The European season has just begun.

Tonight (September 13), European football leagues will return after a 2-week hiatus for national team matches. And the focus will be on the English Premier League.

Both Newcastle and Aston Villa are racing in the final days of the transfer season - Photo: REUTERS

Although the Premier League has started 3 rounds, it is only now that the tournament has truly entered its complete framework.

Blockbuster transfer

The third round of Premier League matches ended one day before the European football transfer market closed. And a series of "blockbuster" transfers took place in that seemingly extremely short period of time.

Specifically, Liverpool activated a 150 million euro transfer deal for Alexander Isak. Newcastle bought two star strikers at the same time in the last 3 days of the summer transfer window. Man City bought the world's number 1 goalkeeper Donnarumma. Man United also bought goalkeeper Lammens and "got rid" of Onana. Chelsea was even more active, welcoming Garnacho and Guiu while pushing Jackson, Nkunku, Chilwell...

Except for Arsenal, a team that has formed its framework quite early, all the "giants" of English football were extremely active on the last day of the transfer market. Even a "young master" who has emerged in the past 2 years like Aston Villa also acted enthusiastically when welcoming 3 famous players Lindelof, Sancho and Elliott from big teams.

Aston Villa is also a typical example of the necessity of starting the season 2 weeks earlier than the deadline for the transfer market to close. From a team that has always been in the top 6 of the tournament in recent years, Aston Villa started sluggishly this season with 1 draw, 2 losses after the first 3 rounds.

Their ambitions of breaking through were severely hit by the new Financial Fair Play rules, and they were largely inactive in the transfer market throughout the summer. But the team's poor form forced the board to meet the demands of coach Unai Emery.

On the final day alone, they brought in three big-name signings, with Sancho and Elliott arriving on loan.

Start the machine

It can be said that the season has just begun for Aston Villa. Likewise, Man City, Man United and Newcastle, the rich teams have spent a lot in the summer.

But it was not until the season started 3 rounds that they realized their weaknesses. Even with teams that had prepared thoroughly like Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, they were not really "warmed up" in the first 3 rounds. Because their new players all needed time to integrate.

At Anfield, Florian Wirtz is really getting a taste of the fierceness of English football, and gradually getting used to the playing style. Although slow, Wirtz is really making progress, along with Ekitike and Frimpong, the new recruits from other leagues.

The blockbuster signing of Isak on the final transfer day made Liverpool's season even more promising. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how Liverpool will progress after playing quite well in the first 3 rounds.

For Arsenal, all their new players need time - from Gyokeres, Zubimendi to Mosquera, Hincapie, because they all come from other leagues. Adapting to the fast, strong, harsh football environment of the foggy country is never easy.

The first 3 rounds of the Premier League, therefore, are just like the last chance to dress up the summer for the teams. A series of giants have had to change or supplement their personnel plans. And now is the time for the real season to begin.

"Super Sunday" focus

The highlight of round 4 is the "super Sunday" match between Man City and Man United, but on Saturday night (September 13), the round still has many unpredictable matches.

The opening match is Nottingham Forest's away match against Arsenal at 6:30 p.m. Last season's phenomenon, Nottingham Forest made things difficult for many big teams, including a 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the second leg. Recently, this team caused a shock when they fired coach Nuno Santo and appointed Mr. Angie Postecoglou as his replacement.

Arsenal are still struggling with injuries to several key players, including Saka, Havertz and Ben White - who are all certain to remain absent.

The paradox of English football

Brighton & Hove Albion is the only team in the Premier League that meets the minimum criteria of the new governing body IFR - Photo: Reuters

English football, or rather the Premier League, spent a total of 3.5 billion euros in the last transfer window. But that does not mean that Europe's number 1 league has abundant financial resources.

According to Fair Game's 2025 report, 43 of the 92 clubs in England's top four leagues have less than a month's salary in the bank. This means that more than half of English clubs are technically insolvent, and only 11 of the 94 have enough money to cover three months' wages. Only 29% of clubs in England's top four leagues have a salary-to-revenue ratio of 70% or lower. The 70% figure is the limit applied at UEFA level in the European Football Federation's financial sustainability regulations.

Financial imbalances have caused many English clubs to fall into crisis. Such as Bury, who disappeared in 2020 and had to be re-established. Or more recently Sheffield Wednesday, who had difficulty paying players' wages and finding buyers... Also according to research on the 20 current Premier League clubs, only Brighton & Hove Albion currently meet the minimum criteria of the new governing body.

Fair Game chief executive Niall Couper said: "If anyone had any doubts about whether football needs a governing body, today's report should dispel any doubts. Financial recklessness is rampant. Good governance is rare and ethical and environmental issues are rarely discussed in the boardroom. There are some exceptions and we are delighted to support those clubs. These clubs are role models and football's cash flow should be directed towards rewarding them."

In response, Fair Game has called for the establishment of an independent governing body, the IFR. Its primary purpose is to operate a licensing system designed to ensure clubs operate sustainably and responsibly towards their fans. The IFR will be established by the end of the year. The process of appointing a governing board is currently underway.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mua-giai-o-chau-au-gio-moi-bat-dau-20250913094811516.htm