Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will not be pressured into making a decision on his long-term future at the Etihad Stadium.
The 53-year-old's contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season and he is, as yet, undecided on what he wants to do when that time comes.
City take on Wolves this weekend, and sit second in the Premier League after going unbeaten through their first seven games. They are just one point behind league leaders Liverpool.
"When it's going to happen, it's going to happen," Guardiola told BBC Sport, when asked if any decision on his future from the end of the season onwards had been made.
Guardiola had been heavily linked with the previously vacant England position, before it was announced this week that Thomas Tuchel will take over in January.
But even after that announcement, there have been rumours that Guardiola could follow the lead of director of football and close friend Txiki Begiristain, who has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season.
"One of the reasons I extended my contract two times is because Txiki is here," Guardiola said of Begiristain.
"We work together incredibly well. When we win, we try to analyse why. When we lose we try to analyse why. We don’t judge the other one. We both work for the best for this club.
"That’s why it’s a joy to work here with people like Txiki."
Sunday's hosts Wolves, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from their 5-3 defeat at Brentford in their last match before the international break.
That was a result that left the club bottom of the Premier League with just one point after seven matches.
After the match, head coach Gary O'Neil spoke about it being the "worst game I've been involved with as a coach".
"It’s the furthest I’ve seen the group from what we wanted to look like," he told BBC Match of the Day.
"The responsibility is on me. Of course, the players are going to make decisions, but I need to give them something that makes them make better decisions.
"I’ll do the best I can with the group I have. The club do what they can do off the pitch. My responsibility is to find results. This league can be tough. There are no hiding places."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Wolves – Matheus Cunha
Cunha is Wolves' top scorer, having netted three league goals so far this term. He ranks 16th in the Premier League for xG overperformance, with his three goals coming from just 1.06 xG.
The 25-year-old has also taken the ninth-most shots (21) of any player in the Premier League this term, while two of his three goals have come against teams currently in the top five of the table (Aston Villa and Chelsea).
Manchester City – Erling Haaland
Haaland is the quickest player of all time to reach 10 Premier League goals, having done so in just five matches. He is also the biggest xG overperformer in the Premier League in 2024-25, with his 10 goals coming from 6.5 xG.
The Norwegian striker has scored eight goals in total against Wolves, including four in their most recent meeting in May, at an average of one goal every 40 minutes.
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY WIN
City enter matchday eight as one of just two Premier League teams (alongside Arsenal) who still have an unbeaten record this season (W5 D2). In their last match before the international break, City beat Fulham 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium following back-to-back draws.
That start to the season puts City in second place, one point behind league leaders Liverpool, while Wolves are bottom of the table after taking just one point from their opening seven matches.
It is the first time since 2003-04 that Wolves have failed to win any of their opening seven league games, while they have only had three longer winless runs at the start of a league season: 1922-23 (eight), 1926-27 (10) and 1983-84 (14).
City won the last Premier League meeting between the two clubs, beating Wolves 5-1 at the Etihad in May with the aforementioned Haaland scoring four goals.
That was one of seven victories for City in their last eight Premier League meetings with Wolves, although the hosts did win 2-1 in this exact fixture last September.
Wolves have also scored in eight of their nine matches in all competitions this campaign, while City have fallen behind in four of their six Premier League games this season – as many times as in their previous 19 – and have recovered a league-high 10 points from losing positions.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Wolves – 13.3%
Draw – 17.9%
Manchester City – 68.8%
Two teams who are flying high so far this season go head-to-head in this weekend's big Premier League game.
League leaders Liverpool welcome in-form Chelsea to Anfield for a mouthwatering encounter.
The Reds have been in excellent form under new boss Arne Slot, who is the first Liverpool manager to win as many as nine of his first 10 games in charge of the club.
However, Opta's power ranking system suggests that Liverpool have actually had the easiest start of any Premier League team.
Chelsea, who have won four of their last six league outings after losing to Manchester City in their opening match, are sure to present an altogether tougher test.
Here, we delve into the data.
What's expected?
Having lost three consecutive league games against Chelsea between 2013 and 2014, Liverpool have now lost just two of their last 19 against the Blues (W7 D10).
Indeed, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six Premier League meetings with Chelsea, though five of these have ended level (W1).
With a recent record that strong, it's hardly surprising that the Reds are made the favourites by Opta's supercomputer.
The model gives Liverpool a 59.4% chance of taking the three points, while Chelsea came out on top in 19.4% of its simulations. The likelihood of a draw is 21.2%.
Chelsea have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games against Liverpool (D5 L3), and they went down 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season.
That big win for the Reds came less than a month before the EFL Cup final, which a depleted Liverpool won 1-0 thanks to Virgil van Dijk's header deep into stoppage time, with Chelsea – then of course overseen by Mauricio Pochettino – passed up four big chances, defined by Opta as an opportunity from which a team would reasonably be expected to score.
But under Enzo Maresca, who is freshly minted as Premier League Manager of the Month for September, Chelsea have been more clinical. Only Man City (17) have scored more goals than the Blues (16), who have also outperformed their 14.7 expected goals (xG), so they will be hoping to capitalise on any big opportunities that come their way on Sunday.
Getting past Liverpool's defence, though, is another matter.
Solid foundations
Replacing a club legend like Jurgen Klopp was not going to be easy, though Slot is making a good fist of making it look simple so far.
The former Feyenoord coach has reduced the chaos and brought slightly more control to Liverpool's play, and for the most part, this has worked a treat, bar in that shock 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in September.
Liverpool have still registered the third-highest xG in the league over the first seven games (14.0), behind Chelsea and Tottenham, but Slot has looked to build on a strong base.
Slot's team have conceded the fewest goals (two), kept the most clean sheets (five), and have the lowest expected goals against (xGA) figure (5.2) of any side in the Premier League this season.
In the 266 minutes Liverpool’s Premier League games have been level on the scoreline this season, the Reds have faced just 16 shots, an average of 5.4 per 90. This is both the lowest total faced and per 90 faced when drawing of any side in the competition this term.
They have ridden their luck at times, though. They were shaky and perhaps fortunate that Virgil van Dijk did not give away a penalty for pulling on Marc Guehi's shirt in the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace prior to the international break.
That victory came at a cost, too, with goalkeeper Alisson sustaining a hamstring injury that will keep him out until after the November international break.
In Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool have a fantastic number two (and one that wishes to move on), though. The Republic of Ireland international has always stood up to be counted when required, and since the start of last season, has recorded an impressive goals-prevented figure of 2.9, having conceded 10 goals (excluding own goals and penalties) from an expected goals on target (xGoT) against of 12.9.
Kelleher also played against Chelsea in the EFL Cup final in February, so he has good recent form against them.
Top travellers
Chelsea are no pushovers on the road, though, so do not expect a repeat of last season's 4-1 drubbing.
In fact, these two teams are the only ones with a 100% away win rate in the Premier League this season (three wins out of three).
Only in 2005-06 (four) and 2008-09 (eight) have Chelsea ever won their opening four away matches of a league season.
Maresca, meanwhile, is looking to become only the fifth boss to win each of his first four away Premier League games, with one of the previous four to do so being Slot (also Bobby Gould, John Gregory, and Luiz Felipe Scolari).
Chelsea will want to get on the ball, but they may be best served being patient and waiting for their moments to pounce on the break.
Key to that tactic would be Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke, who have created 15 chances for each other in the Premier League this season, the most of any duo.
Indeed, Palmer's four assists for Madueke is also the most from one player for a team-mate so far this term. Though in Nicolas Jackson and the likes of Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho, Chelsea have plenty of attackers who can test that mean Liverpool defence.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah has accumulated 4.1 xG in the league this season, which is the highest of any player in Liverpool’s squad. With 231 goal contributions for Liverpool (159 goals, 72 assists), he ranks sixth on the all-time list for Premier League goal contributions for a single side.
The Egypt star has scored four goals in 13 Premier League games against former side Chelsea, averaging a goal every 257 minutes against the Blues. Among opponents he has played 10+ times in the competition, only against Burnley (778) does he have a poorer minutes per goal rate.
Chelsea - Cole Palmer
Palmer has directly contributed to more Premier League goals (44 – 28 goals, 16 assists) than any other player in the top flight since the start of last season.
The 22-year-old was named Premier League Player of the Month for September. He has won two of the last three Player of the Month awards, with only Frank Lampard (four) winning more for the Blues than Palmer (two).
Russell Martin wants to see his Southampton side replicate their performances against the Premier League’s biggest clubs when they face opponents closer to them in the table.
Following their return from the international break, the Saints face Everton and Wolves, but start by welcoming Leicester City to St. Mary's this Saturday.
Having watched his team go toe-to-toe with Arsenal in their last encounter, Martin is targeting the same approach in the upcoming games that he’s labelled “absolutely vital”.
“We’ve had Newcastle away; Manchester United at home, where for half an hour we’ve been outstanding; and here,” Martin said.
“Now we have to transfer that into the games that are going to really define our season, and we have three or four of those coming up in the next block of games that are going to be absolutely vital.
“The league is so tight and is going to be so tight for so long, but today I saw so much in a lot of the guys and the team, the way it felt, to make me feel really excited about what’s to come.”
Leicester, meanwhile, earned their first win since their return to the Premier League with a 1-0 triumph over Bournemouth last time out.
Facundo Buonanotte’s only goal sealed the victory, notching his fourth goal involvement in six Premier League appearances this season – already his joint-most across a single campaign in the competition (also four in 2023-24)
The Foxes also kept a clean sheet at home in the Premier League for the first time since October 2022, though head coach Steve Cooper insisted it was just a small step in the right direction.
“Everybody gave everything in the game,” Cooper said. “They give everything every single day in training. Of course, in the first quarter of games there’s things we could have done better, but some things have really gone against us as well.
“To get that grey cloud away from us of getting that win, we’ve really got to think now about getting some more positive results like this. It’s brilliant and you’ve got to enjoy it, because it’s so hard to win games in the Premier League, but it’s one win.
“From now, there won’t be a day that goes by without me thinking about how we beat Southampton. Obviously, we’ll reflect, but all with the idea of how we can improve to try and go back-to-back when we return after the international break.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Cameron Archer
Archer opened his Premier League account in Southampton’s defeat to Arsenal ahead of the international break, and he will be hoping to continue his scoring streak on Saturday.
This will be the 22-year-old’s first senior outing against Leicester, having played two games against them with Aston Villa’s Under-18’s, winning once and losing the other.
Leicester – Jamie Vardy
Vardy has been involved in 12 goals against Southampton in his English league career (eight goals, four assists) – against no side has he had a hand in more.
Six of these eight goals have come at St Mary’s Stadium, including a hat-trick in October 2019, while he has also scored two goals from five shots in the Premier League this term – no player to have had at least five attempts has a better conversion rate than the veteran Foxes striker (40%).
MATCH PREDICTION: SOUTHAMPTON WIN
While Southampton are favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, they are winless in their last 20 Premier League games (D5 L15) – failure to win in this match would set a club record for their outright longest winless run in their top-flight history.
Though the Saints have had the fifth-highest share of possession in the top-flight this season (57.4%), just 3.2% of Southampton’s touches have come in the opposition box, the third-lowest ratio this term.
Martin’s side have also conceded more goals following a high turnover than any other side in the Premier League this season (four).
And having done the double over Leicester in their last Premier League campaign together in 2022-23, Southampton lost both Championship meetings with the Foxes last term by an aggregate score of 9-1.
Leicester are one of just three teams (along with Arsenal and Man City) to have scored in every Premier League game so far this season. The Foxes earned their first win of the campaign last time out, last winning consecutively in the competition in February 2023.
However, they are winless in their last three Premier League away games against Southampton (D2 L1) since a 9-0 win under Brendan Rodgers back in October 2019.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 42.2%
Draw – 25.4%
Leicester – 32.5%
Joshua Zirkzee has been hugely influenced by NBA great Allen Iverson, the Manchester United forward said ahead of Saturday's clash with Brentford.
United return to Premier League action against the Bees at Old Trafford in desperate need of a victory.
They have lost their last two home league matches, and Erik ten Hag is under pressure.
New signing Zirkzee has failed to hit the ground running, despite scoring on his debut against Fulham in August.
But speaking to United’s official media channels, the Dutchman revealed he was inspired by a different sport than football.
"I started watching basketball when I was around 15, 16 maybe, and it started because of, you know, Michael Jordan and the big ones," he said.
"But the main reason why I really got into watching actual basketball and really got my interest was a documentary about Allen Iverson, and he was the first player that I really saw.
"I was like: oh, he's really different, you know? He's probably the reason I got into basketball.
"America is a lot different. It’s just certain stuff that you can relate to. That really inspired me.
"Also him making it and still being himself. That was cool to see."
United will be hoping Zirkzee can return to form on Saturday.
The Red Devils have the worst difference between goals (five) and expected goals (11.1) in the Premier League this season, netting around six goals fewer than their xG suggests.
However, they also have the best difference between goals conceded (eight) and xG against (11.5), conceding between 3-4 goals fewer than expected.
That being said, their goalscoring issues have mainly been limited to the league. United average 0.7 goals per game in the top flight this season (five goals in seven games), compared to three goals per game across all other competitions this term (12 goals in four games).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Christian Eriksen
Former Brentford midfielder Eriksen has been involved in six goals in his last five games in all competitions (three goals, three assists). Indeed, only Alejandro Garnacho (seven) has been involved in more goals for United this season than the Dane.
Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has scored six goals in his seven Premier League games this season, netting in each of his last three appearances. His next goal or assist will see him become the first Brentford player to register 50 Premier League goal involvements (currently 28 goals, 21 assists).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
Brentford have lost all three of their Premier League away games so far this season – they have not begun a league campaign with four straight losses on the road since 1961-62, when they lost their first nine in the third tier.
Four of the five goals scored in the two Premier League meetings between these sides last season came in second half stoppage time (three for United, one for Brentford).
Having won four of their first six league meetings with United between 1933 and 1937 (D1 L1), Brentford have won just one of their last 10 against the Red Devils (D2 L7).
United have won each of their last five home league games against Brentford by an aggregate score of 13-2, with their last such defeat coming in February 1937.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man Utd – 54.3%
Brentford – 23.6%
Draw – 22.2%
Everton boss Sean Dyche says the noise around the club's takeover by The Friedkin Group is "just a reality of the job" and he knows no more than the fans about how long it will take to complete.
The proposed takeover from the American group is currently in processing as they await approval from the Premier League, potentially ending months of uncertainty about the future of the football club.
But on the pitch, Dyche has led the Toffees to four points in their last two games, the latest of which came in a stalemate against Newcastle before the international break.
And ahead of the trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich this weekend, Dyche insisted his players must keep up their performances and continue to grow as a collective.
"I've said it all along," Dyche told BBC Sport. "The powers that be might know more than me, and that's right because it's a business.
It's not just a football business that I take care of on the pitch, it's the whole business. So, they're going to have to wait and see. The noise is just a reality of the job. It's a great club, with great history and great concern.
"We have to just to keep growing, keep maturing, keep building on some tough times and keep coming out of those tough times.”
Ipswich, meanwhile, were dealt their joint-heaviest defeat of the season last time out, losing 4-1 to West Ham at the London Stadium.
The Tractor Boys are now winless in their first seven Premier League games since their promotion from the Championship, their joint-longest run without victory at the start of a top-flight season in their history (also seven games in 1969-70).
However, head coach Kieran McKenna was optimistic about his side’s start to the campaign, but reiterated the ruthlessness of the top-flight is something his players must become accustomed to.
“Of course, it is the first time we have lost a game in a while, we have been competitive in lots of games, but we still have a big jump to go to consistently win games,” McKenna said.
“There are lots of things we have done, but the defeat against West Ham was a reminder of how quickly the game can get away from you – the quality across the league is so high.
“We need to be at our best on and off the ball and in our mindset if we are to be competitive. We have shown we can compete, and we know we have lots to build on.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich – Liam Delap
Delap has scored four goals in his last five Premier League games for Ipswich, including three in his last two.
He could become the fifth different player to score in three in a row for the club in the competition, while at the age of 21 he would be the youngest to do so.
Everton – Dwight McNeil
McNeil has played more successful through balls than any other player in the Premier League this season (five). All five of these have been received by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Englishman has also created 23 chances this year (level with Andreas Pereira and Cole Palmer), with only Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (27) creating more in the division.
MATCH PREDICTION: IPSWICH WIN
This is the first meeting between Ipswich and Everton in any competition since a 2-1 win for the Tractor Boys at Goodison Park in February 2002. It would be their penultimate Premier League victory that season, despite still having 13 games to play.
Ipswich also boasts an impressive record over the Toffees, though, winning three of their last four Premier League games against them (D1), as many as they had in their previous 17 league meetings with Everton (D4 L10).
However, McKenna’s men remain winless in their seven Premier League games so far this season (D4 L3) – they’ve never gone eight games from the start of a top-flight campaign without a win before.
But Everton are on a poor run of their own away from Merseyside. They are winless in their last 14 Premier League away games (D5 L9). Only twice have they had a longer such run in the competition – 16 between February and December 2017, and 19 between December 1996 and December 1997.
The Toffees have also failed to score in three of their five Premier League away games against Ipswich, including both such visits so far in the 21st century (0-2 in February 2001, 0-0 in October 2001).
But this weekend’s visitors are unbeaten in their last five Premier League meetings with promoted sides (W3 D2), having won just one of their previous 13 such games prior to this (D5 L7), and will be hoping to build on their last two results at Portman Road.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Ipswich – 40%
Draw – 26.5%
Everton – 33.5%
Fabian Hurzeler failed to put a ceiling on Brighton’s potential after watching his side roar back from two goals down to beat Tottenham 2-0 ahead of the international break.
The 31-year-old, appointed at the start of the season, was facing criticism after the Seagulls had gone four Premier League games without a victory, though he silenced those doubters, with Brighton now sixth in the standings ahead of facing Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
And despite only being in the infancy of his tenure on the south coast, Hurzeler is confident his side can continue to build on their impressive start to the campaign.
“I don't judge the performances by the results because in the end I'm completely convinced that if you focus on the process the results will come,” Hurzeler said.
“It’s normal to have ups and downs, and we had a small down against Chelsea. But we learnt from it and if you improve individually and as a group will always get better.
“The league is so competitive, you must work hard for momentum and use it when you have it. But, of course, I have a lot of trust in the potential of my team.”
For Newcastle, a goalless draw at Everton last time out made it four Premier League games without a win, but the Magpies sit level on points with this weekend’s opponents, separated only by goal difference in the standings.
After starting the campaign with three wins from their first four games, Eddie Howe acknowledged his side’s drop-off, but knows his side have room for improvement, which he hopes will start on home soil against Brighton.
“So far, we have seen that the group is together. We have seen that the group is motivated to do well, and we know we can play better, and we know we can do more so that is the challenge that I have to set to the players,” Howe said.
Howe was also hopeful that both Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson would be available for the visit of the Seagulls, with an attacking edge needed having scored just three goals in their last four matches in all competitions.
"We hope so. They are two huge players for us. When you take any focal point out of a team it has an impact. Would it have made the difference today,” Howe said. “I'm not sure but we are looking forward to having them back."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Newcastle – Anthony Gordon
Gordon has enjoyed games against Brighton in recent years, scoring two goals in four appearances against them, only finding the net more against Manchester United (three) in the Premier League.
The England international has created more chances (15) for the Magpies than any other player, while he also has the joint-most completed dribbles (11) in Howe’s ranks, alongside Bruno Guimaraes.
Brighton – Kaoru Mitoma
Mitoma has carried the ball further than any other winger in the Premier League this season (1568 metres), though his assist against Tottenham last time out was his first goal contribution in four matches.
Meanwhile, only Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen (eight each) have created more chances following a ball carry than Mitoma (seven).
MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN
Brighton have lost just two of their 14 Premier League meetings with Newcastle (W5 D7), though both defeats have come across their last three visits to St James’ Park.
However, the Seagulls have impressed in front of goal this year. They have scored two or more goals in each of their last three Premier League games, last having a longer such run in January 2023 (five). Indeed, they’ve netted multiple goals in five of their seven league games so far this season, having failed to do so in any of their final 13 games in 2023-24.
No team has conceded fewer second half goals than Brighton in the Premier League this season (two), with their latest goal against them coming in the 70th minute (vs Nottingham Forest). However, opponents Newcastle have also shipped a joint-low two goals after half-time.
Although this weekend’s hosts have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games (W4 D3), Newcastle are winless in their last three (D2 L1). However, at home, the Magpies are unbeaten in their last 11 (W6 D5).
They are also unbeaten in their last three Premier League games against Brighton at St. James’ Park (W2 D1), having failed to win any of their first four against them without scoring a single goal (D2 L2).
However, only Nottingham Forest (four) have had fewer shots than Newcastle following a high turnover in the Premier League this season (five), while the Magpies have also faced the most such efforts in the competition this term (18).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Newcastle – 50.4%
Draw – 24.3%
Brighton – 23.3%
Mikel Arteta believes Kai Havertz still has a further level to reach after enjoying an excellent start to the season with Arsenal, who go to Bournemouth when the Premier League resumes on Saturday.
Arsenal emerge from the second international break of 2024-25 one point adrift of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table with 17 points from seven matches.
With four goals and an assist, Havertz has been a key factor in their positive start, excelling in his new false nine role and scoring a crucial equaliser as they fought back to beat Southampton 3-1 before the hiatus.
Asked if Havertz was now playing with greater confidence, Arteta said: "You can tell. He takes the ball and he runs with the ball.
"He's on the high press, he goes full gas, the way he holds the ball, the positions he takes in the box. When he plays as a nine, you don't know where he is, that's his football brain.
"His focus now is, 'I'm going to win the game, I'm going to do it', and that's a different thing.
"He wants more and he's not satisfied with what he's doing because there is still, I think, another level from him."
Opponents Bournemouth are 14th with eight points, having suffered a demoralising 1-0 defeat to previously winless Leicester City two weeks ago.
After that game, boss Andoni Iraola told BBC Sport: "It's difficult to explain, you need to score. We had a disallowed goal, hit the post, the crossbar, we had enough chances to win.
"We have to give merit to their offensive side but on the other side we are missing very clear chances. There are chances that you cannot miss altogether.
"We have to be more clinical and it is hurting us. All the games apart from Liverpool we have created more chances, but we are not getting the points."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo
Bournemouth have had more shot-ending high turnovers than any other side in the Premier League this season (18), while only three sides have faced fewer such shots than the Cherries (six).
Semenyo, who leads all Bournemouth players for goal involvements (four – three goals, one assist) and successful dribbles (12) this term could have a key role to play on the counter.
Arsenal – Kai Havertz
Havertz has been involved in 20 goals in his last 21 Premier League appearances (13 goals, seven assists).
His first goal for Arsenal came in this exact fixture last season, as he converted a penalty in a 4-0 victory for the Gunners. Could he be in for more joy on the south coast?
MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal are unbeaten in all 10 of their games in all competitions so far this season (seven wins, three draws) – they last had a longer unbeaten run from the start of a campaign in 2007-08 (first 21).
They are chasing a landmark victory, as their 3-1 win over Southampton last time out was their 1,999th top-flight triumph. Victory here would see them become the second English side to reach 2,000, after Liverpool (2,065).
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have lost 11 of their 14 Premier League games against Arsenal, though all three exceptions have been at home (3-3 in January 2017, 2-1 in January 2018, 1-1 in December 2019).
But a repeat should not be expected here. Each of Bournemouth's last 10 Premier League wins have been against sides in the bottom half of the table.
Andoni Iraola's men are winless in their last 11 matches against sides in the top half since beating Manchester United 3-0 in December last year (four draws, seven losses).
Arsenal boast a tremendous record against the Cherries lately, too. Since Bournemouth returned to the Premier League in 2022, the Gunners have won all four of their meetings with the Cherries by an aggregate score 13-2, netting three or more goals each time.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth – 16.1%
Arsenal – 65.2%
Draw – 18.7%
Marco Silva is hoping Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City will give his players “courage” against Aston Villa upon their return to Premier League action.
The Cottagers went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side before the international break but were made to rue missed opportunities during the contest, with Adama Traore the most notable for squandering some gilt-edged chances at the Etihad.
However, Silva is confident his team can take encouragement from their display as they aim to maintain their unbeaten record at Craven Cottage this season.
“To see City finish with three central defenders with five at the back shows that we were creating problems for them, not just in transition,” Silva said.
“It gives us courage. We know what we are capable of doing, and it gives us the confidence to keep going in the direction that we want to go in, and to stick with our philosophy as a team.
“Looking at the chances that we did create throughout the game and comparing with City, we deserved more. But that’s football.”
Unai Emery, meanwhile, insisted his Aston Villa side will be raring to go when they return to domestic action after their stalemate with Manchester United last time out.
It was the Villans’ first goalless draw at Villa Park in the Premier League since May 2021, while the expected goals (xG) total between the two sides was just 1.05 – the lowest in a top-flight match so far this season.
With the international break allowing Villa to recuperate after a busy September schedule that saw them start their Champions League campaign with two wins, returning players will be a welcome addition, the Spaniard believes.
“It’s a nice moment to rest. This week we are going to work and recover some players. We are going to add [Boubacar] Kamara and [Tyrone] Mings, which is very good news. Hopefully some injured players can come back for the next match against Fulham,” Emery said.
“We will need players. Today we were more or less with some players out and we needed fresh players with good legs in the second half to help get our objective in this match.
“The players were really focusing on this match and gave their best. I’m happy because we are feeling strong here with our supporters and keeping a good position in the league and Champions League targeting our objectives. We are going to try to get there.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Andreas Pereira
No player has played more passes (including crosses) into the opposition box than Fulham’s Pereira in the Premier League this season (64), with the Brazilian also creating the most chances from set plays (16).
Pereira has also created 23 chances overall this term (level with Cole Palmer and Dwight McNeil), a total only bettered by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (27) in the Premier League so far.
Aston Villa – Jhon Duran
After netting in midweek while on international duty with Colombia, Duran will be hoping to continue his remarkable scoring streak at Craven Cottage.
Duran has four goals in just 184 minutes of action in the Premier League this season, averaging a goal every 46 minutes so far. This is the best minutes-per-goal ratio of anyone to feature for at least 90 minutes this term.
MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN
Fulham are unbeaten in their three Premier League home games so far this season (W2 D1). They last had a longer run without defeat at Craven Cottage from the start of a campaign in 2011-12 (four).
The Cottagers lost this exact fixture 2-1 in February last season, though they have never lost consecutive home league games against Aston Villa before.
However, they face an uphill task against Emery’s men, who are unbeaten in their last five league games (W3 D2), though their 0-0 draw with United last time out was their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches.
Visits to London have proven fruitful for the Villans in recent years. They have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games in the capital (W8 D3). Their eight wins in this time (all under Emery) are as many as they’d managed in their previous 48 top-flight games in London.
Villa have also won five of their last six Premier League games against Fulham (L1), including the last three in a row. It’s more wins than they’d managed in their previous 19 against the Cottagers in the top-flight (W4 D10 L5), while they’ve never won four in a row against them in their league history.
No team has scored more goals from crosses than Aston Villa in the Premier League this season (five). No player has scored more such goals than Ollie Watkins (two), while Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have two such assists each – only Saka (four) has more.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 40.5%
Draw – 25.5%
Aston Villa – 34%
Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City if the club lied to him over their alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
City's legal battle with the Premier League is anticipated to last approximately another two months, with the verdict made public next year, after an independent hearing started in September.
The English champions have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of competition rules over an extended period of time, including breaking financial rules, and failing to comply or provide accurate information to the investigation.
Points deductions and fines are on the cards as possible penalties if City are found guilty, though Maguire believes the most significant impact could be breaking trust with manager Guardiola.
"Txiki Begiristain [City's director of football] is leaving, that's more likely to have an impact than anything else, because I think Pep's the type of guy for whom relationships are a very important thing," Maguire told Stats Perform.
"He has also said that every time he's spoken to the club in relation to these charges, they've said they're completely innocent.
"If they've been proven to have lied to him, he'll be off, because I think on a principal point of view, where's the incentive to stay?"
Any theoretical penalty would depend on the severity of City's breaches, but Nottingham Forest and Everton were both punished with points deductions last season for financial misdemeanours.
Guardiola has continually spoken out in defence of his club, insisting innocence until proven guilty, though Maguire believes the former Barcelona boss may have already decided on his future regardless.
"I suspect in his own mind, he's probably 99% certain as to what he's going to do next summer," Maguire said of Guardiola, who had been linked to the England job before Thomas Tuchel was appointed on Wednesday.
"He's a very intense individual. His commitment to Manchester City is 24/7 and, as we saw with Jurgen Klopp, that has an impact on the rest of his life. He's got a family, he's got his own health to consider, and much broader issues."
Relegation has also been mooted as the most severe punishment if proven guilty, although Maguire questioned whether this would inspire Guardiola to silence his doubters.
"If Manchester City lose the case and they're subject to a 100-point deduction, part of him would fancy Swansea on a Tuesday night, just to prove [a point]," he added.
"One of the criticisms of Pep Guardiola, which I think is completely lacking in validity, is that he's only managed to be successful because he's had clubs with big budgets in big divisions.
"Look at the number of Manchester United managers over the course of the last decade who have had big budgets in a big division, who have not been successful.
"If you take a look at Chelsea's managers, they've spent 1.3 to 1.4 billion pounds on players in the last two years, they've not won anything. So, I think you have to be careful."
Ange Postecoglou is ready to “explode” when his Tottenham players return from the international break, using his side as “therapy” after their loss to Brighton last time out.
Spurs were on the end of a dismal defeat at the Amex Stadium against the Seagulls, squandering a two-goal lead to halt their five-match winning streak in all competitions.
Postecoglou faced criticism for the manner in which his side capitulated on the south coast, but wanted to make his feelings known ahead of their London derby with West Ham that will kick off the latest round of Premier League fixtures this weekend.
“You never know with the international [break] whether it will be good or bad, maybe for the players it was good, but I don’t like sitting on a loss. You want to get it out of your system and move on to the next challenge,” Postecoglou told Optus Sport.
“There can be a tendency to overanalyse, but it wasn’t a good one. That first half we played against Brighton was unbelievable – the best we have played all year – but I just didn’t like the second half and what we looked like.
“You know what international football, the game finishes and everyone goes, so the dressing room after the game is not the time to analyse. I have been sitting on it for 10 days now and I am ready to explode once they get back in the building and they will be my therapy.”
West Ham, meanwhile, come into the contest off the back of a first win in five games against Ipswich, relieving the pressure on new boss Julen Lopetegui.
Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were all on target against the Tractor Boys and are aiming to produce back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since March 2023.
Lopetegui showered praise on Bowen, who missed out in England’s Nations League squad for their October fixtures. The Spaniard is expecting his star man to continue his form, with the aim of impressing incoming Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel.
“The best way to show your disappointment as a player is this,” Lopetegui said.
“When you don’t play in one lineup, when you don’t go away with England, it’s this. I think he knows that. He is always ready to help the team.
“He is always ready to work hard, to play well and that’s why he is a very good player.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – James Maddison
Including crosses, no player has played more passes into the opposition box in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Maddison (64).
The 27-year-old’s next goal will be his 50th in the competition, with the midfielder netting in two of his last three league games.
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has been involved in 34 shots this season (15 shots, 19 chances created), more than any other West Ham player.
Indeed, last time out against Ipswich, he became the first Hammers player to have five or more shots and create five or more chances in a single Premier League match since Michail Antonio against Arsenal in March 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
This will be the eighth time Tottenham and West Ham have faced each other in the first Premier League matchday back after an international break, with Spurs so far unbeaten in the previous seven (W4 D3).
Tottenham have also only won more Premier League games against Everton (31) and Manchester City (28) than they have vs West Ham (26).
But Postecoglou’s men have lost four of their last six Premier League London derbies (W1 D1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (W9 D3). They did beat Brentford 3-1 in their last such match, however.
In contrast, the Hammers are unbeaten in their last three Premier League London derbies on the road (W1 D2), with those accounting for all three of their away games so far this season. They last had a longer such run without defeat between January and December 1999 (six).
David Moyes’ West Ham side came from behind to win this exact fixture 2-1 last season, but they have not won consecutive league visits to Spurs since doing so in April and November 1966.
They will have to be wary of the threat of Brennan Johnson, who has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham. His six goals in run are more than he’d netted in his first 38 appearances for the club (five).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 56.6%
Draw – 22.4%
West Ham – 20.9%
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules, that it should be reflected in their punishment.
The independent hearing, which started last month, is anticipated to last approximately two months, although the verdict is not expected to be made public until early next year.
If found guilty, the sternest punishment is relegation, while points deductions and fines are also potential penalties.
City have been charged with breaking financial fair play (FFP) rules, with the breaches allegedly going back over a decade.
The Citizens were charged with 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information from 2009-10 until 2017-18, while also failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009-10 to 2017-18 on 14 separate occasions.
City have been handed five charges related to their inability to comply with UEFA's rules, including FFP from 2013-14 to 2017-18, with another seven charges for breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules from 2015-16 until 2017-18.
The final 35 charges are for failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 until February 2023.
City did, however, claim a victory in their recent legal challenge against the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction rules, though that is totally separate to the 115 charges.
Both Everton and Nottingham Forest were deducted points last season for breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.
However, Maguire believes that should City be found guilty on all 115 of their charges, then a possible points deduction should be fair in comparison to what was handed to both Everton and Forest.
"I think the reason why I say that, and again, I've got no inside knowledge of any of this, is that if we take a look at the commission hearings in relation to Nottingham Forest and Everton, one of the revealing things was that one of the commissions had said, I think this was in the case of Forest, ultimately, this is a minor breach of the rules, and this has resulted in what was a four-point deduction," Maguire told Stats Perform.
"As far as Nottingham Forest are concerned, given that that was a minor breach of the rules which covered a narrow period of time and a very specific, narrow set of circumstances, what Manchester City are being accused of is effectively corporate fraud over a nine-year period – they've been lying to the Premier League in relation to their finances.
"Well, that's far more serious than a technical breach of an overspend. So, if it's a four-point deduction for a minor breach, and all 115 charges are upheld, then surely that's a major breach, and that has to be reflected in the deduction."
Since the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover in 2008, City have spent approximately €2,5987 billion (£2,1649bn), spending the most money in the 2017-18 season (£245.7m) with the most notable signings including Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, and Ederson.
City's most expensive player during that time was Jack Grealish, who arrived from Aston Villa in a £100m deal - which at the time constituted the most expensive transfer of an English player ever.
Maguire went on to say that should City only be found guilty of failing to cooperate with the Premier League, then a financial sanction seems more likely, as opposed to a points deduction or relegation.
"My one reservation on all of this is that if the only thing that Manchester City are found guilty of is not cooperating with the Premier League, then probably the appropriate punishment is a financial one because they've not had a sporting advantage," Maguire concluded.
"You can argue that bringing in more, artificially inflating the money coming in, and messing around with the wages, has allowed Manchester City to recruit these other players, and on the back of that, they've been successful on the pitch.
"So, we need an on-field punishment if it's just for non-cooperation with the Premier League, and given that the Premier League hasn't cooperated with Manchester City in terms of getting these deals through against this separate hearing, I don't think that a points deduction is appropriate."
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes if Manchester City are found guilty on all counts of their 115 charges, that it should be reflected in their punishment.
The independent hearing, which started last month, is anticipated to last approximately two months, although the verdict is not expected to be made public until early next year.
If found guilty, the sternest punishment is relegation, while points deductions and fines are also potential penalties.
City have been charged with breaking financial fair play (FFP) rules, which started in 2009 following the Abu Dhabi United Group takeover and went on until 2018.
The Citizens were charged with 54 counts of failing to provide accurate financial information from 2009-10 until 2017-18, while also failing to provide accurate details for player and manager payments from 2009-10 to 2017-18 on 14 separate occasions.
City have been handed five charges related to their inability to comply with UEFA's rules, including FFP from 2013-14 to 2017-18, with another seven charges for breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules from 2015-16 until 2017-18.
The final 35 charges are for failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 until February 2023.
City did, however, win their recent legal challenge against the Premier League over Associated Party Transaction rules, though that is totally separate to the 115 charges.
Both Everton and Nottingham Forest were deducted points last season for breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.
The Toffees were deducted 10 points, reduced to six for the three-year period from 2021-22 for losses of £19.5million over the £105m permitted threshold.
Meanwhile, Forest, who were initially docked six points, saw theirs brought down to four after breaching the permitted £61m threshold by £34.5m for the three-year period from 2022-23. Both clubs retained Premier League status last term despite this.
However, Maguire believes that should City be found guilty on all 115 of their charges, then a possible points deduction should be reflected on what was handed to both Everton and Forest.
"I think the reason why I say that, and again, I've got no inside knowledge of any of this, is that if we take a look at the commission hearings in relation to Nottingham Forest and Everton, one of the revealing things was that one of the commissions had said, I think this was in the case of Forest, ultimately, this is a minor breach of the rules, and this has resulted in what was a four-point deduction," Maguire told Stats Perform.
"As far as Nottingham Forest are concerned, given that that was a minor breach of the rules which covered a narrow period of time and a very specific, narrow set of circumstances, what Manchester City are being accused of is effectively corporate fraud over a nine-year period – they've been lying to the Premier League in relation to their finances.
"Well, that's far more serious than a technical breach of an overspend. So, if it's a four-point deduction for a minor breach, and all 115 charges are upheld, then surely that's a major breach, and that has to be reflected in the deduction."
Since the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover in 2008, City have spent approximately €2,5987 billion (£2,1649bn), spending the most money in the 2017-18 season (£245.7m) with the most notable signings including Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, and Ederson.
City's most expensive player during that time was Jack Grealish, who arrived from Aston Villa in a £100m deal - which at the time constituted the most expensive transfer of an English player ever.
Maguire went on to say that should City only be found guilty of failing to cooperate with the Premier League, then a financial sanction seems more likely, as opposed to a points deduction or relegation.
"My one reservation on all of this is that if the only thing that Manchester City are found guilty of is not cooperating with the Premier League, then probably the appropriate punishment is a financial one because they've not had a sporting advantage," Maguire concluded.
"You can argue that bringing in more, artificially inflating the money coming in, and messing around with the wages, has allowed Manchester City to recruit these other players, and on the back of that, they've been successful on the pitch.
"So, we need an on-field punishment if it's just for non-cooperation with the Premier League, and given that the Premier League hasn't cooperated with Manchester City in terms of getting these deals through against this separate hearing, I don't think that a points deduction is appropriate."
Gianfranco Zola believes Cole Palmer is a "top player", though he has been surprised by the impact the England international has had since joining Chelsea.
Palmer signed for the Blues at the start of last season and is a hugely influential figure at Stamford Bridge.
He was named the Premier League's Young Player of the Year, and since his debut in September 2023, Palmer has been involved in 44 top-flight goals (28 goals, 16 assists). No other player in the competition has directly contributed to as many goals in that time.
Already this season, he has netted six goals and registered five assists in the league, the most of any Chelsea player, and made history against Brighton, becoming the first player to score four times in the first half of a Premier League match.
And Chelsea great Zola has high hopes for the 22-year-old.
"At the moment he is producing performances and results worthy of a top player, so where he can get, I don't know, because this guy has surprised everyone, especially me," Zola told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.
"I knew he had good qualities, but doing what he is doing is a surprise for me. And so, I would really like him to continue to surprise both me and the others, so let's hope he continues like this."
Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League and are unbeaten in the competition since their opening-day loss to Palmer's former club Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca is now looking to become only the fifth boss to win each of his first four Premier League away games, with one of the previous four to do so being his next opponent, Liverpool's Arne Slot.
Despite questions surrounding the club before the start of the season, Maresca has seemingly imposed his style of play on the squad quickly, and Zola is impressed with how they have adapted to life under the new head coach.
"I am very happy because beyond the results, which are positive, the team is showing signs of being on the right path," he added.
"There is a structure that is working and then, as they say in England, a 'top of that', that is Palmer, who is continuing to do extraordinary things as he did last year."
Chelsea face league leaders Liverpool on Sunday and will be looking to stay in the mix at the top of the table by claiming their first win in seven against the Reds.
Maresca has shrugged off early suggestions that Chelsea could challenge for the title this season, and though Zola thinks the Blues are competing well, he expects it to be tight in the Premier League.
"Undoubtedly the competition is very strong, very high," he said.
"Liverpool, Arsenal, who have been doing important things for a few years now, City, who will return to their levels, are already at their levels, have had the misfortune of losing a very important player like Rodri, who can be a factor, but [Pep] Guardiola has always shown that he can find solutions, so they will also be there.
"The Premier League is competitive, and Chelsea will have a lot of competitiveness against these teams. However, I repeat, it is encouraging because they are growing well."
Pep Guardiola has played down expectations that he has decided to take over as the next permanent England manager.
The 53-year-old would be a popular choice for the job, given the success that has followed him at every club since becoming a manager.
Guardiola has won six Premier League titles at City, including each of the last four, while he won three league titles each with Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He is also a three-time Champions League winner and 10-time domestic cup winner as a manager.
But when asked about the England job amid reports claiming his next step had been decided, he was not drawn on any speculation.
"It's not true. I'm Manchester City manager," he told Che Tempo Che Fa, as per transfer football expert Fabrizio Romano.
But despite his dismissive comments, Guardiola stopped short of shutting down the rumours that he could be considering becoming the next England manager.
"I've not decided anything, everything can happen. So I don't know," he said.
"Let's see on my future. I still need to reflect and decide what I want to do."
Guardiola's contract at City is up at the end of the 2024-25 season, with the Spaniard yet to make a decision on his future at the club.
Alongside any potential sanctions that City might face in their long-running battle with the Premier League, speculation about their manager's future has been rife in recent months.
He is far and away City's most successful manager of all time, maintaining a win percentage of over 70% after 483 matches in charge, while he is second to Alex Ferguson as the manager with the most Premier League titles.
Erling Haaland may have hit unprecedented heights for Manchester City but Marc Skinner believes Manchester United have a similar talisman in Elisabeth Terland.
United boss Skinner likened Women's Super League star Terland to City's Premier League hero Haaland after the Norwegian scored twice in Sunday's 3-0 victory over Tottenham.
That marked her first two goals for United since joining from Brighton, having first blasted a volley home before looping another header over Becky Spencer.
Asked to describe Terland, Skinner said: "Intense in a good way. She is a person who is always focused, she doesn't dip off her focus whether it's pressing or whatever the task is, she's all in.
"I think she knows Haaland personally and I don't want to compare the two but the immense and intense action of both of them, that's how she performs."
Terland's heroics helped to ensure United's 100% record in the WSL this season stayed intact, with three wins and three clean sheets from three games.
The former Brighton forward, who found the net 13 times in the league last season, appeared all over the place against Spurs, attempting a game-high five shots with three of those on target.
Her two goals came from an expected goals tally of just 0.65, though, suggesting superior finishing from lower quality chances, something that will delight Skinner.
"I came to a club that wants to achieve big things. I know playing in a better team will make me better," Terland told Sky Sports.
"Part of my job is to score goals, it is great to get the first one for the club. A good win and I am proud of the team."
United finished fifth last campaign and lacked a regular scorer, with Nikita Parris finishing the term as the club's top scorer in the WSL with only eight goals.
Skinner knows the tide may now turn, however, with Terland firing up top.
"I just think she's an incredible talent," Skinner added.
"The beauty of her is I think she slows the moment and sees the opportunity under the most immense pressure."
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