Premier League preview of Matchweek 9 including Man City vs Brighton and Chelsea vs Arsenal

Eight rounds of fixtures have already been played in this season’s Premier League and we are starting to get a sense of which teams are likely to be competing for the titles and who might potentially face the pain of relegation.

Manchester City have been the dominant force of English football in recent years as they have won five league titles in the last six seasons and they have started the season like they are ready to mount yet another title charge.

Man City won the first six games in a row, though they endured two consecutive defeats right before the international break. Nevertheless, they are only two points behind the league leaders Tottenham Hotspur so they are very much in the mix for the title charge.

Meanwhile, after surprisingly mounting a title charge under Mikel Arteta’s guidance last term, Arsenal spent big in the recently concluded summer window to strengthen their squad and bridge the gap with the Citizens.

The Gunners have managed to do that and their win over Manchester City right before the international break showed signs they’ve closed the gap on their rivals. So, they are also expected to be challenging for the Premier League trophy this season.

They have enjoyed a stellar start to this season as they are currently unbeaten in the league, accumulating 20 points and are currently just behind Spurs in goal difference.

Liverpool have managed to establish themselves as one of the title rivals of Man City under Jurgen Klopp’s guidance, but they endured a disappointing campaign last term. So, the Merseyside club have decided to revamp the engine room to challenge on all fronts this season and they have enjoyed a promising start.

They have managed to earn 17 points from eight games. The Reds failed to win their last two encounters, losing one of those. So, Klopp’s side will be desperate to return to winning ways this weekend.

Spurs have been the biggest surprise of this season. After a dire campaign last term, the North London club opted to appoint Ange Postecoglou as the new boss to rebuild the squad.

They spent big during the summer window and strengthened the squad. As a result, the Lilywhites have enjoyed a stellar start and are surprisingly at the top of the table.

Tottenham are currently unbeaten in the league, having already played Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. So, it is going to be interesting to see whether they can continue their momentum in the coming fixtures.

Disappointing teams

Having endured a woeful campaign last term, Chelsea opted to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as the new manager. The Blues decided to splash the cash yet again this summer and strengthened the squad.

But, Chelsea haven’t had a great start at all as they are currently in the bottom half of the league with only 11 points. However, they have shown signs of improvement in recent times.

Man Utd have also had a dire start to this campaign. After a promising campaign in Erik ten Hag’s debut season as the new boss last term, it was thought that they would continue the rebuild and show signs of improvement this season.

They even splashed the cash with the hopes of that but the Red Devils have already lost half of the eight games that they have played in the league this term. As a result, they are currently sitting in mid-table.

Now let’s see who will face off against whom in the Premier League this weekend.

Saturday’s games

Eight of the games have been scheduled on Saturday and among those matches, two big fixtures are set to be played on this day.

Liverpool vs Everton

First of which are the Merseyside derby. Liverpool will host Everton at Anfield and the game will kick off at lunchtime. Jurgen Klopp’s side will be coming into this game after failing to win their previous two league games. So, they will be desperate to return to winning ways in this encounter.

On the other hand, having endured a tough start to this season, Everton have managed to pull themselves out of the relegation spot by winning two of their last three games. So, they will be coming into this game on a high note but they are expected to return empty-handed.

Chelsea vs Arsenal

The London Derby is another big fixture that is scheduled on Saturday and the match will commence at 5:30 pm UK time.

After a disappointing start to this season, Chelsea have managed to win three consecutive games in all competitions ahead of this encounter. So, they will be full of confidence ahead of this encounter and they will be backing themselves to earn all three points on Saturday.

However, it won’t be easy for the hosts to defeat Mikel Arteta’s side. Therefore, it is going to be a mouth-watering encounter for the football fans.

Manchester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion

This is also an exciting encounter and the game will commence at 3 pm UK time. So, the match won’t be televised live in the UK due to the no-broadcasting rule. However, you can buy Man City vs Brighton tickets at Seatsnet and attend the game in person.

Brighton have managed to establish themselves as one of the most exciting teams in the league at the moment and they have already showcased that by defeating Manchester United at Old Trafford and drawing versus Liverpool right before the international break this term.

So, the South Coast side are likely to be a tough challenge for the Champions this weekend. But, Man City are expected to win every game and having lost back-to-back matches in the league, it’s pretty unimaginable that they will face a hat-trick of defeats.

Sheffield United vs Manchester United

This is a late kick-off and the game will begin at 8:30 pm.

United have endured a dire start to this season but they entered the international break on a high note by defeating Brentford thanks to Scott McTominay’s two late goals.

So, they will be desperate to keep their winning run on Saturday and Erik ten Hag’s side wouldn’t want to lose points against a struggling Sheffield team – who are currently at the bottom of the league with only one point.

The other four games that are set to begin at 3 pm UK time are –

Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace

Brentford vs Burnley

Bournemouth vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town

Bournemouth are the other team, apart from Sheffield, who are yet to win a game in the Premier League this season. So, they will be desperate to earn all three points from the encounter versus Wolves and drag themselves out of the bottom three.

Sunday’s game

Only one game is scheduled on Sunday and that match is between Aston Villa and West Ham United. The game will commence at 4:30 pm UK time.

Both teams have enjoyed a promising start and they are currently in the European spot. So, both teams will be desperate to win the match but it is expected to be difficult for the Hammers to come away with all three points from Villa Park.

Monday night’s game

The final game of this game week is yet another London Derby and this time it’s between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham. The match will begin at 8 pm UK time. Spurs are currently at the summit of the table and they will be desperate to come away with all three points from this encounter to keep their spot at the top of the league.