Cole Palmer must wait a little longer for another chance to convince Thomas Tuchel on the England stage, but the delay may suit Chelsea just fine.

Palmer has not featured for England since March 2026 and missed this summer’s World Cup. A strong start to the 2026/27 season had earned him a recall, and Tuchel accepted that he deserved the opportunity to show he belongs in the squad full-time. That opportunity now looks set to slip away for the time being.

Inside Chelsea, there will be sympathy for the player, but also a clear sense that his absence from international duty could help club matters. The mood around the team is not especially bright after two defeats and a draw, yet Palmer has been one of the clearest positives under Xabi Alonso.

His return to form has been reflected in the numbers. Four goals and two assists in seven games represent an encouraging opening stretch, and Palmer himself has spoken about enjoying his football again in Alonso’s fluid forward line. Tactics have helped, but so has the value of a proper summer break.

Last season was hindered by the lingering effects of a groin injury, and his output dropped to 11 goals and three assists in all competitions. Given that context, being left out of England’s World Cup squad was painful but not unexpected. It also created the long recovery period he needed.

For the first time in months, Palmer was able to step away from the demands of match football and focus purely on recovery between May and August. That pause has clearly paid off in the opening weeks of the campaign.

Chelsea supporters wanted to see him back on the international stage, but few would oppose another three-week break if it produces the same level of sharpness. Tuchel, though, has made his stance clear. He values the same core of players and prioritises what he sees from them in an England shirt.

Since Tuchel arrived in January 2025, Palmer has played only 158 minutes for England across three appearances. Injuries and poor form have limited his chances, while others have moved ahead by making the most of their own opportunities.

Palmer has already worked his way back into Tuchel’s thinking once this month, and could do so again by maintaining his goals and assists for Chelsea. For now, however, the bar appears higher after another international window away from England.

The first international pause of the season arrived with a final round that felt, in every sense, like a term-end review. Before attention turns away from the Premier League for three weeks, there was one more set of performances to assess.

Arsenal were out of the contest almost immediately. After just 18 seconds, they were forced back into their own corner from the opening throw-in and never recovered. The 3-0 defeat was made to look even heavier by Brighton’s two fine long-range efforts, but the visitors were second best throughout. It was the sort of loss that invites awkward questions.

Nottingham Forest could not settle the nerves at the City Ground. Oliver Glasner admitted that the “entire City Ground was nervous” and his side did little to calm the atmosphere in a stubborn game against Coventry. The manager was left “frustrated” and “disappointed,” emotions echoed in the stands once the tension took hold.

Tottenham continue to frustrate, only in a different way. Roberto De Zerbi sounded exhausted by another 3-2 defeat, insisting, “These players, they don’t need to play better,” before adding that what Spurs require is more “blood” and “fight.”

Chelsea’s defeat at Brentford followed a more gradual collapse. There was little obviously wrong in the opening hour, and Xabi Alonso had wanted his side to be more “boring,” but the match quickly slipped away. Ipswich, meanwhile, stayed alive despite conceding early and finishing with 10 men at Everton, where Gary O’Neil said, “The only disappointment is the result.”

Leeds had a clear chance through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the fresh England call-up could not convert. At the other end, James Trafford was busier than Walter Benítez in a game that ended in another encouraging clean sheet for Pierre Sage’s side.

Manchester United’s trip to Fulham brought fierce criticism, with Gary Neville saying, “I’ve watched Manchester United since the age of 5,” and that the second half’s opening 15 minutes were “the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen.” Fulham settled for a “frustrating” 1-1 draw, while Calvin Bassey called it “a game of luck, we both had it on our side.”

Elsewhere, Everton’s win was functional rather than elegant, Aston Villa needed a lift and got one, Bournemouth were left empty-handed, Sunderland earned admiration despite defeat at the Etihad, Newcastle held on after a nervy finish, Liverpool were second best for long spells, and Manchester City’s chaotic game left Enzo Maresca saying, “Too many goals,” before admitting, “I’m always concerned, always trying to see what we can do better.” Coventry’s long wait for a Premier League win finally ended, and Frank Lampard had every reason to enjoy it.

Manchester City’s emphatic eight-goal victory over Sunderland has shifted the Premier League picture, with Opta’s supercomputer now placing them level on projected title value with Arsenal at the top of the table.

That follows Mikel Arteta’s pre-season deflection when he was asked about Arsenal’s title defence. “Our friend is not here today with a supercomputer,” he cackled in an attempt to avoid the question. The model is here now, and after 10,000 simulations it has turned that debate into numbers.

On current points, City lead the way with 15, but Arsenal remain narrowly ahead in projected points, 76.06 to 75.64, and are given a 43.52% chance of lifting the title. City are close behind on 40.96%. Liverpool, Brighton and Chelsea trail in the next tier, with Brighton’s place among the contenders standing out despite their 3-0 win over Arsenal already altering the mood around them.

City’s start has been perfect even if it has not always looked effortless, with Bournemouth, Coventry and Sunderland all offering resistance. Their edge, as the model sees it, comes from a team built around the world’s best goalkeeper and the sport’s most ruthless striker.

Further down, the race for Europe remains tight. Brentford, who came so close last season, continue to threaten qualification, while Manchester United are rated as having slightly better odds of finishing third than of slipping into the bottom three. Aston Villa also need a major improvement if they are to return to the Champions League.

At the other end, Tottenham sit bottom after the first elongated international break, despite heavy summer spending. Opta’s simulations still place them in the relegation discussion more than 30% of the time, a bleak outcome for a club with major resources. That explains why Roberto De Zerbi is “very disappointed, very sad, very frustrated.”