Welcome to The Briefing

Every Monday during the season, The Athletic will discuss the three biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s football. This weekend saw injuries impacting Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, Manchester United avoiding a loss against Luton Town, and Everton securing another win to move them further clear of trouble. Let’s discuss whether Manchester City should have an exception to their sales policy, if Liverpool should decline approaches for Mohamed Salah, and Roberto De Zerbi’s comments about referees.

Will Manchester City regret selling Cole Palmer to Chelsea?

Premier League leaders Manchester City’s sale of Raheem Sterling to Chelsea wasn’t a mistake. However, the sale of Cole Palmer is questionable. Guardiola wanted him to stay, and Palmer displayed his talent in Chelsea’s madcap 4-4 draw with City. Despite Sterling’s exceptional performance for Chelsea, it might just be Palmer, the 21-year-old they bought on deadline day, who they could end up building their team around.

Why would Liverpool consider selling Salah in January?

With significant player changes, Liverpool 2.0 heavily relies on Salah, their most important player. Despite the potential financial gain, Liverpool must not sell him, as they rely heavily on him for their Premier League goals. Additionally, he is one of the greatest players Liverpool will ever have.

What good do De Zerbi’s complaints about referees do?

De Zerbi’s comments about English referees were extraordinary, especially as he acknowledged that the big officiating call of the game was correct. It’s unclear what he’s trying to achieve by making such comments, as they are not constructive and seem to serve no productive purpose.