitment and an underdog mentality. Fulham if you want a London club without immediately jumping onto the Arsenal-Chelsea-Tottenham merry-go-round. Sorry mate, no West Ham United this time around.

There is no wrong answer. But only one answer. We don’t accept club hoppers who abandon their teams when the going gets tough. Bless you, Man City fans.

The Premier League has entered a new era

The biggest reason this season feels different is the number of new faces in the dugout.

Manchester City are beginning life after Pep Guardiola, whose decade-long reign transformed the club into one of English football’s greatest modern dynasties. What else is there to say about this modern coaching legend? Well, a lot, judging by the Guardiola documentary streaming now on Amazon Prime.

The Manchester City manager stepped down at the end of last season after winning 6 Premier League titles, including four in a row. But to be fair they have been somewhat of a gradual decline in the last few years.

His replacement? Enzo Maresca, Guardiola’s former assistant coach, who already has the enormous task of proving that Manchester City can remain Manchester City without the man who defined them for a generation.

Luckily, Maresca’s first two league games have already produced wins over Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. Could we be seeing a Haaland-led revival?

Speaking of former champions, Liverpool are starting the season once again under new leadership. Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot, who was sacked after a woeful title defence.

As a Liverpool fan, I have high hopes that the Spanish coach can bring back some of the heavy metal football we were known for under Jurgen Klopp.

However, we are currently nursing a Salah-shaped hole in our attack, as our Egyptian King has left the club after 9 glorious seasons. We just signed a French phenom in Bradley Barcola before the end of the transfer window. Could he be the one to transform our fortunes?

And then there is Chelsea, where former Real Madrid coach, Xabi Alonso, is the man tasked with turning an enormously talented squad into a consistent title challenger.

That means three of England’s biggest clubs are entering the season with new managers. And that before we take into account Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham and Michael Carrick at Manchester United who came for their respective clubs towards the end of last season.

The only Big Six club with the same permanent manager from last season is Arsenal and Mikel Arteta. Is it any wonder they’re reigning champions?

The Gunners, or Set Piece FC, as I like to call them, look well poised to retain their title. They’ve kept most of their star players and poached key players from their rivals such as Bruno Guimares from Newcastle United and Eric Konsa from Aston Villa. They could genuinely make this a one-horse race unless the others clubs step up.

Exodus of star players

It is not just the managers who have changed.

Liverpool said goodbye to Mohamed Salah after his extraordinary 9-year spell at Anfield, during which he scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for the club and won two Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Manchester City have also lost World Cup-winning club player, Rodri, who joined Barcelona after 7 trophy-laden years at the club. For a team built around his extraordinary ability to control midfield, replacing the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is no small task. But they’ve seemingly done so with England defensive midfielder Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forrest.

Don’t forget Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, is still leading the team. For casuals, he was the undisputed socia media darling at the recent World Cup.

Memes aside, Haaland will be raring to go and clinch the Golden Boot award for the most goals scored by the end of the season. If City are going to remain title contenders, Haaland will almost certainly be central to that story.

Manchester United fans have also said goodbye to their Brazilian star Casemiro, who left when his contract expired after 4 seasons at Old Trafford.

In other words, some of the players who defined the Premier League for Singaporean fans over the past decade are no longer around. That opens the door for a whole new generation to take the mantle.

Meet the new stars

One of the most exciting names to watch is Bradley Barcola. At least for me, as an adopted Scouser.

The French winger moved from Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool in a blockbuster deal, with reports putting the package at around £120 million. He would become one of the biggest attacking signings of Liverpool’s new era under Iraola.

Chelsea have brought in Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. The England international was already one of the Premier League’s most exciting young attackers and have won the Europa League with the Midlands club. Now, he gets the chance to work under Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham have also added serious midfield pedigree with Sandro Tonali, who joined from Newcastle, and Matheus Fernandes, from West Ham United. After their recent flirtation with relegation, they’re hoping to make things right by splashing the cash.

Don’t ignore the promoted clubs

The Premier League welcomes 3 new clubs this season: Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town. Relatively modest clubs, with small fanbases, they’re hoping to write a fairytale ending to their season back in the big leagues.

Already, Hull have already announced themselves in spectacular fashion. On the opening weekend, they beat the mighty Manchester United 2-0, their first league victory over United in 52 years, one of the biggest shocks of the opening weekend.

Ipswich also made a winning return, beating Sunderland 2-1. Ipswich also has an irresistible pop-culture connection for music fans: the club is famously supported by Ed Sheeran, who grew up in Suffolk.

Coventry, meanwhile, have Chelsea legend Frank Lampard in charge and will be hoping to establish themselves in the top flight after a 25-year absence.

If you love an underdog story, keep tabs on these 3.

The contrarian’s choice

Are you a rebel? The type of person that goes against the grain?

Then try Brentford. They are one of the Premier League’s great examples of how clever recruitment and a clear footballing philosophy can compete with vastly richer clubs.

Brighton are another excellent choice for anyone who enjoys discovering players before they become household names. The South Coast club trashed reigning Europa League champions Aston Villa 4-0 last weekend and are hoping to slay more beasts.

Newcastle offer the passionate fan experience, big ambitions and one of English football’s most distinctive atmospheres, being the only major club in their region. Sorry, Sunderland doesn’t count.

Or go for Fulham, a historic London club that offers plenty of character without the overwhelming baggage of the traditional giants. They have a new coach in Alvaro Arbeloa who also happens to be a former Real Madrid gaffer and who has a point to prove after getting let go last season by the Spanish giants.

And who might be in trouble?

Crystal Palace are in danger after losing their long-time manager Oliver Glasner and suffering a difficult start.

Aston Villa are another concern after losing several important players and getting decimated by Brighton in the opening weekend. But who knows, they might surprise a lot of folks and come good in the end.

That is the beauty of the Premier League. Predictions made in August can look absolutely ridiculous by December.

Pick your player

If choosing a club feels like too much commitment, why not start with a player instead? It’s kind of like having a front row seat to a hero’s journey.

Watch Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz as he is looking to make up for a difficult debut campaign. Keep an eye on Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool as the new talisman of the Kop. Follow Barcola if his move to Anfield is completed.

Chelsea have Palmer and Rogers. Arsenal have Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. Manchester City has Haaland and Cherki. Manchester United have assist-king Bruno Fernandes and, perhaps most intriguingly, hometown boy Marcus Rashford, who returns after his spell with Barcelona and has a chance to rediscover his best form.

You don’t necessarily need to understand every tactical nuance. Just find a player you enjoy watching and start there.

For Singaporean fans, there has never been a better time to get involved

The Premier League is also making it easier for Singaporeans to follow the competition.

This season sees the launch of Premier League+, a streaming service specifically available in Singapore, offering access to all 380 Premier League matches live and on demand.

And if you want to turn watching football into something slightly more competitive, there is always Fantasy Premier League. Think of it as betting on a player’s performance during games, without losing money. Can’t promise it won't screw with your mental health though.

Pick your squad. Choose your captain. Spend way too much time obsessing over whether a £5.5 million midfielder is worth bringing in.

Then spend the next week explaining to your friends why your 2.1 million-point FPL season is coming.

The Premier League has become part of our weekend culture ever since its inception. It’s something we argue about with colleagues, watch with friends and inherit from our families.

Singapore football may be enjoying a renewed moment in the spotlight, but the Premier League remains the OG football league for many of us.

And this season, with new managers, new stars, new clubs and a changing generation of superstars, there has never been a better time to pick a side and join the conversation.

So, are you ready to watch some footy, lads?

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