PREVIEWS, TABLES, FIXTURES AND STATS
NEWCASTLE V LEEDS TODAY, 8PM, SKY SPORTS
Two clubs still looking for their first league win of the season and the top flight’s two most porous defences meet for tonight’s offering on Sky Sports. Newcastle manager Steve Bruce took aim at the line of questioning in the wake of their 4-1 defeat at Manchester United, having been asked if he’d been on holiday during the international break. It is not the kind of thing his Leeds counterpart Marcelo Bielsa is subjected to but for all their free-flowing football he has issues, with his team still to lead a league game this season. MATCH STAT 1958-59, THE LAST TIME LEEDS FAILED TO WIN ANY OF THEIR FIRST FOUR GAMES
WOLVES V BRENTFORD SATURDAY, 12.30PM, BT SPORT
Wolves players had been relishing the style demanded by new manager Bruno Lage even before they got their first goals and win of the season on the board at Watford. ‘The way he wants to play is fantastic,’ said skipper Conor Coady. ‘We’ll look towards Brentford now and we’ll improve and get better.’ Boss Thomas Frank insists the Bees’ last-gasp loss to Brighton is out of their system. ‘We have a 24-hours rule – you can’t celebrate too much or be too disappointed for a maximum of 24 hours,’ he said.
MATCH STAT BRENTFORD’S SERGI CANOS HAS MADE 17 TACKLES, MOST IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
BURNLEY V ARSENAL SATURDAY, 3PM
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he is ‘not pessimistic’ about their prospects under Mikel Arteta, despite their sluggish start to the season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s winner in an uninspiring 1-0 victory over Norwich was a step in the right direction ahead of a trip to a Burnley side who have also lost three out of four so far this term. They may unleash Maxwel Cornet on the Gunners after boss Sean Dyche decided one training session was not enough to bring him off the bench in the 3-1 loss at Everton. MATCH STAT BEN MEE HAS BECOME BURNLEY’S FIRST PLAYER TO REACH 200 PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES
LIVERPOOL V CRYSTAL PALACE SATURDAY, 3PM
Both sides won 3-0 last weekend – Palace’s far more unexpected as they saw off Tottenham. Odsonne Edouard’s two-goal debut off the bench dominated the headlines but the foundations were laid before that with Palace’s left flank of Tyrick Mitchell and Wilfried Zaha causing countless problems. It will be a very different challenge at Anfield though where Jordan Henderson sealed another of those special European nights in midweek with a stunning winner to clinch a 3-2 victory over AC Milan. MATCH STAT 100 PREMIER LEAGUE GOALS FOR MOHAMED SALAH, REACHED IN 161 GAMES
MAN CITY V SOUTHAMPTON SATURDAY, 3PM
Saints are another team still looking for their first league win of the season and facing the reigning champions at a ground where they lost 5-2 last term – and who thumped RB Leipzig 6-3 in midweek – does not feel like the most obvious place to start. ‘It’s obviously massive to get that first win but I wouldn’t say anyone is panicking,’ said goalkeeper Alex McCarthy after a third straight draw, 0-0 with West Ham. ‘It’s going to be tough but if we apply ourselves like we did on Saturday, we give ourselves a good chance.’ MATCH STAT CITY’S TEN LEAGUE GOALS SO FAR HAVE COME FROM NINE DIFFERENT GOALSCORERS
NORWICH V WATFORD SATURDAY, 3PM
Norwich are likely to recall Billy Gilmour after he was rested upon his return from international duty for the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. Teenage duo Andrew Omobamidele and Christos Tzolis also made debuts suggesting manager Daniel Farke is seeing a bigger picture than starting the season with four straight defeats. A home game against a fellow-promoted side may feel like a chance to get off the mark but the Hornets, who have lost three in a row themselves, completed league doubles over Norwich in the last two seasons. MATCH STAT NORWICH HAVE LOST THEIR LAST 14 PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES BY AN AGGREGATE 35-2
ASTON VILLA V EVERTON SATURDAY, 5.30PM, SKY SPORTS
Sometimes a scoreline does not tell the full story and that was the case for Aston Villa in last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Chelsea, whose keeper Edouard Mendy excelled. Even with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured Everton look a force to be reckoned with this season, with new signings Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray among those enjoying a new lease of life under Rafael Benitez. Villa boss Dean Smith’s record of not having lost to the Toffees since returning to the Premier League could come under threat. MATCH STAT BOTH OF LAST SEASON’S MEETINGS WERE IN MAY, A 2-1 VILLA WIN AND A 0-0 DRAW
BRIGHTON V LEICESTER SUNDAY, 2PM
Brighton have made a flying start to the season with three wins out of four after an injury-time winner from Leandro Trossard at Brentford, but they could be missing defender Adam Webster for the Foxes’ visit. Brendan Rodgers’ men were something of a bogey side for the Seagulls last term, winning 3-0 and 2-1 in the league and 1-0 on their way to lifting the FA Cup. But this game comes at the end of a gruelling week featuring a 1-0 league defeat to Manchester City and their Europa League tie against Napoli last night. MATCH STAT LEICESTER’S CAGLAR SOYUNCU HAS MADE THE MOST TOP-FLIGHT CLEARANCES (26)
TOTTENHAM V CHELSEA SUNDAY, 4.30PM, SKY SPORTS
The fact Tottenham started with three wins is maybe because there is less difference between Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo than fans would care to admit. Certainly, Harry Kane has every right to think Spurs are not playing to his strengths, having not had a single touch or shot in the box during their 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace. Contrast that to how much joy being back at Chelsea seems to be giving Romelu Lukaku, who already looks like being the final piece of the jigsaw in an already formidable side. MATCH STAT 600 PREMIER LEAGUE WINS FOR CHELSEA – ONLY MAN UNITED (690) HAVE WON MORE