MY ACCOUNT
There are three managerial debuts and an eye-catching collision between Liverpool and Arsenal in a thrilling set of Premier League fixtures this weekend.
Steven Gerrard makes his Premier League return as Aston Villa host Brighton, while Leicester’s game against leaders Chelsea is another notable clash on Matchday 12.
LiveScore run the rule over all 10 fixtures, starting with tomorrow’s early kick-off.
Leicester vs Chelsea (Saturday, 12.30pm, BT Sport 1)
Chelsea will hope to preserve their three-point lead at the top of the Premier League against a Leicester side who have struggled to reach their previous heights.
The Foxes find themselves in 12th but will be looking to secure their third victory over the West Londoners in 2021 after beating them in January and in last season’s FA Cup final.
Brendan Rodgers’ men are also unbeaten in three home games against the Blues (one win, two draws) — their longest run on home soil against them since May 1995 — and will be delighted to learn that Romelu Lukaku is not fit.
But Chelsea are in fine form away from home after winning their last three by an aggregate score of 7-0 — they have not won four in a row without conceding since December 2008.
Aston Villa vs Brighton (Saturday, 3pm)
More than six years since he last played in the English top flight as a player, Gerrard makes his bow as a boss in the Premier League as Villa face the high-flying Seagulls.
The former midfielder will be Villa’s 13th permanent manager in the Premier League as he looks to become only the third to win their first game for the club after John Gregory and Gerrard’s old Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier.
The 41-year-old will have work to do from the off after a dismal run of five straight defeats for Villans led to predecessor Dean Smith’s sacking, while they are also winless in three against Brighton.
Despite their impressive seventh-place position, Graham Potter’s men are hunting their first win in five in the Premier League — though they have lost only once on that run.
Gerrard is expected to be without midfielder Douglas Luiz and Morgan Sanson, while Enock Mwepu and Steven Alzate are absent for Brighton as goalkeeper Robert Sanchez continues to serve a suspension.
Watford vs Manchester United (Saturday, 3pm)
After a humbling defeat by rivals Manchester City before the international break, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still under pressure ahead of their Saturday trip to struggling Watford.
The Red Devils will be buoyed by their previous meetings against the Hertfordshire outfit, having won 12 of their 14 top-flight games against them.
Claudio Ranieri’s Hornets are teetering just two points above the drop, with no team failing to score in more Premier League games than them (seven), while they have not kept a clean sheet in 21 top-flight games.
United are on a difficult run of their own having lost four of their last six — as many defeats as they had in their previous 40.
Since the 2003-04 season, Cristiano Ronaldo has been involved in 104 goals in 91 Premier League appearances against newly-promoted teams (83 goals, 21 assists), an involvement every 71 minutes.
Newcastle vs Brentford (Saturday, 3pm)
Eddie Howe takes charge of winless Newcastle for the visit of Brentford, whose early momentum has stuttered with a run of four straight defeats.
The Magpies are the only Premier League team still yet to taste victory, with 11 games their longest winless run at the start of any league campaign.
If Howe was in any doubt of the job he has on his hands, Newcastle are one of two sides yet to keep a clean sheet this season, while only Norwich (26) have conceded more than the 24 goals the Tyneside outfit have let in.
Brentford have conceded seven goals in their last three Premier League games — the same total as they shipped in their first eight after earning promotion.
Bees striker Ivan Toney returns to St James’ Park after spending three years there between 2015 and 2018 — Newcastle have conceded more against former players than any other club in the division (49).
Wolves vs West Ham (Saturday, 3pm)
High-flying West Ham travel to Wolves hoping to solidify their place in the Premier League’s top four.
David Moyes’ men are third — just three points off leaders Chelsea after four straight Premier League wins, including a stunning 3-2 victory over Liverpool a fortnight ago.
The Hammers are unbeaten in 11 away games in all competitions, their longest run of that kind as a Premier League club.
Wolves’ four-game unbeaten run came to an end against Crystal Palace last time out but the Midlands outfit will look to make it three wins in three at home on Saturday — as many as they had in their previous seven at Molineux.
West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen has five goal involvements in his last five Premier League games (two goals, three assists), while he has scored more against Wolves than he has against any other side (three).
Wolves pair Trincao (three) and Adam Traore (1.9) have the two highest expected goals totals of players yet to score in the Premier League this season.
Norwich vs Southampton (Saturday, 3pm)
Saturday’s 3pm kick-offs will see another managerial debut as former Villa boss Dean Smith takes charge of Norwich’s home clash against Southampton.
A 1-0 defeat against the Saints saw Smith axed by his boyhood club — and he will become the first Premier League manager to face the same team in consecutive games during the same season.
The Canaries earned their first Premier League win in 21 games against Brentford last time out and are aiming to make it back-to-back top-flight victories for the first time since April 2016.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are in a rich vein of form in the Premier League, with that win over Villa at St Mary’s meaning they have taken 10 points from a possible 12 in their last four.
Smith is expected to have a near fully-fit squad to choose from for his Carrow Road bow with only long-term absentees Christoph Zimmermann and Sam Byram ruled out.
Hasenhuttl will have to choose which two of his three in-form strikers to pick with Adam Armstrong, Che Adams and Armando Broja all netting during their unbeaten run (Armstrong one, Adams one, Broja two).
Burnley vs Crystal Palace (Saturday, 3pm)
In-form Crystal Palace are on a run of six matches without defeat ahead of their trip to relegation-threatened Burnley.
The Eagles earned consecutive 2-0 victories over Manchester City and Wolves but Sean Dyche’s men have not lost in their last two either after earning a draw versus Chelsea in their last game.
Previous meetings point in favour of Burnley, with the Clarets having won their last three games against Palace and kept a clean sheet in each of them.
After making his England debut on Monday, Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher comes into this game on the back of six goal involvements in 10 matches, two more than he managed in 30 for West Brom last season.
Liverpool vs Arsenal (Saturday, 5.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event)
Three straight Premier League victories have the Gunners high in confidence ahead of a difficult trip to Anfield.
The Gunners are now on the longest unbeaten run of any side in the Premier League (six wins, two draws) — they last went longer without defeat in the top flight between August and December 2018.
But Liverpool are a team they have struggled against in recent games, winning just one of the 11 league clashes against the Merseysiders since Jurgen Klopp took over.
Liverpool’s title hopes suffered a blow last time out with that Hammers defeat ending an unbeaten run of 20 games in the Premier League.
In fact, each of Liverpool’s last three losses have come against London sides with Chelsea and Fulham dispatching them before that 20-game run.
Manchester City vs Everton (Sunday, 2pm, Sky Sports Main Event)
Manchester City know they can ill afford to drop points against Everton as they look to make up the three-point gap that has formed behind Chelsea at the top.
But Pep Guardiola’s men are facing a team they have had success against in the past after winning their last seven league meetings with the Toffees — with 21 goals scored and only five conceded in that time.
But the 14 matches Everton have won against reigning champions is the most of any club who have never lifted the Premier League.
After a strong start to the season, Rafa Benitez’s men have gone five games without a win, their longest run without victory since January 2018 under Sam Allardyce.
Guardiola will hope £100million man Jack Grealish will be available after withdrawing from England duty last week, while Mason Holgate misses out for Everton after a red card against Tottenham.
Tottenham vs Leeds (Sunday, 4.30pm, Sky Sports Main Event)
Antonio Conte manages his first domestic home game as Tottenham boss against Leeds, who will hope to continue their recent ascent up the table.
It will be Conte’s first ever game against the Yorkshire outfit — the Italian has gained at least one win against all of the other 53 teams he has faced in his managerial career in Serie A and the Premier League.
But Spurs have not had a shot on target in either of their last two Premier League games, with their last coming in the 44th minute of their October defeat against West Ham.
After a troublesome start to the campaign, the Whites are unbeaten in their last three games but will be looking to stop a run of four consecutive away defeats when they travel to North London.
Forward Rodrigo has scored in two of his three appearances against Spurs after netting for Benfica in a Europa League game in March 2014 at White Hart Lane as well as in a 3-1 victory for Leeds in May last season.
