The international break (or the UEFA-endorsed ‘Week of Football’ as it is now known) is over, and the domestic game has returned to these shores.

The simplified qualification process has virtually guaranteed England a straightforward passage to the European Championship finals in 2016 already following their away victory against toughest group opponents Switzerland, which means that most followers of the Premier League will be looking forward to enjoying football which bears some relevance this weekend, especially as it is the first round of fixtures following the closing of the summer transfer window.

Even in these early stages of the season, there is much to digest from an attractive set of fixtures which should easily restore our ample appetite for Premier League football, including a top-of-the-table clash, a bottom-of-the-table double header and an encounter between two Champions League heavyweights. With matches scheduled for Saturday lunchtime through to Monday night, here are six things you may want to look out for in the Premier League this weekend.

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Click on Jose Mourinho to reveal

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New-look United

Manchester United stole the show on transfer deadline day with their sensational loan signing of Radamel Falcao from Monaco. As well as the Colombian hitman, Louis van Gaal is likely to field a further three debutants in Sunday’s clash against QPR, with Daley Blind, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo all in line to make their first competitive starts.

Though the trio can all play as left-sided defenders, van Gaal is expected to persist with his preferred 3-5-2 formation, which may see Rojo lining up as the left component of a central defensive trio, Shaw in the left wing-back berth and the flexible Blind partnering Ander Herrera in central midfield. The briefing for United will be simple – win at all cost.

Following an unimpressive start to the campaign, the pressure will be on for the Red Devils to record a first win of the season, and a home fixture against newly promoted QPR presents a great opportunity to do just that. There will be an air of expectation and excitement around Old Trafford, and with a strikeforce of Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, not to mention the attacking midfield options of Angel di Maria, Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj, there should only be one winner.

Fail to gain the three points, however, and things may begin to look strangely similar to last season’s memorable campaign.

Arsenal’s title credentials put to the test

Arsenal’s record against last season’s top five teams was nothing short of atrocious. Their solitary victory came against Liverpool at home in November, and their heavy losses to Chelsea and Liverpool in the return fixture at Anfield made for half of the 22 goals conceded against their top-of-the-table rivals. To put this into context, Chelsea conceded just 27 goals during the course of the whole season.

If the Gunners are to mount a serious challenge this season, they must drastically improve their performances against their fellow title contenders, and Manchester City’s visit to the Emirates on Saturday will provide Arsene Wenger with a fitting test of his side’s credentials. The champions scored six against Arsenal at the Etihad last season, and after a shock home defeat to Stoke City at home a fortnight ago will be determined to get back to winning ways.

If the Gunners have learnt anything from last season’s batterings, we should see a closer game this time around. The added intrigue of Danny Welbeck making his Arsenal debut following his deadline day switch from Manchester United makes this the game of the weekend.

Top of the table clash at Stamford Bridge

Whilst the fourth and seventh-placed sides will be battling it out in North London, over in the western side of the capital the top two go head-to-head. Chelsea are expected to remain at the top end of the table for the duration of the season, while visitors Swansea are not; nevertheless, the South Wales side have enjoyed a perfect winning start to the campaign, and will be tough opponents for Jose Mourinho’s men.

The Blues were unconvincing in their first home fixture of the season against Leicester City, so an improved performance will be demanded by Mourinho. Meanwhile, morale in the Swansea camp is high; manager Garry Monk has recently been awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month for August, and his new signings, especially the returning Gylfi Sigurdsson, have made a solid early impact. A point would be much welcomed by the Swans, as well as a return to goalscoring ways for Wilfried Bony.

Last year’s standout player has yet to find the net this season; getting his first against Chelsea would certainly be great way to open his account.

Life without Sturridge

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers could barely contain his frustration during Thursday’s press conference when asked about the injury Reds striker Daniel Sturridge sustained whilst on international duty with England. Though his grievances are legitimate, Sturridge’s reported three-week absence will at least give Rodgers an idea of how his side copes without two men whose goals were so integral to Liverpool’s title challenge last season.

With Luis Suarez gone and Sturridge now unavailable, the goalscoring responsibility falls on none other than Mario Balotelli; though the Italian forward impressed on his debut against Tottenham, he was also wasteful, spurning two golden opportunities to bag his first Liverpool goal.

Aston Villa are the visitors to Anfield on Saturday evening, and Paul Lambert’s men represent something of a bogey team at home for Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool; last season’s 2-2 draw, a game where the Reds were 2-0 down at one point, was preceded by a shock 3-1 defeat in Rodgers’ inaugural campaign. Daniel Sturridge was on the scoresheet in both encounters between these sides last season, and with Villa in buoyant mood after an unbeaten start, Rodgers will be hoping that Balotelli will render Sturridge’s absence irrelevant.

All to play for at the Hawthorns

West Bromwich Albion versus Everton is not a game that would normally attract much attention in the Premier League, likely to be shown on the back end of the Match of the Day running order rather than as the headline act. However following both sides’ poor starts to the season, there is much at stake at the Hawthorns this weekend.

Everton occupy 17th position in the league table, with the Baggies directly below them; they are both also winless, having drawn two matches and lost one. For Everton, a win is required to kickstart a campaign in which much was expected of them amongst their fans following last season’s impressive fifth-placed finish.

New West Brom boss Alan Irvine, meanwhile, has yet to win over West Brom supporters; his previous position as the head of Everton’s academy gives this game extra significance.

Flair at the KC Stadium

The final game of this week’s round of fixtures sees Sam Allardyce’s West Ham take on Steve Bruce’s Hull City at the KC Stadium. Known for being sides full of grit, industry and physicality, but not much flair, the two teams underwent a radical transformation during the summer, and now boast a number of players who should bring a certain pizzazz and panache to their respective campaigns.

The prospect of Alex Song, Mauro Zaraté, Hatem Ben Arfa and Gaston Ramirez wowing the crowd on Humberside was previously unimaginable in an encounter between these two sides. Messrs Allardyce and Bruce’s newfound penchant for aesthetically pleasing football should see an entertaining game on Monday night.