Matchweek 6 Preview

United looked better against Chelsea last week. Before the Sanchez madness, the Red Devils were pressing Chelsea all over the park, and winning every battle. Of course, that was only 4 minutes of the first half before they went up a man, so who knows how they might have reacted had their early impetus not born fruit. These are incredibly twitchy times for United after all.

I owe Keith Andrews an apology, I wasn’t familiar with his game. Which, as it turns out, is the same game as Frank’s. Brentford, after a wobble on opening day, look as solid as they have for their entire stay in the Premier League. Generally stable but give to fits of over achievement and implosion.

The Bees are unbeaten in the last 3 matches against United at The Gtech. I’m expecting that to continue here. Brentford will be compact and controlled. They will try to counter with Ouattara. I don’t see United having the guile and creativity to get past them. Sorry Frank, but the haircut will continue to wait!

Brighton realistically should be on at least 9 points. Instead they are on 5 points and sitting in 14th place. I know I started this article talking about how what we see is starting to be what we’ll get from teams. Brighton I think are the exception here. They are under performing their xG by 2 goals. Two goals that likely would have earned them at least 4 more points. Brighton are one of the most entertaining and creative teams in the division and I expect they will start to meet their xG going forward and begin picking up points and moving up the table.

Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea. A team that just can not get out of their own way. They are addicted to drama. Be that winning the Club World Cup, signing every player under the age of 22 in Brazil, self reporting accounting “irregularities”, or bomb squads. On the field they are equally chaotic. Which is hilarious when Maresca was hired for his clear point of view and methodology of how he wants a team to play football. Chelsea have signed approximately 98 goal keepers in the last 4 windows, yet they persist with Robert Sanchez in nets. Sure he makes some outlandish saves, but his capacity for game breaking errors remains his most consistent trait. The less said about his understudy, Jorgensen, the better. Chelsea are going to continue to be chaos incarnate. Vacillating between scintillating and

This should be a hilarious and exciting game and will of course be a 2-2 draw. There’s no way around that.

Liverpool are running hot. Red hot. Blazing with emotion, bursting with momentum, and fuelled by both triumph and tragedy. Last season’s title win has them puffed up, but it’s the passing of Diogo Jota that’s turned them into something else entirely. They’re playing on pure feeling—every tackle seems a bit sharper, every shot a bit more desperate, every moment stretched to its emotional limits.

The football is often breathless. Relentless pressing, attacking in waves, the midfield functioning more like a trampoline than a control mechanism. Klopp may have left, but the chaos remains. Maybe more than ever.

Which makes Palace—sullen, structured, quietly unpleasant to play against—the perfect foil. If Liverpool are a rock concert, Palace are a slow, sad cello concerto in the rain. Nothing comes easy against them. They’re allergic to rhythm. Even when they're not playing particularly well, they manage to smother games with a sort of tactical Ambien.

Adam Wharton is quickly becoming the quiet heartbeat of this side. There’s something wonderfully out-of-step about him—like he’s playing the game in slow motion while everyone else sprints around in fast-forward. He doesn’t tackle so much as he appears where the ball was always going to end up. Not flashy, not loud, just relentlessly in the right place. Palace are building something steady around him, and it’s starting to show. And Mateta? He’s like if a fridge learned to dance. Awkward and strangely effective.

This will be tight. Palace will get under Liverpool’s skin. They’ll absorb and frustrate and quietly plot the counter. But Liverpool aren’t a team right now—they’re a cause. And causes find ways to win.

I don’t think it’ll be pretty, but I think Liverpool steal it late. Probably through some horrid deflection off someone’s shin. Maybe Endo. It just feels like that kind of match.

Leeds have come back to this league flamethrowing, stumbling, lunging, but always alive. It’s not clean, it’s not elegant, but when they get going there’s a feral joy to their play. Midfielders flying forward, full‑backs pushing on, lots of noise and motion.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have a steadiness about them under Iraola—a structure underneath the flux. They press, they close space, they force you sideways until something snaps. There’s danger in every broken rhythm.

Leeds don’t have Archie Gray to lean on, but they still have grit, young legs, bold passes, and an edge of recklessness. In midfield, whoever steps up has to balance chaos and control, because Bournemouth won’t give you time.

Up front, Bournemouth’s attack is efficient and effective. Players like Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson will look to punish sloppy defending, and with wingers running into half‑spaces, Leeds will have to stay alert.

Burnley are bound, determined, scrappy. Discipline without flair, structure without beauty, but an ability to exploit every misstep. They carry that old‑school grit that reminds you of league tables long past. They know what it’s like to dig in, to survive rather than shine.

Where Burnley have to be smart: compact, patient, brave on the ball, ready to counter. They’ll need to force City into turnovers rather than chasing the ball, otherwise it’ll be one of those afternoons where you watch City put on a clinic, and Burnley can only nod respectfully.

City’s attack will probably look unstoppable—width, overloads, constant rotation in midfield, Bernardo Silva pulling strings, Haaland hunting in those dangerous half‑spaces. Burnley will try to stay tight, protect the channels, make fouls when necessary, hope someone can get forward and cause a moment of chaos (often all it takes).

I expect an onslaught. City will dominate possession, territory, shots. Burnley may frustrate for periods, may even have chances if City get sloppy. But in the end, City’s class should tell.

Forest feel like a team in search of clarity. Under Ange Postecoglou they’ve shown flashes — some real attacking promise, Igor Jesus scoring, Elliot Anderson slipping line‑breaking passes in — but also a troubling habit of letting leads slip, conceding late, and making what should be routine feel difficult.

Sunderland, by contrast, are turning heads. Newcomers maybe, but dangerous ones. They’ve picked up 8 points from their first 5 in the Premier League — wins, draws, grit. Their defensive organisation has improved, they’re not overextending themselves, and when they do break, they look sharp

Forest will try to boss possession, push the full‑backs high, use Anderson to unlock space, maybe Joshua or Jesus in attack. They’ll want to press, but Sunderland could suck in pressure and hit with counterattacks or quick transitions.

Sunderland will probably sit a little deeper than in some games, stay compact, make things muddy, frustrate. Their game plan will depend on taking chances when they do appear — discipline + opportunism.

Spurs are cruising nicely under Thomas Frank. Solid at the back, sharp going forward, and sitting comfortably near the top of the table. Unbeaten in their last five, they’re playing with a quiet confidence that wasn’t always there last season. But Wolves have been a pesky opponent — winning four of the last five league meetings — so Spurs will want to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

Richarlison has been banging in goals, showing up when it counts, and Kudus has been quietly excellent — that mix of flair, movement, and work-rate making Spurs’ attack tick. They’ve found a rhythm without the usual fanfare, but you can tell something’s clicking.

Wolves, meanwhile, are struggling. Bottom of the table, no wins in five, and searching for answers. Still, they’re never pushovers. They’ll look to frustrate Spurs with tight defending and hit hard on the counter. Matheus Cunha remains their danger man, capable of turning a game on its head if given space.

Expect a cagey, tactical battle. Spurs will dominate possession and try to unlock Wolves patiently. Wolves will sit deep, absorb pressure, and look for that one moment of chaos.

Aston Villa are in the midst of a season that could go either way. Unai Emery's side have shown glimpses of brilliance but have also faltered at crucial moments. Their recent 1-0 Europa League victory over Bologna, secured by a John McGinn strike, provided a much-needed morale boost after a series of disappointing results.

Fulham, on the other hand, are quietly going about their business. Sitting just outside the European spots, Marco Silva's team has been resilient, with recent wins against Southampton and Liverpool showcasing their potential.

Historically, Villa Park has been a fortress for Aston Villa. They've won six of their last seven Premier League meetings with Fulham, including the last five in a row. However, Fulham will be keen to end that streak and make a statement in this fixture.

The key battle will be in midfield. Villa's McGinn will look to dominate possession, while Fulham will aim to disrupt their rhythm and launch counter-attacks. The outcome of this midfield duel could determine the flow of the game.

Eddie Howe's side has demonstrated resilience and tactical acumen, particularly in high-stakes matches. The return of Anthony Gordon from suspension adds a crucial attacking dimension, offering creativity and dynamism to the frontline.

Arsenal, while formidable, have shown vulnerabilities in recent encounters, including a narrow 1-0 victory over Newcastle earlier this year. Their recent form has been inconsistent, and they face a challenging atmosphere at St James' Park.

Everton host West Ham United at Goodison Park on Monday night, with both teams aiming to bounce back from recent setbacks. Everton's manager, David Moyes, faces continued injury challenges as his squad prepares for the Premier League clash. Key absentees include defender Jarrad Branthwaite and midfielder Merlin Röhl, neither of whom has returned to full training. Moyes expressed caution regarding Branthwaite’s return due to a re-injury but praised Michael Keane for adequately stepping in. Additionally, Moyes commented on young full-back Adam Aznou's lack of first-team minutes, suggesting he still needs to adapt to the physicality of English football.

West Ham United also have their own injury concerns. Midfielder Tomáš Souček is suspended, and defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka is doubtful due to injury. These absences could impact the Hammers' defensive stability and midfield presence

Everton have shown resilience at home, remaining unbeaten in their last four matches at Goodison Park. However, they have been inconsistent, with recent draws and losses affecting their position in the league. Their most recent Premier League encounter ended in a 1-1 draw against West Ham.

West Ham United have had a mixed bag of results, with some impressive performances but also disappointing defeats. Their recent form suggests they are vulnerable, especially without key players available.