The long winter is coming to an end, and Premier League football will soon be back after its first international break. While we only have four matches before national team duty returns, this set of fixtures is crucial. It’s a chance to shift early season narratives before they become too entrenched in any club. It also brings the return of European competition (which features 8 Premier League clubs this season) and the third round of the Carabao Cup. In anticipation of the next four weeks, here are five storylines to watch before the next break.

With 40% of the Premier League participating in European tournaments, there are plenty of clubs gearing up for journeys around the continent. Some of these clubs have a wealth of experience in balancing these demands with their league form, but a few new faces have joined the party. Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Aston Villa all make their first (or first in a long time) foray into UEFA land, with distinct challenges awaiting them.

Newcastle have floundered early on against difficult opposition, and - while they can look forward to some easier fixtures - their Champions League draw is absolutely brutal. Paris Saint-Germain, Dortmund, and AC Milan may be exactly the sort of teams the new ownership would want to play, but I doubt they’d want to face all of them in one group. The Magpies have a real challenge in front of them if they want to get back on course in the league and not be embarrassed in Europe.

Brighton have started well in the league, giving viewers little reason to doubt their quality. The Seagulls had one hiccup against West Ham, but overall have shown more consistency than last season. However, the club has never competed in a tournament like the Europa League, and they face some big tests with Ajax, Marseille, and AEK Athens on their menu. The club will have confidence, but Roberto De Zerbi will have to prove he can set up the team for both challenges.

Unai Emery loves European tournaments, winning silverware with Villarreal and Sevilla. However, Aston Villa have been inconsistent to start the campaign in anticipation of their Europa Conference League. Their squad has been thinned by injuries, which is a worry - but, on the other hand, it’s not difficult to imagine Emery using the competition to hone his team and get back into form.

Even the old stalwarts have questions around them (with the exception perhaps of Manchester City). Liverpool fans may worry that the distraction will interrupt their fragile rebuild process. Arsenal are returning to the Champions League after many years away. Manchester United have so many issues on and off the pitch, it’s questionable how they’ll manage. Even West Ham, who have proved adept at winning in Europe regardless of league form, have a small squad whose chemistry could be thrown off by injury and fixture congestion.

All of the clubs will be looking forward to competing; these tournaments bring in revenue and excite fanbases. But this next slate of matches will give us our first indications of who is really prepared for the challenge.

It may still be slightly too early to draw massive conclusions (and definitely too soon to worry about the league table), but it’s never too early for a crisis! To butcher a classic line of literature: non-crisis clubs are all alike; every crisis club is in crisis in its own way. And indeed the early season has produced a few flailing clubs, each facing a unique brand of difficulty. Which, if any, of these clubs can find their way in the next few matches?

Chelsea sit on 4 points after 4 matches, far below expectations entering the season. While they performed well in their opening draw against Liverpool and their thumping of Luton Town, what will worry their supporters is the two losses against West Ham and Nottingham Forest. Despite West Ham’s great start, Chelsea shouldn’t be dropping points in those matches - especially considering their astronomical investment. The Blues’ have a friendly run on paper, with upcoming matches against Bournemouth, Villa, Fulham, and Burnley. Mauricio Pochettino will expect a good return from those fixtures. On the flip side, however, underperforming during this run could throw the manager’s future into doubt.

Newcastle has a claim that they don’t belong in this section. They’ve lost 3 times, but the losses came against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Brighton. Eddie Howe has earned a lot of goodwill, but this ownership group is still quite new. It’s an open question how they’ll react if results don’t improve. However, the Magpies will feel they have every opportunity to right the ship, with Brentford, Sheffield United, and Burnley to come in their next three matches.

Manchester United entered the break with the unwelcome distinction of being “the” crisis club. Their results have been mixed, with 2 wins and 2 draws. The optimist will say that the losses were against top sides in Arsenal and Tottenham, but the pessimist will say that the wins were narrow and scrappy against weak opposition. Compounding all of this is the club’s horrendous off-field issues. The deeply troubling Mason Greenwood saga has been followed by Antony’s leave of absence from the club amid assault allegations, and now Jadon Sancho has been exiled from the team following a public spat with the manager. Add to that fan unrest after the owners failed to sell the club and a series of injuries, and you can’t help but feel the atmosphere at Old Trafford is toxic. Results could help to shift the narrative, but these are issues that transcend football.

The above clubs are sides that one might have expected to perform better, but Everton should not escape without mention. The Merseyside club wasn’t tipped for success this season, but only 1 point in 4 matches and a deepening financial crisis plants them deeply in crisis mode.

It’s been a rough start to Premier League life for the promoted sides. Even though Burnley and Luton Town have played a match fewer than others, no club from last year’s Championship has registered a win. Will any of the three gain momentum and bolster their survival bid?

Sheffield United have given the best account of themselves in the early season, and fittingly they’re the only promoted club with a point. That point, earned via a draw with Everton, plus avoiding blowout losses has been enough to keep them narrowly outside of the relegation places. The Blades’ summer business was worrying, with top talent leaving and the club slow to add reinforcements. However, they ended with a few ambitious additions and have shown signs of life. With all that said, they next face Tottenham, Newcastle, and West Ham. There is reason for positivity in Sheffield, and even drawing 1 or 2 of those matches would be a huge success. But, it’s difficult to see them winning before their trip to Fulham in early October.

Burnley, last season’s runaway winners of the Championship, have shown little desire to adapt their tactics and have consistently been thumped as a reward. Ambition is all well and good, but results matter. They open this run of fixtures away to Nottingham before matches against Manchester United and Newcastle. If they lose that first match, it’s not difficult to imagine them losing all 6 of their first chances in the top flight. They do have a match away to Luton before the next break, but by then they may already be cut adrift.

For Luton Town, losing to Brighton, Chelsea, and West Ham is not terribly worrying, but they haven’t shown that they truly belong in the league yet. There have been some flashes of potential but no steel in their performances. All that said, Luton have the best chance of getting points on the board during the next few matches. They have a very friendly run with Fulham, Wolves, Everton, and Burnley on deck before a visit from Tottenham. This could be an opportunity to log a few wins and draws and distinguish themselves from the rest of the clubs near the bottom. Or, it could be a poisoned chalice - failing to bag points in these fixtures would be catastrophic even this early in the season.

On the surface this question seems silly. The results are there in black and white, there are clear winners and losers in terms of the new managers. However, it was only a few years ago when Nuno Espírito Santo opened up his tenure as Spurs manager with 3 wins in 3 before ultimately being fired on the first of November. This is not an attack on any individual manager, but a simple reminder that things can change quickly - and that first burst of matches is not necessarily indicative of where a team will end up.

Despite the Nuno example above, the current Spurs manager has had the best start of the new bosses, and there’s every indication that Ange Postecoglou’s hot start is for real. 3 wins and a draw in 4 matches is a great return, and - crucially - the performances seem to be improving. Again, it’s too early to draw conclusions, but the underlying metrics suggest that this run is sustainable. There will be bumps along the road, and Spurs fans will be anticipating the upcoming matches against Arsenal and Liverpool to see where the club truly stands.

Chelsea’s early struggles have been well documented on this site, and Mauricio Pochettino will be feeling pressure to get results. There has been massive squad turnover and a spate of injuries, so it’s unsurprising the club hasn’t hit the ground running. But, this slate of matches brings the West London club winnable fixtures, of which the Argentine manager will need to take advantage. Beyond just needing to get points on the board, Pochettino needs to continue to craft the club’s identity.

Wolves manager Gary O’Neill was the latest addition to the ranks of Premier League bosses this summer, and he had little to no input in the club’s transfer strategy. He is still getting his feet under him and isn’t under any real pressure this early in the campaign. However, he’ll want to keep it that way by adding a few points in their next matches.

Finally, Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth has yet to show the best of his tactics. The Cherries have 2 draws and 2 losses in 4, and their most recent draw to Brentford was a little bit lucky. It’s early, they’ve faced tough opposition, and the club has some top new signings missing through injury. All of these are reasonable excuses for their low points return so far. However, Bournemouth face Chelsea, Brighton, and Arsenal in their next three matches. It’s a brutal run before a friendlier lineup in October. Iraola came to the league with a reputation for setting up underdogs for success; he has a huge opportunity to prove he’s earned it.

The answer to this question is almost certainly no. Erling Haaland ran away with last year’s golden boot and already tops this year’s table with 6 goals in his first 4 matches. He’s inevitable, he’s unflinching, he’s not only matched his output from the first 4 matches last season, but he’s matched the exact scoring pattern (2 in his first, 0 in his second, 1 in his third, then a hat trick in match number four).

In all likelihood the Norwegian scoring behemoth will continue his steamrolling of the record books, but is there anyone who can keep pace? Evan Ferguson and Bryan Mbeumo are closest on 4 each, with 5 players on 3 goals, and a raft of players on 2. If there’s any chance of a different top scorer this campaign, barring a long-term injury to Haaland, this next run of games will prove crucial.