EPL title race: How Salah, Saka, Foden and Palmer could decide 2025/26

Liverpool haven't gone back-to-back as champions since the 1980s. Arsenal are chasing their first Premier League crown in 21 years. Manchester City have won six of the last eight. Chelsea are champions of the world.

All four believe they can win it this season - and they've all spent big to make it happen. But it could be their right wingers who hold the key.

Three of the last four PFA Player of the Year winners have been right wingers. Last season's top four all had a talisman tearing it up on that flank. This season, the right wing might just be the most valuable patch of grass in English football.

Salah's toughest test yet

Mohamed Salah has just posted the highest goal involvement tally of his Liverpool career - 47 goals and assists combined. But repeating it? That's a different story.

AFCON will rule him out of at least five league games, and history suggests the real challenge comes after the tournament. In his last two AFCON seasons, Salah's post-return form dipped, and Liverpool's title push faded - they were top when he left in 2024, nine points behind by the finish.

Arne Slot's headache isn't just filling Salah's boots in January - it's reigniting him instantly when he's back.

Saka's time to shine

Bukayo Saka has been Arsenal's heartbeat on the right flank - but last season, that heartbeat stuttered. A hamstring injury cut his minutes, hardly surprising given the sheer load he's carried. From August 2021 to December 2024, no player made more Premier League appearances.

Before that injury, Saka was having his most productive season for goal involvements per 90 minutes. With Noni Madueke arriving to share the load, Arsenal hope they can keep him sharp.

He's never topped 25 goal involvements in a league season. Salah has hit 27 or more every year at Liverpool. But at just 23, Saka still has time - and the ceiling to match the Egyptian's numbers.

Foden's defining role

Phil Foden was the PFA Player of the Year in 2023/24, but last term saw him drift. Used across multiple roles, he lost the rhythm that made him unplayable.

With Kevin De Bruyne gone, City need Foden to own the creative hub. That could mean more starts in his favourite positions - but also the pressure to produce every week. New signing Rayan Cherki will push for minutes, meaning Foden has to hit the ground sprinting.

Palmer's consistency challenge

Cole Palmer lit up 2023/24 with a league-high 33 goal involvements and topped the league during his first 10 games last term.

His volume stayed high, but his shot placement narrowed as last season wore on, becoming more central and predictable. If Palmer adds variety and keeps that early-season sharpness, there's no telling what records he could break.

Four clubs. Four right-flank stars. Four potential title-deciders. The Premier League crown might just be won or lost out wide.