Five Premier League things NOT including Man City charges to follow this weekend

2026-10-09 · Mirror

The Premier League returns this weekend and while Manchester City's trip to play Liverpool after their guilty verdict is undoubtedly the biggest talking point, there's plenty else to get the teeth into

After three weeks away, the Premier League is back this weekend!

In case you hadn't heard, everything has changed after Manchester City were found guilty of breaking the league's financial rules over a nine-year period. City maintain their innocence and have appealed against the verdict, but are facing serious consequences which include relegation.

The fallout to the bombshell news will dominate proceedings this weekend, with City heading to Anfield to play Liverpool on Sunday. But what if you're already sick of the debate around City's cheating and just want to get stuck into some untainted top-flight action?!

Well, thankfully, there is plenty of that too. Here Mirror Football picks out five of the best storylines to keep an eye on.

Can Arsenal bounce back vs Leeds?

It may feel like years ago, but Arsenal were actually played off the pitch in their last competitive football match. Brighton produced one of the best performances in their history to smash the Gunners 3-0 on - it says here - September 19.

"There were certain basics you need to accomplish in football, especially in the Premier League that we were very far from," Mikel Arteta fumed post-match. He's had ages to ponder his approach to Saturday's early kick-off against Leeds, so expect a reaction.

Kai Havertz was injured on Germany duty, so Arteta could be forced into starting Viktor Gyokeres up front. Leeds are unbeaten in the Premier League this season and it should be a real spectacle packed to the brim with high pressing and intensity - the perfect match to welcome back club football.

Battle of under-pressure bosses

We haven't yet had a Premier League managerial sacking this season, but - as ever - one isn't far off. Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa is still without a win, but the pressure is highest at Manchester United and Tottenham, who meet on Saturday evening at Old Trafford.

Spurs have been woeful this season, which is merely a continuation of the past two seasons when they've finished 17th, but the problem for Roberto De Zerbi is that expectations have skyrocketed after over £320million was spent on new players. Their 3-2 defeat against previously winless Aston Villa before the break was utterly miserable and not many fans were there to see their first two league goals of the season, which came late as scant consolation for their ineptitude.

They face a United side who scraped a draw at Fulham before the break. Michael Carrick has transitioned from happy-go-lucky interim boss to gloomy full-time manager and while he still has some credit in the bank, Sir Jim's axe is always looming. Old Trafford expects.

Are Brighton the real deal?

The Seagulls are the top scorers in the Premier League this season with 16 goals in five games and are always an entertaining watch. Fabian Hurzeler is doing a wonderful job, with their brand of ultra-aggressive, high-pressing, position-rotation football seeing them punch above their weight.

Brighton, who will begin their Conference League campaign next week against Lithuanian side FK Kauno Zalgiris, head to Sunderland in third place on Saturday. How long can they keep up this brand of football when playing twice per week? Surely it's unsustainable. We're about to find out. Whatever happens, it should be fun.

The Premier League's newest rivalry

Fans of beef away from the pitch should enjoy Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Oliver Glasner is expecting a frosty reaction on his return to Selhurst Park. "I have to accept the booing," he told the Guardian in the build-up to the fixture.

That provides a nice context to what is essentially a mid-table match. Then there's the fact that Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is suing Palace for defamation relating to a banner unfurled by the club's supporters which showed him holding a gun to Morgan Gibbs-White's head.

“I know I will be, but I don’t want to be in the middle of all the comments and the stories about this game," Glasner pleaded. I personally think that would make for a much more interesting occasion.

Moyes soldiering on

David Moyes is working miracles at Everton, where he survived a farcical summer transfer window, which left his squad threadbare, and somehow managed to oversee an unbeaten start to the season. The veteran manager is the perfect man for the backs-against-the-wall siege mentality role - and Friday brought yet more distractions for him.

The Friedkin Group have put Everton up for sale after just two years. While they claim to be happy to wait patiently for the right buyer, the announcement will undoubtedly cause even more uncertainty for the team, who face Hull on Sunday. Moyes will relish the challenge.

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