Premier League winners and losers: Man City new boys offer Pep Guardiola hope of a rapid revival - but time is already running out for Graham Potter at West Ham after opening-day defeat

It would have beggared belief 12 months ago, but Manchester City were written off as potential title winners by many as pre-season predictions began to do the rounds. The fall from grace suffered by Pep Guardiola's side over the course of the 2024-25 season, coupled with an early exit from the Club World Cup and a transfer window where they went somewhat under the radar while their rivals spent big, saw many forecast City as being in a battle for a top-four spot over the next 10 months, rather than genuine contenders for the summit.

However, their performance in beating Wolves 4-0 on Saturday might have changed a few minds. Tijjani Reijnders stood out for his masterful midfield display, which included both a goal and an assist, as well as a delightful pass in the build-up to Erling Haaland's opener, while fellow summer signing Rayan Cherki also got on the scoresheet during an eye-catching cameo off the bench.

Haaland's own quest to regain the Golden Boot he lost last season also got off to the perfect start with two goals at Molineux, and when you factor in that the likes of Rodri, Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol - as well as any further new signings - are still to come back into this team, there's a potentially scary City side here waiting to be unleashed.

We should caveat all that with the fact that Wolves, having lost Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo this summer, are likely to be languishing in the lower reaches of the table, and City's upcoming games against Tottenham, Brighton, Manchester United and Arsenal may paint a clearer picture of their title credentials. But after one week, Guardiola will be pretty content with what his side were able to produce.

If any manager needed his side to make a fast start to the season, it was West Ham boss Graham Potter. The former Chelsea manager won just five of his first 19 matches in charge of the Hammers last season after replacing Julen Lopetegui as his signature style of play largely failed to materialise at the London Stadium.

An opening-day trip to newly-promoted Sunderland should have offered Potter a good opportunity to get things moving back in the right direction, but the way his side slumped to a 3-0 defeat during the second half at the Stadium of Light was deeply concerning. West Ham were sloppy throughout against the Black Cats, and offered little in terms of a response once they fell behind shortly after the hour mark.

"We have to do the basics better, for sure," Potter said post-match. "We have to learn this painful lesson, because if you don’t,  you can talk about how well you play, or about attacking football or whatever, but ultimately it doesn’t matter. If you don’t do the basics well, then it’s hard to win games."

Things are unlikely to get much easier for Potter, with his side's next four league games coming against Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Crystal Palace. If the Irons don't pick up a win or two from that run, then their manager will struggle to remain in post past the end of September.

Chris Wood is not what one would describe as being a 'fashionable' striker. Regarded by many as something of a throwback to a more basic time, his exploits in scoring 20 Premier League goals last season were written off by plenty as being unrepeatable as the Nottingham Forest frontman edges towards his 34th birthday. Perhaps even Forest presumed as much given they have just spent £27 million ($36.5m) on Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuendo to bolster their attack.

Wood, though, isn't done yet. His first-half brace on Sunday set Forest up for their 3-1 win over Brentford, as his two cool finishes moved the ex-Burnley man to within nine strikes of joining the fabled Premier League 100-goal club. The New Zealand captain will have one eye on leading his country at the 2026 World Cup next summer, and with additional competition arriving at the City Ground, he knows his scoring rate cannot slow down if he is to head to North America in the best possible form.

Wood will have also been thrilled by the performances of midfield duo Morgan Gibbs-White and Eliot Anderson on Sunday, as the pair pulled the strings for Nuno Espirito Santo's side in displays that suggested they will be able to provide their starting striker with plenty more opportunities to add to his tally as the season wears on.

'Champions of the world'. That was the banner that Chelsea fans unfurled ahead of their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Sunday as the Blues continue to celebrate their surprise triumph at the Club World Cup over the summer. That victory in the United States, capped by their dismantling of European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final, has led to plenty of lofty expectations for Enzo Maresca's side, with some even believing that the big spenders from west London could claim the English title to go with their global crown.

A goalless home draw was not, then, the ideal way for Chelsea to announce themselves as contenders to the throne. Despite enjoying over 70 percent possession against Oliver Glasner's FA Cup winners, the Blues mustered just three shots on target, and were fortunate not to fall behind to Eberechi Eze's stunning free-kick thanks to a controversial-but-strictly-correct VAR intervention.

Maresca has been criticised in the past for his teams lacking penetration to go with all their possession, and after four new forwards arrived at the club this summer, with a couple more potentially on the way, the Italian will need to figure out how to get the best out his attack sooner rather than later. A trip to West Ham on Friday could, then, provide the perfect antidote after an underwhelming start.

Heading into this season, Richarlison had scored just 16 Premier League goals in 70 appearances across three seasons for Tottenham. Given Spurs spent £60m to sign him from Everton, that was not the return on their investment that the team from north London expected. But is this the campaign where things click into gear for the much-maligned Brazilian?

After starting in the Super Cup against PSG in midweek, Richarlison was again preferred to Dominic Solanke up front by Thomas Frank against Burnley, and the 28-year-old repaid his manager's faith by producing two superb first-time finishes, the second of which conjured memories of the stunning overhead kick he produced for Brazil against Serbia at the 2022 World Cup.

"He was very good against PSG and again today with his work-rate, driving the team, linking up the play, hold-up play, just demanding the ball and then the two finishes," Frank said of his No.9. "I've always liked Richarlison and I always thought he was a good player when he played for Everton. When he came to Tottenham he struggled with injuries so we're aware we need to protect and build him. The first signs are good."

Tougher tests than Scott Parker's Clarets are on the horizon for Spurs, starting with next weekend's trip to Manchester City, but if Richarlison can maintain this kind of form, they will be confident of yet again troubling Guardiola's side at the Etihad.

Virgil van Dijk was not the worst Liverpool player in their opening-night win over Bournemouth on Friday - far from it. But it has become clear through pre-season, into the Community Shield and now into the Premier League campaign that the Reds captain will have to be at his very best for Arne Slot's side to be able to defend their crown if things do not change.

The reigning champions looked comfortable through the opening hour against the Cherries as they opened up a two-goal lead, only to be suddenly ripped apart on multiple occasions by Andoni Iraola's team as Semenyo scored twice to level the scores with just 12 minutes remaining at Anfield. And while Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah's late strikes eventually got Liverpool over the line, the biggest on-field talking point from the game was just how open the new-look Reds were.

Questions have been asked regarding the balance of Slot's side given that they have spent big on improving their attack this summer while adding two new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, who are undoubtedly more effective going forward than they are defending their own box. Throw in Ibrahima Konate having one of his all-too-common kamikaze evenings, and Van Dijk must have wondered just how he, along with Alisson Becker, should be expected to keep things tight at the back for a Liverpool team this lacking in solidity.

The return from suspension of Ryan Gravenberch to shield the defence should help matters, but the Dutch midfielder cannot be expected to be a one-man solution to what looks to be a team-wide issue. Certainly Liverpool's next two opponents, Newcastle and Arsenal, will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing down Van Dijk and co. before the September international break.