Key storylines that will define 2025-26 Premier League season

The 2025-26 Premier League season begins Friday with defending champion Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield.

Here's what to know heading into the new campaign in the world's most popular soccer league:

Emotions high at Liverpool

Liverpool will attempt to retain the top-flight title for the first time since the mid-1980s to the backdrop of a tragedy.

It is sure to be an emotional evening Friday as Anfield hosts a competitive match for the first time since the death of Diogo Jota, who played for Liverpool for the past five seasons. Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, were killed in a car accident in Spain last month.

As a club, Liverpool is still grieving the loss of Jota and it remains to be seen how the players are affected this season.

“The first time we arrive for a session, the first time we play a game, the first time after 20 minutes (Jota wore No. 20) they sing his song — all these things are difficult,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.

There will be a moment’s silence at all Premier League matches in the first round in memory of Jota and his brother, while players from all clubs will be given black armbands. Messaging and imagery will be shared with clubs for them to use on big screens.

Man City try to bounce back

Pep Guardiola has never gone two seasons without winning a league title.

That could be one of the Manchester City manager's motivations as the deposed champion looks to bounce back from its fall from grace, having only finished third last season. City won the previous four Premier League titles.

It's another season that City enters with more than 100 charges hanging over the club after being accused of financial misconduct by the Premier League in 2023. The case was heard by an independent commission between September and December last year but no verdict has yet to be reached. City has always denied any wrongdoing.

Arsenal finally have new striker

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was seemingly bombarded with the same question every week last season: When are you going to sign a striker?

Well, he has one now in Viktor Gyokeres, a revelation at Sporting Lisbon where he scored 97 goals in 102 games.

With Arsenal having also signed a elite holding midfielder in Martin Zubimendi, the expectation will be heightened on Arteta to deliver the club's first league title since 2004 after three straight runner-up finishes.

The pressure is also on Gyokeres to make the difference up front. The 27-year-old Sweden striker has never played at such a level before and is getting a second crack at the Premier League after being unable to break through at Brighton.

Heavy spending on new players

Even by Premier League's standards, spending by clubs this season has been huge.

Nearly $3 billion has been spent on players since the end of last season — and there's still more than two weeks left in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool has been the biggest spender, with an outlay of around $350 million on players like Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz, French striker Hugo Ekitike and full backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. That figure could yet be supercharged if Liverpool manages to sign unsettled Newcastle striker Alexander Isak in the coming days.

Chelsea has spent big again, this time around $330 million, and has two new strikers in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

Manchester United, whose attack has been reshaped with the arrival of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo, and Arsenal have both spent around $260 million on players.

Will promoted teams go down again?

It's never been harder to stay in the Premier League after getting promoted from the Championship.

In the past two seasons, all three clubs which have come up have been relegated the following year.

Over to you, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland.

Sunderland's top-flight return is arguably the most interesting. The northeast team was last in the Premier League in 2017 and has since been the subject of a Netflix documentary, Sunderland 'Til I Die, that chronicled its troubles in the lower leagues.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer