Premier League 2021/22: Kit review and ranking

Who will wear it best?

Kit reveals are an important ritual for a new season. It’s natural for us to assess the appeal of new season jerseys. Being particular about aesthetics, I’m presenting my review and ranking of all 20 Premier League jerseys.

After the sartorial abominations and atrocities of last season, this season has revealed some clean designs. I’ve ranked home and away jerseys for each team out of 5; each team is then given a combined score out of 10. Scores are assigned based on one criterion: visual appeal at first impression.

Arsenal

The home jersey features a good shade of red, matched with white sleeves and blue Adidas shoulder stripes. 3.5/5. The away jersey has a clean design —a welcome change from the hideous “marble” or “stain” pattern of last season. A tint too pale however. 3.5/5.

Score: 7/10

Aston Villa

With 3 teams wearing claret and blue, it’s all about distinction. Stripes add that, but are a bit too dark and over-elaborate (thin stripes in broad bands). 2.5/5. The white base with claret details and pinstripes give the away jersey a clean, elegant and sophisticated look. 4.5/5.

Score: 7/10

Brentford

Neatly aligned stripes and simple yet effective home jersey design. 3.5/5. Away jersey is plain and while this tone of yellow can be difficult to design around, the Hollywood Bets star-shaped logo, well placed on both home and away jerseys, enhances its appeal. 4/5.

Score: 7.5/10

Brighton and Hove Albion

Clean, classic stripes for the home jersey which blend in seamlessly with the sponsor logo. Colour combinations are excellent with yellow being used to distinctive effect. Perfection. 5/5. The away jersey — what a beauty. Clean, colour co-ordinated with artistic shoulder and sleeve patterns. 5/5. Brighton’s kit is the exemplar for striped jerseys and for applying the optimal level of creative enhancements to plain jerseys.

Score: 10/10 🏆

Burnley

Another claret and blue home jersey, distinguished by contemporary sleeve patterns. The mock collar, clean lines and orderly logo and crest placement give it a neat appearance. 3/5.

Score: 3/5

Chelsea

The home jersey is too busy. The “kaleidoscopic” patterns are dizzying and offer inadequate contrast. 1.5/5. The base design of the away jersey, with its thin horizontal stripes and yellow/black color scheme is coherent in itself. The thick bold outline of the sponsor’s logo however adds a jarring presence, that detracts from the overall design. 3/5.

Score: 4.5/10

Crystal Palace

The sash-inspired diagonal stripes of the home jersey are different but the novelty can wear out quickly. 3.5/5. The vibrant yellow and red/blue vertical stripes make the away jersey an attractive proposition; the subtle eagle outline lifts it to another level. 5/5.

Score: 8.5/10

Everton

Like Chelsea, Everton traditionally wear a (mostly) plain home jersey. This gives enormous scope for improvisation — but sometimes it can be beyond the layperson. The “dazzle-camouflage” for all it’s artistic history is an example of that. 3/5. The black away jersey with a red-orange sash is smart and unique. 4/5.

Score: 7/10

Leeds

The simple Adidas design of the home jersey is distinguished by a button-up collar. The shoulder stripes could’ve had better contrast. 3/5. The away jersey is tidy but otherwise unremarkable. 3/5.

Score: 6/10

Liverpool

Our first reaction to the home jersey is an instant recall of AS Roma’s iconic giallorossi strip. I like the orange accents and clean design but not so sure about the oblique lines. 4/5. The away jersey brings high fashion to the Premier League like no other. Timeless classic. 5/5.

Score: 9/10 👔

Leicester City

The Adidas template ensures that the Foxes home jersey has a classic structure. Given their shade of blue, the camouflauge pattern adds variety compared to plain background. 3.5/5. The away jersey features great colour with the tartan pattern coming through subtly. 4/5.

Score: 7.5/10

Manchester City

Sleek and clean design for home jersey. The neckline could’ve been better though. 4/5. The delicate and parsimonious use of ombre colour accentuates the white background, giving the away jersey a pure, crystalline beauty. Its elegance contrasts starkly with the “cells under a microscope” abomination that we saw last season. 5/5.

Score: 9/10 👔

Manchester United

The home jersey features the classic Adidas template. The white detail (shoulder, collar, sleeve) goes nicely with the red. The sponsor logo is rather bland and could’ve blended in better. 4/5. The away jersey combines lively artistry with a complementary color palette. Different — good different. 4.5/5.

Score: 8.5/10

Newcastle

The sponsor’s logo removes the stripes effect on the home jersey and makes it look like an elongated “4”. The light blue lettering offers insufficient contrast. The mandarin collar notwithstanding, the potential of black and white stripe design is not utilized fully. 2.5/5. The stylish pattern, oustanding collar, and well-matched golden lettering and logos, make the away jersey intricate, classy and attractive. 4.5/5.

Score: 7/10

Norwich

The yellow and green home jersey of the Canaries is eye-catching as always with good styling around the sleeves and shoulders and neatly placed sponsor’s logo. 3/5. The simple and effective design flows on to the away jersey which is effectively a “dark-mode” version of the bright home jersey template. 3/5.

Score: 6/10

Southampton

The home jersey returns to traditional stripes, which are neatly laid out and match the the logos and crest. The collar detail and chevrons provide further embellishment. 4/5. The away jersey is vibrant yellow and blue enhanced further by collar detail and the flame graphic. 4/5.

Score: 8/10

Tottenham Hotspur

Less is more. The clean minimalist design of the Spurs home jersey once again drives its appeal. 4/5. The sensory overload of the away jersey is a stark contrast. It looks like it’s made from a bus seat cover or an industrial-strength carpet we see in cinemas. 1/5.

Score: 5/10

Watford

A black-yellow color scheme and hoops give the Hornets’ home jersey a metaphorical alignment like no other; enhancing its appeal. 4.5/5. The away jersey features a beautiful tone of red, artistic lines, and a well-placed logo written in a spunky font. 5/5.

Score: 9.5/10 ⭐️

West Ham

With Umbro also designing Burnley’s claret-and-blue jersey, they’ve used plain light-blue shoulders for the Hammers’ kit which contrasts nicely with the full and rich claret body. The polo collar gives it a heritage feel. 4.5/5. Sky blue, white stripes and claret detail come together cohesively to create a very presentable away jersey. 4/5.

Score: 8.5/10

Wolverhampton Wanderers

The beautiful colour, striking wolf crest and clean detail of the home jersey is let down by the sprawl of the sponsor logo. 3/5. The away jersey with its tonal grey and black shades, sprawling logo and yellow flecks just looks untidy — like confetti sprayed on grey carpet. 2/5.

Score: 5/10

Bonus: Jersey Trivia

• 6 home jerseys (30%) feature stripes. Only one has hoops.
• Of non-striped jerseys, Blue is the most popular colour (4). Claret/blue and red tie in at 3 each followed by white, and yellow at 2 each.
• 9/20 (45%) shirt sponsor logos are betting related. The next most popular category is transport (5), followed by financial services (4).
• In the last 10 seasons, teams wearing Blue have been champions 8 times.
• In the last 10 seasons, teams wearing stripes have been relegated 8 times. Last season (2020/21) was the 7th consecutive time a team wearing stripes was relegated.

All images taken from official club stores (or kit makers’ sites). Information and club crests sourced from official Premier League website.