The 5 Best And 5 Worst Premier League Kits Of 2025/26 - By Phil Delves

2025/26 Arsenal third shirt

Everyone knows that Arsenal are the apple of adidas’ eye, and The Gunners new third kit exemplifies just how good they’ve had it since the adidas reunion of 2019.

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From a design perspective the shirt hits on most of the trends I covered in our recent article, with a “cloud white” base, subliminal pattern and the continued usage of the alternate cannon crest. This shirt is greater than the sum of its parts though, as it combines what makes each of those elements so strong into the total package.

2025/26 Nottingham Forest away shirt

Notting Forest aren’t part of adidas’ elusive ‘elite’ tier, but they have one of the better adidas shirts this season. I hate how much I like the sponsor here, but the logo of gambling company “Bally’s” is the undeniable cherry on top of a classy cake.

Though the subliminal pattern is not part of the fabric itself as a jacquard or embossed design, it works extremely well in giving the shirt interest up close without distracting from afar. And the aforementioned sponsor logo is joined by the other applications by all being coloured in navy.

2025/26 Crystal Palace home shirt

It’s hard to get excited about home shirts most of the time, but Crystal Palace’s 25/26 home is sneakily good in my opinion. Far from being just a run-of-the-mill Palace home kit, the introduction of white pinstripes to frame the red and blue is a stroke of genius.

I usually associate this sort of pinstripes+stripe aesthetic with Brazilian teams (think Fluminense, Gremio, etc.), and the move here from Macron is one of many good decisions the brand have made this season. Surprisingly it’s not something Crystal Palace have utilised before either, marking this one out in the club’s history.

2025/26 Wolves home shirt

Another strong home shirt which has caught my attention, you’d be forgiven for thinking there is nothing special about the new Wolves home. The collar alone is worth highlighting in my opinion though, as the contrasting black cutout triangle on the neckline perfectly complements the angular nature of the Wolves crest. There’s a little bit of the 2003/04 home (of Doritos sponsor fame) about it, and small decisions like the collar here made a big difference.

Though the betting sponsor is a letdown, the pattern in the body more than makes up for it. The rise to prominence of subliminal patterns has been a very welcome trend, and the fact that even the ‘smaller’ brands are getting involved has made a big difference in the kit game.

5 Worst 2025/26 Premier League kits

2025/26 Burnley third shirt

Burnley’s third shirt brings absolutely nothing to the table. The black and gold colourway is tired; any brand or team that tries to jump on the bandwagon is too late and ends up looking out of touch as a result. Worse than the colours is the hexagonal pattern. I would rather have a blank shirt than a cheap-looking pattern like this.

If there is one saving grace with this design it’s the fact that the applications have been recoloured to match the shirt, but even then I could complain about the size of the betting sponsor.

2025/26 Newcastle away shirt

The adoption of Saudi green as a recurring character on Newcastle alternate kits is a mistake. Despite repeated attempts to make the colour relevant, it has done more harm than good from a design perspective in my opinion.

There is nothing offensive about the 25/26 away kit. Sure, the arched pattern inspired by the Tyne Bridge might as well be a catalogue look, but it doesn’t get in the way like some patterns do. It’s impossible to separate the final product from the brazen attempt to embrace green though, and it’s becoming a running gag at this point.

2025/26 Manchester City third shirt

City’s new third shirt has been crowned by many as the worst football shirt of all time. Though I would push back against this reactionary take, there’s no denying that the grey affair is an eyesore full of missed opportunities.

A shirt inspired by rain is one thing but the overly literal pattern does the final shirt no favours. The gradient that runs from the Puma logo to the club crest might be even worse. With so many advancements in applications technology, something iridescent or lenticular would have landed far better in my opinion.

2025/26 Aston Villa away shirt

I try my best to avoid the “looks like a training shirt” comment which is parroted ad nauseam in response to any kit launch, but in the case of Aston Villa’s 25/26 away the criticism is justified.

This feels like a shirt designed to be forgotten, with no outstanding features to give it any sort of identity. Something like the checkerboard pattern of the 2010/11 would’ve given us something to hang out hats on.

2025/26 Bournemouth third shirt

Pink shirts divide opinion no matter how well executed, but in the case of Bournemouth’s 25/26 third shirt I’m struggling to find positives. Though the club described the shade of pink as “vibrant” in the official press release this is about as dull as a pink shirt can be.

The most pink kits make good use of a secondary colour, but the choice of purple from Umbro falls decidedly flat. Give me white or a Palermo-esque black, though admittedly there is plenty of black between Bournemouth’s home and away.

This article has been written by Phil Delves, football shirt authority and Head of Content of Cult Kits, a seller of genuine classic items shirts. Phil Delves' engagement is a crucial part of enhancing our football kit coverage and content.