It’s the final chance to lay down an English Premier League marker for clubs this weekend, ahead of the next international football break.
With the early EPL table beginning to take shape and with constant pressure for points at the English game’s top table, the heat is already on from top to bottom as the country slips deep into Autumn.
A warming trio of Sunday fixtures is a sporting wooly jumper, not least the visit of Manchester United to Uefa Champions League returnees Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s men created continental magic in midweek with a famous win over Bayern Munich and they’re going just fine in the league too, with three victories in their last unbeaten four.
Not so flash for the visitors as the pressure ramps up on boss Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils come into the weekend 13th in the standings and having lost half of their matches so far this term, with just seven points to show for their efforts.
Chelsea fans were concerned their own transfer churn and boardroom chaos could see them follow United in a continuation of last season’s gloom.
But the Blues have bucked the trend and have won four of their opening six to sit fourth in the table going into their home date with Nottingham Forest.
The visitors’ own impressive start has been curtailed by a draw and a loss, but they would still go within a point of their hosts if they can beat the odds to snaffle all three points at Stamford Bridge.
Another London hotshot completes the Premier League weekend, as Tottenham head south to Brighton.
The Seagulls are a point and a place below Spurs ahead of the Amex Stadium contest but are in a dodgy run of form, while Ange Postecoglou is breathing much easier thanks to back-to-back wins, including last weekend’s Old Trafford thumping of Manchester United.
Seven Saturday games start with early leaders Liverpool and their bid to guarantee top spot for the next fortnight, in the lunchtime kick off at Crystal Palace.
Arne Slot is making solid progress as he attempts to fill Jurgen Klopp’s almighty shoes in the Anfield hotseat.
They take a record of five wins from six to Selhurst Park, where they meet the Eagles who are still pecking around for their first success of the new campaign.
Manchester City are predictably hot on the Merseyside club’s heels, although the reigning champions have been pegged back to draws in their last two.
Pep Guardiola’s side remain unbeaten but may not have it all their own way as they welcome a Fulham side to the Etihad Stadium that has conceded just five in pushing up to sixth in the pile.
Third-placed Arsenal have a near-identical record to City and will expect nothing less than three more points when Southampton visit the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are the only other unbeaten team left, while the promoted Saints are looking skywards already having collected a solitary point since winning promotion back to the top flight under increasingly tetchy coach Russell Martin.
Goodison Park is the venue for the evening kick off between Everton and Newcastle, in a match that could prove critical to the momentum of both sides.
The Toon Army have just one point from their last two outings – albeit in a stirring comeback against Manchester City – while the Toffees finally ended their alarming start to the season with victory over Palace a week ago.
Speaking of alarming, West Ham’s four-game winless sequence has set bells ringing around the London Stadium.
Another failure against promoted Ipswich, who have drawn four on the spin, could leave summer appointment Julen Lopetegui staring at the finish line rather sooner than expected at the former Olympic venue.
Wolves are bottom of the EPL table on goal difference ahead of their away game at Brentford.
Coach Gary O’Neill and his charges will sense an opportunity to get belatedly off the mark in west London, though, with the Bees three without a win and seemingly going nowhere fast.
That can certainly be applied to Leicester, who have also failed to pick up three points on their Premier League comeback.
The Foxes host Bournemouth at the King Power Stadium, with the Cherries slap-bang in midtable and with a return to winning ways fresh in their memory from Monday night.
Aston Villa v Manchester United
| 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) J. Durán(Aston Villa) |
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
| 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 | N. Madueke(Chelsea) C. Palmer(Chelsea) N. Jackson(Chelsea) |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur
| Result prediction | Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |