Eight Premier League Storylines To Watch: Liverpool, Man United, Haaland, Extra

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The tip of the October worldwide window is upon us, membership soccer followers. Prepare for 4 extra weeks of Premier League enjoyable earlier than we're lulled again into the November break. Fortuitously, there's continuous motion earlier than then to look ahead to, starting with some mouth-watering fixtures this coming weekend, together with Manchester United's journey to Liverpool.

Elsewhere, Chelsea have the chance to inflict extra distress on a down-on-their-luck Nottingham Forest, whereas Manchester Metropolis welcome a Jack Grealish-less Everton to the Etihad Stadium and Arsenal look report a victory at Craven Cottage for the primary time in three seasons after they face Fulham. The races for the title, European locations and survival are hotting up earlier than the clocks have even gone again.

There are such a lot of totally different narratives to maintain your eyes peeled for this weekend, and we at GOAL have picked out eight of essentially the most intriguing storylines as we welcome the return of Premier League soccer:

Ange on the Forest clock Ange Postecoglou shortly received over the English public when he went 10 video games unbeaten to start his Premier League profession with Tottenham again in 2023. Seven matches into his Nottingham Forest spell, he's looking for his first win and on the verge of the sack already. How did Forest, the top-flight's greatest overachievers final season, and Postecoglou, a serial winner all internationally, discover themselves on this scenario? There are a number of strands to discover.

In case you had been to zoom out and take away the managerial nonsense from the equation, the straightforward reply could be that Forest merely over-performed final season and are merely regressing again to the imply. Their anticipated purpose distinction for 2024-25 ended at a tally of -3.4 (per FBRef), which ranked thirteenth amongst Premier League groups, six decrease than their precise place of seventh.

To merely go by these numbers is a disservice to what Forest achieved below Nuno Espirito Santo, nevertheless. The Reds turned one of many Premier League's meanest and hardest groups, whereas the playmaking of prime Morgan Gibbs-White and peak type of veteran striker Chris Wooden ensured targets had been by no means brief in inventory. A few of that hot-streak ending has cooled off and the defence has been extra disjointed as a result of accidents, however the issues lie deeper.

Fiery membership proprietor Evangelos Marinakis introduced pointless consideration to Forest and their operations when he confronted Nuno on the pitch following a 2-2 draw with Leicester Metropolis of their penultimate dwelling sport of final season. Each males performed down that this was pressure boiling over and insisted the Greek was merely searching for the welfare of the injured Taiwo Awoniyi, however the optics had been removed from unbelievable. If something, these assumptions turned emboldened when Nuno admitted in August his relationship with the proprietor had deteriorated, whereas subsequent reporting put this all the way down to the arrival of Edu Gaspar from Arsenal because the membership's new international head of soccer.

The choice to axe the universally common Nuno for Postecoglou was baffling for a number of causes. Marinakis boasted a constructive relationship with the previous Celtic boss and had dinner with him over the summer season, so if this was a plan he had in thoughts for some time, it made little sense to attend till after the switch window had shut to nominate him. The philosophies of Nuno and Postecoglou may hardly be extra differing both, whereas the Australian's ways had been sussed out by a lot of the Premier League by the top of his Spurs reign.

There isn't any longer a way of unity at Forest. A united and spirited membership has grow to be a bitter choose and blend. Current reviews recommend if Postecoglou fails to chalk up his first win this weekend, with Chelsea visiting the Metropolis Floor in Saturday's early kick-off, then Nottingham native Sean Dyche might exchange him in one other 180-flip of method from upstairs. Make it make sense.

Caicedo hype hits overdrive Is Moises Caicedo one of the best midfielder within the Premier League? In a phrase, no. Sorry, Chelsea followers. It makes for an fascinating debate, nevertheless.

It took the Ecuadorian some time to seek out his ft at Stamford Bridge following his £115 million ($153.5m) transfer from Brighton in the summertime of 2023. A part of that was all the way down to the load of expectation on his shoulder, a part of that was all the way down to the haphazard squad planning the membership had been eager on fulfilling, a part of that was he was nonetheless a younger participant with kinks to iron out.

Two years on from that transfer, and you would be arduous pressed to seek out anybody of a Chelsea persuasion who would not need to try this transfer over once more. Save for Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in accounts, most of them could be more than pleased to present Brighton one other £115m for his or her troubles. That nobody even talks in regards to the midfielder's price ticket anymore is the surest potential signal that Caicedo has been a hit in west London, already successful two trophies and serving to restore their Champions League standing.

Caicedo's rise this season hit a brand new peak previous to the worldwide break, strolling throughout Liverpool's personal costly set of midfielders and breaking the impasse with a thunderbolt as Chelsea secured a 2-1 win. Solely down this path will he cement his place among the many world's elite.

One of the best central midfielders in soccer all contribute with targets or assists on at the very least a semi-regular foundation. These contributions are the garnish on high of the elite fundamentals. Jude Bellingham and Pedri are standout on this regard, however even Rodri, Declan Rice and Vitinha put up numbers regardless of being seen as 'deeper' gamers. To his credit score, Caicedo already has three targets in seven Premier League video games this season, a career-high for his time in Europe, and there may be clearly urge for food for him to proceed enhancing on this space.

Haaland 2.0 carries Metropolis title hopes Manchester Metropolis sit fifth within the desk and solely three factors off high spot, and there is just one actual motive why they're going to be capable of contend this season - the type of Erling Haaland. The striker has already scored 21 targets in 12 video games for membership and nation, which is ridiculous even by his personal alien requirements.

The additional layer to Haaland's kind this time period is that he is managed so as to add, nicely, additional layers to his sport. Now not is he the archetypal poacher simply ready within the six-yard field for a ball to return inside his almighty radius. To be truthful, Metropolis have wanted him to diversify his model with a view to sustain with their rivals.

Haaland has scored 12 of Metropolis's 19 targets in all competitions, offering the help for one different. Nobody else on the group has greater than Phil Foden's two strikes, whereas Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku, Savinho and Matheus Nunes have every discovered the online as soon as. Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Oscar Bobb are among the many gamers but to get off the mark. Gone are the times the place Metropolis had a number of free-scoring threats, moderately now they've a number of guys who have to step up when referred to as upon, with Haaland the one fixed. He is already being talked about because the Premier League's best scorer.

If he retains going at this present tempo, Haaland will end the season with 48 Premier League targets. That appears obscene and unthinkable even now, but it surely's not precisely past the realms of risk. Even turning into the primary participant within the competitors's historical past to interrupt 40 feels achievable, such is how we take his prowess as a right.

Haaland was launched early from Norway obligation and so ought to come into Saturday's assembly with Everton with an additional spring in his step. It might be a protracted afternoon for the Toffees.

Black Cats out to bury relegation fears Of the three promoted sides coming into the Premier League this season, Sunderland appeared the most secure guess to remain up. They'd made numerous savvy signings, not least that of former Arsenal midfielder and Bayer Leverkusen title-winner Granit Xhaka, and the membership appeared aligned in every thing they had been doing from boardroom to stands.

It is a far cry from the Sunderland of the final decade or so, from the Sunderland who suffered successive relegations to seek out themselves within the third tier of English soccer for the primary time since 1987. The Black Cats have proven a refreshing fearlessness upon their return to the Premier League and stay unbeaten on the Stadium of Mild, which is the place they'll tackle Wolves this weekend.

Regardless of the heroics of head coach Vitor Pereira to steer them away from relegation final season, Wanderers have not clicked within the opening seven rounds of video games in 2025-26, shedding 5 and drawing two. Their numerous new signings have not been in a position to exchange Matheus Cunha's magic or targets, whereas Jorgen Strand Larsen is feeling the after-effects of Newcastle's £60m ($80m) pursuit in the direction of the top of the summer season switch window and remains to be ready on his first league purpose.

Alarm bells are already ringing among the many Molineux devoted, however evidently not within the boardroom after Pereira was handed a brand new three-year contract final month amid their winless streak. Defeat on Wearside may stir mutiny, however Saturday's hosts are able to enjoy one other scalp amid their quick begin.

Arsenal with demons to slay It seems like for each week Arsenal sit high of the desk, their subsequent sport shall be perceived as do-or-die. That is the character of a beast which has been dwelling on their again for 3 years.

The powers at be contained in the Emirates Stadium don't see Mikel Arteta's job as below menace, as a substitute recognising all he has achieved to revive the membership as a powerhouse in England and past. The noise from outdoors will attain unprecedented decibels if he fails to ship a trophy this season, although.

The Gunners have the chance to maneuver 4 factors clear in first on Saturday after they make the brief journey throughout London to Fulham, although Craven Cottage hasn't been a contented searching floor in latest instances, moderately it has been the place the place their desires have began to shatter.

In 2023-24, Arsenal went to Fulham on New Yr's Eve off the again of a shock 2-0 defeat at dwelling to West Ham. Their distress was compounded with a 2-1 loss, regardless of taking an early lead by means of Bukayo Saka. After sitting high at Christmas, the Gunners went into the brand new calendar yr in fourth place, and it was finally this run of kind that almost all supporters blamed for ending second, one level behind champions Metropolis.

Final season, Arteta's troops' journey to the River Thames got here barely earlier in December, however resulted in disappointment all the identical. They trailed to a Raul Jimenez purpose earlier than William Saliba equalised after the break, and Saka appeared to have received it late on, just for a VAR verify to disclaim him for offside. At this level within the marketing campaign, Arsenal had been already third, the hole to leaders Liverpool was widening at an alarming fee they usually did not get inside placing distance of the Reds.

It is fairly becoming the primary place Arsenal will go to as leaders in 2025-26 shall be Fulham, affording them an opportunity to slay some demons and avenge errors of the final two years.

Spurs' dreadful dwelling kind in focus Following on from the chaos of Ange-ball, Thomas Frank has made Tottenham a extra grownup outfit once more. The matches are nowhere close to as chaotic and there's a streetwise savviness about Spurs that has been sorely absent for a number of seasons. You might have extra belief in them towards stronger opposition, which makes Sunday's go to of Aston Villa all of the extra fascinating.

There's nonetheless an enormous elephant within the room to deal with, and it is Tottenham's kind at dwelling. Their billion-pound stadium is a palace that may act as a real twelfth man in the appropriate circumstances, as greatest demonstrated by final season's triumphant European adventures. But in 12 league video games there in 2025, Spurs have received merely three of them - relegated Southampton, newly-promoted Burnley and Manchester United had been their victims. The worry issue of dealing with Tottenham at 'the Lane' hasn't returned fairly but, and it is a level for Frank to deal with this time period as he seems to show a group perceived as delicate misfits right into a aggressive outfit.

Tickets to Tottenham video games aren't low-cost, and a fanbase disillusioned by the Daniel Levy premiership has grown weary. Dwelling supporters lose their endurance shortly as a result of it has been too lengthy since they had been handled to constantly good outcomes. The stress and nerves are palpable each time there may be even a light trace of hazard.

"A vital factor is to make our dwelling stadium a fortress," Frank stated at his unveiling press convention in July. "That may solely be the followers and us collectively, in order that must be an ongoing relationship. We have to construct that as a result of I would like our dwelling to be very, very troublesome to return to. We will solely try this collectively."

Unai Emery's Villa trek to north London with some wind of their sails eventually, going seven video games unbeaten following a gap to the season that noticed them endure six matches and not using a win. England duo Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are again in kind following their very own sluggish begins, too.

How do Liverpool clear up their attacking issues? If Tottenham have an elephant within the room, then Liverpool try to brush one below the rug within the hope no person notices. Within the case of Florian Wirtz, it is too late guys. We will all see him and his report of zero targets plus zero assists in 9 matches.

Wirtz was subjected to the '007' therapy an entire two video games in the past and nonetheless hasn't made a direct scoring contribution. He must have had one final day trip through the Reds' defeat to Chelsea, coming off the bench and developing with a deft flick to launch Mohamed Salah, who uncharacteristically fired extensive at point-blank vary to proceed his personal sluggish begin to 2025-26.

Germany worldwide Wirtz has claimed he's nonetheless getting adjusted to the mile-a-minute nature of the Premier League, the place the urgent by no means ends and each group is aggressively in your face always. That is comprehensible, even on the price ticket of £117m ($156m), whereas he has but to discover a constant spot in Arne Slot's XI, such is his distinctive skillset. However at what level will we begin pointing fingers at £125m ($116.7m) Alexander Isak, who already has three seasons of English soccer below his belt and whose success will very clearly be measured in targets?

The striker missed successfully all of pre-season with Newcastle as he tried to engineer a transfer to Anfield. In the long run, that plan labored and he pressured the Magpies right into a scenario that they had hoped to keep away from, whereas he has since used his first six Liverpool video games to get again up to the mark. Dig a little bit deeper, nevertheless, and a worrying development emerges.

In his final 11 video games throughout all competitions, for membership and for nation, Isak has scored solely as soon as, offering the opener in Liverpool's slender 2-1 win over Championship facet Southampton in spherical three of the Carabao Cup in September. With the Swedish press on his again after two poor outings in World Cup qualifiers this month, you can argue that Hugo Ekitike ought to begin up entrance when Manchester United come to Anfield on Sunday.

It is pure that any group can have teething points becoming so many new and costly items right into a functioning system, however the strain is on Liverpool to ship a second-straight Premier League title. Proper now, Arsenal look streets forward as a cohesive unit.

Amorim chasing back-to-back wins Solely Liverpool stand between Ruben Amorim and his first set of back-to-back Premier League wins as head coach of Manchester United. He is operating out of time to snap such a streak earlier than celebrating (for lack of a greater phrase) his one-year anniversary on the membership.

There's a enormous chasm between these two previous rivals in the case of their modern-day fortunes, their processes and high quality of their squads. But one way or the other Amorim's gamers won't worry Anfield, the place they've earned two massively credible attracts during the last two seasons, leaving their 7-0 hammering of 2022-23 consigned to the previous. The subsequent step is to go there and actually upset the applecart with an unbelievable victory.

Heading out of the September worldwide break, United had been getting ready for a visit to rivals Metropolis, the place they ultimately misplaced 3-0 and the knives first got here out for Amorim on a bigger scale. Given the Crimson Devils are at all times one defeat away from a world disaster, count on an analogous outcry in the event that they fall at Liverpool even regardless of the blatant hole in requirements. That is nearly as good a time to play Slot's Reds although, shedding three on the bounce for the primary time below the Dutchman and cracking up below the cosh at this stage of the season.

Spare a thought for Frank Ilett, often known as 'the United Strand', on Sunday, will you? The highway to 5 straight wins begins with a single set of back-to-back victories.