Football writer Alex Keble analyses where this weekend's fixtures could be won and lost, including:
- Can Man Utd cause a shock at Anfield?
- Will Premier League return with a bang at the City Ground?
- Can Arsenal overcome Fulham hoodoo?
- What does Villa’s four-match win streak really tell us?
- Will Newcastle end goalless run on the road?
- Can Nuno get off to winning start at London Stadium?
- How will Everton cope at Man City without Grealish?
- Will set-pieces help Sunderland see off winless Wolves?
- Can Burnley triumph in vital six-pointer at Turf Moor?
- Which Champions League outsider can keep momentum going?
Can Man Utd cause a shock at Anfield?
The headline fixture of the weekend is arguably the single biggest match of the 2025/26 Premier League season so far. This is a north-west derby loaded with meaning, the fallout almost certain to dominate the news for the week after.
Liverpool have spent the international break stewing on a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions that culminated with a defeat at Stamford Bridge that knocked them off top spot.
Losing on Sunday is unthinkable. It could leave Liverpool as low as sixth in the Premier League table and, as questions mount over the balance of Arne Slot’s side, would put the Reds somewhere close to crisis point.
Manchester United have been lurking around that stage for some time now, it seems, but after beating Sunderland a fortnight ago, Ruben Amorim will be optimistic his team can get a huge statement win at the home of their rivals.
Beating Liverpool could be the catalyst for revival. Defeat will inevitably pile the pressure on again.
Man Utd tend to perform better when able to sit deeper and counter-attack, as in the 2-1 win at Manchester City last season, the last away match they played against the reigning champions.
Then again, Liverpool will be fired up for this one and nobody more so than the off-form Mohamed Salah, who has more goals (13) and goal involvements (19) against Man Utd than any other player in Premier League history.
Will Premier League return with a bang at the City Ground?
These two-week breaks always feel a lot longer than they are. The lunchtime fixture on Saturday is an exciting moment to bring us back to the action.
On this occasion, the Premier League should return with a bang.
Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last five Premier League matches and are yet to win any of Ange Postecoglou’s seven games in charge.
The turn towards ultra-expansive football has been a sharp one - only Man City have had more 10+ pass sequences in open play (122) and build-up attacks (41) in the Premier League than Forest (112 sequences, 29 build-up attacks).
But Postecoglou has had to play two matches a week since his appointment, limiting time on the training ground.
The international break was a chance to get his tactical ideas across, but that only puts more pressure on the performance of his Forest team this weekend.
Chelsea will feel they need to capitalise on their 2-1 victory against Liverpool a fortnight ago and build momentum.
If they cannot, then their hopes of challenging for the title will further fade.
Enzo Maresca’s side have won only three of their last 14 away Premier League matches (D4 L7), and across 2025, just 27 per cent of their points have come on the road (12/45), the lowest ratio of any ever-present side in the division.
A victory at the City Ground could begin the process of correcting that.
Can Arsenal overcome Fulham hoodoo?
Arsenal have only won one of their last four matches against Fulham and have failed to win their last two trips to Craven Cottage.
This is an important test, then, of the progress Arsenal are making; of the newfound consistency we appear to be seeing now that Mikel Arteta has a deep squad.
In 2024/25 they drew 1-1, at which point, in early December, Arsenal’s title bid was faltering.
The year before, Fulham’s 2-1 win followed immediately after Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to West Ham United, a blip that ultimately cost them the title, with Man City finishing two points above them in the table.
Arsenal might look better prepared for this year’s trip, but they catch Fulham in good home form.
Marco Silva’s side have won their last two home matches in the competition, although Leeds United and Brentford are clearly less challenging opponents and Fulham have lost their last two Premier League games, both away from Craven Cottage.
To outsiders, an Arsenal win on Saturday will seem predictable. But supporters will know it would signify a huge step forward.
What does Villa’s four-match win streak really tell us?
Aston Villa are back. That is the near-universal conclusion drawn from a four-match winning streak in which Unai Emery altered the tactical set-up successfully and Villa took charge of their UEFA Europa League campaign, reminding the squad of the prize on offer this season.
The comedown from missing out on the UEFA Champions League is finally over, it seems.
But we have to caveat Villa’s good form with the calibre of opponent they’ve faced; home wins against Fulham and Burnley isn’t necessarily a sign Villa are ready to push for a top-five finish.
Facing Tottenham Hotspur is a major test of Emery’s shift towards a slightly more direct and urgent style of football, and of Villa’s confidence, which might remain brittle despite the winning streak.
Spurs, just two points off the top, will almost certainly be Villa’s direct rivals for a Champions League place.
A win at Spurs would be huge, casting aside Villa’s poor start and moving them to within two points of Thomas Frank’s side.
It’s a big match for Spurs too, then. Interestingly they have scored 13 goals from an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 7.5 in the Premier League this season, the biggest over-performance of any side (+5.5).
For Spurs, a narrow win at Leeds before the break was followed by consecutive Premier League draws.
Defeat to Villa would be a body blow.
Will Newcastle end goalless run on the road?
This is never an easy fixture for Newcastle United, who took just a single point from their matches against Brighton & Hove Albion last season, but it could be exactly the kind of tactical battle Eddie Howe needs to end a troubling goalscoring record.
Newcastle have failed to score in each of their last four Premier League away matches and are looking to avoid a five-game streak for the first time since May 2015.
Just two clubs have scored fewer Premier League goals than Newcastle’s six, while only Forest (6.3 per cent) have a lower shot conversion rate than their 7.5 per cent.
Howe’s team love to burst forward on the break, enjoying best of all when opponents press hard and embrace end-to-end action. That’s a decent description of Brighton.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side have forced more high turnovers (56) and shot-ending high turnovers (13) than any side in the Premier League this season. This suits Newcastle.
Then again, Brighton haven’t been beaten in any of their eight Premier League home matches against Newcastle, and have only lost one of their last 11 home games in the competition.
Can Nuno get off to winning start at London Stadium?
Nuno Espirito Santo has had a tough start to life as West Ham head coach, travelling to Everton and Arsenal.
His first match at the London Stadium offers the chance to get his tenure up and running.
Nuno has already beaten Brentford this season, winning 3-1 with Nottingham Forest on the opening day, and he will be confident of doing so again, especially with Tomas Soucek back from suspension and ready to play under Nuno for the first time.
West Ham have lost all three of their Premier League home matches in 2025/26, doing so for only the second time in their history.
Coincidentally, each of those losses came against London clubs.
Fortunately for the hosts, Brentford have been beaten in their three away matches.
In other words, this is the perfect home debut for Nuno. He has to seize the opportunity.
How will Everton cope at Man City without Grealish?
David Moyes has lost his last eight Premier League away trips to Man City, a run that stretches back to his time in charge of Man Utd.
Even with Everton in good form, Pep Guardiola’s side are naturally big favourite for this one.
The chances of a home win are increased substantially by the absence of Jack Grealish, ineligible to play against his parent club.
Grealish has scored or assisted five of Everton’s nine Premier League goals this season and has created more chances (17) than any other team-mate.
That’s good news for Man City, who have collected 10 points from their last four Premier league matches and look to be quietly building momentum.
Will set-pieces help Sunderland see off winless Wolves?
A Sunderland victory would mean earning 10+ points from their first four home matches of a top-flight campaign (adjusting to three points for a win) for the first time since 1968/69 (10).
Sunderland have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, built almost entirely on playing so many of their easiest Premier League fixtures first.
That’s why it’s essential they keep this going and take advantage of yet another winnable game at the Stadium of Light this weekend.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are still without a victory this season and sit bottom of the Premier League with two points.
Sunderland won’t ever get a better chance to beat this team.
Set-pieces could be the difference.
Sunderland’s non-penalty xG total this season is 5.6, and 2.5 of that has been from set-pieces, the highest ratio (45 per cent) of any side in the Premier League.
Meanwhile Wolves have faced 37 per cent of their non-penalty Expected Goals Against (xGA) from set-pieces, the fourth highest in the division.
Can Burnley triumph in vital six-pointer at Turf Moor?
It doesn’t get anywhere near headline billing, but this is a six-pointer that could have huge ramifications for both clubs at the end of the season.
Much has been made of the good start by the promoted clubs this season, but it’s fair to say Sunderland are responsible for a high proportion of that.
Leeds and Burnley are in the bottom six, and neither team has won a match against a club that finished higher than 13th last season.
In fact, Burnley have only won once - and that was against fellow promoted team Sunderland.
Leeds beat Everton on the opening weekend, but since then have only managed to get three points against Wolves, who are bottom.
So, the six-pointers between the promoted clubs could go a long way to deciding who can avoid a relegation battle.
Both clubs are still in that Luton and Ipswich Town zone. They have made confident and competitive starts, but unless they can start climbing up the table they could soon lose momentum.
Which Champions League outsider can keep momentum going?
Such is the strength of the Premier League, with Newcastle and Villa back on the up recently and most of the "Big Six" flexing their muscles, it feels unlikely that both Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth – the two dark horses of this season – can challenge for a Champions League spot.
Their head-to-head this weekend could help determine which can maintain momentum and keep up an unlikely push to get into Europe’s elite competition.
The home team may hold the advantage.
Palace are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League matches at Selhurst Park, and although Bournemouth have won four of their last six, they have only won just two of their last nine fixtures away from home.