Every Premier League club has a reason to be cheerful – this is why

It’s back – again.

Two weeks after being rudely interrupted by (yet another) international break, the Premier League returns this weekend. Our club experts have come up with a compelling reason why each top-flight team can feel optimistic ahead of the resumption…

Follow live coverage of Crystal Palace vs Tottenham in the Premier League today

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Arsenal: First-choice attack is back

Arsenal are unbeaten in the Premier League, yet many of their fans will tell you their attack hasn’t quite clicked yet.

That can be at least partly explained by the fact their first-choice forward line of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have not started together this season.

The game at Chelsea could provide Mikel Arteta the first opportunity of 2023-24 to deploy all three in the same XI. Arsenal are going well and finding ways to win, but they could be about to get substantially better.

James McNicholas

Aston Villa: Clinical efficiency is going a long way

Villa’s cluster of absentees is not exactly easing. Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia remain out for most, if not all, of the season while Jacob Ramsey and Alex Moreno have suffered reoccurring injuries.

Yet, despite Unai Emery having to adapt and Villa, in truth, only playing at their full potential in one game this season (the 6-1 home victory over Brighton), they remarkably sit fifth. They’ve been efficient and clinical without being at their most well-oiled. With plenty of scope for improvement and a favourable run of home fixtures coming up, Villa’s optimism is buoyed by what is to come and what could be achieved if they completely click into gear this season.

Emery wants to break into the ‘top seven’ (counting Newcastle United) and if they hit their stride fully soon, Villa could certainly accomplish his aim.

Jacob Tanswell

Bournemouth: Scott’s return

Even though a defeat to Everton can make a club do funny things in the days afterwards, it is not quite crisis management or Andoni Iraola swimming in shark-infested waters quite yet. Bournemouth and their board are calm, noting the significant caveats attached so far (signing lots of players with injuries hasn’t helped, in fairness).

So one reason to carry a smile walking into the return of the Premier League is that Alex Scott is close to returning from injury. Scott was a Championship phenomenon last season at Bristol City but is yet to make his debut for Bournemouth after signing for £25million in August.

Get him back fit, pressing and playing in the No 8 position in how an Iraola 4-3-3 is “supposed” to look and then maybe, just maybe, the tentative mood around Bournemouth will begin to lift.

Jacob Tanswell

Brentford: Mee’s imminent comeback

Brentford’s start to the season has been underwhelming as they struggle to cope without star striker Ivan Toney and Rico Henry and Kevin Schade, who have both been lost to long-term injuries.

The ray of optimism is Ben Mee edging closer towards full fitness after missing six of their opening eight matches with a calf issue. Mee joined Brentford in July 2022 after his contract with Burnley expired and quickly became integral.

Brentford have sorely missed his leadership and the defence has looked rocky without him. Reuniting the 34-year-old with his centre-back partner Ethan Pinnock will hopefully help stabilise Thomas Frank’s side.

Brighton: Coping with adversity

Brighton are sixth, which is encouraging after what has been a tricky start for multiple reasons.

They have the new experience of coping with the Europa League, placing an extra strain on the squad. Numerous players have missed matches with early season injuries, notably Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan, Pascal Gross and Evan Ferguson.

New signings are still settling in, including Carlos Baleba. The 19-year-old midfielder has the makings of an ideal replacement for Moises Caicedo.

They’ve also already played five of the other teams in the top 10. Set against all that, the start to the new season has been more than satisfactory.

Follow live coverage of Brighton vs Ajax in the Europa League today

Andy Naylor 

Burnley: Favourable fixtures at last

Burnley’s second-half showing against Chelsea in their 4-1 home defeat was tough to take any positives from. It ended a difficult opening eight league games and Vincent Kompany’s side sit in the relegation zone.

But it is not all doom and gloom. The fixture list is about to look more favourable. It’s still difficult because every game is, but these are the games Kompany has been trying to get his squad ready for – and the games his side have taken points from already (Nottingham Forest and Luton).

We’ve seen him mix and match to find his best team and, by being thrown into the deep end, they’ve hopefully learnt lessons which will stand them in good stead for the more winnable fixtures against Brentford, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

Andy Jones

Chelsea: They finally look like a team

It has taken 16 months, three permanent head coaches and a squad overhaul powered by around £1billion committed in transfer fees for new players, but Chelsea are finally starting to look like a competent football team again.

The last three matches across all competitions have yielded three victories, each registered in a more convincing fashion than the last, with seven goals scored and only one conceded. Chelsea’s advanced metrics, which have been healthy from the beginning of the season under Mauricio Pochettino, are now being reflected in results.

If anything, the October international break came at a bad time for Chelsea’s momentum, but they can now at least carry real confidence into a home match against Arsenal tomorrow that would have prompted feelings of dread only a few weeks ago.

Liam Twomey

Crystal Palace: Franca could actually play football

In the short term, Matheus Franca has been documented kicking a ball in training, meaning Palace fans may get to see an actual left-winger playing on the left wing soon. And when Michael Olise is able to join him on the pitch, the team’s form should return to somewhere near the level they showed at the back end of last season.

In the medium term, Marc Guehi seems to have booked his place on the plane to Germany next summer, helped by his crucial part in Harry Kane’s second goal against Italy on Tuesday night. So when England win the Euros, Palace will likely have a representative at the parade.

And in the longer term, the recent news that the club have cleared most of the formal barriers to begin work on the redevelopment of Selhurst Park offers some hope.

Reuben Pinder

Everton: Dyche’s team are improving – yes, really

A piece asking for reasons for optimism, published in advance of an Anfield derby, feels like something of a trap because as we all know, Everton’s record in away derbies – at least on the men’s side – leaves an awful lot to be desired.

They at least head into this one having won three of their last four games and buoyed by a 3-0 victory at Bournemouth last time out. Two of those successes came on the road, with the Carabao Cup performance against Aston Villa particularly impressive.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is looking sharp after his return to fitness; Jack Harrison looks like an astute loan signing from Leeds, while the midfield combination of Amadou Onana and James Garner has clear promise. In defence, Jarrad Branthwaite continues to show vast potential.

So whatever happens Saturday, Everton seem to be heading in the right direction.

Patrick Boyland

Fulham: Muscle-man Traore

Fulham should feel contented. They have emerged from a disruptive summer to sit 12th in the table and closer to the Champions League places than the bottom three. What’s more, Joao Palhinha still marauds midfield.

Yes, the goals have not been flowing since Aleksandar Mitrovic’s exit, but their three against Sheffield United (the first time they have scored more than two in 13 games) felt like a corner turned.

The upcoming fixtures are not appealing (Tottenham away, Brighton away, Manchester United home, Aston Villa away), but there may be one shining (or lotion-reflected) light in the coming weeks. And that’s Adama Traore.

He has been sidelined with a hamstring injury but should return before the end of the month. Fulham have lacked attacking flair, but who better to change that than a man of muscle, thundering down the wing and striking fear into the hearts of full-backs?

Peter Rutzler

Liverpool: Darwin has evolved

The international break is not always kind. Just ask Andy Robertson, who is set for a spell on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder playing for Scotland against Spain.

Sometimes, though, it can be. Darwin Nunez’s performance, goal and assist in Uruguay’s 2-0 victory over Brazil was another indication that the 23-year-old is developing into the complete No 9. He continues to look like a polished diamond and not the rough jewel Liverpool signed last season.

With plenty of attacking firepower and creativity around him, the stage is set for him to take on the role as Liverpool’s talisman up top. His form and consistency are only getting better and entering a run of fixtures against teams they should beat, it could be time for a goalscoring run to propel his side into the title picture.

Andy Jones

Luton Town: They’re horrible to play against

It might sound like a low bar to set, but Luton’s remit is simple — just be better than three other teams by the end of the season.

Rob Edwards can be optimistic about their chances of doing so because Luton have a different style of play to others. They have already shown that they can be jarring to play against, troubling opponents with relentless crosses into the box.

No Premier League team has made fewer than Luton’s 18.7 passes per cross so far this season. Quite simply, they get it wide, get the ball into the mixer and cause chaos when they can.

Fellow new boys Burnley and Sheffield United don’t look to have the same robustness on early viewing, but Luton’s dogged approach might pose a surprise to many who have unfairly written them off before the season began.

Mark Carey

Manchester City: Everyone’s back (nearly)

Quite simply, everybody bar Kevin De Bruyne should be back from injury after the international break, giving Pep Guardiola even more quality options to choose from and more tactical variety in his team selections.

After being unable to fill the bench on several occasions, it will be a major boost to get players like John Stones back and Rodri’s return from suspension should help them quickly rediscover their best form.

Newcastle United: Howe’s side are on a roll

There may be uncertainty over Sandro Tonali amidst an illegal betting investigation in Italy, but one key fact remains – Newcastle are unbeaten in their past seven games.

This burst of form includes statement wins over Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, while in the league, they are now back within touching distance of the top four after a poor start to the season.

It is all the more impressive that this has come with several key players unavailable – and Sven Botman, Joelinton, and Joe Willock are all expected to be back to full fitness in the coming weeks.

Jacob Whitehead

Nottingham Forest: The youth factor

Not only have Nottingham Forest built a squad that is strong enough to comfortably survive, but it will also only get stronger with age.

It cost roughly £90million to sign young men like Murillo, Danilo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Anthony Elanga and Andrew Omobamidele, but the result is a dressing room that has as much youthful potential as it’s had in decades.

Danilo is already worth far more than the £18m Forest paid Palmeiras for him last January and his fellow Brazilian Murillo has exploded into the first-team picture.

Many feel Gibbs-White has an international future with England and Hudson-Odoi hopes to get back into the national side.

And, in Steve Cooper, Forest possess a head coach with a proven track record of helping young players fulfil their potential.

Sheffield United: Brewster is back among the goals

Optimism? Cheerfulness? Not at Bramall Lane, I’m afraid, after a shocking start to life back in the Premier League that could be about to get a lot worse thanks to United’s next two opponents being Manchester United and Arsenal.

Even the welcome break of a weekend off has done little to lift spirits, with backup goalkeeper Adam Davies returning injured from international duty with Wales. With Chris Basham, John Egan and Tom Davies having already been ruled out long-term before the break, finding a chink of light amid the gloom is about as easy as deciding who has it hardest in Sheffield right now — United or Wednesday fans.

God loves a trier, however, so maybe Rhian Brewster’s return to goalscoring action with the under-21s last week can be the prelude to him doing the same with the first team. Having been out for 11 months with a serious hamstring injury, Brewster, an £18.5million signing in October 2020, looks leaner and is itching to make a long overdue impact.

Tottenham Hotspur: Ange Postecoglou

One single reason for Spurs fans to feel optimistic? Your manager is Ange Postecoglou. And how can that not convince you that somehow everything will be OK?

Even if Spurs were to lose to Fulham on Monday, he’ll just say something like, “Losing’s a part of life, mate” and everything won’t seem so bad.

Even if Spurs lose the next five games, he’ll somehow make things seem fine, like a reassuring father comforting their child after they’ve hurt their knee.

And the great thing is, Spurs are unlikely to lose their next one or five games because, under Postecoglou, they’re actually good again.

Top of the league, in fact – it could be worse.

Charlie Eccleshare

West Ham: Strength in depth

This time last season, West Ham had lost five of their eight league games, but having made an encouraging start to the campaign following noticeable wins over Chelsea and Brighton, there is renewed optimism over what David Moyes’ side can achieve.

Key to that is the increased depth Moyes has at his disposal, courtesy of the money invested on the back of Declan Rice’s sale. Summer signings James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos have settled in well, while the likes of Jarrod Bowen seem to have enjoyed taking on the added responsibility.

West Ham can target a top-six finish, but their European aspirations are also achievable. Having won the Europa Conference League in June, the latter stages of the Europa League should be within reach.

Wolves: Neto’s sublime form

There are a few reasons for Wolves fans to feel hopeful, but the main one right now is 5ft 8in tall, Portuguese, smiling and, thankfully, blessed with healthy knees and ankles after a couple of years of misery.

Pedro Neto is currently one of the most potent performers in arguably the best domestic league in world football, so by definition, Wolves have one of the world’s best players on their hands based on current form.

Can he maintain it? It would be remarkable if he kept up the current rate of assists and goals, but there is no reason why he cannot prolong the general performance levels.

Steve Madeley