Premier League: 10 Key Things to Watch This Weekend
1. Casemiro's Crisis and Ugarte's Opportunity
After Casemiro's disastrous performance against Liverpool, Erik ten Hag looks likely to hand Manuel Ugarte his debut at Southampton. Ugarte, newly arrived from PSG, played a full 90 minutes for Uruguay midweek and now faces a tough Premier League debut with Manchester United in need of results.
Southampton vs Manchester United, Saturday 12:30pm (BST)
2. Delap’s Time to Shine
Liam Delap, a talented youngster from Manchester City, has found a promising new home at Ipswich. After mixed loan spells at Stoke and Preston, he has shown early promise with Ipswich, scoring regularly in the Championship. His full Premier League season will be key to his development.
Brighton vs Ipswich, Saturday 3pm
3. Glasner's New Look at Palace
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner may debut new signings Maxence Lacroix, Trevoh Chalobah, and Eddie Nketiah against Leicester. With established defenders like Marc Guéhi still in place, Glasner has tactical decisions to make about fitting his new recruits into the lineup.
Crystal Palace vs Leicester, Saturday 3pm
Oliver Glasner may field a new-look team against Leicester. Photograph: Dylan Hepworth/Every Second Media/Shutterstock
4. Will Füllkrug Feature for West Ham?
West Ham’s new manager, Julen Lopetegui, may give Niclas Füllkrug his first start after a mixed start to the season. With the team struggling for goals, Lopetegui might replace Michail Antonio with the new Borussia Dortmund signing.
Fulham vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm
5. Gibbs-White vs Gravenberch
Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, fresh off becoming the club's first England international since 1997, will face off against Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch. The key battle could define whether Forest extends its unbeaten run.
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm
6. Manchester City’s Relentless Run
City has started the season with three wins, nine goals, and only two conceded. Erling Haaland is in red-hot form, already netting seven times. Brentford pulled off a surprise victory against City last season, but without Ivan Toney, a similar result seems unlikely.
Manchester City vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Will Erling Haaland continue his hot streak? Photograph: Phil Oldham/Shutterstock
7. Old Faces Meet Again at Villa Park
Aston Villa and Everton will renew old ties after several player trades between the two clubs this summer. Amadou Onana, in great form with two goals in three games, will face his old club, as Everton desperately looks to fix their defensive issues.
Aston Villa vs Everton, Saturday 5:30pm
8. Travers Steps Up for Bournemouth
Bournemouth's loanee goalkeeper, Mark Travers, will get a rare chance to impress against Chelsea, as regular starter Kepa Arrizabalaga is ineligible to face his parent club. Travers, last a regular in the Premier League two seasons ago, will look to seize the opportunity.
Bournemouth vs Chelsea, Saturday 8pm
9. Arsenal Forced to Wear Away Kit
In the North London derby, Arsenal will wear their away kit after officials ruled their home kit clashes with Tottenham’s. While minor, it’s yet another instance of football tradition being sacrificed for commercial reasons.
Tottenham vs Arsenal, Sunday 2pm
Arsenal’s red shirts will be conspicuously absent on Sunday. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock
10. Crunch Time for O’Neil at Wolves
Wolves have had a rough start to the season, and a loss to Newcastle would mark their worst start since returning to the Premier League in 2018. Despite new signings, Wolves manager Gary O'Neil is under pressure to deliver a result.
Wolves vs Newcastle, Sunday 4:30pm
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| 3 | Brighton | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 5 | Newcastle | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 6 | Brentford | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | AFC Bournemouth | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Nottm Forest | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 11 | Chelsea | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 12 | Fulham | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 | West Ham | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 14 | Man Utd | 3 | -3 | 3 |
| 15 | Leicester | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| 16 | Crystal Palace | 3 | -3 | 1 |
| 17 | Ipswich | 3 | -5 | 1 |
| 18 | Wolverhampton | 3 | -6 | 1 |
| 19 | Southampton | 3 | -4 | 0 |
| 20 | Everton | 3 | -8 | 0 |