The Premier League returns this weekend – for its first properly undisrupted run of the season.

Top-level club football has had to stop for international breaks in September, October and November, but the next one is not until March now.

It coincides with the busy festive period next month.

BBC Sport looks at five talking points as the Premier League gets back under way.

Can anyone stop Liverpool? Will City get back to winning ways?
Liverpool are flying under Arne Slot and sit top of the Premier League and the Champions League table, having dropped points in just two games this season.

They are five points clear of Manchester City, who have lost four games in a row in all competitions – something Pep Guardiola had never experienced before in his managerial career (excluding penalty shootouts).

Despite their recent run and speculation about the Spaniard’s future, however, Guardiola this week agreed a new one-year deal to extend his stay at Etihad Stadium to 10 years.

It is a timely boost for City, who have another potentially tough game at home to Tottenham on Saturday (17:30 GMT) as they bid to avoid five defeats in a row.

This is the sixth occasion a team has been five points clear after 11 games – the first five all ended up as champions.

But City have won the last four Premier League titles and trailed the leaders by more than five points at one stage in each of those seasons.

Liverpool and City have one Premier League game each before they meet in a potential blockbuster at Anfield on Sunday, 1 December.

Arsenal, who have been runners-up for the past two seasons, are four points back – level with Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Brighton.

The Gunners and Forest meet on Saturday at 15:00 GMT at the Emirates.

There will be a new face in the Premier League this weekend – new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

The deal was done for the Sporting manager on 1 November but his Portuguese club wanted him to wait until the international break before moving.

Ruud van Nistelrooy had been in interim charge after the sacking of Erik ten Hag – but the club’s former striker departed too as Amorim did not want him part of his backroom staff.

New Manchester United Manager

Amorim takes his new team to Ipswich on Sunday (16:30 GMT) in the Premier League.

He is expected to play the 3-4-3 formation he preferred in Portugal – a big change from the standard four-man defence they had under Ten Hag.

However, he might only get his full squad together two days before his first game because of players being around the world for international games.

United will hope Amorim’s first Premier League game goes like his first Portuguese top-flight match as a manager – when his Braga side won 7-1 at Belenenses in January 2020.

Everyone has won, but who will kick on at the bottom?
After eight games there were four teams without any wins but, three games later, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Southampton have one victory each.

Everton and Leicester, who have two wins this term, remain only three points clear of the bottom three.

The Saints are only given a 5.2% of survival by Opta, despite being only four points off safety at this stage.

“Hopefully I’ll be talking to you in two weeks,” Saints boss Russell Martin told journalists before the international break. “If not, we’ll see.”

But he remains in charge for Saturday’s home game against leaders Liverpool.

One Southampton player in buoyant mood will be defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who scored on his England debut against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

Fixture congestion coming up…
Four teams have nine games in December. The Carabao Cup quarter-finals are also being played the week before Christmas – and European games continue through December as a result of the new formats.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United all have nine games in December, an average of one every 3.4 days.

Some clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Brighton – who are fifth and sixth in the table respectively – only have six matches in the final month of 2024.

However, rest periods from rounds 17 and 20 this year have been increased to ensure no club plays within 60 hours of another match.

Last season Chelsea played three games in the space of 142 hours.

There will be no winter break in this campaign either – meaning clubs will be playing pretty much solidly until the first World Cup qualifiers – and next Nations League games – take place in March.

Palmer’s late double gives Chelsea win in 7-goal thriller against Man United

And what about injuries?
Nine players pulled out of the England squad for the recent Nations League double-header, an amount that raised eyebrows from fans – and even Three Lions captain Harry Kane.

We will find out when managers do their news conferences on Thursday and Friday how many out of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, Levi Colwill and Jarrad Branthwaite will be fit for this weekend’s games.

Liverpool have not yet said whether keeper Alisson Becker could be back after six weeks out injured – but if he does return that could be the end of Caoimhin Kelleher’s spell in the team.

One player who will be out for a while is Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who was handed a seven-match domestic ban by the Football Association for using a racial slur about team-mate Son Heung-min.

He can still play Europa League matches but will not be available in the Premier League until 26 December.

BBC Sports

Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United have failed because they have played in the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson – instead of in his spirit, as reported by TheSun.

The new Old Trafford boss has not been shy of making huge statements to players in his early training sessions this week.

In a video released by United on Monday, Amorim, 39, drilled his stars who were not on international duty.

But SunSport can reveal the players have been ‘blown away’ by his immediate impact with ‘Mourinho-style confidence’.

Fergie left 11 years ago and a string of managers, including most-recently sacked Erik ten Hag, have not won the Premier League since.

A source said: “He told them that top managers have not replicated Sir Alex’s success because they have lived in his shadow, rather than getting their team to play with his spirit.

“Even before Monday’s first session, the players have been very impressed.

“Then, after the sessions, they are blown away by his energy, approach and confidence.

“There’s definite Mourinho vibes in the way he speaks and his self belief – but the style is his own.

“The players think he’s very approachable and that he will understand them. Some of them are calling him Mourinho 2.0.”

Amorim was mentored by ex-United boss Jose Mourinho and even had a week internship at Old Trafford with him in 2018, shortly before his two-year spell as manager came to an end.

Portuguese boss Mourinho was also one of Amorim’s first calls when he was offered the United job with the original Special One telling him ‘to go for it’.

The source added: “He told the ones he’s seen so far that the talent in the squad is unbelievable – but they need to start playing as a team.”

The new head coach met some players in the gym at Carrington last week, with others on holiday or with their national sides.

But the likes of Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Leny Yoro, Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo were part of early drills in a new 3-4-3 shape and with a new style on Monday.

Amorim is desperate to give United a new identity and stamp his mark on the team from day one – with his first game at Ipswich on Sunday.

Amad Diallo, Antony, Rashford and Jonny Evans all uploaded glowing social media posts after their first sessions under the new head coach and his backroom team.

Amorim also told players he likes a settled team – but they all have the chance to impress him on the training pitch.

Portugal stars Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot have been away on international duty but had already told their club team-mates they will be impressed and how good Amorim is in training.

The former Sporting manager has been very affectionate with the players and told them it is only natural he will have pre-conceived ideas about them – but they have the time to change his minds.

In his first interview, Amorim told fans they would have an idea immediately of how he wants his team to play.

United are 13th with a zero goal difference – but only four points off Chelsea in third with the Prem returning on Saturday.

And the stars on the training ground were left with no doubt on the shape and system he wants to play from the outset.

The source added: “One thing the players are going to have to learn fast is that it is imperative they stick to his system and principles.

“He gets how they live, how they want to work and how to get the best out of them. ”

“Because he’s only 39, he gets their fashion, their music and their feelings about the modern game.”

Mainoo was given special treatment by ex-midfielder Amorim in the first session.

The England star, 19, was getting instructions on where to receive the ball and spin into space.

Antony was given a right wing-back role in training – but with Dalot, Alejandro Garnacho and Noussair Mazraoiu away, it is unlikely he will play there at Portman Road.

Shaw is trying to regain fitness and he spent the 3-4-3 schooling to the left of Jonny Evans in the back three, with Yoro to the right.

Casemiro and Mainoo were in midfield with Rashford up front. Mount and Amad slotted into the No10 roles behind the striker.

The source added: “The players and club are energized. The other players will be anxious to get back to Carrington to prove themselves.”

TheSun.co.uk

Arsenal will be eager to get back to winning ways once the international break comes to an end. The Gunners have failed to win in four Premier League games and are yet to triumph in a match this month.

ESPN pundit Steve Nicol has criticised one Gunners summer signing for having “done zero” since arriving at the Emirates Stadium.

Steve Nicol deems Arsenal’s Raheem Sterling the worst signing of the season so far
The player in question is Raheem Sterling, who joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea in the last few minutes on deadline day last summer.

Sterling has made eight appearances for the Gunners since his move from Stamford Bridge, of which four have been starts, and he has registered one goal.

Nicol deemed Sterling the worst signing so far in the 2024/25 Premier League season, something which baffled some of his colleagues.

Dan Thomas said: “Sterling seems a weird one, Stevie, out of everyone…” To which Nicol replied: “What’s he done?”

Thomas responded: “But what did you expect him to do? He’s going to be playing bits and pieces…”

Nicol said: “Let’s be honest, what has he done? He’s done zero.

“I mean, at the very least, come on and give Martinelli and Saka on the other side a break and push the rest of the players to be better.

“I mean, just all the things, all the reasons that he was brought.

“You know, use your experience, push the other two to be better, giving them competition, and then when you do get a chance, make it count.

“I mean, he’s done nothing, absolutely zero. (I expected) more than zero, I expected more than nothing at all, absolutely.

“Okay call me crazy, but if you sign somebody and they do nothing, that’s not good.”

What Raheem Sterling’s Arsenal colleagues have said about him
Nicol’s choice for the worst signing of the season so far certainly raised eyebrows among at least one of his colleagues at ESPN FC.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has sung Sterling’s praises, calling him “exceptional” just a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko says Sterling can be unstoppable once he gets going.

“He’s the guy who can always make the difference, the impact he can can have for any team around the world is amazing honestly,” Zinchenko has said.

“I know him well and the skills and the desire, when he wants to on his day, he’s unstoppable.”

Arsenal are next in action on Saturday when they host Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.