Friday, August 28, 2026

Premier Table: Match Week 2 Preview

As if Aston Villa doesn’t have enough problems, Villa Park will be invaded on Monday by marauding Premier League champion Arsenal which slapped around poor Coventry City in its 3-0 opening win. The Villans, meanwhile, were frightful in a 4-0 loss to Brighton. Now comes the news that goalkeeper Emi Martinez is the next to fly the coop at Villa, the Argentine heading to Chelsea where he will reunite with Morgan Rogers, yet another Villa refugee.

Chelsea edged past Fulham 3-2 on Monday, but both Cottager goals were preventable, and Xabi Alonso apparently means business as he brings in Argentina’s starting keeper to make the Blues a bit stingier. Alonso and the boys host Brighton on Sunday in a matchup of winners from Week 1.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca also notched a victory in his first appearance on the touchline for Manchester City last week. On Friday the Citizens head to Selhurst Park to face a Crystal Palace side trying to find its footing under its own new manager, Pierre Sage. Erling Haaland will be trying to net his first goal since his recent haircut.

Former Palace Manager Oliver Glasner was unsuccessful in his debut last week for his new employers at Nottingham Forest. The Trees now uproot this week for a tilt at Anfield where Liverpool is trying to find a winning formula under new manager Andoni Iraola, one of nine new managers in the Premier League this season. Iraola’s teams usually take some time to adjust to his style of play, but Reds supporters may not be patient should things take too long. Arne Slot after all got the sack just one season after winning the Prem for the Reds.

Coventry City Manager Frank Lampard is trying to establish his cred as a Premier League manager after false starts in earlier stints on the touchline for Chelsea, where Lampard starred as a player, and Everton. Things started poorly last week for the Sky Blues in a shellacking by Arsenal, but Coventry returns home to face Hull on Saturday for the first Premier League match in Coventry in 25 years.

While that match will take place at the Sky Blues’ less than excitingly named venue Coventry Building Society Arena, Ipswich Town heads to a more famous venue this week when the Tractor Boys visit Old Trafford for a match with Manchester United, surprising losers to Hull last week. Ipswich won their opening match after an offseason where they invested heavily. The Red Devils, meanwhile, stumbled in their opener and supporters are anxious about a lack of spending by their historic club to support Michael Carrick in his first season as “permanent” manager.

Like Carrick, Roberto De Zerbi entered the season in the high regard of supporters after saving Spurs from relegation. Those same supporters were somewhat shocked when De Zerbi’s crew laid an egg in a 3-0 opening loss to Brentford. Spurs will try to get back in the saddle this weekend when facing Newcastle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Brentford will try to build on the momentum of last week’s dominant win when the Bees travel to Leeds. Brentford is winless in its last eight visits to Elland Road.

Sunderland will be relying on its Stadium of Light supporters to help the club shake off its opening week’s defeat to Ipswich Town. Bournemouth will likewise be trying to avoid a second defeat when the Cherries welcome Everton to Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Everton have won just once in their last nine trips to Bournemouth.

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