How do you replace the irreplaceable?
Manchester City are often title favourites having won six of the past nine Premier League trophies, but they start this new season without their greatest ever manager, Pep Guardiola.
The 55-year-old led City to 17 major trophies in 10 years, but left at the end of last season and has since been replaced by his former assistant Enzo Maresca.
Maresca has been out of work since stepping down as Chelsea boss in January.
The Blues also have a new gaffer. They replaced Maresca with Liam Rosenior in January but he was let go before the end of the season and now former Liverpool player Xabi Alonso is at the helm.
Alonso won the Bundesliga with an invincible Bayer Leverkusen team two years ago but last term had a difficult spell in charge of Real Madrid.
Many thought he would replace 2024-25 title-winner Arne Slot at Liverpool but the Reds instead have appointed Andoni Iraola, who finished sixth with Bournemouth last season.
That’s three huge clubs with three new managers.
What’s more, Manchester United’s Michael Carrick and Tottenham’s Roberto de Zerbi only took charge part way through last season.
So five of the traditional big six will start to the new campaign with a different manager to the one they had at the start of last season.
Only Mikel Arteta of Arsenal, appointed in 2019, remains.
