If the Premier League were a West End show, the sudden break prompted by the final international break would be the cliffhanger just before the break.
Admittedly, few breaks last as long as the agonizing thirteen days between Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Arsenal and Saturday's return, but it has certainly served to build the excitement.
An unprecedented fourth consecutive defeat for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, another masterful performance from Liverpool and the impending arrival of Ruben Amorim as Man United's new manager. Things were just starting to get exciting in the most watched competition in the world.
It's not the first time football fans have been left dangling on the edge of the abyss this season, with two international breaks prompting a fortnight of thumb-twiddling ahead of this one.
The good news is that it's full steam ahead from here, with no snooze-fest in England, Scotland or Wales in sight and a full schedule of festive programs to look forward to.
Here, Mail Sport gives you the 10 reasons why we're committed to the return of Premier League football this weekend…
1. Goodbye international breaks
Before we delve into what we love about the top game, there's time for a parting shot at the international game.
It was actually quite a busy fortnight on this occasion, with Gary Lineker announcing his departure from Match of the Day next summer after 25 years, and referee chiefs suspending David Coote for a series of videos ranging from him allegedly criticizing Jurgen Klopp to allegedly sniffing white powder.
On the pitch, England scored eight unanswered goals as they cruised to emphatic wins over Greece and Ireland to gain promotion to the upper echelons of the Nations League.
But none of this can bridge the gap that the absence of the Premier League from our Saturday and Sunday afternoons has created, leaving many of us in an existential crisis over what normal people do on the weekend without heading to the pub or the stands. go to watch football.
The great thing is that we don't have to experience that feeling anymore for a while, because there are no international breaks planned for four months. Book that weekend away before March 22, Premier League fans…
2. Goals galore
Okay, back to the joys of our domestic league, starting with something that players have found very easy lately: goals.
There have been many. A whopping 314 in 110 games to be precise, making this season the second biggest goal-fest (at 2.85 per game) of any Premier League campaign.
The open, attacking football fans have been treated to in the first three months comes hot on the heels of the record number of 1,543 from the 2023/2024 season with 3.28 goals per match.
Is it so-called Barclays nostalgia, dodgy defenses or electric attackers that have led to this turnaround? Probably a combination, and the fact that matches regularly last 100 minutes and fewer goals are disallowed because an attacker's toenail is offside doesn't hurt.
Either way, get ready for more last-minute winners, six-goal thrillers and wild away 'limbs' as we welcome the Premier League back.
3. An exciting title race
Viewers have been treated to some great clashes over the last two seasons, with City and Arsenal battling to the death in the last two seasons, but this season's title race is looking particularly promising.
There are five points separating Guardiola's men in second place and Aston Villa in ninth, with just one point separating the West Midlands side and Chelsea in third.
The shortage has been heavily influenced by the difficult start to the top two last season, with City four points and eleven goals worse off than last season at this stage, and Arsenal five points and eight goals fewer.
The seemingly invincible Etihad team, who have won four consecutive titles, have now lost four games in a row in all competitions, including defeats to Brighton and Bournemouth in the league.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have managed just two points in their last four games, struggling with discipline and creating chances as they slide down the table.
Signs suggest their misfortunes won't last long. Guardiola has committed his future to City with a new contract extension this week, removing some of the uncertainty of the past month.
The Gunners will welcome the return of captain and talisman Martin Odegaard to the fray and will look to make the most of a number of favorable fixtures ahead of the new year.
Their slow start has left Liverpool somewhat ahead – five points ahead of City – but only a small improvement in form is needed for last season's title contenders, or one of many other challengers this season, before they look can go over their shoulder.
4. A relegation battle for the ages
Across the table, fans can already smell a painful confrontation or even an excruciating final day – the kind where supporters frantically watch other teams' results in the stands and prepare for life in the Championship.
That glorious drama will of course continue for a while, but at least seven teams will consider relegation a real concern after eleven games into the season.
Ipswich, in 17th place, became the latest side to win their first match with a win at Spurs on November 10, closely followed by 19th-placed Wolves who beat Southampton the day before.
Things are certainly looking bleak for the Saints as the south coast team lacks quality up front despite all their possession, leaving them rock bottom on four points.
Crystal Palace are in the bottom three, having struggled to adapt to life after Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen, while Leicester will be eagerly watching the fate of the newly promoted teams that came before them.
5. Bem-vindo Amorim
Charismatic managers have always been one of the league's biggest draws.
Mikel Arteta appears to have taken on Jurgen Klopp's role by providing the fireworks on the sidelines, while Guardiola remains an enigma despite spending more than eight years at the Etihad.
The likes of Everton's Sean Dyche and Spurs' Ange Postecoglou, meanwhile, have filled the shoes of Sam Allardyce, Ian Holloway and Mick McCarthy by giving brutally honest answers in post-match interviews.
And now we welcome a new face to the circus: Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese will finally replace Erik ten Hag as manager of Manchester Unired, almost four weeks after his appointment.
The 39-year-old will bring his relaxed and confident attitude to press conferences and his pragmatic 3-4-3 system to the Old Trafford pitch.
It will be fascinating to see if he can break the trend set by the six managers who came between him and Sir Alex Ferguson and who have presided over a bitterly disappointing period in United's history.
6. Lineker's long farewell
Tuning in to Match of the Day will bring an extra touch of poignancy between now and the rest of the season after Lineker announced his departure at the end of the season after 25 years fronting the show.
The BBC is now looking for a presenter to succeed Lineker, who replaced Des Lynam on the iconic program in 1999.
Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC's sports director, may believe a new presenter could win over younger viewers, with Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Kelly Cates among the list.
The company could even opt for a rotating cast of hosts, as they reportedly want to shift the show's focus to highlights and content that appeals to a Gen Z audience.
Whatever happens, it won't be quite the same.
7. Surprise packages that shock the big boys
Part of the reason the title race is shaping up to be so tight is the shock form of a number of teams outside the so-called 'Big Six'.
The biggest story of the season is undoubtedly Nottingham Forest. Nuno Espirito Santo's men sit in fifth place – only behind third-placed Chelsea on goal difference – and have suddenly gelled as a team under the Portuguese.
Centre-forward Chris Wood has shown the lasting value of having an imposing goalkeeper in charge, scoring 53.3 percent of the Reds' goals this season.
Brighton's success should no longer surprise anyone, but they have climbed to sixth place with a swagger under Fabian Hurzeler, cramming the final third and seemingly abandoning midfield in an astonishing tactical development.
Fulham had a stellar transfer window, recruiting Andersen from Crystal Palace and Sander Berge from Burnley to strengthen the defense, and Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal to complement former Wolves duo Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore up front.
These Premier League starters have all claimed huge scalps this season and we look forward to seeing who they will upset next.
8. The best in the world play their best
Some things never change and the Premier League's ability to attract the best players in football has long been central to its popularity.
This season, Erling Haaland has continued his erratic scoring style with twelve goals in eleven games, following his 36 and 27 goals in the past two seasons.
Bukayo Saka is giving wing-backs a tougher time than ever, while his England team-mate Cole Palmer is the most popular player in football right now.
And it may be the last chance for us to enjoy Liverpool trio Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, with the trio all deep in talks and their contracts expiring in the summer. Each of them has played an important role in the Reds' rise to the top of the Premier League.
9. And the summer arrivals add new flair
The old guard has been joined by an exciting influx of new talent, as the league's wealthy owners dusted off their money bags and splashed the cash last summer.
Pedro Neto has reinvigorated Chelsea following his £54m move from Wolves, while Smith Rowe has done the same at Fulham, scoring three times and providing two assists.
Major signings Dominic Solanke (£65m from Bouremouth to Spurs) and Evanilson (the Cherries' £40m replacement from Porto) have made a solid start in charge with four goals each.
Facundo Buonanotte has been a breath of fresh air at Leicester, while we look forward to seeing more of Savinho's skills as City look to get back on track.
Special mentions also go to Villa's midfield maestro Amadou Onana, Newcastle's young talent Lewis Hall and Brighton skills man Yankuba Minteh.
10. A football party to get back into the swing of things
All these joys are just around the corner and we're diving straight back into them this weekend with an exciting series of matches to take away the memory of the international break.
It starts straight away as Chelsea look to continue their surprisingly good start to the season with a trip to Leicester, before high-flying Forest head to a Gunners side desperate to turn their fortunes around.
Later on Saturday, Guardiola will hope to avoid a barely fathomable fifth straight defeat when City host a Spurs team they lost to in the Carabao Cup just three weeks ago.
And if that's not enough, there's also Super Sunday, with league leaders Liverpool looking to wreak havoc on bottom-placed Southampton before we see Amorim's United in action for the first time in Ipswich.
We can hardly contain our excitement.
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