The Premier League is finally back this weekend, although I can’t say I’ve been short of things to write about during the international break. Manchester City have provided enough material to last several months, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s increasingly bizarre cult of followers have kept me entertained in an entirely different way. I’ll never understand people who support an individual footballer more passionately than their club or country. It’s one of the strangest developments in modern football.
Anyway, back to the Premier League, and what a weekend we have ahead. City face a potentially explosive reception at Anfield, Everton’s owners are already contemplating an exit, and I’ve had another go at predicting all ten fixtures. What could possibly go wrong?
Anfield Awaits Manchester City, and This Time Everything Has Changed
I’ve watched Liverpool play Manchester City enough times over the years to know that Anfield rarely needs much encouragement to create a hostile atmosphere for the visitors. Sunday’s meeting, however, has the potential to be something quite extraordinary.
For the first time since the independent panel delivered its damning verdict, Manchester City will walk onto a Premier League pitch. And it just happens to be Anfield, home to the club that arguably suffered more than any other from the financial misconduct that helped underpin City’s success.
You really couldn’t have scripted it better.
What interests me most is how Manchester City intend to navigate their new circumstances. For years, the club maintained that the allegations were baseless, that their evidence was irrefutable and that those questioning their financial arrangements were motivated by jealousy or ignorance. That position has now been demolished by the findings of an independent panel, yet the response from the club and many of its supporters suggests very little has been learned.
The comments I’ve seen from some City fans have been astonishing. Deflection, denial, accusations against Liverpool and endless attempts to drag other clubs into the conversation. Apparently, everybody else’s supposed misdemeanours are now relevant, while the actual findings against their own club can be conveniently overlooked.
There is something particularly revealing about supporters who appear more offended by criticism of cheating than by the cheating itself.
I do have sympathy for those City fans who followed their club long before Abu Dhabi arrived. They didn’t manufacture sponsorship arrangements, negotiate questionable contracts or decide how the club’s finances should be presented. They simply supported their football team and enjoyed the success that followed.
But loyalty to a football club should never require unquestioning loyalty to its owners. At some point, supporters have to ask whether defending the people responsible for putting their club in this position is really in Manchester City’s best interests.
And what about the people who actually made those decisions? Will they be at Anfield on Sunday, prepared to face the anger their actions have generated? I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Instead, the players, coaching staff and travelling supporters will receive the reception that City’s executives have earned.
I hope Anfield is absolutely relentless. Every chant, every banner and every reminder of what has happened should make this an uncomfortable afternoon for Manchester City. That’s entirely legitimate football rivalry. Violence, attacks on coaches and tragedy chanting have no place in it, and I hope both sets of supporters understand that distinction.
There is also the football itself. Andoni Iraola needs a significant result, and beating a City side that has started the season with five consecutive league victories would be a wonderful way to deliver one.
But whatever happens on the pitch, Liverpool supporters have every right to feel aggrieved about the past. I still think about the extraordinary team Jürgen Klopp assembled, the seasons decided by a single point and the opportunities to establish a genuine dynasty that disappeared.
No punishment can give us those moments back. You cannot recreate the celebrations that never happened or erase the disappointment of falling agonisingly short.
Manchester City may eventually exhaust every available legal avenue. Their owners may continue insisting that everybody else has got it wrong.
What they cannot do is make the independent panel’s findings disappear.
And on Sunday, in front of a packed Anfield, they will discover that football supporters have very long memories.
Everton for Sale Again? The Friedkins May Have Already Done Their Job
You have to wonder what Everton supporters have done to deserve quite so much uncertainty over the years. Having finally escaped the Farhad Moshiri era, moved into their magnificent new stadium and seemingly found some stability under The Friedkin Group, they’re now waking up to reports that the club could be sold again.
Less than two years after arriving.
According to The Athletic, the Friedkins are exploring outside investment and would even consider relinquishing full control if the right buyer emerged. They’re apparently perfectly comfortable retaining ownership, so this isn’t necessarily a club being hurried onto the market. Nevertheless, it’s an intriguing development.
I can understand why some Evertonians might be concerned. They spent years watching their club lurch from one financial problem to another, with proposed takeovers collapsing and the future looking increasingly uncertain. The Friedkins arrived in December 2024 and, whatever anybody thinks of their football decisions, helped restore some financial credibility.
They refinanced expensive debt, secured more manageable borrowing arrangements and inherited a club whose new stadium offered considerable commercial potential.
That’s a rather different proposition from the Everton they purchased.
And perhaps that’s the point.
Football supporters naturally want owners who are emotionally invested in their clubs. Investors, however, tend to look at the numbers. If you’ve bought a distressed asset, improved its financial position and increased its attractiveness to potential purchasers, there’s an obvious commercial argument for considering a sale.
Some fans will call that opportunism. Others might reasonably suggest it’s exactly what competent investors are supposed to do.
What interests me is whether the Friedkins have discovered just how expensive genuine Premier League ambition has become. Everton reportedly sold around £100million worth of talent this summer, made a profit in the transfer market and still faced criticism over their recruitment. The proposed £45million move for Folarin Balogun collapsed, while supporters understandably resisted the possibility of losing academy graduate Harrison Armstrong.
It’s difficult to build a competitive team when financial caution and supporter expectations are pulling in different directions.
The Friedkins also own Roma and Cannes, while pursuing a hugely expensive NHL franchise in Houston. Everton are one significant investment within a much larger sporting portfolio.
Perhaps a sufficiently attractive offer would simply make business sense.
The danger for Everton is ending up back on the ownership merry-go-round, with another group arriving promising ambition, investment and a glorious future before discovering that competing near the top of English football requires extraordinary resources.
There is, however, a more encouraging interpretation. Everton now possess a superb stadium, a considerably healthier financial foundation and an established Premier League position. They may be attractive to investors precisely because the immediate existential problems have been addressed.
I wouldn’t automatically condemn the Friedkins for considering their options. If they eventually leave Everton financially stronger than they found them, that deserves acknowledgement.
But after everything Everton supporters have endured, I suspect they’d appreciate something rather less glamorous than another billionaire promising to take them to the next level.
A few years of stability would be a decent start.
Premier League Predictions: Liverpool, Man City and a Weekend of Uncertainty
Three weeks without Premier League football feels excessive, although Manchester City have certainly done their best to keep us entertained during the international break. Now we can finally return to the football itself, and there’s a fascinating collection of fixtures awaiting us.
I’ve gone for quite a few draws this weekend, which probably tells you something about how difficult this season has been to assess so far. Here’s how I see gameweek six unfolding.
Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United
Arsenal were given a proper reality check at Brighton before the break, and Mikel Arteta, with his shiny new contract, will demand a response. Leeds remain unbeaten and have looked remarkably comfortable back in the Premier League. I expect Arsenal to dominate possession without finding things particularly easy. A narrow home victory feels about right.
Aston Villa 1-1 Brentford
Villa finally secured their first league win against Tottenham, but Brentford have become a difficult side to break down. Keith Andrews deserves credit for the organisation he’s brought to his team. I suspect Villa will have plenty of the ball, but Brentford are capable of frustrating them and taking something home.
Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
Chelsea have been conceding goals far too easily, and I can’t see that suddenly changing after an international break. Bournemouth have their own problems, particularly with Alex Scott’s injury, but they possess enough attacking threat to exploit Chelsea’s defensive vulnerabilities. This could be an entertaining, rather chaotic afternoon.
Ipswich Town 1-1 Fulham
Ipswich have shown enough to suggest they’re better equipped for survival this time around. Fulham, meanwhile, are still searching for their first league victory, although recent performances have offered encouragement. Both managers will fancy their chances, but I can see them settling for a point apiece.
Sunderland 1-3 Brighton
Brighton have been excellent going forward, scoring 16 goals in their opening five league matches. Sunderland’s injury problems make this a particularly difficult assignment. I expect the home side to have their moments, but Brighton’s attacking quality should eventually tell.
Manchester United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
If ever a fixture deserved the description of two clubs in crisis, this is it. Michael Carrick is already facing uncomfortable questions at United, while Tottenham are somehow still searching for their first league victory. Neither defence fills me with confidence, and both sides have a remarkable ability to turn promising situations into disasters. Four goals, plenty of mistakes and another afternoon of frustration for both sets of supporters.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Oliver Glasner’s return to Selhurst Park adds an interesting dimension to this one. Forest haven’t exactly been convincing, but I fancy their former Palace manager to have something prepared for his old club. Palace are still finding their feet, and I can see Forest edging a tight contest.
Hull City 1-1 Everton
Hull have made an encouraging start to life back in the Premier League, while David Moyes has Everton looking considerably more organised than we’ve seen in recent seasons. Neither side is particularly easy to beat, and I suspect this will be a fairly cautious encounter. Another draw.
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City
I’d love nothing more than to see Liverpool give City an absolute hiding on Sunday, particularly after everything that’s happened over the past fortnight. Anfield should be ferocious, and I hope the players feed off that atmosphere.
But I’m struggling to convince myself that Liverpool are currently equipped to beat a City side that has won all five league matches. Iraola’s team have shown flashes of promise, although the attacking injuries are a serious concern. City will also have a point to prove, however much I might dislike the circumstances surrounding their club.
My heart says Liverpool, but my head says a draw. I’ll take 1-1, although I’d be delighted to get this one completely wrong.
Coventry City 1-3 Newcastle United
Coventry’s victory at Nottingham Forest before the break was a welcome boost, but Newcastle should represent a considerably tougher challenge. They’ve been inconsistent themselves, although there is enough quality in their squad to take control of matches like this. I’m expecting an away win, with Newcastle’s attacking strength ultimately proving decisive.
After three weeks away, I’m looking forward to a weekend when the football can finally do the talking again. Although with Manchester City arriving at Anfield on Sunday, I suspect the noise surrounding the game will be every bit as interesting as the 90 minutes themselves.
Enjoy the football, and if my predictions turn out to be hopeless, remember that I’ve had three weeks to forget what I’m doing.