A lot has changed since the last round of action in England’s top flight, meaning this weekend’s fixtures are full of intrigue.
Two weeks is a very long time in football, and so much has changed since a ball was last kicked in the Premier League.
We might be three games in already, but the closure of the transfer window after the pause for the international break means the picture has altered dramatically.
We’ve seen transfer records smashed, very early changes in the dugout and complete overhauls behind the scenes, as squads took their final shapes and clubs made extremely last-minute preparations for the 35 games to come.
The three rounds that preceded the break were just the warm-up; now the international break is out of the way, here are the biggest storylines to look out for as the Premier League season begins in earnest.
Ange is back (already)
Saturday’s early kick-off will witness the return of Ange Postecoglou to a Premier League dugout, as the Australian makes a swift comeback after being unceremoniously ditched by Tottenham in the summer despite guiding the club to a first trophy in 17 years in the form of the Europa League.
Ultimately, though, he didn’t get away with a dismal 17th-placed finish in the league – but just three months later, he’s back, having been appointed at Nottingham Forest in the immediate aftermath of agitator Nuno Espirito Santo being relieved of his duties following a behind-the-scenes feud with the club’s hierarchy.
Seemingly a tactical misfit for a defensive-minded counter-attacking side, straight-talking Postecoglou has been typically bullish in his opening gambits, doubling down on his commitment to attacking football and insisting he intends to win more silverware at the City Ground.
His first match in charge? A return to north London to face Arsenal. Pure narrative.
Big Nick’s Newcastle bow
Newcastle will be incredibly relieved to see the back of what was a painful and energy-sapping transfer window on Tyneside. While the Alexander Isak saga dominated the headlines, the Magpies were also snubbed by a string of key targets including Benjamin Sesko, Liam Delap, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and James Trafford.
Shortly before Isak finally departed in a British-record £125 million ($169m) right at the close of the market, Newcastle finally managed to land the man they hope will replace the striker in towering German frontman, Nick Woltemade.
The £69m ($93m) outlay represents a big risk given that the 23-year-old only has one strong Bundesliga season under his belt having impressed with Stuttgart in 2024-25, but with excellent feet and a 6’6 frame, he has the attributes to succeed in English football.
The big man could make his big bow against Wolves at St James’ Park, where he will come up against another failed Newcastle target in Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Can Simons spark Spurs?
With Xavi Simons being hailed as Tottenham’s biggest signing for a generation in some quarters, there is huge expectation on the shoulders of the attacking midfielder following what looks like a bargain £52m ($70m) move from RB Leipzig.
The 22-year-old may feel he has a point to prove after Chelsea failed to make good on their summer-long transfer interest in him, despite the player’s keenness on the switch. If he can hit the ground running, the fact he ended up at Spurs rather than their bitter London rivals will make him all the more popular.
With Thomas Frank’s team in dire need of creativity due to James Maddison’s untimely pre-season injury, Simons will be expected to be the attacking fulcrum of the revamped Tottenham team.
His journey will begin at West Ham’s London Stadium on Saturday and it would be little surprise to see him thrown in from the start against a side that has struggled defensively.
Chelsea sweat on Palmer
Chelsea may well be regretting their decision to pass up on the chance to sign Simons, with their own attacking talisman struggling with his fitness in the early stages of the new campaign. Cole Palmer has missed the last two league games and England’s World Cup qualifiers this month with a niggling groin injury.
The Blues face a tricky trip to west London neighbours Brentford on Saturday evening, and it’s still unclear whether their key man will be available having seemingly only just returned to training despite being afforded extended time off during the international break.
“Cole took part in a session yesterday for the first time – but not the entire session,” head coach Enzo Maresca said in his pre-match press conference. “Today [Friday] in the afternoon, we have one more session, and we are going to try with him if he is OK. Otherwise, he will be out tomorrow again.
“He had an injury. He has recovered from the injury. So, it’s not managing him; it’s recovering from the injury. From the moment he is available, we have to think about how to manage him a little bit because of the amount of games [we have coming].”
Time for Isak?
We’ve already touched upon the transfer saga centring on Isak, which culminated in his dramatic, record-shattering transfer from Newcastle – where he had effectively gone on strike to force the move – to Liverpool on deadline day.
Now the dust has just about settled, the Swede has begun work with his new club and attention now turns to when he will make his debut for the Reds and how he will fit into the XI alongside fellow summer arrival Hugo Ekitike, who has made a fine start to life at Anfield with three goal contributions in three league games.
Despite barely playing any football so far this season, Isak looked razor sharp in a behind-the-scenes video of his first Liverpool training session and could well be in contention to get his first minutes when Arne Slot’s side travel to Burnley on Sunday, although the head coach has tempered expectation.
“Don’t expect Alex to be on for 90 minutes in every game over the next few weeks,” the Dutchman said. “He missed a proper pre-season, three or four months of team sessions, we have to build him up gradually. With us playing so many games, hardly any training time, that’ll be a challenge.”
The battle of the new GKs
From big-money strikers to brand-new goalkeepers; the biggest story ahead of the marquee game of the weekend is who will start between the sticks for Manchester City and Manchester United as they prepare to meet in the derby at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides have seen a complete overhaul in the goalkeeping department; City brought James Trafford back to the club early in the transfer window and made him their first choice, before moving to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma – one of the best shot-stoppers on the planet – when it became apparent that the Italian was surplus to requirements at Paris Saint-Germain, with long-serving custodian Ederson allowed to leave for Fenerbahce.
Across Manchester, meanwhile, relative unknown Senne Lammens has arrived from Royal Antwerp to compete with Altay Bayindir for the No.1 jersey, with Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez overlooked. Consequently, £48m ($64m) flop Andre Onana has followed Ederson to Turkey having been shipped out on loan to Trabzonspor – completing a staggering fall from grace at Old Trafford, where his time was punctuated by a string of high-profile errors.
It will be fascinating to see who starts for each club on Sunday, where we will have an indication of who will be the long-term No.1 for each club going forward. Ruben Amorim has said he is standing by Bayindir for the time being.
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