Liverpool opened the 2026-27 Premier League campaign on August 23 without Mohamed Salah for the first time since 2016, following his transfer to Trabzonspor last month [1, 2, 3, 4]. New manager Andoni Iraola led Liverpool in their first match against Newcastle, marking a fresh chapter after the departure of the club’s historic scorer [1, 3, 4].

Salah scored 10 goals on opening matchdays—a Premier League record—and netted 257 times for Liverpool between 2015 and 2026 [2]. Alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who contributed 120 and 111 goals respectively, the trio amassed a combined 488 goals for Liverpool during that period [2].

Liverpool’s current top scorer is Cody Gakpo with 50 goals. The club invested £320 million last summer to sign forwards Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike to help fill Salah’s void [2]. Despite Ekitike suffering an Achilles tendon rupture in April, he is expected to return in the season’s second half [2]. Liverpool are also pursuing Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, with transfer talks ongoing [2].

At Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s decade-long tenure ended with his May 2026 resignation [1, 3, 4]. Guardiola won six Premier League titles and the club’s first Champions League trophy, totaling 20 trophies during his time from 2016 to 2026 [1, 3, 4]. However, City struggled in his final two seasons, losing the 2025-26 Premier League title to Arsenal by seven points [1, 3, 4].

Guardiola lamented the 2025 departure of director of football Txiki Begiristain, saying it felt like "a part of me is leaving" [1, 3, 4]. He also faced the ongoing strain from FA charges over alleged financial breaches at City, which factored into his decision to step down [1, 3, 4].

Manchester City’s first game under new manager Enzo Maresca was also on August 23, hosting Bournemouth [1, 3, 4]. The club has spent heavily to rebuild its squad after losing key players including Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Kyle Walker, and Riyad Mahrez, but results have been mixed [1, 3, 4].

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk emphasized the need for squad depth, stating, "We need a squad that is able to compete on all four fronts, that's the only way to try to be successful. Let's see what the last couple weeks of the transfer window brings and then let's go for it" [2].

The next significant stage arrives as the transfer window closes, with expectations high around the final squad adjustments both clubs will make following these landmark changes.