There’s no rest for the weary after an incredible month of World Cup drama. With hardly a week between Argentina’s triumph in the World Cup final and Boxing Day, the Premier League is back in action after a six-week break.
And while the year will be divided between pre-World Cup and post-Qatar periods, the season will follow from here on out just like any other. But for both the casual fan and diehard, a refresher may be necessary before the Boxing Day fixtures.
Ahead of the Premier League restart, here are some of the league’s biggest questions:
Can Arsenal pick up where it left off?
While most fans were thrilled by the prospect of the World Cup, Arsenal fans were all left asking the same fatalistic question: Of all the years to have a six-week break in the middle of the season, why did it have to come with the Gunners atop the table? After winning 12 of their 14 Premier League games to start the season, Arsenal went into the World Cup break with a five-point lead over Manchester City in its most serious title push since the Invincibles’ legendary 2003-04 triumph. But now the real challenge begins.
It seems a futile task to try to regain the pre-World Cup momentum—it will almost feel like a different season at this point. But Arsenal has the comfort of knowing it will be less fatigued than Manchester City with the Gunners’ 10 World Cup participants playing about three times fewer minutes than City’s 16 players. Arsenal will also have to make up for the output of star forward Gabriel Jesus, however, who is set to miss the next few months after undergoing knee surgery.
First up on the calendar for the Gunners is a Boxing Day meeting with West Ham, while a North London derby and a matchup with Manchester United (the only team to beat the Gunners in the league this season) await in mid-January. It won’t be easy, and Arsenal probably won’t be the favorites to win the league, but anyone from Mikel Arteta to Gunners fans would have taken a five-point lead heading into the second part of the season. The other thing to consider: those five points begin to look awfully slim when you realize the side has yet to face Man City this season. Go ahead and circle Feb. 15 and April 26 on those calendars.
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Will Man City’s stars break the big records?
No one has ever taken the Premier League by storm the way Erling Haaland has to kick off his Man City career. Rather than list the times he has scored, it would be easier just to name the teams that miraculously kept him off the score sheet (Bournemouth, Liverpool, Brentford). With three hat tricks to his name, the 22-year-old has scored 18 goals in just 13 appearances, becoming the fastest player to 15 goals (nine games). To put his start into perspective, Haaland has scored more than eight Premier League teams this season.
Now, the Norwegian star has his sights set on the single-season Premier League mark—not just the 32 goals scored by Mohamed Salah in 2017-18, but even the 34 goals set by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer during their respective 42-game seasons.
Meanwhile, fellow Man City star Kevin De Bruyne will be aiming for his own record atop the assists charts. After an incredibly disappointing World Cup with Belgium, De Bruyne will be glad to be back where he plays his best soccer. The playmaker already has nine assists in 14 appearances—thanks especially to Haaland’s finishing—and will be eyeing the 20-assist mark he shares with Thierry Henry after his 2019–20 performance. All signs point to Haaland and De Bruyne rewriting the record books by season’s end.
Can Newcastle crack Champions League?
Since the Saudi takeover, Newcastle has invested heavily as it looks to add its name to the ever-growing list of elite European clubs. But no matter how much money you spend, you can’t be considered an elite club if you don’t regularly play in Europe’s elite competition. While the Magpies are probably a few seasons away from seriously competing for a Premier League title, finishing in the top four is a very realistic—and necessary—goal if it wants to continue trending in the right direction.
Currently, Newcastle sits in third place on 30 points, with a game in hand, and is expected to make another transfer splash during the upcoming winter window. Even with expected bounce backs from struggling clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, Newcastle finds itself in a good spot. And with only five players returning from Qatar and no European competition to clog its schedule, this season represents as good an opportunity as ever to break into the Champions League.
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Who is on the winter transfer window radar?
The old adage to never make a transfer based off one good tournament might be ignored by the cash-rich Premier League. While Newcastle will likely lead the way in spending, expect Chelsea and Manchester United to be heavily involved, especially with big names. However, don’t expect the biggest names on the market to move during the winter window, which should especially apply to Jude Bellingham. With Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid eager, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder could very well break the English transfer record, but it almost certainly won’t happen until the summer.
One big name who could very well find his way to the Premier League is Cody Gakpo. The 23-year-old had himself a breakout World Cup, scoring three goals during the Netherlands’s quarterfinal run. Manchester United is the favorite to land the PSV Eindhoven forward, but the Red Devils may have to shell out $60 million. Other World Cup stars in Benfica’s Enzo Fernández (named the young player of the tournament), RB Leipzig’s Joško Gvardiol, Benfica forward Gonçalo Ramos and Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister have also been linked with top Premier League clubs. But the winter window is always quieter than the summer one, and it would be a surprise if even two of those breakout stars arrived in January.
Will Liverpool and Chelsea rebound or crumble?
The general consensus is that Liverpool and Chelsea find themselves on two sides of a glass-half-empty/full scenario. Starting with Liverpool, the injuries have only continued to mount all season. Luis Díaz is not expected back until at least March. Diogo Jota is likely set to miss another two months and the midfield has been a mess with Arthur Melo, Thiago Alcântara and Naby Keita all cycling through injury problems. The good news is Salah has had plenty of time for some much needed rest, but the team is not expected to invest this winter to give him more support. Sitting in sixth, 15 points back of Arsenal, and with Real Madrid waiting in the Champions League round of 16, things look bleak for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
Chelsea, meanwhile, has dealt with plenty of injuries as well. While bona fide starters in N’Golo Kanté, Wesley Fofana and Reece James all missed the World Cup due to injury, the trio looks set to return in the near future, while Armando Broja has been ruled out for the season. But unlike Liverpool, Chelsea is expected to spend during the upcoming transfer window while the feeling surrounding the team is much more positive given that recently hired manager Graham Potter has had a full six weeks to better prepare for the remainder of the season. The Blues sit one point behind Liverpool, but their chances of making the top four may seem more optimistic.
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What’s in store for the Premier League’s high-profile Americans?
Let’s start with the biggest name: Christian Pulisic. The U.S. men’s national team star returns from Qatar after what should be considered a successful World Cup, where the U.S. survived a tough group thanks in part to Pulisic’s gutsy goal against Iran. But back at Chelsea, the 24-year-old returns to the usual limbo of being an on-and-off contributor, even after having a fresh start under Potter. Last week, Pulisic said he was focused on playing for Chelsea, but he didn’t rule out a winter transfer. Manchester United and Newcastle have been linked with a loan move in January, and it might not be the worst idea.
Up in Leeds, Jesse Marsch is also doing a balancing act. The American manager found himself on the hot seat after an eight-match winless streak that saw Leeds drop into the bottom three. And just as the rumors began swirling about his dismissal, Marsch led Leeds to a massive win over Liverpool before defeating Bournemouth and blowing a late lead to Spurs. Still, a bad restart could see Marsch on the chopping block, which would seriously impact the future of the USMNT stars thriving under his watch, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.
