Premier League Early Impressions: Darke Analyzes Liverpool & Arsenal's Imperfections Amid Title Race Shakeup

Friday - 12/09/2025 20:03

With the Premier League roaring back to life after a two-week break, here's where all 20 teams stand and what to watch for in the weeks ahead.

Ian DarkeSep 12, 2025, 02:30 PM
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Only three gameweeks have been played in the Premier League season, and already some observers are handing the title to Liverpool. The defending champions have spent nearly £450 million to improve their squad, and they are the only team with three wins to start the 2025-26 campaign. Signing striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United at the end of the transfer window seals the deal, right? The title is Liverpool's to lose.

Well, not necessarily.

Admittedly, the Reds are the favorites, but so were Manchester City if you turn the clock back 12 months. City had won the previous four titles and started the 2024-25 season with three victories. They went unbeaten until November before they unexpectedly imploded -- over a stretch of nine league matches, they lost six and drew two.

In other words, first impressions can be misleading. Arne Slot's team is top of the table without hitting top form, which might be a worry for its rivals. Liverpool have needed late goals to beat Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal and avoid dropping points, but their frightening firepower is unmistakable when you look at the goal-scoring potential of Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and, of course, last season's Premier League Golden Boot winner, Mohamed Salah.

Mohamed Salah, left, and Liverpool struck an early blow in the title race with a 1-0 win over Riccardo Calafiori and Arsenal, but twists in the tale await. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

If the Reds have a concern, it's a shortage of defensive cover after the signing of England defender Marc Guéhi fell through on deadline day. It leaves them in a precarious position. They cannot afford to lose center backs Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konaté to long-term injury, especially while newly arrived fullbacks Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez continue to acclimate.

Arsenal will hope to take advantage of Liverpool's weaknesses, but their recent loss at Anfield due to Dominik Szoboszlai's fantastic free kick reopened the debate about whether manager Mikel Arteta is sometimes too cautious in big games. The Gunners were a shade too passive and played for a point they did not get. They were not great despite winning at Old Trafford against Manchester United, either, though they hammered Leeds United easily enough.

It's way too early to write off Arsenal, who have good cover in almost every position after some smart summer recruitment. To surpass Liverpool, however, Arteta will need new striker Viktor Gyökeres to get 15 to 20 goals.

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Chelsea, after looking jaded in a scoreless draw against Crystal Palace in their opening match, have won twice since and conceded only one goal. They might be title contenders with the solid midfield duo of Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández shielding the back line. Meanwhile, their quantity of attacking options is off the charts. Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto are joined by João Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Estêvão, Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte.

What about Manchester City? The early outlook is grim: No team has lost two of its first three games and been crowned champions since Manchester United in the first Premier League season of 1992-93. Pep Guardiola will have to work some serious magic to buck that trend. Midfielder Rodri said they "played like kids" in a game they lost but dominated at Brighton. For whatever reason, they seem to still have the fragile streak that became apparent last season. It is a rebuilt side over the past few windows, but one so far lacking the near-invincible look of Guardiola's six title-winning outfits.

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Across Manchester, United's soap opera goes on. But amid the understandable furor of the humiliating loss to fourth-tier Grimsby in the Carabao Cup, it's time for United supporters to calm down. The Red Devils played well and were unlucky to lose 1-0 against Arsenal, started with an electric 15 minutes at Fulham before fading, then made hard work of beating Burnley in a game they should have led 4-0 at halftime. New signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have impressed, Mason Mount is rediscovering his mojo and new striker Benjamin Sesko could be a difference-maker.

I am at a loss to understand why United took a punt on young goalkeeper Senne Lammens when there was an opportunity to sign Emiliano Martínez, one of the best in the world, from Aston Villa. But they did need to sign someone after the hapless errors of Altay Bayındır and André Onana. United needed a new No. 6 -- a real "midfield general" -- but came up short before the transfer window closed. It would also help improve United's shaky self-belief if the admittedly likable coach Ruben Amorim stopped wearing his heart on his sleeve quite so much as he does. He will know that a top-six finish is the minimum requirement.

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Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur's new manager, Thomas Frank, made a sensational start with a smart display at European champions Paris Saint-Germain, a home win over Burnley and a victory at Manchester City. Their tepid defeat at home to a brilliant Bournemouth side was a reality check, but Frank is tactically switched on, and snatching Xavi Simons from under the noses of Chelsea was a transfer coup. Whether Tottenham's squad is deep enough to cope with the demands of the Premier League and Champions League is open for debate.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa are off to a worrying start -- they've yet to score and look porous at the back. Wolves are also struggling, though keeping striker Jørgen Strand Larsen was a vital piece of business. It will be a battle, but don't be surprised if the men from Molineux make their usual midseason recovery.

Brentford have lost some key players and could be in a relegation scrap; they earned only three points from their first three matches. West Ham United's shock win at Nottingham Forest took the heat off manager Graham Potter. Will the Hammers build on that result? It'll depend on whether Potter can inject pace and dynamism into the team.

The early signs are that Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton will be tough opponents for every team they play, and it's good to see Everton in the new Hill Dickinson Stadium being inspired by a reinvigorated Jack Grealish. Qualifying for European competition is the aim for all those clubs.

Newcastle have looked a shade punchless without the rebellious Isak. With two points from three games, they need new strikers Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa to start delivering. But they are contenders to finish top-five.

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Nottingham Forest fans will be aghast at the departure of head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who led the club back into Europe in qualifying for the Europa League. But his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis had clearly fractured. It will be fascinating to see how Ange Postecoglou fares as his replacement. Spurs' 17th-placed finish last season got him sacked, so he has something to prove.

And hats off to the promoted trio of Sunderland, Burnley and Leeds, all of whom have registered at least one win (Sunderland have two). They are showing signs of making a good fight to avoid relegation. It is not a good look for the league if all the newly promoted teams go straight back down, as has happened in the past two campaigns.

Which teams will be relegated? And will Liverpool win the league? It's shaping up to be a fascinating season. The opening chapter has been written, but the plot at both the top and bottom is thickening already.

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