Liverpool's record-breaking transfer window presents a challenge: integrating 5 new players. This summer, Liverpool acquired goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, defenders Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, and striker Hugo Ekitike. Wirtz's transfer fee of 170 million USD sets a new Premier League record.

A total expenditure exceeding 400 million USD demonstrates the commitment of manager Arne Slot and Liverpool's leadership to establish a dynasty, building upon last season's championship.

However, their defeat against Crystal Palace in the FA Community Shield highlights the time needed for new players to integrate. Liverpool may require further reinforcements to defend their title. According to British media, they are targeting Crystal Palace center-back Marc Guehi and Newcastle's Alexander Isak.

Can Amorim solve Man Utd's attacking woes? Last season, manager Ruben Amorim faced several challenges, most notably a lack of goals. Man Utd scored only 44 goals in 38 Premier League matches, with striker Rasmus Hojlund contributing just 4.

This summer, the "Red Devils" overhauled their attack, spending over 250 million USD on Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko. Mbeumo and Cunha are proven Premier League performers, having scored a combined 35 goals last season—just 9 fewer than Man Utd's entire team.

While Amorim still needs to strengthen the midfield and defense, the new attacking trio promises to revitalize Man Utd after a disappointing season, provided they integrate quickly and fulfill their potential.

How will Newcastle weather the Isak storm? Alexander Isak's transfer saga dominated headlines this summer. The Swedish striker's future remains uncertain, with daily updates and conflicting reports.

Isak rebelled, declaring his unwillingness to play for Newcastle, even if a transfer doesn't materialize. The 25-year-old missed the pre-season tour and trained with his former club, Real Sociedad. Upon returning to Newcastle's training ground last week, he trained alone.

Meanwhile, Newcastle struggled to find a replacement for Isak. They missed out on several targets, including Joao Pedro (who joined Chelsea), Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko (Man Utd), and Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool).

This situation has dampened the atmosphere at St. James’ Park, especially after Newcastle failed to win any of their six pre-season friendlies. Manager Eddie Howe must rally his players for both the Champions League and Premier League campaigns after this turbulent period.

A new Puma ball enters the game. For the past 25 years, Premier League fans have been accustomed to Nike balls. However, starting from the 2025-2026 season, the league will use the Puma "Orbita Ultimate".

The new ball, featuring a 12-panel geometric design with prominent pink lines, will debut in the opening match between Liverpool and Bournemouth. Puma claims this structure improves weight distribution and aerodynamics. However, last season, manager Mikel Arteta publicly criticized the Puma ball, blaming it for Arsenal's League Cup semi-final loss to Newcastle.

Substituted players will be interviewed pitch-side. Another new feature, part of a 9 billion USD broadcasting deal with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, is pitch-side interviews with substituted players and glimpses inside the dressing room. This is seen as an attempt to "Americanize" the broadcast, offering viewers direct access to the emotions and perspectives of those involved.

Players will have a "cooling-off" period before interviews, preventing outbursts like Granit Xhaka's shirt-removing incident in 2019. Reporters and cameras will not access the dressing room during team talks.

Goal celebrations will also receive closer coverage, with cameramen allowed onto the pitch to capture the players' joy, creating a video game-like effect.

Semi-automated offside technology is here. After trials during the final seven weeks of last season, the Premier League will fully implement semi-automated offside technology from the first matchday. This aims to prevent controversial errors like the disallowed Luis Diaz goal in the 2023 Liverpool vs. Tottenham game.

The new system promises faster, clearer, and easier-to-understand offside decisions, eliminating lengthy on-screen reviews. However, it's not flawless. In crowded penalty areas, the software can struggle, requiring a return to manual line-drawing.

While the improved accuracy allows for quicker decisions, marginal offsides involving toes or shoulders will likely continue, fueling debates on social media.

Goalkeepers have 8 seconds to restart play. A new rule aims to curb time-wasting by goalkeepers. They now have a maximum of 8 seconds to put the ball back into play. Violations result in a corner kick for the opposition, and the goalkeeper may receive a yellow card.

The previous 6-second rule, with an indirect free kick penalty, was rarely enforced. The new rule, tested at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the USA, will be strictly implemented.

Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams experienced this firsthand, conceding a corner after holding the ball too long against Ulsan HD.

Referees will announce VAR decisions on the pitch. Another new rule for the 2025-2026 season mandates that referees announce the reasons for VAR-influenced decisions to enhance transparency.

After reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor, the referee will briefly explain the decision to the stadium crowd. This practice, previously used in some cup competitions, debuted in last season's League Cup semi-final, with Stuart Attwell's announcement during the Tottenham vs. Liverpool match.

While fans will hear the outcome and reasoning, they won't hear the full VAR-referee conversation, as IFAB rules still prohibit broadcasting these exchanges.

Can the newly promoted teams escape the relegation "curse"? For the past two seasons, all three promoted Championship teams were relegated after a single Premier League season: Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United in 2023-2024, and Leicester City, Ipswich, Southampton in 2024-2025.

The 2025-2026 season holds a glimmer of hope for Sunderland, Burnley, and Leeds United. While they face a challenging season, they aren't the only relegation candidates.

Brentford lost manager Thomas Frank, striker Bryan Mbeumo, and captain Christian Norgaard; Bournemouth parted with key defenders Ilya Zabarnyi (PSG), Milos Kerkez (Liverpool), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid), and Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal); and Wolves also face a potential decline.

Hong Duy

Photos: AP, Man Utd, Puma, Reuters, Premier League, The Guardian