While Tottenham leads the table and Chelsea looms as a title contender, Cristiano Ronaldo’s second debut at Manchester United spearheads the return of the Premier League after the international window.
How Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will accommodate his stellar signing is just one of many key questions hanging over first division teams. Here is a list of the main challenges that I think each club will face:
ARSENAL
No points or goals, and last on the table, a home game against Norwich, also in trouble, is a must win for Gunners coach Mikel Arteta. Arsenal were the top ‘net spender’ (£ 148.8 million) in the summer pass window, but so far the team has lacked confidence and leadership, conceding easy goals. Unless things change soon, the Arsenal hierarchy could lose patience.
ASTON VILLA
Saturday’s visit to Chelsea seems intimidating, but beyond that, could Dean Smith be tempted to form a two-front attack with a fit Danny Ings alongside the recovered Olly Watkins in some games? Will new signings Emiliano Buendía and Leon Bailey fill the creative void left by Jack Grealish’s departure in midfield?
BRENTFORD
Promoted from the Championship, Brentford has stumped critics with an undefeated start and entrepreneurial football. The key question is whether you will be able to sustain that level when you go through a more difficult stretch, which could undermine your confidence. A home game against Brighton this weekend will be a good barometer of Brentford’s progress.
BRIGHTON
They started with two wins before losing at home to Everton, but Brighton remains a talented and entertaining team. However, who is going to score the goals? Neal Maupay already has a pair, but they will need more men like Leandro Trossard and Danny Welbeck.
BURNLEY
After a poor start (they have only one point) they will probably arrive at Everton at their best on Monday. Manager Sean Dyche knows his squad has the right mindset, but Burnley needs to develop more creativity on offense or he will again have to lean too heavily on winning with his strong defensive unit.
CHELSEA
The European champions look like contenders for the Premier League title. Two wins and a hard-won draw, with 10 men against Liverpool, is a good way to start the season. Indeed, it is difficult to see a cloud on the horizon, although it is strange that left-back Ben Chilwell has yet to kick the ball for his club or his country since the Champions League final.
CRYSTAL PALACE
The hard-fought two-goal tie at West Ham on the latest date will encourage Palace fans to believe that the summer renovation under new coach Patrick Vieira could be working. A home game against Tottenham this weekend will tell us more, and the signing of center forward Odsonne Edouard from Celtic is interesting. Can Palace produce a more attractive football without losing the organization developed by its previous manager, Roy Hodgson, to avoid problems?
EVERTON
So far, so good for new coach Rafa Benítez: the Toffees started with seven points out of nine. However, last season they also started well and then faded away. Can Benitez be more consistent, especially at Goodison Park, where Everton’s score was dismal during the 2020-21 campaign? If winger Demarai Gray, who converted in the last two games, manages to make a standout campaign, it would offer a new dimension.
LEEDS UNITED
A slow start has left some wondering if there are any signs of “second season syndrome” at play after the huge impression Leeds made on their return to the Premier League. Marcelo Bielsa’s team will face a great challenge on Sunday when Liverpool visit Elland Road; If it fails to shore up a porous defense, which has given up eight goals in the first three games, the visiting team could find the net a few times.
LEICESTER
Not entirely convincing, especially in a 4-1 loss at West Ham, Leicester have defenders Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana out with injury, and host Manchester City on Saturday. The trick for DT Brendan Rodgers is to keep the points flowing while he awaits the return of his figures. With everyone in good shape, Leicester will be a potent force.
LIVERPOOL
With central defender Virgil Van Dijk, back from an injury that practically left him out for a full season, they are shaping up to be the team that won the Premier League in 2020. Liverpool started the season strong, with seven points and a single goal Granted, but Jürgen Klopp may regret the quiet passing window of the summer, during which his only major addition was defender Ibrahima Konate.
MANCHESTER CITY
After losing to Spurs on the opening weekend, City have successive 5-0 home victories. Pep Guardiola will refine the outstanding talent of newcomer Jack Grealish, perhaps convincing him to release the ball faster to maintain momentum in attack. Man City didn’t add its primary target, Harry Kane – and neither did No. 9 – in the passing window. Will that hurt them in their title race?
MANCHESTER UNITED
All eyes will be on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team selection against Newcastle, taking into account the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. He will play up front, so there are questions regarding the make-up of the team with Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and, when he returns from his injury, Marcus Rashford, not to mention Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba available. Can Solskjaer find the right strategy and keep most of the big players happy? One thing is for sure: with all that talent, they will have to be a serious contender for the title.
NEWCASTLE
The only point came after a 2-2 draw at home against Southampton, which outscored Steve Bruce’s side for most of the match. The signing of Joe Willock from Arsenal aside, Newcastle were not very active in the transfer window this summer, so the old discontent remains. With that being said, Bruce will enjoy his attempt to spoil Cristiano’s arrival at Old Trafford.
NORWICH CITY
Will they be good enough to avoid descent? They started the season with three defeats and ten goals conceded, albeit against Liverpool, Man City and Leicester. Norwich spent more than £ 50m in the summer pass window, then quickly realized that their defense needed to keep getting stronger and added Brandon Williams and Ozan Kabak on loan. It will be fascinating to see what they can do against Arsenal.
SOUTHAMPTON
Losing Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard in the passing window was an oversight, but draws against Man United and Newcastle have allayed the fears of some fans. Will Ings’ replacement Adam Armstrong be able to build an effective front force with Che Adams? Will the defense be good enough? This week’s home game against West Ham will give us more clues.
TOTTENHAM
What a start for coach Nuno Espirito Santo! At the top of the table with maximum points, no goals conceded and having won the battle to keep Harry Kane. The new Spurs coach has made no mistakes and has found a way to get even more out of Dele Alli. The question now will be to see if a promising start can become, at least, one of the many that they are waiting for. It won’t be easy, with the Spurs saying they may have to go without seven of their regular players this weekend.
WATFORD
After a 3-2 win against Villa to start the season, they have suffered back-to-back losses from the visitors without posing much of a threat in attack. Watford will host the Wolves on Saturday and it is a game they could win, especially if the dangerous Ismaila Sarr is fit. The concern is whether many players new to the Premier League will be able to adapt quickly enough to survive the crash.
WEST HAM
The Hammers have 10 goals in three entertaining games, with Michail Antonio having scored in each of them, and they will be thinking about three more points against Southampton. The West Ham squad has been strengthened by the signings of defender Kurt Zouma and Nikola Vlasic, who may play behind the man up front but is unlikely to make the same impact as Jesse Lingard last season. The biggest challenge will be dealing with the extra Europa League matches on Thursday nights.
WOLVES
New coach Bruno Lage has his team playing with attractive flair despite three defeats and without scoring a single goal. They are creating chances, but they lack definition in front of the goal. That could change with Watford, however. From now on, the fate of the Wolves will largely depend on the forward, Raúl Jiménez, being able to become the force of before on his return after suffering a horrendous skull fracture.
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