Friday: Crystal Palace v Manchester City (11pm kick-off UAE)
New Palace manager Pierre Sage will be looking for improvement in Palace’s first home match of the season after losing 2-0 away to Everton in their opener. The Eagles have boosted their squad this week by completing the loan signing of defender Axel Disasi from Chelsea.
City also had a new man in the dugout last week, but Enzo Maresca was able to start his reign with a win as late goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol earned them a comeback victory over Bournemouth. City have also been active in the transfer market, completing an £85.6m deal to bring 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.
Prediction: Palace 1 City 3
Saturday Liverpool v Nottingham Forest (3.30pm)
Liverpool needed a stoppage-time penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai to rescue a point at Newcastle on Sunday, with Cody Gakpo also on target in a 2-2 draw in what was manager Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge. The Merseysiders are reported to be closing in on a £120m deal for Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola.
New Forest manager Oliver Glasner saw his team fall to a frustrating 1-0 home defeat against Leeds United on Saturday and then lost 2-0 in the League Cup second round to the same opponents. There was some good news for Glasner this week, though, when Forest sealed a £50m deal for Chelsea striker Liam Delap on Thursday.
Prediction: Liverpool 2 Palace 0
Bournemouth v Everton (5pm)
Bournemouth were 1-0 up against last season’s runners-up City until the 84th minute, only to concede two late goals at the Etihad Stadium, denying Marco Rose a winning start as manager. Defeat ended the Cherries’ 18-game unbeaten run, with their last loss in any competition back in January.
Goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry either side of half-time earned Everton victory over Palace last weekend, and they followed that up by thrashing second-tier Preston 4-0 on Wednesday. Barry scored his first Everton hat-trick in the win at Deepdale.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1 Everton 1
Coventry City v Hull City (5pm)
Coventry’s first top-flight match since 2001 ended in a 3-0 thumping at champions Arsenal in the opening game of the Premier League season last Friday. Frank Lampard’s side, who were promoted after winning the Championship, then won 4-2 away to third-tier Plymouth Argyle in the League Cup on Tuesday, with summer signing Taiwo Awoniyi scoring the opening goal.
Hull enjoyed a sensational Premier League return when they deservedly beat Manchester United 2-0 at MKM Stadium thanks to goals from defenders Nobel Mendy and Semi-Ajayi. The Tigers, though, needed penalties to overcome second-tier Stoke City.
Prediction: Coventry 2 Hull 2
Hull beat Man United – in pictures
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United
Spurs’ season could not have started any worse as the big-spending London club were beaten 3-0 at Brentford. But Robert De Zerbi’s side powered to a midweek League Cup win over second-tier Charlton Athletic, which saw new signing Savio score on his debut and claim an assist after coming off the bench in the 71st minute.
Newcastle came agonisingly close to beating Liverpool in their opener after Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock had twice put the Magpies in front, only for Lewis Hall to concede a stoppage-time penalty that Szoboszlai converted. New manager Matthias Jaissle, though, tasted victory midweek when Newcastle defeated second-tier West Bromwich Albion 3-2, with substitute Harvey Barnes scoring twice.
Prediction: Spurs 2 Newcastle 3
Sunday: Chelsea v Brighton (5pm)
Chelsea will be looking to build on their 3-2 West London derby win over Fulham on Monday that saw attacking trio Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all find the back of the net. On Thursday, Xabi Alonso’s side beat third-tier Luton Town 2-0 in the League Cup.
Brighton were also victorious last weekend as they trounced Aston Villa 4-0 on the south coast, with all the goals coming in the opening 31 minutes and Jack Hinshelwood hitting a double. The Seagulls started with a bang despite losing defender Jan Paul van Hecke and striker Danny Welbeck during the summer, while midfielder Carlos Baleba was absent ahead of joining Manchester United.
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Brighton 1
Leeds United v Brentford (5pm)
Leeds’ super start to the season has seen them complete a double over Nottingham Forest. An Anton Stach free-kick earned them three Premier League points last weekend at the City Ground before goals from Dan James and James Justin secured passage to the League Cup third round on Tuesday.
Brentford also came flying out of the blocks on Saturday as they ripped apart Spurs at the Gtech Community Stadium thanks to goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode, while record buy, Mamadou Sangare, produced a man-of-the-match display on his debut.
Prediction: Leeds 1 Brentford 1
Sunderland v Fulham (5pm)
Sunderland were last season’s surprise package when they finished seventh and qualified for Europe for the first time in 52 years, but began the new campaign with a 2-1 defeat at newly promoted Ipswich Town.
Fulham were edged out 3-2 by local rivals Chelsea on Monday night, although there were still plenty of positives to take away for new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. In their League Cup tie against third-tier AFC Wimbledon on Thursday, the Cottagers 3-0.
Prediction: Sunderland 1 Fulham 0
Manchester United v Ipswich (7.30pm)
It was a disastrous opening weekend for Manchester United manager Michael Carrick as his team were well beaten at Hull, the first time in their history that they had lost to a promoted team on the first day of a season. The midweek arrival of midfielder Baleba will be a welcome addition.
Ipswich were back in the top-flight with a bang after beating Sunderland 2-1 at Portman Road with substitute Jack Clarke scoring a last-gasp winner against his former club. A 3-1 victory over third-tier Leicester City followed in the League Cup with Marcelino Nunez scoring twice, including one stunning effort from 45 yards out.
Prediction: Man United 2 Ipswich 0
Monday: Aston Villa v Arsenal (11pm)
Europa League winners Villa fell to a dreadful 4-0 loss at Brighton, with all the goals coming in a first half that also saw new signing Joao Gomes sent off on his debut. Manager Unai Emery has seen the core of his Europa League-winning team – Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne – sold, while Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez could also go before the window shuts.
Arsenal looked strong as they comfortably defeated Coventry last week, with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard providing the goals at the Emirates Stadium. That made it two 3-0 wins on the spin following their Community Shield defeat of Manchester City.
Prediction: Villa 1 Arsenal 3
