Did You Notice: The Premier League has changed | OneFootball

The Premier League’s tactical balance shifted in 2025-26. After years of drift, change felt sudden, and Did You Notice charted a season where possession lost control and transitions took centre stage.

“You only have two ways.” Vincent Kompany told Amazon Prime.

Possession became less controlling as hybrid man-to-man presses unsettled build-up. Arsenal and Manchester City still had plenty of the ball but less than last term, and lower-possession climbers included Manchester United, who rose to third.

With space now opening behind high presses, teams played through or over to reach it. In February’s 3-2 win against Fulham, Harry Maguire fed Diogo Dalot, who launched early for Bryan Mbeumo to drop and link Kobbie Mainoo racing beyond.

Defences adjusted too. Aston Villa thrived with a deeper mid-block to finish fourth, while City’s 4-2-4 high block at Wembley in March stymied Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, a 2-0 victory.

Settled spells were used to decompress blocks, then strike forward. Against Liverpool in April’s FA Cup quarter-final, Manchester City sprung Nico O’Reilly between lines for a Doku return and an Erling Haaland finish in a 4-0 win.

Profiles shifted too, with fewer ball-playing centre-backs, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva used deeper, and wingers like Antoine Semenyo prized for attacking space beyond presses. Arsenal finally won the league under Mikel Arteta. Next season will see more extreme man-to-man ideas enter the Premier League space.

Source: NY Times