The international break makes two weeks feel more like two months for a lot of football fans.

Well, at least as a Welshman it does. A humiliating 3-0 loss at Wembley to England and a 4-2 thumping in Cardiff at the hands of Belgium has me more desperate than ever for the return of the Premier League.

But the wait is almost over and club football is back with a bang in a matter of days – at last.

The weekend kicks off with Nottingham Forest against Chelsea in a mouth-watering clash which could decide the future of poor Ange Postecoglou. Mikel Arteta’s league-topping Gunners are also in action on Saturday, as are Pep Guardiola’s in-form Manchester City.

Sunday meanwhile sees English football’s two biggest clubs, Man United and Liverpoolgo head-to-head at Anfield in a hugely significant match for both sides. Earlier in the day, Aston Villa travel to north London to face a new-look Tottenham Hotspur under Thomas Frank.

There’s a jam-packed weekend of top-flight football on the horizon which is sure to be full of drama, talking points and goals. Here, Daily Mail Sport looks at seven reasons why we are just as excited as you for the return of the Premier League.

Crunch time for Amorim

Sir Jim Ratcliffe affirmed once again over the international break that he has no plans to dismiss the struggling Ruben Amorim anytime soon. ‘Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years’, were the United co-owner’s exact words.

It’s fairly obvious however that Amorim won’t be afforded such time if results don’t improve. In fact, for some United fans, the Portuguese boss has already outstayed his welcome.

October is likely to be the month which determines the 39-year-old’s future. United currently find themselves eleventh in the table – a couple of victories could see them climb towards the European spots, while a loss or two will leave the Red Devils flirting with the bottom three.

They begin the so-called ‘sacking season’ between the October and November international breaks with a trip to Anfield. Amorim couldn’t have asked for a harder fixture.

Liverpool are out-of-form after slumping to three consecutive losses a couple of weeks ago. Their front-line looks out of sorts and their back four shaky, but it’s still the Premier League champions.

In years gone-by United have travelled to Merseyside to face Liverpool sides at the top of their game. Last year, perhaps amid a bit of complacency in the Reds’ camp, Amorim’s side returned to Old Trafford with a point.

But this Sunday you’d be remiss to assume Liverpool, and their supporters, will be whole-heartedly confident of a win after their early-season struggles. So, don’t expect any complacency.

Whether the Red Devils can cope with a Liverpool side anywhere near their best is doubtful, so Amorim will no-doubt be hoping his rivals’ early-season slump continues.

Liverpool – a blip or a crisis?

When Liverpool completed the signing of Alexander Isak on Deadline Day for a British record £125million fee, many predicted that Arne Slot‘s side would walk their way to a second consecutive league title.

Yet less than a month later, the Reds look a shadow of the side who breezed to the top of the Premier League last term.

Okay, they’re still second in the table, but their performances tell a different story. The reigning champions have looked disjointed in attack, leggy in midfield and lackluster at the back.

What’s also a concern is that Slot doesn’t seem to know his best XI. Last season, you could have correctly predicted Liverpool’s side hours before kick-off. The likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Isak, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have however thrown spanners in the works.

Wirtz in particular seems a problem for Slot. A £125million signing has to play, but his performances simply do not warrant a starting birth. The German is yet to record a single goal or assist this term.

As crucial as it is for Amorim, Sunday’s clash against United for Liverpool is similarly important. Not in terms of Slot’s job, of course not, but in building confidence heading towards Christmas.

Arsenal look strong and Liverpool need to keep up.

Marinakis’ Postecoglou decision

For Nottingham Forest fans, unless they’ve been glorying in Elliot Anderson’s England performances, the international break has been dominated by rumours of Ange Postecoglou’s imminent sacking.

The Aussie has won not a single one of his seven matches in charge of the Tricky Trees and was even the subject of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ chants from his own fans. But, surely, it’s too early to think of axing the former Spurs boss.

Well, not for Evangelos Marinakis it seems. Sean Dyche is a name which was been linked to Forest this week should Postecoglou be dismissed. If results don’t improve, seeing Dyche at the City ground by the end of the month wouldn’t be a surprise.

After all, Forest sit precariously close to the bottom three.

Postecoglou faces a difficult clash with Chelsea at noon on Saturday, one which you feel he may need to win if he’s to keep his job.

Arsenal’s title charge

After facing criticism for his pragmatic tactics following Arsenal’s draw with Manchester City last month, Mikel Arteta’s victory over Newcastle the following week felt like a turning point for the Spaniard.

He played Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres together and the Gunners’ football was free-flowing. As it should be with such a talented squad.

A win the following week against Nuno Espirito’s West Ham sent them top of the league after Liverpool’s stutter at Stamford Bridge.

Now, for many, Arsenal are favourites for the title. They’ve got the league’s best defence, a formidable midfield duo of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi and a frontline over-flowing with talent.

Before the next international break, Arsenal face Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland in the league in fixtures you’d expect them to win.

Keeping their squad fit is likely to be key to the Gunners’ title charge and, with games every three or four days up until Christmas, that could be a struggle.

City’s surge

Last season’s slump at the Etihad came as a huge surprise to footballing fans up and down the country. The question on every body’s lips – was Pep Guardiola’s era of dominance at last coming to an end?

Watching City’s start to this campaign, it seemed as though Pep had indeed lost his spark. His side lost two of their opening three games and headed into a Manchester derby, for once, not as heavy favourites.

However their performance against Amorim’s reds came as a turning point. A 3-0 win in which Phil Foden was back at his best sent City on their way and, since then, they haven’t lost.

Erling Haaland looks at the absolute peak of his powers and, in many cases, is simply too much for defenders. The Norwegian’s winner against Brentford earlier this month showcased him at his best – strong, powerful and ruthless.

City sit fifth in the Premier League heading into this weekend’s clash against Everton with fixtures against Everton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth to come.

If Haaland’s incredible form continues, they’re going to be hard to stop.

Nuno’s tough gig

Graham Potter’s eventual sacking at the London Stadium seemed inevitable from as early as the opening day of the season. A rudderless 3-0 loss to newcomers Sunderland was but a sign of things to come.

Just five games later and Potter was dismissed, with Nuno Espirito Santo tasked with leading the Hammers out of the relegation zone.

He’s failed to win either of his two games in charge of the east London club but there has been a noticeable improvement in performances.

A 1-1 draw at Everton in his first fixture in charge was a positive and a 2-0 loss at Arsenal was expected. A home clash with Brentford this week is where the Hammers must pick up a result, if only for morale.

If nothing else, Espirito Santo will make the Hammers hard to beat and with flair players at the other end of the pitch, his side should always have a chance.

Superb Semenyo

The fact Antoine Semenyo didn’t get a big money move in the summer was puzzling.

He went into the transfer window on the back of a Premier League campaign in which he’d netted 11 goals and provided six assists for Bournemouth on their way to a ninth-placed finish. The other stars of Cherries’ season, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, left the club while Semenyo stayed put.

The Ghanaian’s only continued his impressive form this season. He sits behind only Erling Haaland in the Premier League top scorers list after netting six goals and providing three assists in seven appearances.

Bournemouth, quietly, could be in with a shout of a European place this season. They’ve got a great manager in Andoni Iraola and a real talesman in Semenyo, who’s brimming with confidence.