You can’t take your eyes of the English Premier League for a second this weekend, with a barnstorming set of EPL fixtures from top to tail on Saturday and Sunday.
It all builds towards the fascinating Sunday afternoon clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners occupy familiar second-placed territory in the nascent top flight table with three wins from four, while Pep Guardiola’s City have yet to fully click into gear despite their derby cakewalk at home to Manchester United last weekend.
It only served to increase the gloom around the Red Devils, who have so far followed up last season’s dud effort with just a single, last-gasp, victory from their opening four this time around.
And Ruben Amorim could be in for another grim outing as his side return to Old Trafford for a game against dangerous Chelsea on Saturday evening.
Enzo Maresca’s Blues are one of only three unbeaten teams remaining in the Premier League, with realistic ambitions of hitting the early pace for title contention.
The weekend kicks off on Saturday afternoon with more red on blue combat as Liverpool and Everton do battle in the Merseyside derby.
Arne Slot can be well pleased with the start of his side’s EPL title defence so far thanks to a perfect four wins from four, even though the Reds have needed to turn on the late, late show to achieve it.
There’s plenty of cause for optimism for the Toffees, too, with seven points from nine since the opening day as wily old David Moyes looks like restoring the club to respectability at long last.
A much more genteel derby polishes off Saturday’s Premier League action when Fulham play host to Brentford at Craven Cottage.
The west London duo have both picked up where they left off last term, solidly blocking out mid-table in the standings with a European push the hope rather than a relegation scrap.
West Ham and Crystal Palace collide a little way down the River Thames, meanwhile, as one of a quartet of 15.00 kick offs.
Three defeats from four have heaped the pressure on Hammers boss Graham Potter, who is the latest chief to find himself on thin ice at the London Stadium.
His opposite number Oliver Glasner, by stark contrast, has the freedom of the Eagles’ corner of the capital, with an unbeaten start to the new season the perfect follow up to their FA Cup final heroics a couple of months ago.
It was Tottenham who roared back to winning ways with their thumping of the Hammers a week ago.
That left boss Thomas Frank with three victories from four and an overwhelmingly positive start to life in north London, which the avuncular Dane now takes to the south coast to face Brighton, who are struggling to maintain their eye-catchingly high standards of recent years.
An early battle at the bottom features promoted Leeds hitting the road.
The West Yorkshire club haven’t won since their opening night back in the Premier League but will be eyeing up this weekend’s trip to pointless Wolves, with the Molineux club looking in stark relegation strife despite the early stage of the campaign.
Burnley’s hopes of staying unbeaten at Turf Moor were dashed in the dying seconds by a Mohamed Salah penalty for Liverpool a week ago.
But the Clarets needs to move on from the heartache quickly as Nottingham Forest arrive in north Lancashire as a viable opportunity to pinch some much needed points.
A resounding loss at Arsenal wasn’t the ideal start for new boss Ange Postecoglou, who replaced recalcitrant Nuno Espirito Santo in the City Ground hotseat in the days before.
And the Aussie will have to shape his side up sharpish as they attempt to juggle life back in European competition with the strain of domestic duties, creating something of a kitchen sink drama in the Pennines.
The longest trip in this season’s EPL awaits Newcastle on Sunday, as they trek south to face Bournemouth.
Eddie Howe’s men were seen off by Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League on Thursday night and go to a Cherries side who have won three from four despite having their squad ransacked over the summer.
Tyne-Wear neighbours Sunderland have the local bragging rights by virtue of a two-point margin after returning to the top table after their Championship play-off final success at Wembley Stadium.
They now welcome Aston Villa to the Stadium of Light cauldron on Sunday, with Unai Emery’s Villans yet to register a single goal this season.
Liverpool v Everton
| Result prediction | Liverpool |
| Over/under prediction | Over 2.5 goals |
| HT/FT prediction | draw/Liverpool |
| Team to score prediction | Both |
| Goalscorer prediction | Mohamed Salah(Liverpool) |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur
| Result prediction | Draw | |
| Over/under prediction | Over 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | Tottenham Hotspur/draw | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds United
| Result prediction | Draw | |
| Over/under prediction | Under 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | draw/draw | |
| Team to score prediction | Wolverhampton Wanderers | |
| Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
West Ham United v Crystal Palace
| Result prediction | West Ham United | |
| Over/under prediction | Under 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | draw/West Ham United | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | I. Sarr(Crystal Palace) |
Burnley v Nottingham Forest
| Result prediction | Burnley | |
| Over/under prediction | Under 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | Nottingham Forest/Burnley | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | J. Cullen(Burnley) |
Manchester United v Chelsea
| Result prediction | Chelsea | |
| Over/under prediction | Over 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | Chelsea/Chelsea | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Fulham v Brentford
| Result prediction | Brentford | |
| Over/under prediction | Under 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | Brentford/Brentford | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
AFC Bournemouth v Newcastle United
| Result prediction | AFC Bournemouth | |
| Over/under prediction | Under 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | A. Semenyo(AFC Bournemouth) |
Sunderland v Aston Villa
| Result prediction | Sunderland | |
| Over/under prediction | Under 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | draw/Sunderland | |
| Team to score prediction | Sunderland | |
| Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Arsenal v Manchester City
| Result prediction | Arsenal | |
| Over/under prediction | Over 2.5 goals | |
| HT/FT prediction | draw/Arsenal | |
| Team to score prediction | Both | |
| Goalscorer prediction | E. Haaland(Manchester City) |