Houston Dynamo set a new club record for road wins in a single season last time out, and Ben Olsen is hoping to see more "character" when they travel to Seattle Sounders.

Their 1-0 victory over Austin FC last weekend was their eighth away victory of the season, and it lifted them to fifth in the Western Conference on 48 points.

Houston are unbeaten in their last five outings in MLS and have won their last four road games on the bounce.

Despite their impressive recent run, Olsen is still pushing his team, with a playoff spot not yet secured.

"The road wins situation is great - it shows we're growing in character," Olsen said.

"To win on the road in this league, you need personality, along with talent and game plans. We always ask the guys for that, and it's good our road form has been good because our home form hasn't been great.

"We're not in the playoffs yet, and we have to keep pushing. Hopefully, when or if we get in, we can just keep trying to put points on the board."

Meanwhile, Seattle sit just one point and one place below Houston in the table, and are in good form themselves, having lost just one of their last five matches in the league.

They have are unbeaten in their last three, and head coach Brian Schmetzer is keen to keep their momentum heading into the final four games.

"Everything to play for in tight standings," Schmetzer told reporters.

"We've been in a good run of form, but we've been at a pretty good clip, and we need to finish these four games at the same level. We'll see if the actions in these games match the talk."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris

Jordan Morris scored both Sounders' goals in their 2-2 draw with San Jose Earthquakes on September 18.

Morris has nine multi-goal games in his MLS career, tied for the second-most by an American since he made his MLS debut in 2016 (Gyasi Zardes – 14).

Houston Dynamo – Steve Clark

The Dynamo have kept clean sheets in three of their last four away matches, including the last two in a row, after managing just one clean sheet in their previous 21 away matches in all competitions.

Houston have not kept three straight clean sheets on the road in all competitions since 2011-12, a record Steve Clark will be looking to achieve on Saturday.

MATCH PREDICTION: SEATTLE SOUNDERS WIN

The Sounders are unbeaten in 16 all-time home matches against the Dynamo in all competitions (W13 D3), including winning the last seven meetings in Seattle. Houston have not collected an away point against the Sounders since October 2016.

Indeed, the Sounders have lost only two of 44 all-time home matches against Texas opposition (W32 D10) in all competitions. Seattle have outscored opponents 80-24 over those games.

However, the Dynamo have won four straight away matches in all competitions for the second time in club history. Houston's only longer road winning streak was a six-match run spanning the 2011 and 2012 seasons, including two wins in the 2011 playoffs.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Seattle Sounders – 43.8%

Draw – 26.8%

Houston Dynamo – 29.4%

Sonia Bompastor says she welcomes the comparisons to Emma Hayes as she looks to build her own legacy at Chelsea.

Hayes departed the club at the end of last season having clinched a fifth consecutive Women's Super League trophy, and seventh overall, as she bowed out following a trophy-laden 12-year spell.

Bompastor was appointed as her successor in May this year and began life in the WSL with a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.

It was the Blues' first home match without Hayes in the dugout since July 2012, and Bompastor says she is looking forward to building on her predecessor's success.

"It's normal for people to compare because she had such great success here," Bompastor told Sky Sports.

"I'm really thankful to Emma for the legacy she left me. She had an amazing period, and she had great results and the transition takes some time.

"I'm fine [with the comparisons] because Emma is a person and a coach who has a lot of good qualities, so I don't feel like people are comparing me to a bad person.

"If I can have the same success as she had at Chelsea, I will be the first person to be happy about that, even if I'm someone different. I'm not Emma Hayes, I have my own personality, I'm trying to bring my own ideas. Yes, some things maybe will be the same and some of those will be different.

"I try to find the good balance between building from the legacy Emma left and also trying to bring my own philosophy, own vision to the club."

Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scored the opening goal of Bompastor's tenure, but it was far from a convincing performance from the Blues, who managed the same number of shots as their opponents (13), but less on target (four to Villa's five).

The Frenchwoman also has a possession-based style, but her side finished the contest with narrowly less than Villa in that match (47.4%).

Bompastor acknowledged the challenges of the team trying to adapt to her style but is confident last season's top scorers will soon settle into their new rhythm.

"I'm very happy with the way the players are adapting to all these new things," she added.

"It takes a lot of time, but when you are a coach at a high level, you don't have time. It's about getting the results since the beginning until the end.

"But the players are adjusting very well, they are really open-minded and happy to learn. We are still in the beginning of the season, and it's normal that we are not quite in the place we want to be yet, but not far. We still have work to be done."

Chelsea will play WSL newcomers Crystal Palace in their first away match of the campaign on Friday.

Sean Dyche hopes Everton's impending takeover will help bring "stability" and "clear up the noise" surrounding Goodison Park.

The Friedkin Group, who also own Serie A side Roma, reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri's majority stake in the Toffees earlier this week.

The takeover is subject to approval from the Premier League and if the group passes the Owners' and Directors' Test, though it could reportedly be completed in the next eight to 12 weeks.

And Dyche believes the move will provide a timely lift for Everton, who have collected just one point from their opening five Premier League matches this season.

"It looks like a stronger situation than the past," he told reporters ahead of Saturday's showdown with Crystal Palace.

"There is a long way to go to get everything to a final point, but the early signs look favourable in the situation. We will have to wait and see.

“Openly speaking, [the takeover will bring] more stability. It has been on unsettled ground for such a long time now, with varying situations and various opinions.

"It will clear up the noise that surrounds Everton Football Club."

Dyche, who is into the final year of his contract at Goodison Park, expects to meet with the Friedkin Group "at some point" for discussions surrounding his future, which is reportedly uncertain given the Toffees' poor form.

When asked about his future, he told reporters: "It is not really relevant. I was brought here as a custodian and to do a specific job and I continue to work hard at that.

"We have to change the results, but the workload here has been considerable.

"I don’t know what their strategy is, what their belief is and the culture they want to make at Everton Football Club. They might be looking at the history or the future. I will have to wait and see."

Rangers kicked off their Europa League campaign with an excellent 2-0 victory at Malmo on Thursday.

Nedim Bajrami opened the scoring after just 56 seconds at Eleda Stadion, and though Malmo carved out a couple of good opportunities, Rangers delivered a controlled display to get three points on the board.

Anders Christiansen squandered Malmo's best chance to restore parity early in the second half, slicing high from the centre of the area.

His miss summed up Malmo's night in front of goal, as they failed to direct a single shot on target.

Malmo were made to pay for their profligacy when Ross McCausland took it down on the edge of their box and drilled home a fine finish to send the travelling Rangers support into raptures.

Data Debrief: Seven heaven

At the seventh time of asking, Rangers claimed their first win over Swedish opposition in European competition, while Malmo are now winless in 15 games in a major continental tournament, losing 14 of those, including each of the last eight.

Rangers accumulated 2.5 expected goals and created five big chances, and Philippe Clement will be thrilled with how his side controlled much of the encounter despite handing possession over to Malmo.

Bajrami's strike got the ball rolling. It was the first time Rangers scored in the opening minute of a major European match since October 1998, courtesy of Gennaro Gattuso against Beitar Jerusalem in the UEFA Cup.

Patrickson Delgado wants FC Dallas to take momentum from their 3-1 victory over Los Angeles FC as they aim to push for the playoffs.

Dallas face Orlando City at home on Saturday, and while the visitors look well set to go on and clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, it is a different matter for the hosts in the West.

Minnesota United are five points clear of Dallas in the race for a playoff spot, with just four regular-season games remaining.

But midfielder Delgado is hopeful Dallas can get over the line.

"This victory will help us gain more momentum for the final games of the season," he said after the win over LAFC, as reported by Big D Soccer.

"Our goal is to make the playoffs, and we will not give up. We will play every game like a final and finish the season strong."

Alan Velasco, who has just returned from injury, impressed against LAFC, and interim coach Peter Luccin was thrilled with his display.

"We can see what talent Velasco can do on the field, we know that," he said.

"When we are putting all those quality players together, this is what happens. We scored three goals, we could've scored one or two more.

"It's good that those two players are coming back but at the same time, we need to manage our emotions. Everyone wants to see Alan play but he's coming back from a very serious injury, so we need to manage him well."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Dallas - Logan Farrington

Farrington came off the bench to record a goal and an assist in Dallas' win over LAFC, his second game with a goal and an assist as a sub this season. Farrington is one of six players in MLS history to record multiple games with a goal and an assist off the bench in a single season.

Orlando City - Facundo Torres

Torres has contributed to at least one goal in four straight regular-season appearances, the third such streak of his career, including a five-match run in 2022-23.

He is the first Orlando City player to have three streaks of four or more consecutive games with a goal contribution.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Dallas have lost only one of seven all-time meetings with Orlando (W4 D2), though this will be the first match between the sides since May 2022.

Orlando have scored only two goals in the seven previous meetings between these teams.

Dallas have won eight of their last 11 regular season home matches (D1 L2) dating back to late April. Dallas have scored multiple goals in 10 of those 11 matches, netting three or more in five of them.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Dallas - 35.4%

Orlando City - 38.5%

Draw - 26%

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be open to returning to Manchester United as manager, admitting he "would say yes every day of the week" if the possibility arose.

Solskjaer was dismissed by the Red Devils in November 2021 after just under three years in charge at Old Trafford.

The Norwegian, who initially replaced Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in December 2018, led United to a second-place Premier League finish in the 2020-21 season, but a run of six defeats in 11 matches culminated in his departure.

Erik ten Hag - the man who permanently succeeded him at Old Trafford - has come under increasing pressure following a difficult start to this term, which has brought just three wins from the Red Devils' opening eight games.

And Solskjaer, who has worked as a technical observer for UEFA since leaving the club, refused to rule out a second stint in charge if called upon.

"If the family [United] asks, I would say yes every day of the week," he said during a Q&A at the Oslo Business Forum.

"It feels wrong to talk about jobs that other people have now, but I would say yes, of course."

With Norway coach Stale Solbakken expected to step down at the end of their 2026 World Cup campaign, Solskjaer admitted he would also be tempted by the opportunity to take charge of his nation.

"I am a proud Norwegian," he added. "Of course, if the question arises - when Stale decides to give up - I will happily engage in discussions."

With only two home games left of the regular season, Eric Ramsay urged Minnesota United to come away with maximum points, starting against Colorado Rapids.

The Loons currently sit ninth in the Western Conference, but due to the tight nature of the table, they could spring up it with a win.

They have won their last three road games on the bounce, but have won just one of their last seven on home soil.

Following their 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City, Ramsay challenged his team to bring their away form to Allianz Field.

"We've got to win at home between now and the end of the year," he said. "That's the difference maker.

"We've done our bit against teams below us in the table away from home. We just need to do the easier bit, which is put in a performance at home and win a game there.

"If we can do that in the remaining two, we'll be in a really good position."

Meanwhile, Colorado sealed their playoff place with a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC last weekend.

They are third in the table having lost just one of their last five MLS matches, and head coach Chris Armas says spirits are high ahead of their latest road game.

"We're excited for a lot of reasons right now," Armas said. "We've clinched a playoff spot; we've got another game coming up against a good team on the road.

"It's an opportunity to show that we can have a disciplined performance with a lot to play for. The energy in the team is very good, and confidence is high.

"We have our sights set on getting our position up in the playoffs to get that home game."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah

Kelvin Yeboah has scored in three straight regular-season matches, the sixth different Minnesota United player to record at least one three-game goalscoring streak.

No player in the team's history has scored in four straight league matches.

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic

Djordje Mihailovic scored his 11th goal of the season on Saturday to go along with his 11 assists in 2024.

The only Rapids player to record more than 22 goal contributions in a single regular season was Diego Rubio (23) in 2022.

MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN

Minnesota have won seven of nine all-time home matches against Colorado in all competitions, including the last three in a row. The Loons have outscored the Rapids 8-2 over the current three-match run.

Minnesota have now won four of their last six regular-season matches (lost two) after a nine-game winless run from early June to mid-July (drawn two, lost seven).

The Loons, who beat Sporting Kansas City 2-0 last Saturday, have not kept consecutive regular season clean sheets since May 2023.

However, the Rapids have won nine of their last 13 regular season matches (drawn one, lost three), including four of the last five. Only LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew (10 each) have recorded more wins than the Rapids since that run began in mid-June.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Minnesota United – 42.1%

Draw – 26.7%

Colorado Rapids – 31.2%

Charlotte FC must embrace the challenge of facing the best team in MLS when they take on Inter Miami on Saturday.

That is the view of full-back Nathan Byrne, who this week penned a new contract with Dean Smith's team.

Charlotte head south this weekend to play Miami, who are in the hunt for the regular-season points record in MLS.

A win for Charlotte could see them clinch a playoff spot. 

"If we want to win things this season, then you have to play against the best teams and the best players," he said.

"It's just another challenge and we are going to go into it with full confidence."

Reflecting on his new deal, Byrne said: "Charlotte is a place I have really enjoyed my football over the last two years, and there is no place I'd rather continue my career. We have a great group of guys that want to accomplish something special, and that begins now with this run-in to the playoffs."

Smith, meanwhile, wants to see a level of consistency from his side, after they snapped a six-game windless run in MLS by thrashing the New England Revolution 4-0 last time out.

"You're after consistency from your players," he added.

"I'd much rather have a seven out of 10 every week than a five one week and a nine the next. You want consistency because you can build on that and improve."

Miami are unbeaten in 13 league games, though they need to take 10 points from their last four matches to break the league's regular-season points record of 73, which was set by New England in 2021.

The Herons drew 1-1 against New York City FC last time out, with coach Gerardo Martino left to fume at the officiating.

"The team didn't lack anything, but the match lacked a good referee," said Martino after that game. "We had a good game, we should've won."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami - Lionel Messi

Messi has scored at least one goal in eight of his last nine home matches for Inter Miami in all competitions, scoring 10 total goals in those games, including finding the net in each of his last three at Chase Stadium.

Charlotte FC - Patrick Agyemang

Agyemang came off the bench to record a goal and two assists in Charlotte's win over New England on Saturday.

He is the third player in MLS this season, and first ever for Charlotte, to record three goal contributions in a match as a substitute.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

For all his quality, Miami have won only one of the last five matches Messi has played dating back to late May (D3 L1). In the 13 matches Messi has missed in all competitions in that time, Miami have posted a record of W10 D0 L3.

However, Miami are unbeaten in three all-time home matches against Charlotte (W2 D1).

In fact, the only road win in the six all-time meetings between the sides was Miami's 2-1 victory at Charlotte on July 3 this year.

Charlotte ended an eight-match winless run in all competitions (D4 L4) with a 4-0 win over New England on Saturday. The four-goal win equalled Charlotte's largest-ever margin of victory along with a 5-1 win over the Richmond Kickers in the US Open Cup and a 4-0 league win over the Philadelphia Union, which both came in 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami - 59.9%

Charlotte - 19.1%

Draw - 21%

Phil Neville has praised Portland Timbers' resilience and has urged them to keep fighting when they face Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS on Saturday.

The Timbers came from behind twice to salvage a 3-3 draw with Real Salt Lake last weekend, meaning they have lost just one of their last five matches.

However, they have struggled on the road, failing to win any of their four such matches in the league.

Portland sit eighth in the Western Conference, but Neville has much higher ambitions than just making the playoffs.

"We don't give up in any game and that's a really special quality, and it's a quality that not many teams have," Neville said.

"They've contributed throughout the season and attitude is so important. The character of this team is unbreakable, but we've got to get the next bit [defending] right.

"We're not just pushing for the playoffs, we're in it to win it and if we keep that togetherness, we're going a long way."

Meanwhile, Vancouver won the Canadian Championship title for the third year in a row on Wednesday, beating Toronto FC 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

In MLS, they have won just one of their last four matches, sitting two points above their opponents, and head coach Vanni Sartini is hoping to find a balance between celebrating their triumph and preparing for Saturday.

"I'm going to have a drink and knowing that Saturday is so important, unfortunately, we can't really get crazy because we are in crunch time," said Sartini.

"It's not like last year when it was in the middle of the season, and you could quote-on-quote throw away the next game.

"It's so important for Saturday that we have to celebrate, but with some restraint."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld

Ryan Gauld has recorded an assist in each of his last four regular season matches for the Whitecaps, the second time he has done so in his career (also July 2022).

No player in Vancouver's history has recorded an assist in five straight regular-season games.

Portland Timbers – Evander

Evander has contributed to at least one goal in 11 straight regular season matches, a club record for the Timbers.

There have been only two longer streaks in MLS history: Josef Martínez (15 straight) in 2019 and Sebastian Giovinco (12 straight) in 2018.

MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN

The Whitecaps and Timbers have each recorded a home win against the other already this season. Since the start of the 2018 season, Portland have won eight times against the Whitecaps, with Vancouver winning seven (one draw).

Indeed, the Whitecaps have won four of their last five home Cascadia Cup matches (L1), including a 3-2 win over Portland on March 30. Vancouver had won just two of their previous 10 matches against the Seattle Sounders and Timbers in Vancouver (D4 L4).

Meanwhile, Portland's 3-3 draw at Real Salt Lake on Saturday marked the 11th time this season the Timbers have failed to win a match in which they scored multiple goals. Only LA Galaxy in 2018 (12 times) have endured more such games in a single season in MLS history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Vancouver Whitecaps – 43.6%

Draw – 26.8%

Portland Timbers – 29.6%

Julen Lopetegui believes West Ham have deserved more than just four points from their opening five Premier League games but called on his players to be more clinical in front of goal.

The Hammers exited the EFL Cup in midweek against Liverpool despite taking the lead, with a second-half collapse seeing them end up on the wrong end of a 5-1 defeat at Anfield.

Lopetegui has endured a frustrating start to his West Ham tenure thus far but is hoping that a victory against Brentford this weekend will kick his side into gear.

"I am sure that these players will overcome but it is true that we need one win, and we want to win the next match,” Lopetegui said.

"Brentford are a strong team and we have to head into the match with big energy and commitment. In the Premier League, each match is very difficult for every team.

"We have had good moments, but we need to be more consistent to make sure we win matches.

"In the matches we have lost we have deserved more, but I repeat, we have lost them, and we don’t find excuses, and we have to improve."

Another head coach hoping to see his side rediscover their goal-scoring touch is Brentford’s Thomas Frank after seeing his team lose to Tottenham last time out.

Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring with just 23 seconds on the clock for the visitors, only for Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison to respond to relieve the pressure on Ange Postecoglou.

While the Bees head coach acknowledged the gulf between both sides, he said that his problems have not been made easier with the absence of some of his key players.

"I'm very pleased with the performance, I think we did a lot of good things,” Frank said.

"We need to take those chances if we want to get something here, playing against a very good team who have performed well over the first five games.

"We are playing against a team whose end stand is bigger than our stadium in terms of capacity. That shows the difference. No complaints.

"It's my job to put a competitive team out there but it doesn't help when we have five potential starters out."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has been involved in 13 goals in his last 14 London derby appearances in the Premier League (10 goals and three assists).

He’s also scored four of Brentford’s seven league goals so far this season.

West Ham – Jarrod Bowen

Bowen has scored more league goals against Brentford than he has against any other side in his career (seven), also netting a hat-trick against the Bees in a 4-2 Premier League win last season.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRENTFORD WIN

Brentford have won four of their last five home league games against West Ham (D1), winning all three against them in the Premier League.

The Bees have also scored at least twice in all six of their Premier League meetings with the Hammers, the joint-most one side has faced another while scoring multiple goals each time in the competition’s history (Arsenal also six vs Reading).

Frank’s side have opened the scoring in the opening 23 seconds in both of their last league games (22 seconds v Man City and 23 seconds v Tottenham) but have gone on to lose both times. Indeed, since the start of last season, the Bees have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side (36).

But having lost their first five Premier League games against Brentford, West Ham won their last league meeting with the Bees 4-2 in February.

However, the Hammers have conceded more goals in 2024 than any other current Premier League side (53), with the Hammers shipping 3+ goals in eight different games so far this calendar year.

West Ham, though, will be hoping to continue their solid run away from the London Stadium. Despite losing three of their five home games this season, they have found success on their travels, going unbeaten so far (W1 D1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brentford – 43.4%

Draw – 25.1%

West Ham – 31.5%

Paulo Fonseca insists AC Milan's derby victory over rivals Inter is "irrelevant" unless the Rossoneri beat Lecce on Friday.

Milan claimed bragging rights in Derby della Madonnina on Sunday, with Matteo Gabbia's late effort sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory at San Siro.

The Rossoneri subsequently ended a run of six straight defeats against the Nerazzurri stretching back to September 2022, while moving Fonseca's side level on eight points with their rivals.

Three points adrift of leaders Torino, Milan can move top of Serie A with victory over Lecce, who have won just one of their opening five matches this season.

And with his side riding the crest of a wave after beating the reigning Scudetto winners, Fonseca highlighted the importance of ensuring his side do not come crashing back down to earth.

"There are lots of motivations to win tomorrow," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference. 

"For me, it's a dangerous match after the derby. We have to be careful, we can't make any mistakes. We have to win.

"A win in the derby brings confidence, it brings a different atmosphere. But I always try to be balanced. One match can change everything, it helps the players' confidence, too. But it's just one match. If we don't win tomorrow, people will say we could be relegated. 

"For this reason, we have to forget about the derby, focusing on the next game, which is the most important. The atmosphere is positive, we are happy, but it's important to understand that the derby is over, it's irrelevant now.

"It's very, very important [we capitalise on our momentum]. We have to confirm that we are growing. The victory in the derby makes more sense if we also win against Lecce, because we need to start recovering some points."

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s fixation on rectifying their near-miss in the Premier League last season is the difference for his players this time around.

After battling to a 2-2 draw against Manchester City last Sunday, the Gunners booked their place in the EFL Cup fourth round with an emphatic win over Bolton Wanderers, with several of their emerging talent starring at the Emirates.

Ethan Nwaneri and Jack Porter stole the limelight in midweek, with the former grabbing two goals on his senior Arsenal start, with Arteta also giving four more teenagers the chance to shine against the League One outfit.

But speaking ahead of this weekend’s fixture against Leicester, the Arsenal head coach believes his squad’s hunger to achieve this season is the difference when looking at the previous groups he has managed for the Gunners.

“Well, I think it’s the time in your career, you know that you start to dream, or to pursue certain objectives, targets and when you have accomplished them you want something else,” Arteta said.

“At that moment if the team, the club cannot provide that you need to do it elsewhere, it’s something natural, I think.

“I have all kinds of dreams, but it’s a nice one to have it’s a positive. What is a reality of a dream is the team I have that I have to manage.”

Leicester, meanwhile, needed penalties to ensure their progression in the EFL Cup against Walsall on Tuesday, with Danny Ward saving all three of the hosts’ spot-kicks.

While progressing to the next round, the travelling Foxes faithful made their opinions heard at the end of the contest, and their players face an almighty task of getting their first three points on the board at the Emirates on Saturday.

The Leicester head coach acknowledged the enormity of the task at hand, explaining he has lofty ambitions of his side reaching the level that was on show when the Gunners faced Pep Guardiola’s side last Sunday.

"It was an intriguing game for sure. They've played another game since, watched the game closely last night against Bolton Wanderers,” Cooper said.

“Our focus is on us, so we've got to do everything really well in the game.

“This is the level we want to be at, these are the games we want to be playing but we want to be playing them with the right attitude, with the right mentality, like I said, with the ambition of being able to succeed and If we can get the result that we're craving for then there's no better time."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Raheem Sterling

After marking his first start for Arsenal with a goal in the EFL Cup in midweek, Sterling will be pushing for a start against an opponent he has flourished against in recent years.

The 29-year-old has netted a brace in his last two Premier League appearances against the Foxes, one with Man City (December 2021) and one with Chelsea (August 2022).

Only three players have scored multiple goals against an opponent in a Premier League match with three different clubs – Robbie Fowler vs Bolton (Liverpool, Leeds, Man City), Darren Bent vs Bolton (Charlton, Tottenham, Sunderland) and Andrew Cole vs West Ham (Newcastle, Man Utd, Man City).

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Vardy has started the season with two goals in five appearances, moving him eight goals away from scoring 200 goals for Leicester in all competitions.

But during his time in the Premier League, he has often loved coming against the Gunners. The veteran striker has scored 11 goals in 16 games against Arsenal, the joint-most he has netted against a single club in the competition alongside Watford.

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal boasts an impressive record against this weekend’s opponents, winning their last five Premier League games against Leicester, their joint-longest winning run against the Foxes in their league history (also five between 1908 and 1914 and between 1930 and 1932).

The Gunners have also won 16 of their last 17 Premier League games against promoted sides, with the exception being a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in May 2023. At home, the Gunners are unbeaten in 39 such games (W34 D5) since a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in November 2010.

But Arteta will be hoping for cooler heads upon their return to the Emirates. Arsenal have received six cards (four yellow and two second yellow) for either time-wasting or not retreating in the Premier League this season, two more than any other club.

Leicester, meanwhile, travel to the capital in hopes of improving their record in North London. The Foxes have won just one of their last 26 away league games against Arsenal (D4 L21), picking up a 1-0 victory in October 2020.

But since their return to the division, they have shown little signs that may change. Cooper’s side remain winless in their five Premier League games so far this season, drawing three and losing two. Only in their relegation campaign of 2022-23 have they gone six without a win from the start of the campaign in the competition.

But the Foxes have both scored and conceded in all five of their league games so far this season – only in their title winning campaign of 2015-16 have they had a longer such run from the start of a campaign in the competition (first nine).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 75.9%

Draw – 14.5%

Leicester – 9.6%

In a move to demonstrate its commitment to good governance, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Board has taken a decision to suspend the membership privileges of the parishes of Trelawny and St Thomas for failing to comply with a directive of Congress for all parish elections to have taken place by August 31, 2024.

The JFF, in a release on Thursday, stated that the suspension of membership privileges will remain until the parishes have their elections, and the process is satisfactory to the JFF Board.

It also pointed out that should the elections not be held by the next board meeting, then further actions will be considered if necessary. 

This action was taken under the provisions of Article 16 (Member obligation) and Article 17 (Suspension) of the JFF Constitution. 

“The JFF is committed to good governance and transparency and wants to ensure that the wider football membership is the beneficiary of that good governance,” the statement said.

The release also noted that the election for Trelawny has been set for October 12th, 2024.

Pep Guardiola insisted Rodri’s injury will not stop Manchester City in their quest for a record fourth consecutive Premier League title, having overcome similar situations in recent years.

Rodri, who played 50 times for City last season, was forced off injured in their enthralling 2-2 draw with Arsenal last weekend, with the club confirming the Spaniard had suffered serious knee ligament damage.

It again throws into question the Citizens' ability to operate without their star midfielder, having seen their win percentage drop from 76% to 55.6% across the nine games he missed last year.

Ahead of facing Newcastle at St. James’ Park this weekend, Guardiola likened the situation to the one he experienced with Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, explaining his side can still compete without their best players in the team.

“I feel so sorry for Rodri and for Oscar Bobb too, but what are we going to do? Guys, we are with you, and you have the best medical department,” Guardiola said.

“Three months without Erling [Haaland] and five without Kevin [De Bruyne] and we won the Premier League in spite of many things.”

“You have to go for it. This is the challenge. It’s nice. Always happens. What you have to do. I’m sorry it’s a pity. Let’s go.

“Go to Newcastle to try to win the game. It is what it is. Me, as manager, can reflect on what we can do better.”

Newcastle, meanwhile, come into the contest off the back of a first defeat of the 2024-25 campaign, losing 3-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage last Saturday.

Harvey Barnes’ strike within a minute of the restart handed the Magpies a lifeline after Raul Jimenez and Emile Smith-Rowe had put the hosts two in front, only for Reiss Nelson’s first goal for the Cottagers to seal the victory late on.

The Magpies did have the opportunity to salvage a point, but Fabian Schar fluffed his lines, with the head coach acknowledging that the result could have been different had that chance found the back of the net but lamented his side’s first half showing.

"We won the ball back high, Fabian had the chance to score, and unfortunately he didn't take it. Games swing on big moments,” Howe said.

“The character and attitude was better in that second period, but we have to learn our lessons from the first half. We have to start the game better and be more front footed and more dominant in our performance."

“Second half we were much better, we scored a great goal and thought we could turn the game around. We had our chances and ultimately the third goal killed the game."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle – Harvey Barnes

Barnes has been involved in a goal in each of his last four Premier League games for Newcastle (three goals and one assist), his joint best ever run in the top-flight.

Overall, he averages a goal or assist every 87 minutes for the Magpies (eight goals and four assists in 1042 minutes), the best rate of any player at the club (min. 1000 mins).

Man City – Erling Haaland

Haaland has scored 10 goals in five Premier League games this season, the earliest a player has ever reached double figures from the start of a campaign in the competition.

The Norwegian could become only the second player ever to score in each of a team’s first six matches of a Premier League season, after Sergio Agüero did so for the Citizens in 2019-20.

MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN

In their Premier League history, Man City have won more games (31), more away games (12) and scored more goals (101) against Newcastle than they have against any other opponent.

The Citizens have also scored in each of their last 31 Premier League games against Newcastle, the longest scoring streak one team has against another in the competition’s history.

Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last 28 league games (W23 D5), with Stones’ late intervention against Arsenal keeping that run going. 24 of these games have been in 2024, the longest run without a Premier League defeat from the start of a calendar year since Chelsea in 2008 (26).

But the Magpies have made St. James’ Park a fortress. They are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League home games, winning six and drawing four. However, City were the last side to beat them on home soil.

Newcastle have scored in each of their last 21 Premier League home games, since a 0-0 draw with Leicester in May 2023. It’s the longest ongoing home scoring streak of any side in the competition.

But not since a 2-1 home win in January 2019 under Rafael Benitez have Newcastle beaten City, with that triumph five years ago their only victory in their last 33 Premier League games against them (D5 L27).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle – 21.6%

Draw – 22.4%

Man City – 56%

Luis Enrique is not concerned by Paris Saint-Germain's recent form, insisting "it's part of the process of the team growing".

PSG made a flying start to the Ligue 1 season, winning each of their opening three matches while scoring 13 goals along the way.

Yet, since the international break, they were forced to come from behind in their 3-1 win over Lille, and it took a last-minute own-goal to see them past debutants Girona in their Champions League opener.

Luis Enrique's side then dropped their first points of the league campaign when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Reims last weekend, but the Spaniard is focusing on the positives from his players' recent displays. 

"I feel things differently," he told reporters when asked if there had been a decline in his side's performances. "Over the course of a season, there's an evolution; there are good moments and not so good moments, it's part of the logical process of the team growing.

"I find the opposite situation. I think the team has managed to solve the problems that the opponents have caused us."

PSG are top of Ligue 1 with 13 points - ahead of Marseille and Monaco on goal difference - ahead of welcoming Rennes to Parc des Princes on Friday.

"They're a team that plays at the top of the table, they caused us quite a few problems last season," Luis Enrique said of Julien Stephan's side, who held the reigning champions to a 1-1 draw in February. 

"They took points against us, and they'll vary their behaviour as the game goes on. They did it last season.

"There are no easy games, there will be problems, but I'm an optimistic person when it comes to games like this. We're playing at the Parc and that spurs us on, too.

"Rennes are used to high pressing, but I don't think they'll do that tomorrow because they're an adaptable team. My job is to cope and find solutions. It's very difficult to fight a low block."