Chelsea v Hull: McBurnie’s century and Chelsea’s warning
Three games into the season and Chelsea’s front three already look like they’ve been playing together for years. Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Cole Palmer have racked up 10 goal contributions between them, a blur of movement and invention that has quickly become the Premier League’s most eye-catching attack.
Hull will not care.
They arrive at Stamford Bridge hunting a first ever top-flight win over Chelsea, and they bring with them a very different kind of threat. On his 100th Premier League appearance, Oli McBurnie is still waiting for his first goal of the campaign, but defenders will confirm he has hardly been anonymous. He has battered centre-backs, chased lost causes and turned every aerial duel into a scrap, his work rate making a mockery of Steve Clarke’s decision to leave him out of Scotland’s World Cup squad.
Against a Chelsea defence that leaks chances and still looks unsure of itself, McBurnie’s mix of elbows, energy and awkward angles could be exactly what Hull need. One clean strike, on this milestone day, would feel about right.
Chelsea have failed to win any of their last four league games against promoted sides. Hull have started fast and fearless. For all the glamour in blue shirts, this one is nowhere near a formality.
Liverpool v Fulham: Arbeloa’s harsh Anfield lesson?
Álvaro Arbeloa knows Anfield. He just doesn’t know it like this.
Three games into his Premier League reign at Fulham, he has three defeats and seven goals conceded. His team attack with ambition, open up nicely between the lines – and then open up even more in their own half. The questions have started already.
Andoni Iraola can relate. He failed to win any of his first nine league games with Bournemouth, stuck to his principles and came out the other side. If anyone is qualified to tell Arbeloa to trust the process, it is Liverpool’s new head coach.
Liverpool are beginning to click in the final third under Iraola. The patterns are sharper, the rotations quicker, the finishing more ruthless. Against a Fulham side that create but can’t close doors, that looks ominous. An Anfield return for Arbeloa could turn uncomfortable in a hurry.
Iraola has problems of his own out wide. Bradley Barcola suffered cramp on Wednesday in his first start since France’s World Cup semi-final defeat, while Cody Gakpo is nursing a minor injury. Even so, Liverpool have enough weapons to expose Fulham’s soft underbelly. Arbeloa’s ideas are bold. Anfield will show how ready they are for this level.
Crystal Palace v Ipswich: waiting for Doucouré’s moment
Cheick Doucouré cannot catch a break.
After two serious knee injuries and eight months out, the Mali midfielder finally looked set for a first Crystal Palace appearance since January 2025 in the Carabao Cup win over Middlesbrough. Then he fell ill. Another delay, another setback.
Pierre Sage revealed that when Doucouré was told he would be in the matchday squad at Fulham, the player reacted as if the manager had “given him one million dollars”. Palace went on to claim their first league win of the season, a 3-2 victory, but Doucouré’s comeback had to wait again.
Sage has confirmed the 26-year-old could be involved against Ipswich at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Whenever it comes, his return will be one of those rare Premier League moments that cuts through the noise. A player once chased by Liverpool, finally back on the pitch after a brutal run of injuries. The football will matter. The story will, too.
Bournemouth v Brentford: bruises, late drama and no wins
This one will be fought in the middle.
Bournemouth and Brentford meet with the spotlight on the engine room, where Vitaly Janelt and Mamadou Sangaré will try to drag the tempo their way for Keith Andrews’ physical side. Brentford don’t just compete; they dominate the dirty work. They lead the Premier League for aerial duels won (22.3 per 90 minutes), interceptions (11.3 per 90) and fouls committed (16.3 per 90).
“They defend well as a team, their high pressing is good,” said Bournemouth manager Marco Rose. “Their transition, they have fast players. They have quality everywhere on the pitch, and every situation.” That is not flattery. It is a warning.
Rose’s answer is Alex Scott, who tops Bournemouth’s charts for interceptions and has already drawn nine fouls, the fourth-highest total in the league. He will need all of that guile to slow Brentford’s surges and win some breathing space.
Then there is Bournemouth’s habit of collapsing late. They have led in all three league games so far and have only two points to show for it. Four of the five goals they have conceded have arrived from the 84th minute onwards. The final stretch at the Vitality Stadium could be frantic again.
History offers Brentford another edge. Bournemouth have never beaten the Bees in eight top-flight attempts. If the pattern holds, the bruises will not be their only problem.
Aston Villa: Emery’s project and Jackson’s audition
Aston Villa’s summer was noisy. The recruitment was not.
Most of the new faces were long-standing targets, and none more so than Nicolas Jackson. Unai Emery first lit the fuse on the Senegal striker’s career at Villarreal, and their reunion at Villa already looks promising. Jackson marked his early weeks with his new club by scoring his first goal at Club Brugge on Tuesday, justifying the £47.5m investment and the decision to move on from Ollie Watkins.
Watkins had delivered goals for six straight Premier League seasons. Replacing that reliability is no small job. Jackson has stepped into the role with pace, movement and a point to prove.
“I had a couple of fights with him when he was at Chelsea so when he first came in I thought: ‘What’s he going to be like?’ but he’s a brilliant guy,” said captain John McGinn. “There’s a lot of expectation with the transfer fee but he’s going to be a huge player for us.”
The bar has been set. Now Jackson has to clear it every week.
Tottenham v Everton: no goals, no patience
Tottenham fans know this feeling.
Last season’s final-day visit from Everton brought dread, anxiety and a kind of terror that seeped into every misplaced pass. The stakes are not as extreme this time, but David Moyes’ return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium still arrives at an uneasy moment.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side have no goals and just one point from three league matches. The club have spent hundreds of millions on new signings and the expectation is simple: this team should ignite, and soon. Many supporters are convinced the spark is coming. Others are less patient.
Everton’s record in this corner of north London is dreadful. No top-flight side has fared worse away at Spurs, and they have taken only seven points from the last 51 available there. If Tottenham fail to beat this opponent, on this run, the mood in the stands will turn from restless to mutinous in an instant.
The numbers say Spurs should finally start firing. The atmosphere will demand it.
Sunderland v Arsenal: old faces, new edge
The Stadium of Light will be full of familiar stories on Saturday evening.
Granit Xhaka returns as Sunderland’s captain and midfield anchor, needing no introduction to Arsenal’s travelling fans. Dan Ballard, the home centre-half, is another link to north London, a former Arsenal youth captain who joined the academy at eight years old.
And then there is Bruno Guimarães. Once the heartbeat of Newcastle, now leading Sunderland’s new era, he can expect a fierce reception as his side try to extend a run of five straight wins to start the season, Community Shield included.
“Arsenal are flying, they’re one of the best teams in Europe,” said Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris. “It will be challenging but I’m very excited to experience this situation again.” He has reason. Last November, Sunderland fought back for a 2-2 draw against Mikel Arteta’s side on Wearside, with goals from Ballard and Brian Brobbey.
“When you face a strong opponent you can become a bit shy but the most important thing is to be ourselves,” Le Bris added. “Arsenal are so adaptive they will find solutions, so we must be flexible.”
Arsenal arrive as title contenders. Sunderland arrive as believers. The reunion will not be sentimental for long.
Coventry v Brighton: goals missing, belief rising
Coventry are still waiting for their first Premier League goal of the season. They should not be.
At Manchester City last weekend they created enough chances to trouble most sides in the division, only to be denied by a string of outstanding saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma. They also survived an early scare, almost gifting Frank Lampard’s team an opener before settling into the game and growing in confidence.
“They played really well against Manchester City and created a lot of chances,” said Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler, whose side travel to the CBS Arena on Sunday. His praise came with a sting. He had been furious with Brighton’s lack of energy and intensity in a dismal first half against Leeds, and he knows a repeat performance will be punished.
Coventry may not have scored yet, but the trajectory is clear. A promoted team, braver with every minute, pushing one of the league’s best close in their own stadium. At home, against a Brighton side still searching for consistency, that combination is dangerous.
If Brighton jog into this one, they might not jog out of it.
Manchester United v Manchester City: new men, old rivalry
Manchester derby No 199 brings a fresh twist on a familiar stage.
On one side, Michael Carrick, 45, now the permanent Manchester United manager, trying to drag his club back towards old standards. On the other, Enzo Maresca, 46, the man tasked with following Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and already operating comfortably in the game’s rarefied air.
Maresca has started perfectly. Four wins from four competitive matches since lifting the Community Shield have eased the pressure of succeeding a giant. City look sharp, structured and ruthless.
Carrick has not enjoyed the same start. United have taken four points from three games: a defeat at Hull, a draw at Everton and a 5-2 home win over Ipswich wedged in between. The performances have been patchy, the questions persistent.
Off the pitch, United fans will protest before kick-off over the club’s approach to tackling ticket touting. On the pitch, the derby should be as spiky and charged as ever. United chase an 82nd win in the fixture. City are hunting their 63rd.
New managers, old rivalry, same unforgiving city. Who bends first?
