Ready for kickoff: Your ultimate Cyprus viewing guide and fan preview for the new Premier League campaign

in-cyprus Ready for kickoff: Your ultimate Cyprus viewing guide and fan preview for the new Premier League campaign Pl Trophy Relevant News Ready for kickoff: Your ultimate Cyprus viewing guide and fan preview for the new Premier League campaign 21 August 2026 Cyprus weather forecast: mostly clear skies, temperatures reaching 41 degrees inland 21 August 2026 Two dengue fever cases confirmed in Cyprus after healthcare worker infected via patient’s blood 20 August 2026 Daniel Zambartas 21 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber It’s Christmas Day for Premier League football fanatics, with the new season kicking off today. Newly promoted Coventry City travel to the Emirates to face reigning champions Arsenal in the opening match of the 2026/27 campaign, as football fans across Cyprus eagerly welcome the return of Premier League action. En Philenews has spoken to Cypriot supporters’ clubs and fans of the ‘big six’ (plus Newcastle) to hear their expectations for the new season and find out where supporters on the island can gather to cheer on their favourite English clubs. Arsenal Calafiori Tzollis It makes sense to start with the reigning champions. Coming off the back of their first Premier League title win in 20 years, a narrow defeat in the Champions League final and, more recently, a comfortable Community Shield victory over Manchester City, the Gunners are the favourites to top the pile again this season. However, retaining the title has historically proved difficult in the Premier League. Frankis Kosta, an Arsenal fan from Larnaca, agrees, arguing that in the Premier League you can never take anything for granted. He said: “I would say Arsenal are among the favourites to win the title again, but the Premier League is so competitive that you can never take anything for granted. I might be a little more positive after the City game, though. You could really see the hunger in the Arsenal players and how much they want to keep improving, win more trophies, and take the club to another level. “I also think Arsenal have built a very promising and deep squad, perhaps one of the strongest in the league in terms of squad depth, and that gives us the ability to deal with different challenges throughout the season. But as I said, this is the Premier League. You always must expect the unexpected in what I believe is the best and most competitive league in the world.” On who he sees as Arsenal’s biggest threat for the title, Kosta believes City remain the main team to watch despite the comfortable Community Shield victory. He said: “Even after losing players like Rodri and Bernardo Silva, they still have an incredible squad — and, unfortunately, they still have Haaland! But I also think Liverpool and Manchester United have extremely strong first XIs and could be serious threats. And then you have all the London teams, which is another challenge for Arsenal — there are so many of us in the league that sometimes it feels like half our season is just London derbies! In the end, City are probably the biggest threat, but the Premier League never makes anything easy.” The official home of the Official Arsenal Supporters Club Cyprus is COZO | Comfort Zone in Nicosia. In Limassol, head to Barleys if you want to watch the match with fellow Arsenal fans. Manchester City A new season and, for the first time in a decade, a new face in the Manchester City dugout. Enzo Maresca faces the daunting task of following Pep Guardiola’s reign, during which the Spaniard won six Premier League titles with City. However, the Manchester side have missed out on the Premier League trophy in each of the past two seasons and find themselves in something of a transitional period, both on and off the pitch, particularly following Rodri’s departure. Anreas K, a Man City supporter in Cyprus, said: “Replacing Guardiola is an enormous task. The standards he set were extraordinary, and I don’t think it is realistic to expect Maresca to simply continue at exactly the same level immediately. Maresca knows the club and he is clearly a talented coach, but managing City under this level of pressure is a completely different challenge. Under Guardiola, even during a bad run, you always felt he would eventually find the solution. Maresca has to build that same level of trust. “On paper, I still think City are Arsenal’s main challengers, but I would have Arsenal as favourites going into the season. “My biggest concern is the midfield, especially after losing Rodri. He was hugely important to the way City controlled matches, protected the defence and dictated the tempo. That influence is extremely difficult to replace. “Anderson may turn out to be an excellent signing, but he has not yet proved himself at a club with City’s level of expectation. “Last season City already looked less dominant in midfield and easier to play through than in previous years. I am not convinced yet that this has been fixed. “Arsenal also have continuity on their side. They know their manager, their system and each other, whereas City are entering a genuine period of transition. “The quality is still there, especially going forward, and with players like Haaland you can never write City off. But this is probably the first season in a long time where I am going into it with more uncertainty than confidence.” There is currently no officially designated Manchester City supporters’ club or pub in Cyprus, but you can read our Cyprus Sports bar guide, which will almost definitely feature a bar that will show the City game if you ask them (if it isn’t already being shown anyway). Manchester United Manchester United quietly ended last season strongly, with new boss Michael Carrick steadying the ship and earning a nomination for the Premier League Manager of the Season award. He was subsequently handed a new contract to remain as United head coach until 2028. The next step for United, according to Charalambos Loizou, secretary of the Cyprus Manchester United Supporters Club, is to raise their standards from comfortable Champions League qualification to challenging for and winning major trophies. He said: “There is certainly a much more positive feeling around the club compared with where we were this time last year. The revival under Michael Carrick and the return to the Champions League have given supporters renewed belief and, importantly, a sense that the club is moving in the right direction again. That said, United still have a lot to prove, and consistency will be the key this season. “For Manchester United, a top-four finish and Champions League qualification should be the minimum target, but we believe the club has to aim much higher. After several difficult seasons without a major trophy, we need to see United challenging for silverware again — and, for us, a truly successful season would mean celebrating a major trophy at the end of it. We want to see Manchester United back where the club belongs: competing for titles and winning important trophies.” He added: “From the supporters’ perspective in Cyprus, there is definitely a renewed optimism and excitement ahead of the new campaign. We hope this is the beginning of a new chapter for United, but ultimately the performances and trophies on the pitch will be what really matter.” Manchester United fans can watch the game with the official Cyprus Supporters Club at Frankie’s Bar & Grill in Ayia Napa, while Nags Head is a popular choice for Red Devils fans in Limassol. Liverpool As mentioned, title defences can be difficult, and the Reds certainly struggled with theirs last season. Although they were undoubtedly hindered by the tragic death of Diogo Jota and a run of bad luck with injuries, the hype surrounding title-winning manager Arne Slot soon turned to doubt, before spiralling into a full-blown loss of faith as results and performances failed to improve. Andoni Iraola’s brand of fast-tempo, high-risk, high-reward football is arguably just what the doctor ordered for Liverpool fans, a view echoed by Cypriot Liverpool supporter and local coach Iosif. On the new manager, he said: “I expect more attacking and dominant football, with a better tempo and pressing, and without some of the previous manager’s stubborn tendencies. I expect the attacking midfielders in particular to be given more freedom, as well as much better ball circulation. “I can’t know whether he is the right manager, but at the moment I don’t think Liverpool would be ready to challenge at the very top under any manager because of last year’s squad planning. “Liverpool’s squad planning last year was very poor, and we are still feeling the effects this season because they cannot spend the kind of money they would like to, while there are several gaps in the squad.” On his expectations for the season ahead, he added: “Liverpool should always be competing at the top and challenging for trophies. A trophyless season cannot really be considered a success for Liverpool. “Of course, I don’t consider Klopp’s second-place finishes to have been failures when he was competing against a machine like Manchester City, who had more money and greater resources. “Given where the team and Iraola are right now, and the gaps that still exist in the squad, finishing in the top four is a realistic target. Another aim should be to build a team that, with another two additions next year, will once again be ready to challenge for the title. “If you are fighting for the title and finish second because of fine margins, it means you are close, and if you continue working properly, eventually you can finish first. But finishing fifth, especially after spending the amount of money Liverpool did, means you got things fundamentally wrong.” In a separate interview, another LFC fan said: “Comparing the squad to other Premier League-winning sides, it does seem that it lacks the depth it should have. But I would definitely say it is talented enough to compete. “Liverpool had a busy summer last year, and those players still have more to show. It wouldn’t be smart to change the squad as much as we did last season.” On expectations for the upcoming season, he added: “A Champions League spot is the bare minimum. A successful season would be one that gets the fans excited to watch the team again, while an ideal season would see Liverpool competing in all competitions. “No trophy doesn’t necessarily mean the season is a failure. Iraola implementing his own identity within the squad is the priority.” If you are looking for a pub to watch the Liverpool game in Cyprus, the obvious pick is of course Gerrard’s Kitchen Bar, located on Limassol’s seafront. In Nicosia, head to City Pride, or All Sports Bar in Larnaca is another great pick if you are a Kopite. Chelsea Chelsea fans will undoubtedly be expecting a major improvement on last season’s tenth-place finish, particularly following the appointment of the highly rated Xabi Alonso. Typically, the Blues have not been shy in the transfer market, bringing in several new players ahead of the new campaign. They smashed the British transfer record with a £117 million deal for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers, while other additions include Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, Geovany Quenda, Valentín Barco, Emmanuel Emegha, Pep Chavarría, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson and Dastan Satpayev — one player short of an entire starting XI’s worth of new signings. Chelsea Cyprus supporters, the official fan club of Chelsea in Cyprus, are optimisic for the season ahead with Alonso at the helm. They told en philenews: “Xabi Alonso is a player that has performed on the top stage himself and has won the greatest titles throughout his career. While managed by the best, and played alongside them, it is no wonder that we trust in the man himself to restore Chelsea where it belongs.” On the new signings, they said: “The recruitment this year has seen various players leave and go, so obviously high spending was important to fill gaps and improve every position which the club had in need to fill and we are happy to see experienced players join our team for a change. In terms of Morgan Rogers, we are excited to see what he can do in the pitch, and hope that he leaves a legacy in this team.” They added: “Taking into account all of the circumstances of the current season, Xabi’s Chelsea should achieve this year a top 4 finish and a cup the bare minimum. The coach has a good team to achieve the bare minimum because Chelsea for us, to be established as the Pride of London means a lot for the fanbase and for the squad to be competitive and to challenge all the way, even as the outsiders.” Chelsea’s Cypriot supporters can cheer on the Blues every matchday at Blooms Bar and Grill in Nicosia. Spurs After surviving a major relegation scare last season, Tottenham Hotspur will be looking for a significant improvement this time around. Spurs will be hoping to build on the progress made under Roberto De Zerbi, with no European football to contend with and several major signings strengthening the squad ahead of the new campaign. Ryan, a Tottenham fan who lives in Nicosia, has full faith in the manager. He said: “We’ve got one of the best coaches in the world who is tactically excellent and clearly an exceptional man-manager. He’s been given a lot of money and more control over the club than most managers since Pochettino, so we are now expecting results. He said he is “happy so far”, with recruitment, and added: “With Savinho and Mamoush looking likely to land from City, I think it would be the best transfer market in over a decade.” “If we get top 6, I’d be happy given two 17th-place finishes in the last two seasons. As ever with Spurs, I’d hope for more, but they always find a way to humble you!” Tottenham Hotspur has a massive, deep-rooted historical connection to Cyprus stemming from post-WWII migration. Fans can watch games with fellow supporters at The Meeting Pub on the Larnaca Promenade, Murphy’s Pub in Nicosia (Egkomi), Happy Jack’s Pub in Limassol, or the New Horizon Gastropub in Paphos. Newcastle United Another club beginning the season with a new head coach is Newcastle United. The Magpies parted ways with Eddie Howe after finishing 12th, just one season after he delivered their first major trophy in more than 50 years. There have also been several high-profile departures, including Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães. However, Andreas, 33, a Newcastle fan from Nicosia who now lives in Northumberland, is pleased with the players brought in and believes they can help compensate for those losses in the long term. He said: “I’m happy with the recruitment so far, taking PSR into account. We can’t spend hundreds of millions the way the “big six” have recently, and personally I think PSR does more to protect the established clubs than it does to protect clubs’ finances. “We also don’t have the prestige to attract big names yet, so this year’s recruitment focused on young talent, and a few of them, especially Bazoumana Touré and Sean Steur, have got the fans excited for the new season. It might not be enough to replace players like Tonali and Bruno straight away, but I can see it getting there in a year or two.” On the change of manager, he added: “It’s quite sad seeing Eddie go. He accomplished so much since taking over, and seeing Newcastle lift the Carabao Cup at Wembley was one of the most memorable moments of my life. But I do think a change was needed. “We lost our identity over the last year or two, the relentless pressing and the passion that made teams hate playing against us had gone. Jaissle looks a promising appointment, given his previous teams used the same high press Eddie had in his first few years, so I’m really looking forward to seeing that in action.” There is no official Newcastle United Supporters Club branch currently registered in Cyprus, but The Hamlet Pub in Limassol is widely known as the ultimate Newcastle United pub on the island. The owner is a passionate, lifelong Newcastle fan who has decorated the venue with a massive collection of Newcastle United memorabilia, shirts, and historic club photos. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus weather forecast: mostly clear skies, temperatures reaching 41 degrees inland Two dengue fever cases confirmed in Cyprus after healthcare worker infected via patient’s blood Overnight pharmacies for Thursday, August 20, 2026 Israel and Turkey step up warnings over Syria after airbase bombing Goldson targets Apollon return after Cyprus screening detects heart issue Quantum Computing: from the global technology race to an opportunity for Cyprus Man in intensive care with encephalitis after Cyprus West Nile virus case Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.