The English Premier League is relentless as another action-packed weekend of fixtures sees out October, with the EPL table starting to take shape.
And what a quartet of games Sunday brings, headlined by the clash between high-flying Arsenal and Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s Reds notched a fourth straight win last Sunday to maintain their one-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings, while the Gunners return to the Emirates Stadium off the back of a shock first loss of the campaign that saw Mikel Arteta and Co slip off the early pace.
It was Chelsea who were vanquished at Anfield to dent their own encouraging start, with a Stamford Bridge contest against Newcastle their next assignment.
Enzo Maresca’s Blues go up against a Toon Army club that could really use a boost, having gone four without success in the league and are finding goals decidedly difficult to come by.
Fans of Manchester United can certainly identify with that issue, despite the relief of seeing their side come from behind to secure only a third EPL win of the season last weekend.
The Red Devils go to the London Stadium to face fellow bottom half team West Ham, as both clubs continue their search for the right formula under the gaze of increasingly frustrated fanbases.
Capital city rivals Tottenham piled on the misery for the Hammers with a 4-1 win last time out, with Spurs now popping south of the River Thames to meet struggling Crystal Palace to complete Sunday’s programme.
While Ange Postecoglou’s charges have pieced together three victories from their last four without fully convincing, the Eagles remain winless, inside the relegation zone and having lost three on the bounce, with Monday night’s slip-up at Nottingham Forest the most recent.
It’s a short turnaround for the East Midlands club as they are wheeled out for the Friday night fixture away to Leicester.
Back-to-back wins have been the Foxes’ first of the campaign to hoist them away from trouble while their visitors to the King Power, rather incredibly, boast the second best defensive record in the English top flight.
Five Saturday matches include an opportunity for reigning champions Manchester City to return, at least temporarily, to the top of the pile.
Few would bet against Pep Guardiola’s men doing exactly that when they welcome Southampton to the Etihad Stadium, with the Saints staring down the barrel of an immediate return to the Championship having collected a solitary point so far.
Their plight hasn’t been helped by Everton’s upturn in fortunes at the wrong end of the table, with the Toffees next hosting Fulham in the late Saturday kick off.
Sean Dyche’s side have risen from the canvas with two wins and two draws from their last four, while the visitors to the blue half of Merseyside are out to avoid recording a third consecutive loss.
Aston Villa have started brightly in their pursuit of a second Uefa Champions League qualification in a row, sitting fourth in the EPL table coming into the weekend.
But they might not have it all their own way at Villa Park when Bournemouth arrive fresh from their stunning success over Arsenal.
Consecutive wins have thrust Brighton back into the continental qualification conversation once again, with Wolves the next to arrive at the Amex Stadium.
A cruel defeat to Manchester City with the last kick of the game – not to mention the meddling of VAR – left the visitors rock bottom of the EPL and with just one point to their name ahead of the journey south.
The Premier League programme is wrapped up by the bottom half clash between Brentford and Ipswich.
A bright start for the Bees has fallen by the wayside in recent weeks, while the Tractor Boys are still searching for a maiden three-point haul since making their long-awaited top flight comeback under the charge of Kieran McKenna.
Leicester City v Nottingham Forest
| Result prediction | Leicester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Leicester City / Leicester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | C. Wood(Nottingham Forest) |
Aston Villa v AFC Bournemouth
| Result prediction | Aston Villa to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Aston Villa / Aston Villa to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | O. Watkins(Aston Villa) |
Brentford v Ipswich Town
| Result prediction | Brentford to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brentford / Brentford to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | B. Mbeumo(Brentford) L. Delap(Ipswich Town) |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Result prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | D. Welbeck(Brighton & Hove Albion) |
Manchester City v Southampton
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | E. Haaland(Manchester City) |
Everton v Fulham
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | D. McNeil(Everton) R. Jiménez(Fulham) |
Chelsea v Newcastle United
| Result prediction | Chelsea to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Chelsea / Chelsea to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | C. Palmer(Chelsea) N. Jackson(Chelsea) |
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur
| Result prediction | Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Tottenham Hotspur / Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | B. Johnson(Tottenham Hotspur) |
West Ham United v Manchester United
| Result prediction | West Ham United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / West Ham United to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Arsenal v Liverpool
| Result prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Arsenal to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |