Premier League 2026-27 Home Kit Rankings: From "Oh No" to "Oh Wow!"

Welcome to the Annual Kit Parade!

Imagine you’ve been stuck in a desert with no football for two weeks. You’re thirsty for the new season. Well, the wait is over! The Premier League is back, and so is our favorite tradition: judging the shirts (or "kits" as the cool kids call them).

Every year, clubs wear new home shirts for about 10 months. Some look like masterpieces. Others look like… well, you’ll see. We’ve ranked all 20 from worst to first. Grab a snack and let’s go!

The "Please Burn These" Tier (Bottom 5)

20. Newcastle United

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "Did the designer even look at this?"

• What they say: "Homage to the 1990s!"
• What we see: A shirt that looked stupid in the 90s and looks stupid now.
• The strobe effect: Run too fast in this and you might hypnotize the opposition (and not in a good way).
• Verdict: Abysmal.

19. Chelsea

Maker: Nike
The Vibe: "Knock-off from a dodgy market… in 2005."

• No sponsor logo usually makes kits cleaner. Not this time.
• Despite a weird promo campaign featuring Madonna dancing with "Gymskin" (yes, really), the shirt is just… no good.
• Looks like a fake kit from before the internet could tell you what the real one looked like.

18. Manchester City

Maker: Puma
The Vibe: Homer Simpson backing into a hedge.

• The fade: Blue at the top, white at the bottom. It looked weird when Man United did it (red to black). It looks weird now.
• Good bits: Right shade of blue. Nice white trim on collar, cuffs, armpits.
• Bad bit: The fade ruins it. It’s the football shirt equivalent of slowly disappearing into a bush.

17. Hull City

Maker: Kappa
The Vibe: "Grandad’s 1970s reproduction shirt."

• Literally inspired by 1970s Hull shirts — right down to the old badge (no tiger!).
• Jarring: Stands out, but looks like a team of 40-year-old dads playing five-a-side at Powerleague.
• Made by Toffs (company that does vintage reproductions). It shows.

16. Nottingham Forest

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: That sweaty red jumper from Friends.

• Plot twist: They released a gorgeous Adidas Originals collab that looks like a home shirt but isn’t. Everyone prefers it.
• Actual home shirt: Looks like someone wore it to the gym, sweated buckets, then handed it to the players.
• Reference: Friends episode where they try to find the father of Rachel’s baby using a red mottled jumper. It looks exactly like that jumper.

The "Meh, Could Be Better" Tier (15-11)

15. Bournemouth

Maker: Umbro
The Vibe: "Great shirt ruined by a sticker."

• The sponsor: Vitality logo slapped on like a "60% off" sticker on expiring supermarket chicken.
• The black ring: Around the pink logo to make it pop on red stripes. Icky — the shirt design bends to the sponsor, not vice versa.
• Shame: Cool background pattern (1930s original logo) hidden by the pink distraction.

14. Leeds United

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "Is this even Leeds?"

• Marketing speak: "Bold tribute to 400th anniversary of Leeds town charter!"
• Reality: White shirt with horizontal blue/yellow pinstripes.
• Problem: Take the badge off → nobody knows it’s Leeds.
• Jerry Seinfeld wisdom: Fandom is "cheering laundry." If the laundry isn’t distinct, what are we cheering?

13. Fulham

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "Haven’t I seen this before?"

• Deja vu: Very similar to 2022-23 home shirt and several others.
• Black & white limitation: Hard to jazz up, but possible.
• Future problem: In 3 years, even obsessed fans won’t know which season this belongs to.

12. Aston Villa

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "I have a controversial opinion… I like cheese."

• Tradition: Claret body, light blue sleeves. This… isn’t that.
• Past experiments: Late 90s thick stripes (Merson/Dublin/Ehiogu era) were bold. This is just… a shirt.
• Blurb claims: "Draws inspiration from most unconventional kits." Technically true (it’s unconventional for them), but still just… a shirt.

11. Everton

Maker: Castore
The Vibe: Just on the wrong side of "clean" vs "boring."

• Inspiration: "Marine flags at the city’s docks."
• Reality: You have to squint really hard to see marine flags.
• Silver lining: Restrained yellow dashes are welcome. Not terrible, just… unimaginative.

The "Actually Pretty Good!" Tier (10-6)

10. Crystal Palace

Maker: Macron
The Vibe: "Flawed but admirable effort."

• The concept: Sash design (white with blue/red trim) — actual history! Used in 1970s/80s as default home look.
• Execution issues: Sash too wide. Shoulder bars way too big. A bit… busy.
• Bonus points: Circular badge returns. Admirable attempt, just needs tailoring.

9. Tottenham Hotspur

Maker: Nike
The Vibe: "Marketing says ‘cutting edge’, eyes say ‘white shirt with blue bits.’"

• Blurb: "Sharper, faster, more cutting-edge visuals than ever!"
• Reality: White shirt. Blue dabs. Strange slashing patterns invisible from 3+ yards away.
• Saving grace: Cuffs are quite nice. Just don’t believe the hype.

8. Brentford

Maker: Joma
The Vibe: Very nice.

• Smart detail: "Honey yellow" on collar/cuffs. Because they’re the Bees!
• Why didn’t they do this before? Yellow’s been in the badge since 2017.
• Anti-consumerism heroes: Keeping this shirt for TWO seasons (like last year). Two fingers to yearly kit cycles!
• Joma glow-up: Big improvement on last two seasons.

7. Arsenal

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "Perfectly nice halfway house."

• Classic formula: Red body, white sleeves. Only variable = three stripes color.
• History: White, gold, dark blue, red (last year). This year: TWO reds. (Dark + light stripes).
• Weird quirk: Looks like they ran out of dark stripes and patched in light ones. (They didn’t.)
• Nice touch: Collar/trim inspired by Emirates Stadium architecture (20th anniversary).

6. Brighton & Hove Albion

Maker: Nike
The Vibe: "Good departure, but will they look like Brighton?"

• Inspiration: 1983 FA Cup final kit. (43rd anniversary… random number but ok).
• Details: Broken pinstripes. Blue shorts (not white like 2020-21 version).
• Verdict: Looks good. Identity question remains.

The "Take My Money!" Tier (Top 5)

5. Ipswich Town

Maker: Umbro
The Vibe: Very good. (Even if the inspiration is weird.)

• Inspiration: Floodlight configuration at Portman Road.
• Result: Pleasing design anyway. Who cares where the idea came from?
• Tiny nitpick: Black parts of trim could go. White would pop more. But that’s extreme nit-picking.

4. Sunderland

Maker: Nike
The Vibe: Reeeeeally retro. Like, 1937 retro.

• Tribute: 1937 FA Cup winners shirt (first ever FA Cup win).
• Insane details:
  • ‘S’-shaped pattern all over = reproductions of the FA Cup handles!
  • Inside collar: Names of every player from that 1937 final stitched in.
• From distance: Basic. Up close: Incredible story woven in.

3. Manchester United

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "Now THIS is a proper Manchester United shirt."

• Color proportions NAILED:
  1. Main: Red
  2. Primary trim: White
  3. Secondary trim (⅓ of white): Black
• Execution: White Adidas stripes. Black on collar/cuffs only. Perfect balance.
• Inspiration: Mid-1970s shirts. Also vibes 1990 shirt (with collar). Very good.

2. Liverpool

Maker: Adidas
The Vibe: "Absolutely sensational. Best in years."

• Direct tribute: 1989-91 kit. Nostalgia trap: Works perfectly.
• The pattern: White flecks/dashes on red = decorator’s overalls… but in a GOOD way.
• Even the flaw works: Adidas’s weird thick shoulder stripes (on all their shirts) can’t ruin this.
• Verdict: Falls for the nostalgia hook, line, and sinker. Who cares? It’s gorgeous.

1. Coventry City

Maker: Hummel
The Vibe: BEST HOME SHIRT OF THE SEASON.

• Welcome back! First PL season since 2001. Nostalgia overload (Whelan, Huckerby, Hadji…).
• The design:
  • Mottled pattern in blue stripes = 1987 FA Cup final celebrations!
  • Collar: Clean, simple.
  • Sponsor logo: Actually looks good on it! (Rare.)
• Summary: Superb. History, aesthetics, and sponsor harmony. Perfection.

Quick Summary: The Golden Rules of Kit Design

FAQ: Your Kit Questions Answered

1. Why do clubs change kits every year?

Money! Selling new shirts = huge revenue. Some clubs (like Brentford) now keep kits for two seasons to be sustainable and fan-friendly.

2. What’s a "third kit"?

Clubs have Home (main colors), Away (different colors for clashes), and Third (backup/extra sales). This article only covers Home shirts.

3. Why do sponsors ruin so many kits?

Sponsors pay millions. They demand visibility (big logos, contrasting colors). Clubs often have to design around the logo, not the other way around. Coventry and Brentford are rare wins where sponsor + design work together.

4. Are "retro" kits always better?

Not always! Sunderland’s 1937 tribute works because it adds modern details (FA Cup handle pattern, names in collar). Newcastle’s 90s tribute fails because the original was ugly and they didn’t improve it. Execution > Nostalgia.

5. Can I buy these shirts?

Yes! But wait for sales (usually January). Also check if your club is keeping it for two seasons (Brentford, maybe others) — no rush!

Final Whistle

The 2026-27 Premier League kit season gives us everything:

• Disasters (Newcastle’s strobe, Chelsea’s market stall vibe)
• Head-scratchers (Hull’s 70s cosplay, Forest’s Friends jumper)
• Solid professionals (Arsenal, Brighton, Spurs)
• Modern classics (Ipswich, Sunderland, Man United)
• And two absolute bangers: Liverpool’s decorator-chic masterpiece and Coventry’s perfect return gift.

Coventry City wins the league… of kits.

Now go argue with your mates about whether the sponsor logo really ruins Bournemouth’s shirt. That’s what football’s all about.