Who will win the Premier League this campaign? Who will qualify for the European competitions next season, and who will struggle? We talked to Gabriel Agbonlahor, former Aston Villa forward, about this and more, so read on to discover what he had to say.
Arsenal to Win the Premier League Again?
When you talk to somebody who has played in the Premier League for so long and has stayed close to it, you can't help but ask their opinion on the questions every Premier League fan has.
So, we started the interview with the question everyone wants to hear the answer to.
Q: Thank you for talking to us, Gabby. To start, who are you backing to win the title this season? Do you think anyone will be able to challenge Arsenal?
I think Arsenal are far better than any other side in the Premier League at the moment. Too many teams that could rival them have got new managers, so I think it may take a while for them to get used to their new clubs.
Maresca is new at Manchester City, Iraola is new at Liverpool, and Alonso is new at Chelsea. Even Di Zerbi is relatively new at Tottenham.
I therefore think Arsenal will win the league quite comfortably, and may do so by a considerable margin. It could be double figures, the gap between them and second place.
That being said, I do think Chelsea are one of the more likely teams to challenge, as they are playing only one game a week, which will help them a lot.
Alonso can wrap his key players up in cotton wool. If they can bring in a top goalkeeper before the window shuts too, that will massively help.
I think you always have to say that Man City have a chance too. Even though quite a few players have left, they have money to spend. Both Boaddi and Enzo Fernandez may come in, and together in midfield with Elliot Anderson will be incredibly strong.
I just think for them, a lot of it depends on it clicking under Maresca.
Q: Last season was a momentous one for Aston Villa, securing a fourth-place finish, European football and winning the Europa League. But they’ve lost three of their crucial players in Tielemans, Konsa and Rogers, in the transfer window. In light of that, how do you see their 2026/27 season going?
I think it might be a tough season for Aston Villa. I’m really excited about the signing of Manzambi, who has come in for a big fee, and some of the young players too. Brian Madjo is only 17, and Hemmings is only 19.
They’re both exciting players, but when you lose the core of your team, including Konsa, Rogers, Tielemans, and potentially Martinez and Watkins too, it’s difficult to see Villa really pushing for those European places.
I do think if they break into the top half, or even finish in mid-table, that would represent a good season for Villa, considering the change they’ve gone through this summer. You also need to consider they will be balancing Champions League football with the league, and they will want to perform in that competition, as you have to take your chances in Europe when they come.
It will certainly be a different season from what we’ve seen before under Emery at Villa Park, but as a manager, I trust him to help through the season after what has been a difficult summer.
Q: Who do you think has done the best business during the transfer window? Are there any standout signings you’re looking forward to seeing play?
I think you have to say that Arsenal have done the best business. As much as they wanted Vini Jr (which was always going to be difficult with him trying to get a new deal at Real Madrid too), Tzolis looks like a really good signing. I like him a lot, and I think he offers a lot to this Arsenal team on the left-hand side.
Bruno Guimarães is a player I really like as well, and he will help bring depth and quality to the midfield. Konsa coming in as well is a great signing, as he can play at centre back or as a right back, so he will add a lot.
They’ve won the title, and they’ve now signed some more top players, which will strengthen them even more, so I’d say they’ve done the best business.
Elsewhere, I think Elliot Anderson will be good at Manchester City. He is a player I really like, and if they get Fernandez and Bouaddi too, they will have such a strong midfield.
Morgan Rogers at Chelsea, I could see him being really good too. He was excellent against Fulham in their opening game, and linked up with Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer well- that front three will be a handful for any defence in this league.
Q: Which summer signing do you think will disappoint the most?
I have a feeling that Youri Tielemans may struggle at Manchester United.
He was Aston Villa’s player of the season last season, so on paper it looks like an exciting signing, but I think you have to consider that he suited an Unai Emery side who played to his strengths, and because he knew how Villa played. Emery knew how to get the best out of him.
I think if you take him out of that Villa set-up and put him into a different one at Man United, I struggle to see him doing as well. There’s a chance he may not even start some games, with Baleba coming in alongside Mainoo and Fernandes. He could get pushed down the pecking order and serve as a back-up to them.
Which player do you think is the most overrated in the Premier League at the minute?
I’m going to go for Gabriel at Arsenal as the most overrated player in the league. There’s no denying he’s a good player, and I do like him. He had a good season for Arsenal last season, but he was really poor at the World Cup for Brazil.
People talk about Gabriel alongside some of the elite- while he’s a very good player, I don’t think he’s at the level to be in those conversations, which is why I think he’s overrated.
I think for Arsenal, William Saliba helps him a lot. He is the better defender of the two from what I have watched, and I think that’s the case for a lot of the defenders at Arsenal. Even when someone like Hincapié comes in, he helps Gabriel out a lot.
Also, if you watched Arsenal last season, they were on top in pretty much every game, so there were some games where he didn’t have to do much. I’d be interested to see if you put him into a team that was fighting relegation, how good he’d be, and where he’d need to be doing more defending.
There was obviously his miss in the Champions League final, and if you look at that alongside his performances for Brazil at the World Cup, he doesn’t belong at the top table of centre halves.
Q: Emery is now the Premier League’s second longest-serving manager, and having led Villa to their first major trophy in over 30 years, just how important is he to the club? Do you think he deserves more recognition?
Unai Emery doesn’t get the love that I think he deserves. When people talk about who the best coach is in the Premier League, I never hear Unai Emery’s name mentioned. What he has done during his time at Aston Villa, with the money he has spent, shows what a world-class manager he is.
He’s qualified for the Champions League twice and has won the Europa League. The football Villa play is outstanding given the limited funds, so for me he’s the best manager in the league.
I’d also actually say he’s the best manager in Villa’s history. People will point to the 1982 European Cup winners, but the style of football we are playing now, the tactical decisions he makes, and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes are exceptional.
He’s the first one in and the last one to leave every day. He’s not here to have fun, or to enjoy days off. He’s here to work, and win.
If Villa win games, he’s on the coach on the way home, watching the game back, looking at where to improve and how they can beat their next opponents. He’s so committed to Aston Villa and to bringing the club success.
Q: Which clubs do you think will qualify for European football? Any outsiders you have your eye on?
I think you have to say that Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea will all be up there. I think Man United will qualify too.
As for Spurs, even though they had a poor first game, they should still have enough to finish in the top 6. They had quite a few players out on the first day, including James Maddison, who I think is a key player for them, so once everyone is fit, I think they will look promising.
The signings seem exciting too, particularly if they sign Marmoush and Gakpo to add to Savinho and Tonali. Once the window closes, the squad settles, and the injured players recover, I think they have an exciting team.
If there was an outside shout though for a European spot, I’d have to say Brentford. They were excellent against Spurs on the opening day, and they looked united on all fronts. Igor Tiago is going to be a threat, and I’m a big fan of Schade and Dango Outtara.
They have a really good core group of players, who seem together under a really good manager in Keith Andrews. Sangare is a great signing too- he’s a really good player, and I think he will end up being one of the players of the season.
Q: You tipped Fulham boss Álvaro Arbeloa as a manager who could quickly be at risk this season. Which other manager is under the most pressure this season?
I’d have to say that Enzo Maresca is under massive pressure. He’s replacing Guardiola, which is going to be so difficult, and it reminds me a bit of other managers who have come in and struggled after a successful manager has left a football club.
David Moyes struggled at Man United in particular after Sir Alex Ferguson, and despite winning the league, Arne Slot found it hard to follow in the footsteps of Jurgen Klopp. Anything less than a title challenge is a failure for Man City, so Enzo will be under big pressure.
I think all the new managers will be under pressure though. Pierre Sage at Crystal Palace, Rose at Bournemouth and Arbeola at Fulham as well will all need to perform, as it could be a season where an unexpected team gets dragged into a relegation battle.
Both Hull and Ipswich looked strong on the first day, and if they keep that up, they certainly have a chance of staying up, so someone could end up down there instead of them.
I think there is still going to be some pressure on Mikel Arteta too, as he still needs that Champions League win. When you’re spending what he has at a football club, you need to bring back the big pieces of silverware. Yes, it was great that he won the Premier League, and I think they will back that up by winning it again this season.
But you have to go on and win the Champions League, so he will be under pressure in that sense.
Q: Who do you think could be at risk of relegation this season? Do you see Spurs involved in another relegation battle?
I don’t think Spurs will be in another relegation battle. In fact, I think they will be quite far off it. The team I worry about is Sunderland. They were fantastic last season and shocked the Premier League with how good they were. Their signings were all excellent too.
However, sometimes in the second season, you can get worked out a little. People will know more about them now, and about how Regis Le Bris’ side will play.
Having European football could also make things difficult. It’s so difficult playing on Thursday nights, then again on Sunday. There’s lots of travelling involved, and injuries no doubt will pile up. Previous teams have struggled with that.
I don’t think they’ll end up going down, but I think they might struggle at times and will need to show unity to pull through as a team.
In terms of the teams who have come up, they’ve all spent money, particularly Coventry. Ipswich have also had a right go, bringing in Akpom, Emerson, Maeda and Enciso, all of whom have experience and quality as well. It’s exciting.
I think they’ve all tried to bridge the gap between the Championship and the Premier League, which is sometimes a difficult thing to do. I could see them upsetting a few this season.
