Table leader Arsenal hosts Crystal Palace on Sunday in a matchup featuring two of the three remaining league teams to have lost just once in the league this season. Arsenal sits atop the table intent on putting an end to its run of three consecutive bridesmaid finishes in the league. Arsenal spent heavily in the offseason to reinforce a squad that has finished second the last three seasons. So far, so good as the Gunners stand atop the Premier League table after eight matches. On Tuesday, the Gunners smashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, has been a force to reckon with under Manager Oliver Glasner. The Eagles were on a club record 19 match unbeaten run before losing at Everton earlier this month. Palace showed grit last week by closing a two-goal deficit against a quality Bournemouth side in a 3-3 final at Selhurst Park which featured three goals from rising star JP Mateta. A 1-0 Europa Conference League defeat to AEK Larnaca, however, extended the Eagles’ current winless run to three matches and Mateta will face a difficult challenge Sunday against the Arsenal center back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba.
Manchester City is just three points behind Arsenal as the Citizens prepare for their Sunday matchup at Aston Villa. Erling Haaland is on a tear, having scored in 12 consecutive games across all competitions after his goal in Manchester City’s midweek Champions League win over Villareal. Manchester City’s defense has also contributed to a resurgence in the Premier League standings as only Arsenal has conceded fewer goals than the Citizens’ defense. There could be a problem on Sunday should Nico Gonzalez not recover quickly from a foot injury suffered in the Villareal win. Gonzalez has filled in admirably for the injured Rodri as Manchester City’s holding midfielder. Aston Villa has won three consecutive Premier League matches to begin a slow climb up the table after a tortuous five match winless run to start the season. Villa Park has been a safe haven for the home side as Aston Villa has lost only one of its past 22 matches at its historic venue. Saturday afternoons at the Etihad... 🤩 pic.twitter.com/GnJwl741NQ
Bournemouth is undefeated at home so far this season at Vitality Stadium. Three wins and a draw at home have helped the Cherries crack the top four of the Premier League. Much of the attention on its Saturday match, however, will be upon visiting Nottingham Forest and its new manager. Sean Dyche has replaced the recently departed Ange Postecoglou to right the ship for the Tricky Trees. Dyche’s experience with relegation battles at Burnley and Everton certainly factored in his appointment. More importantly, however, Dyche’s organized approach featuring defensive solidity and swift counterattacking seems a much better fit for the Nottingham Forest squad assembled for the similar style of Postecoglou’s predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo. The madcap “Ange Ball” era ended after eight matches where the Trees conceded 20 times. The anticipation is that Dyche will restore the defensive discipline accompanied by swift counterattacking which helped the Tricky Trees to European qualification last season.
The architect of that European qualification, Nuno Espirito Santo, is onto a new challenge with West Ham. The Hammers visit Leeds on Saturday in a match with potential relegation implications. West Ham is currently in the relegation zone while newly promoted Leeds hovers three points above the drop line after losing back-to-back matches.
Liverpool had shockingly lost four straight matches across all competitions before a breakout 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday. Manager Arne Slot changed things up by reinserting Hugo Etitike in his starting lineup alongside Alexander Isak and was rewarded when the Frenchman scored against his former club. Isak, however, was again unimpressive and was withdrawn at halftime after sustaining a groin injury. Jeremie Frimpong was also injured in the midweek clash, leaving Liverpool shorthanded as it tries to build on its newfound momentum at Brentford on Saturday.
Chelsea also dominated in the Champions League this week, demolishing Ajax by the same 5-1 scoreline. The Champions League romp followed on a 3-0 victory in league play last weekend which ended the tenure of Nottingham Forest Manager Ange Postecoglou. Fifth place Chelsea faces a league opponent on Saturday which is surprisingly level on points with the Blues.
Sunderland visits Stamford Bridge, having put together one of the more impressive starts by a newly promoted side in recent memory. All three promoted sides have, in fact, experienced better success than what has come to be expected from newcomer clubs. Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley are all presently clear of the relegation zone and their accumulated 29 points in total exceeds that accomplished by any promoted threesome in the last ten years. Burnley hopes to build on that success with a pivotal match at bottom of the table Wolverhampton on Saturday.
Fulham, meanwhile, has lost three consecutive matches to put the Cottagers just three points above the dreaded drop line. The Cottagers did little to strengthen their squad over the summer and could risk be at risk for both maintaining their top tier status and potentially losing well regarded manager Marco Silva. Silva takes his squad to Newcastle this weekend with the Magpies just a point better than Fulham and still trying to kickstart an attack decimated by the transfer loss of Alexander Isak.
Manchester United has suddenly won three of its last three Premier League matches to reduce the din of its unhappy supporters to a dull roar. Last week’s win at Anfield was certainly cause for celebration but this week’s match for the Red Devils against a quality Brighton side should give a hint as to whether there is real progress with Amorim’s squad or if his charges were beneficiaries of Liverpool’s slumping form.
Tottenham Hotspur has for the most part played quality football under new Manager Thomas Frank before a surprising defeat at home to Aston Villa last week. Spurs now takes to the road this weekend to face Everton which is unbeaten in four league matches at its new stadium.
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