Every Prem club’s best decision of 2025: signings, subs, shape switches… | OneFootball

Despite the many mis-steps made in 2025, there have been some moments of inspiration this year. Handily for features like this, at least one for every Premier League club.

It might be a moment, like an individual signing or a particular substitution even, or it could be a more general shift in direction. Like the first two on the list.

Here is how we see the best decisions made on behalf of each club this year…

Arsenal – going all in during the summer

Finishing 10 points behind Liverpool – a gap only that narrow because the Reds swapped their boots for flip-flops as soon as the title was won – highlighted how far Arsenal still had to go to be taken seriously in a title race.

But rather than mope over a missed opportunity while Manchester City had a whoopsie of a season, Arsenal went again, investing the league’s highest net spend, with new sporting director Andrea Berta furnishing Mikel Arteta with the strength in depth he needs to get the Gunners closer to the line and, more likely than ever, over it.

Aston Villa – trusting Unai Emery with full control

While many clubs seek to further erode the power of the head coach, Villa have allowed Emery to build the structure he wants. Rather than him reporting to a sporting director, especially now Monchi has departed, Emery has hand-picked the people he wants around him. Only the owners hold more power than the manager and no one can say he hasn’t earned it.

Bournemouth – sorting Semenyo’s contract in the summer

Bournemouth cashed in on plenty of talent in the summer, especially across their defence. But early on they made clear that Antoine Semenyo would not be sold. Certainly not until January, and only then for a decent fee with plenty of time to source a replacement. The forward’s importance is evident in the fact that as soon as his fine form dipped, Bournemouth went winless. Presumably, there is a list of replacements lined up should United, City or Liverpool cough up the £65million required in a timely fashion.

Brentford – staying calm amid the exodus

Admittedly, most of us thought Brentford had f***ed it this summer. They lost the manager who got them into the Premier League and established there before appointing a rookie boss while selling many of their best players. But the Bees know what they are doing. Despite the upheaval, Brentford are exactly where they were at the same point last season, cosy in 12th with 23 points from 56 games, eyeing the top-half finish they achieved last term.

Brighton – the quadruple sub against City

A triple substitution is generally damning enough for the team concerned, but the lesser-spotted quadruple change is effectively the manager ripping to shreds his own plan and his players’ performances. Which was Fabian Hurzerler’s intention when four numbers went up around the hour mark when Brighton were losing and toiling against Manchester City on the last day of August.

James Milner, Yasin Ayari, Georginio Rutter and Brajan Gruda entered the play and while Brighton’s shape remained roughly the same, they suddenly became much more troublesome for City, who went from dealing easily with their hosts’ direct approach to creaking underneath it. Milner levelled shortly after coming on before Gruda won it late on for Brighton’s only win in their first five.

“Sometimes in football it’s not about tactics, it’s about understanding the profiles from the players,” Hurzeler said after. “It’s about understanding what you need, and in this moment we needed energy, intensity, and the belief to change the game.”

Burnley – replacing James Trafford with another stat-leading stopper

Burnley’s promotion was based on a defence that broke multiple records and, behind that, a goalkeeper who conceded a stunning 12.7 goals fewer than xG reckons he ought to have. So losing Trafford was always going to leave huge gloves to fill, which Martin Dubravka has done. No keeper has faced more shots and none has made more saves. Dubravka was part of what looked like a savvy summer of recruitment that left Scott Parker with a balanced squad better prepared to take on the Premier League than 2023/24. But it’s still not likely to be enough.

Chelsea – taking the fight to PSG in New York

Not many managers have made as many decisions as Enzo Maresca in 2025, certainly in terms of team selection, but few reaped the rewards that choosing to fly into PSG from the off in the FIFA Club World Cup final did. It may have been a nonsense tournament, but winning it in the manner they did, blowing away arguably the best team in Europe, earned Maresca some major credit with the fans and owners, quietening briefly the doubters that remained despite Chelsea qualifying for the Champions League for the first time under Clearlake’s stewardship.

In New York, Chelsea out PSG-ed PSG, going man to man, harassing the life out of the Parisians to give Cole Palmer the platform to do Cole Palmer things.

Crystal Palace – Man City players giving the penalty to Omar Marmoush

Despite all the wisdom of Oliver Glasner, Palace’s best decision was made for them, perhaps by the officials, who chose not to send off Dean Henderson in the FA Cup final, or by the Manchester City players, when Marmoush was chosen as the penalty taker over Erling Haaland. “To be fair, Haaland might have stepped up, I wasn’t sure which way he’d go,” Henderson said after. “He gave it to Marmoush, I knew which way he was going. I knew I’d save it.” Which he did, and Palace won their first major trophy, catapulting them into Europe.

Everton – bringing back David Moyes

It’s been some year for Everton. They began 2025 with brand-new owners and preparing to leave their home of 133 years, all the while in a relegation fight they simply could not afford to lose. Which prompted the Toffees to ditch Sean Dyche in early January and rather than appoint a progressive new coach – always a temptation for new owners – they went for the tried and tested method in Moyes.

“This club felt to me like one big family, but looked broken, felt broken and it doesn’t feel like that any more,”  summed up the manager at the end of the season, with safety comfortably achieved just as the Goodison lights were to be turned off for the last time. From there, TFG invested the ninth-highest net-spend of the summer to give Evertonians a team to get excited about in a stunning new gaff. Indeed, Everton aren’t ‘broken’ anymore, thanks in no small part to Moyes.

Fulham – not selling Harry Wilson

We’re not sure who exactly pulled the plug on the deal to sell Wilson to Leeds last summer, but had they dallied any longer, Fulham would surely be in a sorrier state this season. Since November, only Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland have more goal involvements than Wilson. Now to sort that new contract.

Leeds United – switching formation

If Leeds stay up this season, most likely they will look at half-time during a defeat to Manchester City as their turning point. When 2-0 down at the break, Daniel Farke ditched the 4-3-3 and moved to a 3-5-2. It reaped immediate dividends. They hauled back their deficit, terrifying City in the process, and were unlucky to lose in added time. But that second half was enough to make Leeds fans feel that Farke might be on to something.

Indeed he was. In the four games since, Leeds have beaten Chelsea and Palace and drawn with Liverpool and Brentford, all while Dominic Calvert-Lewin goes peak Van Basten.

Liverpool – cack-handedly signing Hugo Ekitike

It’s been a weird year for Liverpool. They p*ssed the league before May then spent big to strengthen from a position of maximum authority while renewing their two biggest stars. No one really questioned any of those decisions at the time, but not many look as savvy now as the decision that appeared most bungled in the summer.

Had they known they would eventually get Alexander Isak, would they have signed Ekitike, subsequently making the task even more difficult since he was Newcastle’s primary target to replace the Swede? Liverpool might say ‘yes’ but we bloody doubt it. As it turns out, though, Ekitike has been the one summer hit, and the reason why losing Isak to long-term injury is not the blow many might have expected it to be.

Manchester City – Guardiola recognising a need to adapt

“There will be no change. Until the last day of my career as a coach I will try to play from our keeper,” said Pep just a couple of months into his City reign in 2016. And the boss has remained true to his word while also showing a willingness to consider another way.

City have hardly embraced Route One in 2025 but they have at least kept up with the trend for playing direct, finding ways to profit in possession while future-proofing themselves at the back, most obviously with the move for a big goalkeeper who was a long way from the archetypal Guardiola goalie.

Manchester United – being ruthless with the bomb squad

For the most part, 2025 was another year spent treading on rakes at Old Trafford. Especially recently, whenever they have had the opportunity to make serious ground on the top four. But some savvy decisions look to have been made. Buying two exciting forwards; ridding themselves of a goalkeeping clown; keeping Bruno Fernandes, even if that decision came from the player rather than the club, have allowed United to make some progress on the pitch. And however long he lasts, Ruben Amorim can claim to have improved the culture around Carrington by binning the bomb squad featuring three, maybe four energy drains. Wherever Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony go, and however they perform, Amorim was absolutely right to stick to his guns in exiling the self-serving foursome.

Newcastle United – taking the fight to Liverpool at Wembley

After going 17 games without a win against Liverpool, a run that lasted just shy of a decade, Newcastle decided to stop showing the table-topping Reds too much respect when they met in the Carabao Cup final. Eddie Howe’s tactic against a side then 12 points clear was usually to sit back and frustrate but, at Wembley, the Magpies got into ’em. The front three pressed and the midfield squeezed the life out of Liverpool, providing the platform for their first silverware in 55 years.

Forest cop a lot of flak for the whims of their owner, some of it justified. But it would have been more foolish to persist with Ange Postecoglou when everyone could see the conditions and environment were not right for Angeball. Out went the Aussie; back in to Forest came Sean Dyche, and now look at them.

Sunderland – buying Granit Xhaka

When it emerged Sunderland were in for Xhaka, more than a few eyebrows were raised, but few anticipated the Black Cats making the signing of the season. Xhaka, understandably, is the poster boy for Sunderland’s recruitment, but they made so many astute signings to become the Premier League’s surprise package.

Tottenham Hotspur – appointing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as co-interim managers

Tottenham, like Newcastle, ended their trophy drought but it seems Spurs managed themselves on their way to Europa League glory. Ange Postegoglou would probably dispute Van der Ven’s version of events that led to Tottenham tightening up, but whoever decided that kamikaze football was not a sustainable path to success made one of the few good decisions around White Hart Lane this year.

West Ham – sacking Graham Potter

The Hammers haven’t got many things (anything?) right in 2025, which started with Potter’s appointment. He was gone 25 Premier League games later, of which West Ham won only six. Was he the root of West Ham’s problems? Absolutely not. But nor was he the answer. With none of the stability that allowed him to flourish at Brighton and a personality too passive for West Ham fans, Potter was doomed to fail.

Wolves – Jeff Shi leaving

The mismanagement of Wolves will be studied in years to come, the Molineux men going from consecutive seventh-place finishes and European football to, quite possibly, the worst team the Premier League has ever seen. That and a whole heap of other catastrof***s happened on Shi’s watch. His departure is perhaps the only good thing to happen to Wolves this season. Who is this holding the new broom? Nathan Shi. Oh. No relation, apparently, but no football background either.