Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for a league title, Pep Guardiola ended a 10-year stay at Manchester City, Liverpool’s title defence ended early and West Ham battled Spurs in one of the most compelling relegation battles for ages. Oh and goals from corners — lots and lots of goals from corners.That’s a quick snapshot of the 2025-26 Premier League season, but there was so much more to it. Allow Oli Kay, Michael Cox, Sarah Shephard, Stu James and Tim Spiers to ruminate on the highs and lows of the campaign.I’ll remember this season as…Michael Cox: Very bad in terms of the entertainment factor of matches individually, fairly poor in terms of quality at the top — but, on the flip side, more interesting than usual in terms of the title battle and the relegation fight. Arsenal’s 1-0 win at West Ham, a decisive match at both ends, was supremely tense — and that’s what you want in May.Oliver Kay: The straightforward answer, without going into the gripes I share with Michael, is that I’ll remember it as Arsenal’s year. Like others, they have played some mundane football at times — I thought they were far more entertaining two seasons ago when they were pipped at the post by Manchester City — but there is no doubt they have been the most impressive team.Sarah Shephard: Having what feels like the longest second half to a season there has ever been. As an Arsenal fan, it became increasingly hard to watch as Manchester City closed the gap. After the dramatic, late win over Everton in March we could breathe again, but then defeat to Bournemouth threw everything into chaos and the slow crawl to the end of the season was, quite frankly, torturous. But also, I’ll remember it as the season my five-year-old learned the chorus to “North London Forever” (she’s not yet noticed the “s***hole” before the first one, thankfully).Arsenal fans celebrate on the night their first league title for 22 years was confirmed (Brook Mitchell / AFP via Getty Images)Stuart James: The season when pretty much everything I predicted was wrong, whether that be Liverpool winning the title, Brentford struggling, Jhon Arias thriving at Wolves (stupidly blinded by irrational love of Colombia), and Florian Wirtz shining. To be fair, I did say that Nottingham Forest would be a lot worse than last season and that Max Dowman would become the Premier League’s youngest ever goalscorer. The fact I was there when Dowman broke that record is probably how I’ll remember the season, because it also coincided with Arsenal winning the title for the first time in 22 years.Tim Spiers: Obviously as Arsenal’s title year. I might not necessarily remember this readily in years to come, but right now it feels like the season of the big money flops, too; Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Benjamin Sesko, Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Jamie Gittens and Anthony Elanga cost a combined £550million and did very little of note between them. It was also the season of an even more congested Premier League than last year; Newcastle only confirmed their survival in early May and immediately turned their attention to a possible push for Europe.The best game you sawCox: In terms of quality, importance and entertainment value, Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal is hard to beat — probably the best Premier League game I’ve been to. Although, as so often with these allegedly decisive title clashes, the winner of the match wasn’t actually the eventual winner of the title.Kay: Manchester United’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth in December was exciting and unpredictable. In fact, several of their most exciting games involved Bournemouth. I remember watching their opening game of the season, a 4-2 defeat at Liverpool, and thinking, “Wow, if that’s a sign of things to come, this could be wild.” It wasn’t.Premier League game of the season? (PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images)Shephard: Nine goals. A Premier League record. And an almost epic comeback from the edge of oblivion as Fulham clawed their way back after going 5-1 down in 54 minutes. This was a game that brought some much needed chaos and entertainment to a season that probably didn’t have enough of it at times.James: I agree with Oli that Manchester United’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth was a lot of fun. It was one of those games where you look at the clock and think: ‘I’d really like another 15 minutes of this’ — and Bournemouth would probably have ended up winning had that been the case.Spiers: I can’t top the above for quality or goals, but the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium generated one of the best atmospheres I’ve heard in an English stadium for some time. Having been at Goodison Park for Everton’s last win there over Liverpool I thought that noise could never be topped… it’s a shinier, cleaner sound at the new stadium, but in terms of volume it’s just as loud.Your favourite goalCox: Almost purely because I was sitting right behind it: Jeremy Doku capping a brilliant individual display in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool by cutting inside and curling the ball into the top corner, the type of goal he would showcase a couple of times towards the end of the season.Kay: I loved Harry Wilson’s goal for Fulham against Crystal Palace during that three-month mid-season spell when he was the best creative player in the league. It was an exquisite, unorthodox finish with the outside of his left foot after a lovely move and first-time lay-off from Raul Jimenez.Shephard: Because I was in the crowd for it. Because I experienced what it’s like to share an overwhelming sense of joy with 50-odd-thousand people. Because of what we all felt it meant in that moment. It has to be Max Dowman’s extra-time goal against Everton. It brought tears.Dowman closes in on his first-ever Premier League goal (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)James: I was tempted to say Marc Guehi’s goal against Chelsea. Not because of the goal, but because of the assist. That was a moment of magic from Rayan Cherki, who glided across the edge of the penalty area before playing a pass that nobody, maybe not even Guehi, knew was coming until the ball arrived at its destination. It was the pass of the season — where’s that category when you need it? Anyway, the answer to this question, for me, like Sarah, has to be that Dowman goal against Everton. It was just so surreal watching this schoolkid, aged 16, running towards an empty net, knowing that he was guaranteed to score and also create history.Spiers: I’d also mention Wilson’s touchline strike at Spurs with Guglielmo Vicario out of his goal, but what most sticks with me is another goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — Emi Buendia’s brilliant finish for Aston Villa after two seriously high-tariff moments of skill from Matty Cash with a 50-yard banana volley pass and then Lucas Digne’s acrobatic take-down and lay-off.The player who impressed you the mostCox: For me this was the weakest year to be the best player in the Premier League for about 15 years. I don’t think this was Bruno Fernandes’ best season and yet he was probably the most consistent attacking player. But given his save against West Ham, and his heroics at the start of the season, I’ll go for David Raya. Kay: I’m not quite as curmudgeonly as Michael on this question, but I agree that the standard in terms of individual performance has been the most disappointing in some time. In terms of all-round performance level and consistency, I would say Arsenal defender Gabriel. But if I apply more context, I would say Fernandes, who excelled creatively — setting a new Premier League record of 21 assists — in a season when few others did.Shephard: Antoine Semenyo. This was my answer even before his stunning goal to win City the FA Cup final. Joining a club like City in the middle of the season poses all sorts of challenges, and while Semenyo had obviously shown his exceptional talent at Bournemouth, I probably didn’t expect him to find his feet under Guardiola as quickly as he did. Two excellent halves of the season at two different clubs surely places his name into the conversation for the player of the year awards. Semenyo’s career journey is already a tale worth telling, but clearly, he’s not done adding to it yet.James: Rayan Cherki. A maverick who brought something entirely different to the Premier League — and at a time when the Premier League needed it most.Spiers: Bruno Fernandes was the best player in the division but worthy of a mention in terms of a couple of players who really impressed me — as I thought they had very little left to offer the Premier League — Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jordan Henderson surprisingly played key roles in successful seasons for Leeds United and Brentford.Antoine Semenyo was an excellent mid-season addition to Manchester City’s squad (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Managerial decision of the seasonCox: Daniel Farke switching to a three-man defence ahead of Leeds United’s 3-1 victory over Chelsea in early December. They were 18th going into that match. Farke hasn’t deviated from that system since, and on a Premier League table only taking account of matches since that switch, Leeds would be threatening the top six.Kay: My first thought was Farke’s switch too. Alternatively, I would pick out Brentford’s Keith Andrews and Sunderland’s Regis Le Bris for the way they embraced the experience of Jordan Henderson and Granit Xhaka. So many clubs these days seem terrified of signing older players. So many coaches seem intimidated by it. But those two signings have worked brilliantly.Shephard: Again, heavily influenced by seeing it play out live, but Mikel Arteta’s decision to bring on 16-year-old Max Dowman in the 74th minute of a match against Everton that was drifting dangerously towards toxic territory in terms of the home crowd’s anxiety levels. Dowman changed the game almost instantly, injecting pace and intensity where there had been none. It was his deep cross that created the chaos that led to Viktor Gyokeres finally breaching the Everton defence after 88 minutes, and then of course there was the sensational second that sent the Emirates delirious. Arteta clearly has trust in Dowman’s talent, but even so, to bring him on at such a pivotal moment — not only of the match but of their entire season — was brave.James: Michael’s answer about Farke is spot on — huge credit to him (Farke, not Michael) for making that tactical change, which was clearly pivotal in transforming Leeds’ season, and Oli is right to flag the signings of Henderson at Brentford and Xhaka at Sunderland too. But I feel I have to mention Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth. It’s not so much a decision, but a season. What a job that man has done. Bournemouth, lest it be forgotten, lost four of their back five in the summer (Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez), and Dango Ouattara moved on too. They go into the final day in sixth place, guaranteed to play in the Europa League next season and it could get even better than that.Daniel Farke and Andoni Iraola both had excellent campaigns (Michael Steele/Getty Images)Spiers: Michael Carrick made several good decisions to undo the mess left by his predecessor, Ruben Amorim, most of which were probably fairly obvious (like changing the formation, restoring Kobbie Mainoo and moving Fernandes to his best position) but the results were pretty spectacular, with United top of the pile in the form table after Carrick’s arrival. Also, recency bias, but Unai Emery moving Victor Lindelof into midfield at the end of the season was a bit of a masterstroke that helped Aston Villa secure Champions League football via two avenues.Worst thing about the seasonCox: The focus on set-pieces and intensity made many matches incredibly dull. I semi-regularly went home from matches wondering if I’d really seen anything particularly attractive or technically impressive — and this really is specific to the Premier League, as other top European leagues remained perfectly entertaining. The strength in depth in the league is absolutely fearsome, but this doesn’t always translate into good football.Kay: I totally agree regarding the heightened set-piece focus. So much time is spent waiting for the referee to establish order at corner kicks, only for grappling chaos to ensue anyway — at which point he and the VAR just shrug their shoulders. It has been a tough watch, with very few of the best creative/attacking players thriving. On the flip side, results have been unpredictable, leading to excitement at both ends of the table. If you ignore the actual football and just focus on the results, you might convince yourself it has been a great season.Shephard: Yep, the wrestling at corners. Arsenal are guilty of it, yes, but they are by no means alone. It has felt, at times this season, as though even the referees have accepted this is just what happens now, and are resigned to letting it go on unchecked. At this point, we’re only a fist fight or two away from goalkeepers requiring NHL-style padding for protection.A typical scene at a Premier League corner in 2025-26 (Michael Regan/Getty Images)James: The long throws. It’s not so much the long throw itself — albeit I do find that tedious when it’s almost every time the ball goes out (there was a game between Brentford and Leeds/Michael Kayode and Ethan Ampadu in December… my word, that was a hard watch), but it’s the time that’s lost while we’re waiting for this ‘event’ to take place. It’s like you’re calling a competitor forward to throw the shot put at the Olympics.Spiers: The handball rule has completely descended into farce to the extent that nobody has a clue, not least the officials, what constitutes handball anymore. There have been occasions, such as when Jaydee Canvot blocked Joao Pedro’s goalbound shot in February, where the referee didn’t give a penalty, then changed his mind after being persuaded by VAR and then the retrospective panel judged he was wrong to give it. The rulemakers have tied themselves in knots and the officials are making it up as they go along.Most unexpected momentCox: I don’t think I’d heard of 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha before he came off the bench in Liverpool’s trip to Newcastle on the second weekend of the season, so it was thrilling when he finished off a brilliant passing move in the 100th minute to win the game 3-2.Kay: More than anything that happened on the pitch, it was David Ornstein’s story — five months ago — that Pep Guardiola was expected to leave Manchester City at the end of the season and the club had identified Enzo Maresca as a leading candidate to replace him. Honestly, that blew my mind. It clearly blew minds at Chelsea too; they and Maresca angrily parted company two weeks later.Shephard: Seeing the buttocks of Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie live on Sky Sports during Arsenal’s home game against Burnley has to be up there. But also, the moment referee Paul Tierney found himself stuck in the middle of Chelsea’s pre-match “respect the ball” huddle before their game against Newcastle. Has there been a more bizarre scene on the pitch this season (buttocks aside)?James: Adam Wharton’s back-flip after scoring against Brentford would have to be up there. Who knew he had it in him? But I’m going to say Mohamed Salah’s form falling off a cliff. Salah was extraordinary the season before — 34 goals and 23 assists in 52 appearances. Surely time doesn’t catch up with you overnight. Odd.Spiers: It has to be referee Paul Tierney gatecrashing the Chelsea centre-circle huddle, defiantly standing his ground and giving a David Brent-esque knowing look to camera while all the players wanted to do was respect the ball.Paul Tierney, Chelsea FC and a Premier League ball (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Favourite quote of the seasonCox: I don’t know if this counts as a quote, but I was at Everton’s 2-0 win over Fulham in November, and Fulham were about to make a substitution: Adama Traore on for Rodrigo Muniz, No 11 and No 9. The Everton stadium announcer saw these numbers going up on the board, and just assumed it was David Moyes’ usual switch of bringing Beto on for Thierno Barry, or vice versa, the change Everton had made in every match at the Hill Dickinson up to that point. So he instinctively launched into “Substitution for Everton…”, then presumably looked up, realised what was happening and couldn’t bring himself to issue a correction. Four minutes later, Beto did come on for Barry, and all was right with the world.Kay: Ange Postecoglou famously said at Tottenham that he “always” wins a trophy in his second season at a club, so on day one at Nottingham Forest he was asked whether he might be able to win the Europa League in his first season. “I may have to, to have a second year here, mate,” he said. As it transpired, he didn’t even win a game. Right coach, wrong club, wrong time. It happens.Shephard: Call it recency bias or perhaps even a case of premature Pep nostalgia, but as someone who’s subjected to them often, I did enjoy Guardiola’s “the trains are a little bit of a problem in this country”. For pure drama though, it has to be Ruben Amorim: “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. That is clear. I know that my name is not (Thomas) Tuchel, it’s not (Antonio) Conte, it’s not (Jose) Mourinho but I’m the manager of Manchester United.“It’s going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decide to change. That was my point, I want to finish with that. I’m not going to quit. I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me.” Less than 24 hours later, he was neither; the club announcing Amorim had “departed his role as head coach of Manchester United” after 14 months in charge.Ruben Amorim’s departure from Manchester United felt increasingly inevitable as the season progressed (Carl Recine/Getty Images)James: “Well I admit he doesn’t speak like Shakespeare but he’s getting better and better.” Pep Guardiola on Abdukodir Khusanov adapting to life in England. That was my initial answer but then I couldn’t help smiling at Iraola’s brilliant farewell speech on the pitch after the Manchester City game on Tuesday night. “When I first arrived, and we didn’t start so well, you were probably all thinking, ‘Who the f*** is this guy?’”Spiers: “Marco Bizot. Marco Bizot. Marco Bizot.”And finally, a far-too-early prediction for 2026-27Cox: No one scores 20 or more goals.Kay: Some readers might have picked up that I am not a great fan of this Chelsea project. But if they recognise the many flaws in their thinking and in their dysfunctional squad, and if they sign two or three grown-ups, they should actually be competitive next season under Xabi Alonso.Shephard: Likely new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca will struggle to fill Guardiola’s luxury designer trainers and be out of a job before the clocks change.James: Hot on the heels of the Max Dowman prediction (which was an open goal in more ways than one), how about 15-year-old JJ Gabriel becoming Manchester United’s youngest ever player? He has until 25 October to break a record that has stood since 1956, when David Gaskell, aged 16 years and 19 days, made his debut. Carabao Cup, anyone?Spiers: Arsenal to win the league again, but at a canter this time. None of Carrick (Manchester United), Enzo Maresca (Manchester City) and Arne Slot (Liverpool) to see out the season.