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That first international break of the season always comes at just the wrong time. With teams starting to get into the groove as they switch from pre-season to competitive action, and with the final new signings of the summer arriving on deadline day, that Premier League fans had to wait two weeks to see their teams in action was almost a travesty. Fortunately, that wait is now over.

This was not a blockbuster return to action for England's top-flight, with just 19 goals scored across the 10 matches as eight teams managed to keep clean sheets, but there was still plenty for supporters to get their teeth into as the 2025-26 campaign continues to take shape.

Whether it was the one-sided Manchester derby, Liverpool showing that they didn't trade away their ability to score late goals when they signed Alexander Isak, or both Arsenal and Tottenham bouncing back after defeats with impressive three-goal wins, there was a lot going on, even if goals weren't flowing.

But who came away from this weekend with the biggest smile on their face? And who was left rueing their performance? GOAL breaks down the biggest winners and losers from matchday four:

Getty ImagesWINNER: Andrea Berta

Given the way Liverpool splashed the cash over the summer, it went a little under the radar just how much Arsenal forked out in Andrea Berta's first window as sporting director. Only five European clubs have ever spent more than the Gunners' £255 million ($345.7m) outlay in a single summer, with eight new faces now available to Mikel Arteta as he looks to end his five-year trophy drought.

And while Arsenal returned to action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday still licking their wounds from their defeat at Anfield before the international break, Saturday's 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium was a perfect illustration of the quality and depth Berta has added to Arteta's squad.

All three goals were scored by summer signings – two for Martin Zubimendi and one for Viktor Gyokeres – while Eberechi Eze marked his full debut with a fine assist. Cristhian Mosquera also stepped into William Saliba's shoes at the heart of defence and looked like he'd been doing it all his life, but the best performer on the day was Noni Madueke, who ran Forest ragged down the right-hand side with an electric showing.

Last season, the thought of Arsenal running out comfortable winners despite Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice all being out of the line up while Martin Odegaard was forced off with a first-half injury would have been almost unthinkable. However, the money spent by the Gunners and the quality added by Berta is already paying dividends. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Milos Kerkez

Ironically, despite Liverpool sitting atop the table with four wins out of four, their own raft of summer signings are – Hugo Ekitike aside – yet to make that much of an impact on Arne Slot's side. Florian Wirtz has shown glimpses of his brilliance without yet unlocking a Premier League defence, while injury has limited Jeremie Frimpong's impact thus far. Alexander Isak, meanwhile, is still waiting for his debut after being left out of the squad for Sunday's trip to Burnley as he works his way up to match fitness.

Perhaps the most concerning performances among Liverpool's new arrivals have, however, come from Milos Kerkez. The former Bournemouth left-back has proven to be rash in some of his displays thus far, and it is clear that opposition managers are targeting the Hungarian, who has replaced Andy Robertson in Slot's first-choice line up.

At Turf Moor, Kerkez wasn't at the races. Burnley posed plenty of threat down their right-hand side during the first half, and Kerkez's frustrations perhaps boiled over when he tried to win a penalty with a blatant dive, only to earn himself a stupid yellow card. He was then a little fortunate to avoid picking up a second booking, and Slot was left with little choice but to replace the full-back after just 37 minutes.

With intense games against Atletico Madrid and Everton to come within the next week, Slot may opt to take Kerkez out of the firing line for the time being as he gets used to life on Merseyside.

Getty Images SportWINNER: Nick Woltemade

Though Isak was nowhere to be seen following his deadline-day move, there were plenty of late-window signings who were able to make instant impacts for their new teams. Xavi Simons marked his Tottenham debut with an assist, Kevin produced a breath-taking cameo for Fulham following his club-record move from Shakhtar Donetsk and Gianluigi Donnarumma immediately showcased his shot-stopping ability for Manchester City.

However, the headline performance from a Premier League debutant came from the man tasked with replacing Isak at Newcastle: Nick Woltemade. Eyebrows were raised at the £69 million ($80m) that the Magpies paid to sign the Stuttgart striker, but he wasted no time in repaying that sum with an excellent all-round display against Wolves that he capped by nodding in the winning goal.

"It was a great moment for Nick," Eddie Howe said post-match. "I was very pleased with how he played today. You saw his qualities, his technical qualities that we've been discussing and his intelligence but most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there and he was. It was a great finish. I'm really pleased for him personally because that just settles him down and relaxes him… I think it's a great start."

AFPLOSER: Alejandro Garnacho

There was one late-window signing who would have liked to made a better first impression, however.

Alejandro Garnacho is the latest big-money forward to arrive at Chelsea in the Boehly-Clearlake era, and he won't be the last. If the Argentina international wants to stick at Stamford Bridge, though, then he is going to need to show better awareness than he did in stoppage time against Brentford on Saturday.

Despite having been given a warning earlier in the game, Garnacho fell asleep at the back post from a long throw, allowing Fabio Carvalho the freedom of the six-yard box to fire home an equaliser for Keith Andrews' side. Given the concerns around Garnacho at Manchester United were largely down to his application rather than his ability, that will be an early concern for Enzo Maresca as he and Garnacho prepare for trips to the Allianz Arena and Old Trafford over the next six days.

The defeat, despite Mohammad Rizwan’s battling unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, left St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at No. 5 on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Tabraiz Shamsi was tough to score off, and earned himself two opportunities to show off his familiar shoe-phone celebration. Despite his 2 for 17, however, St Lucia Kings had a big chase on their hands in their CPL 2025 game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – 178. That Kings got there with 18 balls and seven wickets in hand was down to their openers Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles. 115 runs between them, in just 62 balls, made the chase a canter.Just five runs came off the first over of the chase, bowled by Kyle Mayers. Charles took off after that, against Naseem Shah, and kept going. Kings got 13 off the second over, then 18 off the third, and 21 off the fifth, and finished the powerplay with 72 on the board. Seifert, who was slow to start with – having scored only a run-a-ball 15 by the fourth over – was now batting as quickly as Charles. It was all looking rather ominous for Patriots.Waqar Salamkheil got them the breakthrough – the wicket of Charles for a 17-ball 47 – in the seventh over, but with Ackeem Auguste, the hero of Kings’ previous match, for company, Seifert didn’t let the advantage slip.Auguste and Seifert added 60 for the second wicket, with Auguste contributing 29 in 20 balls. Though Seifert fell in the 15th over for a 45-ball 68, his opening blast had left Kings with very few to get with a lot of time.Johnson Charles smashed 47 in just 17 balls•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyRoston Chase (15*) and Tim David (16*) finished things off by the end of the 17th over.Earlier, after Patriots had been asked to bat by David Wiese at Kings’ home ground, the momentum they would have wanted never quite come. Theirs wasn’t a bad powerplay however, with Andre Fletcher especially showing enterprise as Patriots got to 57 for 1 after six overs.The brakes were applied soon after that, as Shamsi got Fletcher to miscue and attempted heave out of the stadium only to sky the ball to Charles behind the stumps. For his efforts, Shamsi was later named the Player of the Match.The fightback came from Mohammad Rizwan, batting at No. 3, who scored 60 not out in 41 balls, and put together partnerships of 71 in 52 balls with Mayers (27 in 25) and an unbroken 37 in 20 balls with Jason Holder (21* in 14). Still, neither Rizwan nor Mayers could score at the sort of rate Patriots would have wanted on a pitch that, as the outcome suggests, was good for scoring.The win took Kings to the top of the table with eight points from six games, while Patriots are now in fifth position with four points from seven games.

Tottenham Hotspur are only five points better off in the Premier League this season than they were last year, but Ange Postecoglou is clearly shifting the cogs to chart a course to success unseen in many years.

A painful reminder, but unless Tottenham pull off a sensational and implausible title triumph, a barren trophy drought will stretch to 16 successive seasons without silverware.

This interminable wait for the unbridled joy that one of the game's major honours would bring rages on, but Postecoglou arrived in the summer to steer the ship back on course and has navigated through several obstacles to instil his vision and give the squad an identity.

Harry Kane ended his career-long affiliation with the London club in August and headed for the footballing riches Bayern Munich can offer, but Heung-min Son was handed the primary talismanic role and Spurs spent shrewdly to counter the blow.

Micky van de Ven and shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario proved excellent pieces of business to shore up a defence that leaked goals like a ruptured container, but it is the capture of James Maddison from relegated Leicester City that has been the centremost success of Postecoglou's reign so far.

Why Tottenham signed James Maddison

Signed for £40m in June, Tottenham saw an opportunity following the Foxes' demise in 2022/23 and snatched it, bypassing lasting interest from wealthy Newcastle United to steal away with one of the Premier League's standout playmakers.

Last season, Leicester fell into the second tier on the final day but Maddison emerged with his head held high, posting ten goals and nine assists from just 28 starting appearances.

He also ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and progressive passes and the top 1% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, making good on praise from pundit Jermaine Jenas that he is "on the verge" of being world-class.

The £170k-per-week star started life in London with a bang, crowned the Premier League's Player of the Month for August and having now plundered three goals and six assists from 13 matches, also completing 86% of his passes and averaging 2.8 key passes per game.

With Heung-min Son and Richarlison raking in goals for Postecoglou's side this season, Maddison's efficiency in his creative endeavours has proved invaluable for the club's progress this term, and he's undoubtedly one of Tottenham's most important and influential members.

Spurs could have signed "monster" £100m Richarlison replacement

Ange Postecoglou’s side still need a centre-forward to replace Harry Kane.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 5, 2024

He's not, however, the Spurs star with the highest market value right now, that tag lies with Dejan Kulusevski, who has been phenomenal this season and is arguably Postecoglou's most underrated ace.

Tottenham's signing of Dejan Kulusevski

Spurs captured Kulusevski and centre-midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus back in 2022, with the former joining on an initial 18-month loan.

An electric start to life on English shores saw the Sweden international clinch five goals and eight assists across the latter half of the 2021/22 Premier League season, but he was very much at the core of Spurs' issues last term and scored twice from 37 outings in all competitions, said to be "blowing hot and cold" by pundit Glenn Murray.

The 23-year-old has always been regarded as a high-class talent and there was clearly a tacit belief that he would return to the forefront under Postecoglou's wing, with a £25m permanent transfer agreed upon last summer.

Dejan Kulusevski's market value now

Typically found on the right wing but capable of doing fine work centrally, Kulusevski is actually considered to be Tottenham's most valuable player by Football Transfers and this is an illustration of his prowess and unrelenting energy – the very quintessence of his manager's fluid, guns-blazing approach.

1.

Dejan Kulusevski

£46m

2.

Brennan Johnson

£40m

3.

James Maddison

£34m

4.

Heung-min Son

£33m

5.

Richarlison

£32m

More valuable than Maddison (who, admittedly, is sure to see a sharp rise in the near future), Kulusevski is versatile and dynamic and is finally flourishing with the kind of constancy that portends an illustrious future at the top of the game.

As per Sofascore, the 6 foot 1 phenom has scored five goals and supplied two assists from 21 matches in the top flight this year, though his brilliance stretches far beyond the constraints of direct goal contributions.

Indeed, he has also completed 83% of his passes, averaged 1.7 tackles, 4.3 ball recoveries and 4.2 successful duels per fixture, leading Sky Sports journalist Jamie Weir to state: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."

The former Juve starlet also ranks among the top 18% of positional peers for tackles made per 90 to emphasise the application that has made him such an indispensable figure for his side.

1.

Heung-min Son

11

2.

Pedro Porro

10

3.

Dejan Kulusevski

8

4.

James Maddison

6

5.

Brennan Johnson

4

With tools to inflict damage on opposition from many, many angles, Kulusevski is sure to feature at the centre of Tottenham's projected rise under their Australian manager, and while he doesn't have the finishing ability of Son, or the raw creative excellence of Maddison, he is undoubtedly one of the most important ingredients in the Spurs side – the flour in the cake, if you like, vital and unseen.

The acquisitions of both players are just an illustration of the upward curve that Spurs are seeking to continue, embarking on a new journey under new leadership with a fresh vision and rekindled optimism.

Next summer, Levy will bolster Tottenham's ranks further, with centre-forward and central midfield signings likely, and given the judiciousness that is at the centre of the recent business, the future looks bright and the likes of Kulusevski will be at the heart of it.

Borussia Dortmund's Max Beier has broken his silence on a summer of intense transfer speculation, revealing a key conversation with Niko Kovac.

Beier dismissed talk of transfer despite €70m Brentford interestReports suggested Dortmund may have sold had Fabio Silva been fitBeier has 11 goal contributions in 21 games under KovacFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Beier has addressed the summer transfer speculation linking him with a €70 million (£60m/$82m) move to Brentford, confirming he has spoken with manager Kovac and has "no intention of leaving" the Bundesliga club.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT WAS SAID?

"I noticed that there were a few rumours going around. I also had to listen to a few comments from my teammates," Beier said in an interview with "I spoke to Niko about it, and he told me quite clearly that I should stay here. I also made it clear to him during the conversation that I have no intention of leaving and would like to stay in Dortmund."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Reports during the transfer window suggested that Premier League side Brentford were prepared to table a significant offer for the German international. According to , Dortmund may have been open to a sale had new signing Fabio Silva been immediately available. However, the Portuguese striker is sidelined until at least the end of September after undergoing adductor surgery prior to his move, a development which reportedly frustrated the club's hierarchy.

DID YOU KNOW?

Beier joined Borussia Dortmund from Hoffenheim for €28.5m last summer and has flourished under Kovac, becoming a key player. Across 21 appearances under the current manager, the 22-year-old has been directly involved in 11 goals. 

"We get on well, we talk a lot. I had a very good spell under him last season, he made me better," Beier said of Kovac. "He consistently plays me in my preferred position – either in a two-man attack or as a deep-lying striker in the centre. That suits me very well."

Liverpool have reportedly agreed to sign a shock Marc Guehi alternative in 2027 with personal terms already finalised for the £35 million defender. The Red's frantic transfer window ended in heartbreak after their pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Guehi spectacularly fell through. The England centre-back had been poised for a high-profile Anfield switch, even undergoing medical checks, before Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug at the final hour.

Liverpool fail with Guehi deal on deadline dayJarell Quansah lined up as a replacementReds might activate £51m buy-back clause in 2027Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Yet, Liverpool might already have the perfect replacement waiting in the wings. According to the club is planning a sensational re-signing of former academy star Jarell Quansah. Quansah, 22, left Anfield earlier this summer for Bayer Leverkusen in a £35 million ($47m) deal, but the Reds cleverly inserted a buy-back clause in the agreement, a move that could pay off spectacularly in 2027.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The plan is audacious yet straightforward: bring Quansah back to Merseyside for a fee of £51m ($61m), halfway through his five-year contract in Germany. The Echo claims personal terms have already been agreed, meaning Quansah could return to the club on an improved deal, ready to stake his claim as a Liverpool regular once more.

DID YOU KNOW?

Quansah’s journey has been one of steady progression. A product of Liverpool’s youth system, he made waves in the academy before moving to Germany to gain first-team experience. His Bundesliga debut couldn’t have gone better as he scored on his first appearance, highlighting the talent and composure that persuaded Liverpool to keep a safety net with the buy-back clause.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

The deal would only be executed in 2027, giving Quansah two full seasons to establish himself at Leverkusen before returning to Anfield. By then, he will have matured as a player. This calculated timeline demonstrates the club’s long-term thinking and meticulous planning, ensuring they aren’t left scrambling for a centre-back again. And if the deal is completed, Quansah’s return will mark a full-circle moment; from academy hopeful to an Anfield starter. 

It was decided at the ICC Board meeting to give the PCB and BCCI more time to find a solution

Osman Samiuddin and Nagraj Gollapudi29-Nov-2024The intrigue over where and how the Champions Trophy 2025 will be held continues, with the ICC Board giving the PCB, the hosts, more time to find a workable solution along with the BCCI – whose India team will not travel to Pakistan – and the ICC. It is expected that any resolution will come within the next 24-48 hours.The decision to get the main parties together to work towards a solution was taken after an ICC Board meeting on Friday that lasted less than 15 minutes. The emphasis at the meeting was to find a way to break the deadlock around the eight-team tournament. A PCB team, led by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, was in Dubai for the meeting, although it was an online call for most boards.A couple of other member boards will now sit down with ICC leadership, the PCB and BCCI to work towards a solution that is acceptable to all parties. There is a suggestion that talks have been taking place on the matter over the last day or so, but they will continue on Friday and likely Saturday as well. Naqvi has said publicly that he was open to the BCCI discussing any issues they have with travelling to Pakistan with him, an opportunity that he has now been presented with.In all likelihood, any proposal will have to be run past the governments of both India and Pakistan before it is presented to the ICC Board for approval; India was refused permission to travel to Pakistan by the Indian government and the PCB has said repeatedly, as a result, that any action they take will have to be approved by their government.Related

Fate of Champions Trophy still unclear as no decision taken at ICC meeting

PCB promises to do 'what's best for Pakistan cricket'

CT25: PCB 'not prepared to accept' hybrid model

The ICC Board, which comprises representatives from all 12 Full Member countries, had called for Friday’s meeting with three options on the agenda for how the tournament would play out: The hybrid option, where the majority of the matches are in Pakistan but those involving India are played outside Pakistan The tournament is played entirely outside Pakistan, with the PCB retaining hosting rights The entire event is played in Pakistan but without IndiaThe PCB has more or less stuck to its public stance of not wanting a hybrid model, though in the last couple of days mention has been made of it being dependent on certain conditions – which could involve a similar reciprocal arrangement for future ICC events in India where Pakistan may not now get permission to travel. On Thursday morning, Naqvi didn’t directly rule out a hybrid model – as he had done in the past – but said only that any decision would have to be approved by the Pakistan government and would be in the best interests of Pakistan. One board director told ESPNcricinfo: “The hybrid model is the only possible way out of this impasse.”The tournament is due to begin in less than 90 days, on February 19. Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi are the venues inked into host the games, though if a hybrid option is chosen, that will involve another venue outside Pakistan. A match schedule of the tournament had been approved at the ICC Board meetings in October this year, though the issue of India’s travel was always going to be an obstacle.That India would not be given permission to travel to Pakistan only became public, however, earlier this month when the BCCI informed the ICC of the development. That meant the official launch of the schedule, due on November 11, was postponed. The PCB has since been pushing for specific answers as to why India are unable to travel and when and how the BCCI informed the ICC. They have also insisted on a written explanation from the BCCI.An official explanation was referred to by a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday, who said that “security concerns” meant India were unwilling to travel. “The BCCI has issued a statement so I would refer you to it,” said the spokesperson during a routine press briefing. “They have said there are security concerns there and therefore it is unlikely the team will be going there. Please do refer to the statement issued by the BCCI.”The BCCI has not issued a public statement on the matter of their travel to Pakistan, nor has security been specifically highlighted as an issue. In fact, the BCCI has treated the decision on traveling to Pakistan as one to be made by the Indian government rather than the board.Additional reporting by Firdose Moonda