Friday: Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest (8pm)
Ipswich showed some fight at Manchester City last weekend before eventually falling to a 3-2 defeat and have now lost four out of their last six games. But the Tractor Boys remain safely mid-table in 10th place on nine points.
Forest’s home loss to Arsenal means Oliver Glasner’s side – sitting one point and one place off rock bottom – are looking to avoid a fourth successive defeat.
Prediction: Ipswich 1 Forest 1
Saturday: Aston Villa v Manchester City (3.30pm)
It has been a good week for Villa who followed up their victory at Newcastle United last weekend by easing past Viking in the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday, when they made it three wins from three in Europe. Unai Emery’s men have now lost just once in nine matches across all competitions.
Man City’s victory over Ipswich maintained their perfect Premier League start after taking maximum points from seven matches – a club record. They also returned to winning ways in the Champions League, after last week’s loss to title holders Paris Saint-Germain, when they thrashed AEK Athens 5-1, with Phil Foden grabbing a hat-trick.
Prediction: Villa 2 Man City 2
Arsenal v Everton (6pm)
Arsenal’s gritty 1-0 win at Forest meant they kept the pressure on leaders Man City who lead the Gunners by three points. Mikel Arteta’s men then drew at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, thanks to Declan Rice’s late leveller. But Arsenal suffered a body blow in Germany when Bukayo Saka limped off after just 10 minutes with a thigh problem which could rule him out for next few weeks.
Everton home loss to Chelsea was their first of the season but the Merseysiders have now won just once in six league matches, with four of those being draws. They are eighth in the standings on 10 points.
Prediction: Arsenal 2 Everton 1
Coventry City v Fulham (6pm)
Coventry failed to make it three wins on the spin when they were beaten 3-1 at Spurs leaving them one point and once place above third-bottom Fulham.
Fulham registered their first victory at the seventh attempt when they edged out Hull City 1-0 at Craven Cottage, thanks to Alex Iwobi’s deflected strike, despite having Ryan Sessegnon sent off in injury-time.
Prediction: Coventry 1 Fulham 3
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur (8.30pm)
Chelsea head into this London derby on the back of two successive wins, the last which a 2-0 victory at Everton courtesy of Pedro Neto’s double which leaves them fourth in the table. The result was marred by an injury to goalkeeper Emi Martinez who was carried off on a stretcher after breaking his jaw in a clash of heads that left him needing surgery.
Spurs ended their wait for three points by beating Coventry 3-1 at home which saw James Maddison, making his first start since April 2025 due to a serious knee injury, open the scoring with a superb finish. Victory lifted Robert de Zerbi’s side off the bottom and up to 16th place.
Prediction: Chelsea 3 Spurs 2
Sunday: Crystal Palace v Newcastle United (6pm)
Palace manager Pierre Sage is fighting to keep his job after last weekend’s 5-0 humiliation at Brighton which means the Eagles have the worst defensive record in the top-flight after conceding 17 goals in seven matches. In the Europa League on Thursday, Palace drew 2-2 away to Besiktas.
Newcastle’s home defeat to Villa means the Magpies have won only once in five games, losing three out of their previous four. Matthias Jaissle’s side are 11th in the table on eight points, one above Palace.
Prediction: Palace 0 Newcastle 2
Hull City v Brentford (6pm)
Hull have now taken one point from a possible nine, after losing to Fulham last time out, and have not won since beating Coventry on August 29. But the Tigers remain in the top half having drawn three of their last five games.
Brentford lost for the first time this season when they lost at home to Liverpool after having Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt sent off. The Bees have drawn four of their seven matches and are sixth in the table, one point above Hull.
Prediction: Hull 1 Brentford 1
Liverpool v Brighton (6pm)
Liverpool will be looking for a third win on eight days having beaten Brentford and then Villarreal in the Champions League, the latter a 4-3 thriller at Anfield with Alexis Mac Allister hitting a brace and teenager Rio Ngumoha setting up two goals. The Reds are one point and one place outside the Premier League top four.
Brighton’s flying start to the season goes on after hammering five past Palace, making it five successive wins which leaves them in third place – two points behind Arsenal. The Seagulls faced Jablonec in the Uefa Conference League on Thursday and came away from the Czech Republic with a 0-0 draw.
Prediction: Liverpool 2 Brighton 2
Manchester United v Bournemouth (6pm)
Man United’s problems ramped on Wednesday when they were battered 4-1 at Como in the Champions League, after which captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned the tactics of manager Michael Carrick. The Red Devils have now gone seven games without a win across all competitions, their worst run since 2015, while also dropping down to 13th in the domestic league and 21st in Europe.
Bournemouth sealed their first win of the campaign by beating Sunderland 2-0 with Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scoring. Marco Rose’s first three points as a Premier League manager lifted his team out of the bottom three. The Cherries then prevailed 3-0 against Italian giants AC Milan in the Europa League on Thursday.
Prediction: Man United 3 Bournemouth 2
Sunderland v Leeds United (8.30pm)
Sunderland have dropped down to bottom spot after four consecutive defeats and taking one point from a possible 15. Their trek to Poland to take on Lech Poznan in the Europa League saw the Black Cats draw 1-1 on Thursday.
Leeds’ home draw with Manchester United means Daniel Farke’s side have lost just once in the league this season and sit seventh in the standings, although they have drawn four of their previous six games.
Prediction: Sunderland 1 Leeds 2
