Matchweek 3 Preview

The West London Derby might be the friendliest of all the local grudge matches in the entire country. These two are rivals only by virtue or proximity, there’s rarely any animosity between them.

Fulham played well against Manchester United and deserved the point they got. I respect Marco Silva’s sides. They play neat and tidy football, and they always put in a shift. Raul Jimenez can blow hot and cold, but the Cottagers will be buzzing off the back his goal midweek against Bristol City as he tends to be a streaky scorer.

Meanwhile down in Chelsea town, BlueCo keep doing what BlueCo do. Out the door this week were Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Aaron Anselmino (loan), in was Alejandro Garnacho. None of those players were going to or are going to play in this one of course, but the Pokemon card trading that Chelsea do these days is staggering.

As far as the game goes, these tend to be generally close run games with Chelsea more often than not coming out on top. I don’t expect Cole Palmer to play with his ongoing groin complaint, but Chelsea should still be too much in attack for Fulham. The question mark when Chelsea play this season will always be can their defense do enough against their opposition’s attack. Smith-Rowe and Jimenez are looking good together and if they get an early one they might just surprise the Blues.

I think Chelsea will still shade it, 2-1.

It is worrying times at Old Trafford. Who am I kidding, it’s been worrying times at Old Trafford since Jose Mourinho left. United have always had a way of bouncing back after shocking defeats, but so far under Ruben Amorim that quality has been noticeably lacking. Seeing him on the sidelines at Grimsby Town, soaked through to his skin, playing with his magnets mid-game, he looks like a broken man. Is it the team make up? Is it the dressing room? Is it the Glazers? Is it Ratcliffe? Is it Amorim dogmatically clinging to his 3-4-3 formation that does not work in the Premier League? I’m sure the answer is: All Of The Above in varying measures.

Manchester’s unique way of making good players worse in recent times needs and 30 for 30 style documentary. It is truly, truly astonishing. If Amorim is unable to arrest that trend, he will find himself on the unemployment line rather quickly. Assuming, of course, that United can find the money to sack him.

Burnley looked so much better against Sunderland last time out. Parker’s team was full of focus and drive. They looked like a team who belonged in that game. The trouble is, Sunderland are also a Championship level outfit, so that’s not saying as much as Clarets fans would hope. I think Scott Parker is a decent manager, even a pretty good manager! Just at that Championship level.

I think United get “on track” at least for the weekend. Benjamin Sesko gets off the mark and they take all three points.

This one has all the makings of a tight affair. Sunderland showed plenty of positives against Burnley last weekend — they moved the ball well, created a handful of decent chances, and looked like a side with some real belief. The problem, as it so often is, came in front of goal. They’ll need to sharpen up their finishing if they want to make the most of the good build-up play they’re putting together.

Brentford, meanwhile, are a side who rarely give you an inch. Compact, organized, and always waiting for the moment to pounce, they thrive on turnovers and set pieces. Thomas Frank’s men don’t mind ugly games; in fact, they usually welcome them. You know exactly what you’re going to get from them — effort, structure, and just enough quality on the counter to make opponents nervous.

I don’t think there will be a lot between the two here. Sunderland’s energy and willingness to play on the front foot will be matched by Brentford’s discipline and opportunism. It feels like one of those games that could be decided by a single lapse of concentration — but more likely than not, neither side will blink enough to let it happen.

I’ll call it a low-scoring draw.

Tottenham are settling into life under Thomas Frank, and you can already see his fingerprints on this side. More compact, less chaos, but still with enough flair in attack to keep things lively. The big headline in North London this week was the arrival of Xavi Simons, a statement signing if ever there was one, though he won’t feature here. His presence alone, though, speaks volumes about the direction Spurs are trying to head.

For now, they’ll continue leaning on what’s been working — and that means Richarlison leading the line. He’s been sharp enough to keep Dominic Solanke parked on the bench, which says something, and with Son and Maddison around him Spurs still look plenty dangerous.

As for Bournemouth, Iraola’s men will work hard and look to unsettle Spurs with their press, but this matchup doesn’t do them many favors. Tottenham’s midfield under Frank looks more disciplined than it has in years, and that takes away a lot of the joy Bournemouth usually find turning teams over.

I don’t see this one being especially nervy. Bournemouth will likely nick a goal somewhere along the way, but Spurs should have too much in the tank.

Tottenham easy W.

Wolves are a side in need of a lift. The league campaign hasn’t clicked yet, and while performances have had their moments, the table doesn’t lie. That’s why the midweek comeback in the cup was so vital — it felt like the kind of night that can reset a squad, a reminder that there’s still some bite in this team.

Everton under David Moyes are exactly what you’d expect: hard to beat, relentless in their application, and rarely a side to hand you an easy day out. What’s different this time around is the touch of flair he suddenly has at his disposal. Jack Grealish gives them a creative outlet they’ve long been missing, and alongside Ndiaye — who has quickly become their go-to man — the Toffees now have a bit of sparkle to match the grit.

On paper, this feels like the kind of match that ends level. Both sides showed something in midweek, both will come in with confidence, and both will know how important this is. But reality has a way of humbling one of these teams, and I think it’s Everton who come up short. Wolves at home, with the momentum of that cup win, should finally get off the mark here.

I’ll back Strand Larsen to be the difference-maker, bagging a couple to secure a 2-0 Wolves win.

Leeds come into this one licking their wounds after being dismantled 5-0 by Arsenal. And the worrying part is Arsenal weren’t even close to their best. Daniel Farke’s men were pulled apart with alarming ease, and that sort of result has a way of lingering around a squad. They’ll need to show some real resolve at Elland Road to put that behind them quickly.

Newcastle, meanwhile, suffered their own gut punch. To lose at Anfield is no disgrace, but to be undone at the death by a 16-year-old former Chelsea academy player? That one will sting. To make matters worse, Anthony Gordon’s reckless red card means Eddie Howe will be without one of his main outlets. Still, there are reasons for optimism. It’s been a rough start to the campaign, but reinforcements look to be on the way, and Howe’s side have shown flashes of their old intensity.

Leeds are no pushover — they play with energy, the crowd drives them on, and they’ll fancy their chances against a slightly wounded Magpies side. But man-for-man Newcastle still look the stronger outfit, even without Gordon. If they stay switched on and take their chances, they should have enough to get this done.

I’ll back Newcastle to steady themselves here and bank the 3 points.

Which version of Manchester City shows up here? The one that looked back to their imperious best in Week 1, or the team in Week 2 that couldn’t pass their way out of a wet paper bag? James Trafford is a fine shot-stopper — maybe even a great one — but if Pep insists on playing out from the back, he’s going to be called into action far too often. It’s exactly why City moved him on in the first place: not for lack of talent, but for his limitations with the ball at his feet. The irony is rich in the rumor mill too, with City supposedly lining up a big-money move for Gianluigi Donnarumma — another excellent shot-stopper, another goalkeeper who struggles with distribution. At least you can always award Pep and City points for consistency.

Brighton, meanwhile, need to find goals from somewhere. Rutter, Mitoma, Minteh — someone has to step up. The football itself has been as slick and easy on the eye as you’d expect (those garish purple kits aside), and truth be told they should probably be sitting on four, maybe even six points by now. But the end product just hasn’t been there. That’s the concern, especially against a side like City who can punish wastefulness without a second thought.

Of course, Brighton do have a habit of throwing a spanner in the works against the big clubs, and the Amex can be a tricky place when the crowd gets rolling. But unless City have another one of those off-days, you’d expect them to reassert themselves here and get back to winning ways — and do it rather comfortably.

I’m taking City.

Graham Potter needs a win. Plain and simple. Anything less and it feels like the end of his time at the London Stadium. Results haven’t gone his way, the atmosphere around the club is flat, and patience is wearing thinner by the week. You get the sense this is make-or-break.

Forest, on the other hand, look like a team on the verge of a meltdown off the pitch, but not necessarily on it. Everything coming out of the City Ground sounds like a bad soap opera — the manager not speaking to the owner, the sporting director not speaking to the manager… it’s all gone a bit high school. And yet, the football itself hasn’t been dire. Losing Anthony Elanga could have been a hammer blow, but they’ve managed without him, and keeping Morgan Gibbs-White has proven massive. He’s still the heartbeat of this team.

Chris Wood has the look of a man who could enjoy himself here. If Forest get him service, West Ham’s backline might be in for a long afternoon. As for the Hammers, if they come up short, it’s hard to imagine Potter surviving the fallout.

I’ll back Forest to pile on the misery with Wood leading the charge and West Ham calling time on Potter’s tenure.

Both sides come into this one perfect on paper, but far from perfect on the pitch. A 100% record each, and of course one of those has to go.

Liverpool have resembled Klopp’s “Heavy Metal football” this season. At least in so far as their plans appears to be go out and score more than you. Their opening two games have been pure chaos, and against a side like Arsenal, chaos can be punished.

Arsenal still look very much like Arteta’s Arsenal. Organized, disciplined, and relentless without the ball. They press from the front, they smother in midfield, and they make you play the game at their tempo. The issue is availability — no Bukayo Saka, and doubts over Martin Ødegaard. That’s a lot of creativity missing. The good news is the addition of Eberechi Eze, who slots in as if he’s always belonged. His ability to glide between lines gives Arsenal a different wrinkle they’ve been missing.

It feels like a heavyweight clash where the margins are razor thin. Liverpool will push, but Arsenal have the sturdier base. If they take their chances, they can leave Merseyside with all three points — and top spot in the table.

Arsenal’s defense over Liverpool’s chaos. Arsenal end the weekend top of the pile.

This one looks like it will be tight from start to finish. Villa should look more like themselves — confident in possession, pressing intelligently, and showing flashes of the attacking verve that made them dangerous last season. The home advantage should give them a small edge.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are struggling a bit in the creative department. Losing Eberechi Eze has left a hole in the middle of the park that they haven’t quite patched yet. Their usual organization and work ethic remain, but the lack of spark in attack has been noticeable, and it could be the difference between scraping a point and finding themselves behind.

All told, it feels like a game that could go either way, but neither side will likely do enough to separate themselves.

I’ll call it a 1-1 draw.