The Premier League is back and the pressure is on for managers at the top and bottom of the table as manager Arne Slott waits for the real Alexander Isak to step forward and Ruben Amorim to reach his landmark.
Given the international holidays in November, this was perhaps more appealing than ever. The whole Jude Bellingham debate favored England’s two qualifications for the 2026 World Cup, even though their place was already secured, and Troy Parrott’s heroics in Budapest brought the country to a standstill.
Northern Ireland’s game was less spectacular but still effective, while Wales were mostly flamboyant in celebrating their place in the play-offs. And there’s nothing to say about Scotland’s Scott McTominay’s bicycle kick and Kenny McLean’s kick from the halfway line.
But still, the return of the Premier League is rich with storylines from top to bottom, with each club taking over over the next four months. As Josep Guardiola said ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Newcastle: “The real, real, real season begins now.”
read more: Benjamin Sesco injury update, three Manchester United stars absent from trainingread more: Diogo Jota’s death still affects Liverpool’s stars, but that’s no excuse, says Arne Slott
Squeaky butt time comes quickly
When Arsenal were leading with just minutes left in the game at Sunderland, it looked like the Gunners would move into the lead with an eight-point lead. However, Brian Brobby and Manchester City’s victory over Liverpool means they are now just four points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side.
And here’s the problem. The last time a team failed to win the Premier League was in 2023/24, despite being in the lead after 11 games. And what about that team? Arsenal. So their lead? 4 points behind Manchester City.
As Pep says, it’s still early in the season, but the North London derby will have special meaning. If Arsenal lose, their temperament will already come under intense scrutiny.
It’s Alexander the Great’s time to shine in battle
He deserves his fair share of the blame because his pre-season has been a dirty joke and he has been plagued by minor injuries since arriving at Anfield on September 1st. But from Arne Slott’s perspective, it’s definitely time for Alexander Isak to step up to bat.
In the Premier League and Champions League, the £125 million man played 429 minutes of football but failed to score. Slott is asking for patience when it comes to assessing Isak, but Liverpool fans will soon want to know why the club went to such lengths to sign him.
Liverpool need to get back to winning ways after defeat at the Etihad, but Nottingham Forest are showing signs of resurgence under manager Sean Dyche. It won’t be easy for Isaac or Slott.
Keeping the Wolves out of the championship door
In his first game in charge, at home against Crystal Palace, Rob Edwards is doing a lot…and that would be an understatement. Not only will Edwards be tasked with giving Wolves their first Premier League win since April (they have lost 12 and drawn three in that time), he will also have to try to unite a fan base opposed to the ownership.
And let’s be honest, he’ll need some kind of miracle to keep the Wolves in first place. It is detrimental to Molineux, but it is simply due to supporters’ anger at the way the club has limited its ambitions to staying in the Premier League.
The policy of selling your best player and hoping for three worse teams is bound to backfire at some point. But you never know if Edwards will be a flyer against Palace.
Marching together…for now.
When there were strong hints that Leeds executives could replace Daniel Farke in the summer, fans were almost united in their support of the manager, despite him leading the club back to the Premier League. And despite his recent struggles, most people still seem to support him.
However, four defeats in their last five Premier League games means Farke is the frontrunner to become the next Premier League manager to leave. But Sunday’s visit to Aston Villa is not necessarily a make-or-break moment for Falke.
But what he needs is a better performance from Leeds, even if they don’t get a win. In the defeats against Brighton and Nottingham Forest, there was a lackluster display that led to the manager being sacked.
Year of living dangerously
When Manchester United take on Everton, it will be exactly one year since Ruben Amorim made his debut as a Premier League manager, ending in a remarkable draw at Ipswich Town. David Moyes can be seen along the touchline on Monday night, having lost 15 of his 51 games and has been appointed as United manager for less than a year.
Amorim has lost 19 of his 54 matches. Moyes had a 53% win rate and Amorim’s 39%. These numbers show that Amorim is certainly lucky to have survived the last 12 months, but the club has faith in him, which is good and shows that United’s team is finally starting to look like the team he wants.
This is true both in terms of human resources and attitudes. It’s the start of a very exciting 10-game series for United. After Christmas, they could be talked about as title contenders.
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