After just 5 rounds of fixtures, the Premier League took a hiatus while the extended international break took over in recent weeks. With the club game just picking up momentum, we always see the September break as a disappointment for some sides who build momentum, while others are grateful to hit reset on their seasons and look to start over after a disappointing start.

With this weekend offering a great return to action with some tasty clashes between teams all following their own unique narratives, we’ve gone through 3 key areas to keep an eye on as the Premier League returns this weekend.

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Strugglers

Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Bournemouth remain the 3 teams across the league without a win thus far this season. While Bournemouth have managed to gain a few draws to keep them out of the drop zone, they will be under pressure as they travel to Chelsea to take on a largely unpredictable but fairly exciting Chelsea side where things could turn against Marco Rose as it appears they may have just over-stretched themselves with losing the manager and several key players in recent years.

Fulham have a similar issue with their new manager, as the club understand there’s a transition taking place, but the Premier League in it’s current form can’t allow too long to pass without points on the board, and while I think Fulham have a really interesting squad with some huge talents, Arbeloa will begin to face this pressure if they fail to win away at Ipswich as this should be seen as a winnable clash. Fulham have improved in recent games with 2 draws against Liverpool and Manchester United, so a win could completely change their fortunes for the season.

Finally, we have the bin-fire of Tottenham Hotspur, sitting rock bottom of the table, having only scored 2 goals in their 5 appearances and despite spending huge sums on players this summer, the project under Roberto De Zerbi is yet to begin. After narrowly avoiding relegation in hugely embarrassing fashion last season, most had expected at least a mid-table finish for the club this year, but with some big defeats under their belt already, they only managed to score in their 5th game which still ended in defeat. As one of the strongest squads on paper in the division, it still feels unfathomable that they end up in the position they’re in, but Tottenham travel to Old Trafford where the winner will be given a brief reprieve from scrutiny, and the loser between De Zerbi or Carrick will be in the firing line.

Keeping Momentum

Only 5 games in, but the table is largely going against what most would have predicted. Of course the top 2 could have been guessed at with City and Arsenal leading the way, but the chasing pack and early impressers are not what anyone would have thought.

Brighton sit in 3rd and went into the international break in top form, hammering Coventry, coming from behind to beat Manchester United in the League Cup and then a big win over Arsenal as they look a real threat this season despite their upcoming European commitments, and Pascal Gross has been unplayable in this last month of action as he rolls back the years. Another winnable game against Sunderland could see them continue this impressive run.

In 4th, Brentford continue to also defy the odds, with Keith Andrews going massively under the radar for continually improving the club despite their losses in staff and players across previous seasons. They remain unbeaten this season and looking confident of a strong challenge for European places this campaign if they can continue, and they take on an unpredictable Villa side in a game that could go either way.

We also have other teams in the likes of Leeds and Everton who have both been unbeaten and chipping away at their early games to get decent points on the board. While more data will be needed to judge what is possible for these sides, a top half challenge or even European place isn’t out of the question for both clubs given their early showings.

Finally, we have the newly promoted sides of which 2/3 are comfortably out of the relegation zone. While it’s largely in the opposite order to what most expected, Hull City sit 8th after their terrific start winning their first 2 games, but they had a drop off before the international break which could be a blip or concern for the season ahead. Meanwhile Ipswich Town look okay thus far, winning 2 and losing 3 but with their key clash against Fulham to come, this early season table can take some big shifts each round of games, so they will be hoping for more points on the board.

Fallout

Finally, the most exciting and dramatic club football story from the last few weeks has certainly been the charges against Manchester City, as they have been found guilty of their 115 charges from the football bodies due to their financial management and invested income. While it’s been a real epitome of modern football as fans pour over spreadsheets during this international break trying to make any sense of what’s going on, the impact could be felt most powerfully on the pitch.

Manchester City currently sit top of the table with 5 wins from 5 and looking like they will be a genuine contender for the title after Arsenal slipped up in their final game before the break. While we wait to see what outcomes will be found and the huge ramifications financially and legally against the club from all corners of the footballing world, players will no doubt have become aware of this, possibly looking at their futures, how their careers could be altered by association with the club, and while I can’t imagine this being at the front of their minds through the 90 minutes, anything but a win on their return and the questions will be asked.

Unfortunately for City, they face off against Liverpool at Anfield, a team who have been on the wrong end of the battle between these sides during the period of City’s charges, and so it’s likely the home support will be on their backs from the start, and this could give the crowd an added edge in the atmosphere, making things difficult. City can silence this with their efforts on the pitch, but this story is a long way from being over.