The Premier League returns amidst the backdrop of the greatest scandal it has ever seen, with Manchester City found guilty by an independent committee of 114 of 115 charges levelled at them for financial conduct dating back to 2009/2010.
After an international break that saw some nations play as many as four matches, it will be a relief to finally enjoy matters on the park again.
But only as football can, even that will be layered with subplot and Shakespearean drama as Manchester City travel to Liverpool, arguably the club that missed out the most due to City’s alleged systemic cheating during that period.
As the Premier League returns to Stan Sport screens in Australia this weekend with Arsenal hosting Leeds United in a cracking Saturday night clash, here’s what you need to know.
Lucas Herrington watch
The latest instalment of ‘let’s find something that fazes Lucas Herrington’ revealed that Brazilian footballers is not the answer, with the teenage Socceroo looking unflappable in his return home to Queensland for the international double header against the South American powerhouse. Now, the defender returns to Hull City, eighth, who host seventh placed Everton, with the Australian a chance of starting given club record signing and fellow central defender Nobel Mendy is under an injury cloud.
What the world is talking about ahead of the weekend
Unfortunately, matters off the park are the dominant talking point, a scandal so big that Stan Sport pundit Mark Schwarzer described the events as “seismic”, warning that if City cannot overturn the charges on appeal, the punishments will need to be “monumental”. Having been accused of cooking a scheme that included sham (the Premier League’s words) commercial contracts, disguised funding, concealed salary and managerial payments while falsifying accounts, including inflating revenue and reducing costs, all while failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigations after the alarms were raised a decade ago, all eyes are on how Manchester City will respond. Will their players dig in and become galvanised? Will it break the dressing room, as players start to walk away? What will the atmosphere amongst the fans be like? It is a story of unfathomable reach – not just in trying to calculate the amount of teams impacted (or robbed) during that period if the charges are true, but also the reach. City Football Group, for example, operates Melbourne City in the A-League: how far has their behaviour stretched?
The game you cannot miss
On that note, 2.30am AEST Monday is now set up to be one of the most loaded games in Premier League history. What would have happened throughout the years of Pep Guardiola’s ding dong battle with Jurgen Klopp had they been playing on a level financial playing field? Klopp and Liverpool only won one league together, during COVID. What dynasty would he have built if those titles were red, instead? The world will see the full extent of Liverpudlian fury when Anfield hosts Manchester City. How do the fixtures gods deliver this type of drama time and time again?
The game you need to set your alarm for
3.30am AEST Sunday: Manchester United v Tottenham. Hitherto a match between two of the league’s Big Six, they line up on the weekend in a battle between 12th and 20th after five weeks. Michael Carrick’s honeymoon is over while Roberto De Zerbi is desperately trying to push Spurs to their first win of the season – embarrassing really, given they spent over $500m in the European summer transfer window.
The star you need to tell your mates about
The league’s resumption comes with the reigning champions Arsenal facing one of the feel good stories of the opening five rounds: Leeds United. This is a big moment for Daniel Farke’s side, who are undefeated and sitting in fifth, with the manager finally making a fist of the Premier League having suffered relegations in charge of Norwich previously. One player who has been a Fantasy Premier League revelation is wingback Jayden Bogle, a September player of the month nominee banging down the door for an England call-up.
The 26-year-old has summed up Leeds’ impressive start to the campaign – a player who fans have appreciated for a while but has now caught the broader eye in a campaign which has featured two clean sheets, just three goals conceded, while the defender has also got his name on the scoresheet as well.
Watch this space
The international break usually brings with it a heap of injury carnage and there are some big names caught up in this week’s return in the casualty ward. Erling Haaland headlines those who didn’t complete their duties with their countries this week, while Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, Arsenal’s Christos Tzolis and Kai Havertz as well as Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly are others who have returned under an injury cloud.
International break carnage: Some of the Premier League’s biggest names have returned with injuries
Matchweek 6 Premier League fixtures in AEDT, coverage times on Stan Sport
Saturday, October 10
- 9:30pm — Arsenal v Leeds United
Sunday, October 11
- 1:00am — Aston Villa v Brentford
- 1:00am — Chelsea v Bournemouth
- 1:00am — Ipswich Town v Fulham
- 1:00am — Sunderland v Brighton
- 3:30am — Manchester United v Tottenham
Monday, October 12
- 11pm — Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
- 11pm — Hull City v Everton
- 2:30am — Liverpool v Manchester City
