The 2026/27 Premier League season begins with Liverpool and Manchester City facing a reality that would have seemed difficult to imagine only a year ago. Two of the biggest figures of the modern English game, Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola, are no longer at their respective clubs, leaving both giants facing major questions about what comes next.
For nearly a decade, Salah’s goals helped define Liverpool’s rise under Jürgen Klopp and later Arne Slot, while Guardiola transformed Manchester City into one of the most dominant teams English football has ever seen.
Now, both clubs must prove that their success was built on more than one superstar or one manager.
Liverpool begin life without Salah for the first time since 2016, while City enter their first campaign since Guardiola took charge in 2016 without the Spanish tactician on the touchline. The departures have created uncertainty at two clubs that spent much of the last decade setting the standard for the rest of the Premier League.
Liverpool face life after Salah
Salah’s departure represents one of the biggest changes in Liverpool’s recent history.
The Egyptian forward became one of the defining players of the Premier League era after arriving at Anfield in 2017. His pace, movement and remarkable consistency in front of goal helped Liverpool challenge for domestic and European honours and established him as a club legend.
His exit leaves Liverpool without a player who had become almost synonymous with their attacking identity.
The club have responded by beginning a significant rebuild under new head coach Andoni Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot. Liverpool finished fifth last season, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, and now face the challenge of restoring their place among the leading contenders.
Victor Muñoz has arrived from Osasuna, while centre-back Jérémy Jacquet has been brought in as part of the defensive restructuring. Ronald Araújo has also joined on loan.
However, Liverpool’s squad still has areas that require attention. The departures of Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté have removed experience from the team, while the club are continuing to explore further attacking reinforcements.
The biggest question is where the goals will come from.
Salah’s influence was not limited to his finishing. He created chances, stretched defensive lines and provided Liverpool with a reliable source of goals during difficult matches. Replacing that production collectively will be one of Iraola’s biggest challenges.
The arrival of Alexander Isak provides another major attacking option, but the Swedish striker endured a difficult first season at Liverpool and will now be expected to take greater responsibility.
Manchester City begin post Guardiola era
If Liverpool’s biggest challenge is replacing Salah, City’s is arguably even more complicated.
Guardiola leaves after a decade that transformed Manchester City from a major English club into a dominant force at home and in Europe.
The Spaniard delivered 20 trophies during his time at the Etihad, including six Premier League titles and the club’s first Champions League crown.
His departure was influenced by exhaustion and the desire for a fresh challenge after almost two decades of top level management.
Enzo Maresca has now inherited the enormous responsibility of following one of the most successful managers in football history.
Maresca is not completely unfamiliar with City’s footballing philosophy, having previously worked within the club’s coaching structure. But managing Manchester City as Guardiola’s successor is a completely different challenge.
The squad itself has also undergone significant change.
Rodri and Bernardo Silva are among the important figures no longer available, meaning Maresca must find new ways to maintain City’s midfield control and attacking fluency. The club have strengthened with players including Elliot Anderson and Jeremy Monga as they attempt to build the next version of the team.
A Premier League landscape ready for change
The simultaneous departures of Salah and Guardiola are part of a wider transformation across English football.
The 2026/27 campaign features nine new managers, while several established clubs have undergone substantial changes in their squads and coaching structures.
Arsenal enter the season from a position of strength after ending their 22 year wait for the Premier League title. Mikel Arteta’s side will attempt to defend the crown at a time when several of their traditional rivals are still finding their feet.
Chelsea have also entered a new chapter under Xabi Alonso, while Manchester United continue their development under Michael Carrick.
This makes the new season particularly intriguing.
For years, Liverpool and Manchester City were the two teams most consistently competing for the Premier League title. Their rivalry helped shape one of the most competitive periods in English football history.
Now, both are rebuilding at the same time.
That creates an opportunity for Arsenal and potentially other challengers to establish themselves at the top.
Can Liverpool and City adapt?
The answer may determine much more than their final league positions.
Liverpool must discover whether their attacking structure can function without Salah’s individual brilliance. Iraola will need to introduce his ideas quickly while ensuring the squad develops enough consistency to challenge for major honours.
City, meanwhile, must demonstrate that Guardiola’s methods have become sufficiently embedded within the club to survive his departure.
Maresca will have to establish his own authority while maintaining the standards that produced years of success.
The pressure will be enormous, but both clubs have the financial strength, infrastructure and quality players required to compete.
What they no longer have, however, is the comfort of relying on familiar faces who delivered repeatedly when the stakes were highest.
The 2026/27 Premier League season therefore represents more than the start of another campaign for Liverpool and Manchester City.
It is the beginning of a new chapter.
Salah’s goals have moved elsewhere, Guardiola’s voice is no longer coming from the City dugout, and the clubs that spent years dominating English football must now prove they can evolve.
The next era has arrived, and the Premier League is watching closely.
