The 2026/27 Premier League season is only about a week away, and here are three teams that didn’t make it into the top eight to qualify for European football last season who could come roaring back this season.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham are easily the best bounce back candidates to bet on for the 2026/27 Premier League season, because they have been on a tear this summer transfer window. While winning the transfer window isn’t always a blessing, the moves Roberto De Zerbi and Johan Lange make are definitely going to take Spurs to another level.
After back to back 17th placed finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham finally have a great midfield with the additions of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, who join Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray at the base and James Maddison in the 10 – and they will only get better one Xavi Simons returns from his own ACL tear.
For Spurs, a lot hinges on the new signings at the forward positions, but with the club closing in on Cody Gakpo and Savinho, they are already going to be so much better in 2026/27 under De Zerbi.
Chelsea
Chelsea hired a great manager of their own in Xabi Alonso, who was a world class footballer for three of Europe’s biggest sides in Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. But maybe his greatest accomplishment was winning the Bundesliga undefeated for first time champions Bayer Leverkusen, breaking up the greatest ever streak of consecutive titles from Bayern.
Real Madrid did not treat Alonso kindly, but, somehow, Chelsea will have less drama. Alonso is already trying to build a team of hard workers and an identity built around team work and trust. Spanish coaches tend to do big things in the Premier League, just look at Big Six counterparts like Mikel Arteta and Andoni Iraola, and Alonso has a squad that is too good to finish 10th again.
Fulham
And Alonso’s Real Madrid successor and former teammate at right back during La Decima, Alvaro Arbeloa, is also joining the Premier League as a new manager for bitter rivals Fulham.
He is already upgrading the Cottagers’ profile, signing elite Real Madrid prospects Cesar Palacios and Gonzalo Garcia, who could both be the next big things in world football.
Fulham were already strong enough last season to just miss out on European football, and they have been flirting with the Conference League for multiple seasons. Arbeloa has the squad to get them over the hump, and after working for Real Madrid, he has that extra guile, too.
