Storms are enveloping the country this weekend – and the English Premier League is no stranger to dark clouds gathering as the action continues between Friday night and Sunday.
Manchester United have become well acquainted with gloom of both a meteorological and figurative nature in recent years.
This time it’s Michael Carrick battening down the hatches, with his Red Devils unable to buy a league win and humiliated in the Uefa Champions League on the continent in midweek.
Bournemouth are the visitors to Old Trafford on Sunday, fresh from their own first EPL success of the campaign under new boss Marco Rose – not to mention a sparkling 3-0 Uefa Europa League shock at the expense of AC Milan.
It’s a far sunnier picture along the M62 on Merseyside, where Liverpool go up against rampant Brighton.
Fabian Hurzeler takes his high-flying Seagulls to Anfield off the back of four successive victories, while the south coast club have scored four goals more than anyone else to come into the weekend third in the Premier League table.
The Reds are four points back and still finding their way under the charge of Andoni Iraola, but did return to winning ways last weekend.
A quartet of Saturday fixtures have plenty going for them, not least the lunchtime kick off that sees leaders Manchester City go to Aston Villa.
A record-busting seven wins from his first seven games has left coach Enzo Maresca purring after replacing the legendary Pep Guardiola, if we ignore the potentially calamitous impact of the guilty verdict surrounding City’s financial shenanigans.
Villa had made a dismal start to the new campaign but have collected seven points from the last nine to begin their rise back up the EPL standings.
There’s more than London rivalry pride at stake in the evening match, too, with Chelsea hosting Tottenham.
Xavi Alonso certainly can’t be accused of overseeing boring football since taking the helm in the summer, with the Blues sitting fourth thanks to back-to-back victories and with goals flying in at both ends.
Spurs, meanwhile, finally scraped themselves off the foot of the pile last time out, managing their first win of the season at the seventh time of asking.
Across the capital, reigning Premier League champions Arsenal are also in action at home to Everton.
The Gunners are the nearest challengers to Manchester City at the summit as boss Mikel Arteta plots a repeat feat, while his old club head to the Emirates Stadium looking for a first win in three to reboot their top six push.
Saturday’s other game has the early feeling of a six-pointer about it, as Coventry meet Fulham.
Relegation is already on the minds of fans of both teams who are separated in the table by the dotted line alone, albeit with the promoted hosts having won two of the last three and the visitors getting off the mark a week ago.
Also beginning to wonder are supporters of Sunderland, whose grim run of four consecutive losses has left them propping up the rest.
Back to earth with a thud, then, for Regis le Bris and his men, who upset the odds in style last season to not just make their top flight return stick but qualify for European competition to boot.
It won’t get any easier at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, with miserly Leeds the visitors on a mission to emulate the achivement of the Wearsiders a few months ago.
Recent trophy winners Crystal Palace and Newcastle are also loitering in the bottom half of the EPL.
Both have been plagued by inconsistency having seen managerial changes over the summer, with expectations not being met at either to ramp up the pressure in a contest that is anything but humdrum.
Hull had made an eye-catching start back to life in the big time but that has faded thanks to a run of five matches without a win.
They welcome Brentford to the MKM Stadium needing to arrest that slide, with the visitors having been in excellent form despite tasting defeat for the first time this season at the hands of Liverpool a week ago.
The Premier League weekend kicks off on Friday night when Ipswich play Nottingham Forest.
Gary O’Neil has engineered a steady sense of calm among the Tractor Boys after they returned to the EPL at the first time of asking before the shock off-season departure of popular boss Kieran McKenna.
It’s not working for Oliver Glasner at Forest yet, though, with three losses in a row leaving them mired in early relegation trouble.
EPL Predictions for this weekend
Aston Villa v Manchester City
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City |
| Team to Score prediction | Manchester City |
Arsenal v Everton
| Result prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Arsenal / Arsenal |
| Team to Score prediction | Arsenal |
Coventry City v Fulham
| Result prediction | Coventry City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Coventry City |
| Team to Score prediction | Coventry City & Fulham |
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur
| Result prediction | Chelsea to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Chelsea / Chelsea |
| Team to Score prediction | Chelsea |
Crystal Palace v Newcastle United
| Result prediction | Crystal Palace to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Crystal Palace |
| Team to Score prediction | Crystal Palace |
Hull City v Brentford
| Result prediction | Hull City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brentford / Hull City |
| Team to Score prediction | Hull City |
Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion
| Result prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Team to Score prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth
| Result prediction | Manchester United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Manchester United |
| Team to Score prediction | Manchester United |
Sunderland v Leeds United
| Result prediction | Leeds United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Leeds United / Leeds United |
| Team to Score prediction | Sunderland & Leeds United |