Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea: What steps should be taken to resolve their challenges?

The 2025-26 Premier League season started with great anticipation, but leading clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea encountered problems right from the opening fixtures.

Although preseason friendlies helped with preparation, they cannot compare to the intensity of a competitive match. Here is an analysis of the challenges faced by these three clubs and some feasible solutions.

Liverpool: Making the Most of Gravenberch

Liverpool began the season with a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, but their performance was unconvincing, relying on late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah to secure three points. Their earlier Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace had already hinted at instability, which the Premier League opener confirmed.

This past summer, Liverpool underwent significant changes, generating over £200 million from player sales. The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid triggered a reshuffle in the full-back positions, bringing in Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. Additionally, nearly £200 million was spent on striker Hugo Ekitike and attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.

However, these new signings require time to integrate, and coach Arne Slot also needs time to build an effective squad. Currently, Wirtz and Kerkez have not yet settled comfortably into their roles. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister are also struggling with unclear roles, often rotating between dropping deep, orchestrating play, or covering spaces. Wirtz tends to retreat too far to find the ball, indicating a lack of cohesion within the system.

The key solution for Liverpool is to reinstate Ryan Gravenberch after his suspension. This defensive midfielder can act as a "shield" in midfield, simplifying the tasks for his teammates. Gravenberch’s presence would allow Kerkez to exploit his pace down the left flank rather than being stuck as a third center-back as seen against Bournemouth. This also helps Frimpong feel more comfortable on the right, utilizing the attacking abilities of both full-backs. Gravenberch will bring stability to midfield, enabling Wirtz to focus on attacking zones and improving Liverpool’s ball control.

Arsenal: Restructuring the Pressing System

Arsenal secured a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, but their performance was disappointing, with only 39% possession—a notably low figure compared to their usual style. Moreover, Arsenal allowed their opponents 22 shots, an unusually high number for their typically solid defense (only twice last season did opponents take 22 or more shots, both times when Arsenal were a man down).

Despite signs of shifting to a direct and counter-attacking style, Martin Odegaard was among the players making the most through passes in the opening round, yet Arsenal lost possession too frequently. Their pressing system, a recent strength, was easily broken down by Manchester United. Initially, United exploited spaces around right center-back Leny Yoro, then goalkeeper Altay Bayindir repeatedly launched long passes to full-backs or Matheus Cunha, making it impossible for Arsenal to maintain control.

Mikel Arteta must promptly restructure the pressing system, especially to counteract opposition goalkeeper distribution. Players need to coordinate more closely to block long passes and increase pressure on the opposing midfield. A week of training could focus on improving pressing coordination and ball control to prevent a repeat of the unstable performance seen at Old Trafford.

Chelsea: Replacing Colwill and Enhancing Palmer

Chelsea suffered a major blow just before the season when center-back Levi Colwill sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, likely sidelining him for the entire 2025-26 season. Coach Enzo Maresca highlighted Colwill’s importance in building play from the back: "Our play is constructed around Levi at the center. He identifies solutions and frequently disrupts the opponent’s midfield." Last season, Colwill was among Chelsea’s top three players for progressive passes (3.74 per 90 minutes). His absence, combined with Tosin Adarabioyo’s minor injury late in preseason, caused difficulties in Chelsea’s draw against Crystal Palace.

To address this, Maresca must quickly reintegrate Adarabioyo, as he is currently the only player capable of filling Colwill’s role. Additionally, new signing Jorrel Hato from Ajax, known for his sharp passing, could be developed to take this position in the future. Meanwhile, Chelsea should consider repositioning Cole Palmer. Against Palace, Palmer played as a number 10 but failed to make an impact (0.2 xG, 0.0 xA). Returning him to the right wing, where he excelled during the Club World Cup, might help Palmer exploit wider space to cut inside and pose a greater threat near the opponent’s goal.