Liverpool come into the 2026/27 Premier League season hoping that their last campaign was a blip rather than the start of a decline in their fortunes.
After winning the league in the 2024/25 season, the Reds were unable to follow up with another dominant performance, instead struggling to wins matches and eventually labouring to a fifth-placed finish.
The poor season saw the end of Arne Slot’s reign at Anfield and Andoni Iraola is the man that the Liverpool hierarchy has selected to bring glory back to the club.
Get all the Liverpool stats to build up to the 2026/27 Premier League, plus the transfer business, manager and tactical information for the Reds here.
Liverpol opening fixtures 2026/27 Premier League
Liverpool get their Premier League season underway with an away game against Newcastle United at 4:30pm on Sunday 23rd August. Their first home game of the season comes six days later when Nottingham Forest arrive at Anfield. Newly-promoted Ipswich Town are Liverpool’s next opponents, with Iraola’s side travelling to Portman Road on Friday 4th September, before it’s another home game for the Reds, this time against Fulham on Saturday 12th September. Their fifth game sees Iraola return to his old club, with Liverpool travelling to the Vitality Stadium to take on Bournemouth on Sunday 20th September.
| Date | Opponent | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 23rd August | Newcastle (A) | 4:30pm |
| Saturday 29th August | Nottingham Forest (H) | 12:30pm |
| Friday 4th September | Ipswich Town (A) | 8pm |
| Saturday 12th September | Fulham (H) | 3pm |
| Sunday 20th September | Bournemouth (A) | 2pm |
Liverpool’s key players for 2026/27 Premier League
Liverpool top Premier League Golden Boot contender: Alexander Isak
- Key stat: Alexander Isak scored with half of his shots on target for Liverpool last season – three goals from six on-target efforts – and still beat his expected goals.
It wasn’t the easiest debut season for Alexander Isak, with a broken leg putting an end to his campaign in December. Prior to that he had scored three goals in 703 minutes for the Reds – that’s a goal every 234 minutes. He scored those three goals from an xG of 2.5 and recorded a touch in the opposition box at a rate of one every 23 minutes, showing that the service was starting to arrive for him. If he can find his feet quickly again, it could be a big season for Isak.
Liverpool primary playmaker: Dominik Szoboszlai
- Key stat: Only Bruno Fernandes created more chances in the Premier League last season than Dominik Szoboszlai, who laid on 78 — more than any other Liverpool player and more than Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice or Anton Stach.
Szoboszlai was the shining light for Liverpool last season, creating 78 chances for this team. 32 of those came from set pieces, with five of his seven assists also coming from dead balls. The Hungarian created 15 big chances and, with Mo Salah no longer at the club, their will be increased expectations on Szoboszlai to create similar number this season.
Liverpool card magnet and top tackler: Ryan Gravenberch
- Key stat: Dominik Szoboszlai was Liverpool’s card magnet last season, picking up eight yellows and a red – more bookings than any team-mate – while Ryan Gravenberch was their most effective tackler, winning 36 of his 59 challenges.
Ryan Gravenberch saw his game change over the past two seasons, operating more as a six and this is backed up by the numbers. He won 61% of his tackles and picked up five yellow cards acting as the enforcer in front of the back four.
Liverpool rising star: Rio Ngumoha
Few teenagers in recent Premier League history have made an entrance quite like Rio Ngumoha. A debut winner at St James’ Park, the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history, and a first senior England cap before he has even turned 18 — last season was a whirlwind. The challenge now is turning those moments into a consistent contribution. Iraola has spoken openly about wanting him to take on a bigger role, and with the right management of his minutes, this could be the season Ngumoha stops being a name to watch and starts being one to fear.
Liverpool 2026 summer transfers
Things have been fairly quiet on the transfer front for Liverpool so far. They’ve finalised the £55m signing of Jeremy Jacquet, a transfer that was first reported in February 2026 on a pre-contract deal. Victor Munoz joins from Osasuna for £34.5m, while Ifeanyi Ndukwe has joined from Austria Wien but will only be an academy option at this point.
The outgoings have been much more eye-catching. Talisman, Mo Salah has left the club, along with Andy Robertson, marking the end of an era for the club. Ibrahima Konate has also departed. Worryingly, all three players left on frees, with the club bringing in no income this transfer window.
Liverpool tactical analysis and formation
Liverpool’s team stats (average per game in 2025/26 Premier League)
- Corners: 6.1
- Shots on target: 4.6
- Shots on target conceded: 4.0
- Offsides: 2.0
Andoni Iraola inherits a squad in transition, and his preferred 4-2-3-1 looks well-suited to the personnel available. The spine of the team picks itself: Alisson in goal, Virgil van Dijk marshalling the defence and Alexis Mac Allister pulling the strings in midfield. The bigger questions surround how Iraola gets the best out of his attacking talent, particularly where Florian Wirtz fits. The German was used across multiple positions last season and a settled role in behind the striker, with the freedom to drift inside, could finally unlock the consistency Liverpool paid £116m to see.
Up front, Alexander Isak will be desperate to put an injury-disrupted debut season behind him. When fit, the quality was never in doubt, but Liverpool need him available and central to everything they do. Cody Gakpo offers a reliable option on the left, while the full-backs provide width on both sides. Kerkez has grown into the left-back role considerably, and Frimpong, despite a difficult first year, has the athleticism to thrive in a more advanced position under a manager who likes his side to press high and move quickly.
At centre-back, the arrival of Jérémy Jacquet is an exciting one. The 20-year-old joins from Rennes and, once fully fit after a shoulder injury, will push hard to start alongside Van Dijk. Ryan Gravenberch, who signed a long-term extension in March, is expected to be a key figure in Iraola’s engine room.
Liverpool manager analysis
Andoni Iraola begins his time as Liverpool manager this season, having led Bournemouth to a very impressive 6th place finish in the Premier League last season. His record as a manager has been fairly consistent, with his win rate hovering around 40% across his eight years in management.
It remains to be seen how he fares at Anfield but it looks like he has all the tools to succeed.
| Manager | Team | P | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andoni Iraola | Liverpool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |