Yet another barnstorming English Premier League weekend all builds towards a monster clash on Merseyside, as a full fixture programme paves the way for Liverpool and Manchester City to take centre stage.
The pair have become well accustomed to the leading role in recent EPL seasons but have suffered starkly contrasting fortunes since City beat the Reds in a one-two finish at the end of the last campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s sparkling side are a point off the top of the table coming into the weekend, the only unbeaten side left in the competition and boasting the monstrous striking presence of one Erling Haaland.
Home boss Jurgen Klopp has already thrown in the title towel ahead of the Anfield showdown, with two wins from a possible eight so far leaving them mired in the midtable mixer.
It seems like only yesterday it was their arch-rivals Manchester United who had the world on their collective shoulders.
But Erik ten Hag has piloted the Red Devils to five wins in six – a derby hammering at City the only blemish – to leave them a point and a place above sixth-placed Newcastle, who visit Old Trafford a little earlier on Sunday afternoon.
Premier League leaders Arsenal continued their brilliant start to the new campaign with a battling, 3-2 success over Liverpool last weekend that kept them above the pursuit of Haaland and Co.
Mikel Arteta’s men are up in Yorkshire on Sunday to tackle a Leeds side that has forgotten how to win since their encouraging August, with coach Jesse Marsch cutting an increasingly irritated figure on the touchline.
Chelsea are also on the road on a busy EPL afternoon as they go to Aston Villa having clicked into gear nicely under new boss Graham Potter.
While the Blues chief is hot homegrown property, his opposite English number Steven Gerrard is feeling the heat in the West Midlands with his team 16th in the standings despite cobbling together four unbeaten matches.
West Ham barged up the table past the Villans thanks to a second straight win last weekend, with boss David Moyes now aware victory at Southampton could take them as high as the top half.
Saturday sees four fixtures in the EPL, with Tottenham and Everton contesting a proper old-fashioned top flight contest in the evening kick off.
Spurs come into the weekend third in the standings while Frank Lampard’s Toffees are within striking distance of the top half despite Manchester United curtailing their unbeaten run last Sunday.
Eyes are also on the wrong end of the Premier League in the lunchtime kick off, as bottom side Leicester host a Crystal Palace who haven’t been turning performances into results of late under coach Patrick Vieira.
Tension abounds across the Midlands, too, as managerless Wolves host Nottingham Forest in a battle between 18th and 19th in an early season six-pointer.
And there’s also a fixture that really could have been a relegation feature but isn’t, which is all credit to promoted Fulham and Bournemouth who meet at Craven Cottage with the sunlit uplands of the top six on the horizon for both.
Two more clubs punching above their weight kick off the EPL weekend on Friday night just a couple of miles away in west London, as Brentford host Brighton.
English Premier League predictions for 14 – 16 October
Prediction methodology explained: The expected win percentage is based off publicly available odds. For example, if a team’s odds are 2.30, the expected chance of winning is 43%. If the odds are 1.62 the expected chance of winning is 62% and so on. These are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change. Where there is no value listed, the odds were not available at the time of writing.
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Brentford | 32 | 30 |
| Brighton | 43 | 33 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Leicester | 43 | 42 |
| Crystal Palace | 32 | 32 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Fulham | 54 | 63 |
| Bournemouth | 25 | 50 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Wolves | 59 | 44 |
| Nottingham Forest | 20 | 1 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Tottenham | 67 | 71 |
| Everton | ||
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Aston Villa | 23 | 17 |
| Chelsea | 56 | 46 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Leeds | ||
| Arsenal | 65 | 74 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Manchester United | 51 | 31 |
| Newcastle | 29 | 35 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Southampton | 33 | 26 |
| West Ham | 42 | 58 |
| Chance of winning (%) | Usual win % with these odds | |
| Liverpool | ||
| Manchester City | 54 | 22 |