Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

1Bees sense chance to sting Blues’ backlineChelsea have not won this west London derby since Brentford’s first Premier League season. Each visit since October 2021’s 1-0 win, Ben Chilwell the scorer, has been a draw. This season has continued the divergence between the clubs’ respective approaches, Brentford’s solidity and continuity compared to Chelsea attempting their latest reboot. Kevin Schade, after two well-taken goals at Bournemouth, will fancy facing a defence not yet attuned to Xabi Alonso’s configurations. Only one team has won a Premier League title with a defensive trio: Chelsea’s last title team, in 2016-17 under Antonio Conte. Alonso’s attack has been rather more successful, presenting another challenge for Jannik Schuster. Replacing Nathan Collins, the 20-year-old central defender had a tough examination from Bournemouth’s Evanilson on his first Premier League start, emerging with credit. For Chelsea, João Pedro has registered three goals and three assists, but doubts surrounding his fitness could lead to Danny Welbeck’s first league start. John Brewin Brentford v Chelsea, Friday 8pm (all times BST) Chart showing top players for goals scored above expected goals, 2026‑27 Premier League2Spurs and Villa meet in desperation derbyWhat happens when a very stoppable force meets an extremely movable object? We will be tuning into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday to find out as 19th-placed Aston Villa arrive in north London. Both teams have scored just one goal between them in the league and are desperately hoping for a first Premier League win. The return of Pedro Porro is big for Roberto De Zerbi and that should bring the Archie Gray Experiment at right-back to a merciful end. No Premier League starting XI feels less settled than Spurs – most players look as if they are a mistake or two from being dropped – which has culminated in a side that seems governed by fear and continuously prefers to take the safe option. After coming off the bench against Everton and Liverpool in the past week, the injury-plagued James Maddison will be itching to start and take some sort of initiative for Tottenham. Michael Butler Tottenham v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm Mateus Fernandes will hope Spurs can get their first league win of the season against Aston Villa. Photograph: Alex Morton/Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock3Hürzeler’s scoring express meets championsWhen Fabian Hürzeler spoke about Brighton’s success being founded on them being “well structured” after their stirring comeback against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday, he could have been referring to Malick Yalcouyé. The 20-year-old Ivorian moved to the south coast in 2024 after spending just a few months with IFK Gothenburg in Sweden but had to wait until this season to make his senior debut for Brighton after being sent on loan to Sturm Graz in Austria and then Swansea last season. With Jack Hinshelwood sidelined due to injury until after the international break, Yalcouyé has taken his chance in the No 10 role and already found the net twice in the Premier League as Brighton have made a brilliant start. Champions Arsenal are up next for the division’s top scorers – who have registered 13 goals from their opening four matches – and Mikel Arteta should be wary of the threat posed by Yalcouyé and co as they prepare for a fourth away game in succession. Ed Aarons Brighton v Arsenal, Saturday 3pm Chart showing the top players for non-penalty expected goals per shot, 2026‑27 Premier League4Mykolenko form a boost for MoyesVitalii Mykolenko’s early season improvement has gone largely unheralded so far – and probably always will be among his detractors – but at a time when David Moyes needs experienced players to step up and defy the constraints of a small squad, the Everton left-back has produced. Having signed a new three-year contract in the summer, and seemingly bulked up, the Ukraine international has kept his critics quiet with several impressive displays for a defence that has kept four clean sheets in six matches. There remains a problematic lack of cover at left-back after the decision to loan Adam Aznou to Málaga for the season but Mykolenko, the better defender, has eased the concerns that surrounded his position ahead of the new campaign. Ipswich’s new forward recruits, Emersonn and Zian Flemming, will test Everton’s solidity but Moyes’s side will have made an encouraging start should they sign off with a win before the extended international break. Andy Hunter Everton v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm Chart showing sides of pitch used for attacking by teams, 2026‑27 Premier League5Jaissle refuses to delete Newcastle blueprintAs befits a lover of direct football, Matthias Jaissle likes to get straight to the point. On Thursday he was asked if, in the light of Monday night’s 4-1 thrashing at Leeds and a raft of injuries, he was tempted to perhaps switch to a back five or modify his beloved “vertical” approach when Hull visit Tyneside on Saturday. The reply proved unequivocal. “No,” said a manager unafraid to answer questions with a single word. Instead Jaissle expects his young team to retain faith in a wider vision as Newcastle – who signed eight players aged 24 and under this summer – adapt to life after Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon. “It’s a brave journey the club is going on and I’m fully committed in that,” said Eddie Howe’s successor. “If there’s one setback, we shouldn’t delete our journey or our vision. We’re fully committed. We’re fully aligned. We anticipated that something like that against Leeds would happen. It’s on us to respond. But while still believing. We don’t change.” Louise Taylor Newcastle v Hull, Saturday 3pm ‘We’re fully aligned,’ says Newcastle’s Matthias Jaissle. Photograph: News Images/NurPhoto/Shutterstock6Delap hopes to impress as Wood regentMany scoffed at the £45m that was paid for Liam Delap in the summer but Nottingham Forest feels like the perfect place for the striker to regain his form. Forest previously thrived with Chris Wood as their arrowhead and Delap is something of a younger Wood regent – powerful, instinctive and willing to bring others into play. During Saturday’s away win at Villa, Morgan Gibbs-White and Delap looked as if they already have an understanding and both will be keen to capitalise against a Coventry side that has conceded eight goals in the past two games. After a nervy campaign last season, Forest feel back in the ascendancy and will have been delighted that plans to increase the City Ground’s capacity from 31,000 to 52,500, at an estimated cost of £790m, were approved by the local council on Wednesday. MB Nottingham Forest v Coventry, Saturday 5.30pm 7Iraola faces test on south-coast returnAfter watching Bournemouth make their European bow from afar in San Sebastián, a city Andoni Iraola knows inside out, the Basque head coach will return to his previous club on Sunday. Iraola – whose assistants Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper played for Bournemouth, the former captaining the club into the Premier League in 2015 – led Bournemouth into the Europa League after recording their best-ever finish. His body of work on the south coast earned him the Liverpool opportunity and a warm welcome is a guarantee. Despite the Cherries’ slow start under Iraola’s successor, Marco Rose, they will pose tricky opposition. Rose spent a couple of hours in Iraola’s company before officially starting in June and both will be braced for an all-action contest. Eddie Howe failed to beat Bournemouth in the eight league games he managed against them with Newcastle and Iraola and his staff will expect a tough test. Ben Fisher Bournemouth v Liverpool, Sunday 2pm 8Calvert-Lewin: man on a missionDominic Calvert-Lewin will be a man on a mission against Crystal Palace at Elland Road on Saturday. Daniel Farke’s centre-forward hopes to become the first Leeds player to score in six consecutive home league games since Arthur Hydes back in 1932. Managers often, quite rightly, say that players matter more than formations but, in Calvert-Lewin’s case, Farke’s switch to 3-5-2 late last November proved a road to Damascus moment. Until then he had struggled as the team’s lone striker but, paired with Noah Okafor or Lukas Nmecha, the goals started to flow. Granted, Leeds sometimes play 3-4-3 or, occasionally, revert to a back four but Calvert-Lewin has emphasised the importance of attacking partnerships. After collecting eight points from their opening four games, Farke’s team have registered the best beginning to a top-tier campaign of any Leeds team since David O’Leary’s class of 2001-02. Will it continue at Palace’s expense? Is Hydes’s record under threat? Might 3-5-2 be the answer to ending more strikers’ goal droughts? Louise Taylor Leeds v Crystal Palace, Sunday 2pm 9Le Bris plots party crash in ManchesterManchester City’s maximum 12 points from their first four Premier League games featured 1-0 wins (over Coventry and Manchester United), a 2-1 victory (Bournemouth), and a 4-1 success (Crystal Palace). Allowing only two goals while registering eight is an impressive record that is only marginally bettered by the champions, Arsenal (one conceded, eight scored in their 12-point tally), and it seems a rosy augury that Enzo Maresca’s team will be genuine title contenders this season. Régis Le Bris, though, plots to halt City’s perfect start, and can draw on guiding Sunderland to a share of the points last season against the FA Cup holders, though that was at the Stadium of Light. In the corresponding fixture at the Etihad Stadium, City cruised to a 3-0 win. Jamie Jackson Manchester City v Sunderland, Sunday 2pm Sunderland’s Enzo Le Fée reacts after scoring against AZ on their midweek European return. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters10Bobb needs to provide more end productOscar Bobb came off the bench against West Ham and fired Fulham into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a clinical late winner at the London Stadium on Tuesday night. It was a fine piece of individual play from the Norway winger but he needs to do it more often. The goal was Bobb’s first since joining Fulham last January and a player of his ability should be producing more of an end product. The 23-year-old is a clever dribbler and looked ready to establish himself at Manchester City before a serious injury curtailed his development. The talent is clear. Bobb had a good World Cup and should be full of confidence when Fulham, still seeking their first win in the league this season, host Manchester United. Jacob Steinberg Fulham v Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm Chart showing carries of 5+ metres per 90 minutes ending with a shot or chance created, 2026‑27 Premier League Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Arsenal 4 7 12 2 Man City 4 6 12 3 Leeds 4 4 8 4 Hull 4 3 8 5 Brighton 4 8 7 6 Chelsea 4 1 7 7 Brentford 4 3 6 8 Liverpool 4 2 6 9 Everton 4 2 6 10 Ipswich 4 -3 6 11 Nottm Forest 4 0 5 12 Newcastle 4 -1 5 13 Man Utd 4 0 4 14 Sunderland 4 -2 4 15 AFC Bournemouth 4 -1 3 16 Crystal Palace 4 -5 3 17 Tottenham Hotspur 4 -5 2 18 Fulham 4 -3 1 19 Aston Villa 4 -6 1 20 Coventry 4 -10 0