The 2025 Premier League Summer Series kicks off on Saturday, July 26, with the first matches of the tournament being hosted at MetLife Stadium. The tournament features four teams from the Premier League, facing off against one another in a pre-season friendly tournament.
The four teams participating in the event this year vary from the four in last year’s contest. The four teams are AFC Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester United & West Ham United. Each team finished around the middle of the pack in the Premier League last year, which is the highest level of English football. Below you can find more information on three of the four teams that will be competing in this year’s tournament.
AFC Bournemouth were founded 126 years ago in 1899, where they went as Boscombe. They are a relatively new team to the Premier League, having been promoted in 2015. However, after being relegated in 2020, the team had to fight back to earn a spot once again. They did so by being Championship runner-ups in 2022, which was enough to win the team back a spot in the Premier League.
The team last finished at 9th in the Premier League standings, with a record of 15 wins, 11 draws and 12 losses, the best placement of any of the four teams in the tournament. The team plays at Dean Court, which only holds a capacity of 11,307 due to the team’s adolescence in the Premier League.
The next team we will be looking at is Everton. The team was founded in 1878 and was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992. The last major trophy that Everton has was, was in 1985 when the team hoisted the 1995 FA Cup for the 5th time in its history. The team finished 12th in the Premier League standings for the past season, with a record of 11 wins, 15 draws and 12 losses, a few spots behind AFC Bournemouth.
Everton are one of the most historic clubs in the Premier League, though this is their first time playing in the Premier League Summer Series. They will look to emerge victorious in the upcoming tournament against three other competitive teams.
The last team that we will be looking at is West Ham United. The team was founded in 1895, holding a lengthy history in English football. West Ham United were the runners-up of the first-ever FA Cup final, held in 1923.
In the 2024-25 Premier League season, West Ham United finished 14th with a record of 11 wins, 10 draws and 17 losses. The prior season was their first without manager David Moyes, who now manages Everton, another team competing in the tournament. While they are still getting adjusted to the new leadership, the tournament serves as practice for them to improve before the regular season begins. Current manager, Graham Potter, will look to lead them to victory in the tournament.
The two matchups for the Premier League Summer Series at MetLife Stadium are AFC Bournemouth vs Everton and Manchester United vs West Ham United. Everton and AFC Bournemouth face off at 4 p.m., with Manchester United and West Ham United facing off at 7 p.m.