Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea headlines this weekend’s stash of Premier League matches as the top two go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, Arne Slot looks to avoid a potentially tenure-ending defeat at Liverpool, Erling Haaland closes in on yet another record, and Wolves hope it’s their 13th time lucky in pursuit of a first win of the season.
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Haaland chases record century
- If Erling Haaland scores he will reach 100 Premier League goals in record time (110 games).
Erling Haaland drew a rare blank in Manchester City’s disappointing 2–1 defeat to Newcastle, a result that left his side seven points behind league leaders Arsenal.
But both Haaland and City have the perfect chance to bounce back this weekend at home to a struggling Leeds side who have lost three matches in a row.
Should Haaland rediscover his scoring touch, he’ll hit a major milestone: 100 Premier League goals. Even more impressively, he would reach this golden landmark in just 110 games, smashing Alan Shearer’s long-standing record of 100 goals in 124 appearances.
Bee-line to 10
- Igor Thiago goes on the hunt for double figures.
Erling Haaland has scored a simply outrageous 14 Premier League goals this season but, while he’s strutting around in his own goalscoring stratosphere, it’s Igor Thiago who has emerged as the ‘best of the rest’ with an impressive return of nine goals in 12 games so far this term – a tally that would usually put him top of the charts.
Thiago, who has scored three goals in his last two games, is now bidding to reach double figures for the season. A goal for the Brazilian at home to troubled Burnley would be the earliest in terms of matches (13) that a Brentford player has reached 10 goals in the Premier League.
Sunderland close to the Big 300 (not in a good way)
- If Sunderland lose, they will become the ninth Premier League team to suffer 300 defeats – in the fewest number of games (621).
Sunderland head into the weekend having enjoyed an excellent start to the campaign, sitting 7th after 12 matches and suffering only three defeats, the most recent coming against Fulham last weekend.
However, there’s an unwanted milestone looming. Should Sunderland, who are unbeaten at home this season, lose to Bournemouth on Saturday, they will become the ninth Premier League team to reach 300 defeats, and they would do so faster (621 games) than any team in history, overtaking Fulham’s current record of 682.
Toon seek consistency
- Newcastle bid to win back-to-back league games for the first time since March/April last season.
It’s been a topsy-turvy season for Newcastle, who sit 14th with 15 points on the board. Consecutive 3-1 defeats to West Ham and Brentford were followed by an impressive 2–1 victory over Manchester City; a result they’ll hope sparks a surge up the table.
Newcastle’s inconsistency has been a recurring theme as they haven’t managed back-to-back league wins since a five-game winning streak back in March/April. To finally string two victories together, they’ll need to bring to an end a nine-game winless run on the road.
Frank under fire
- Tottenham could lose 10 home league games in a single calendar year for the first time since 2003.
Tottenham’s bright start to life under Thomas Frank has vanished, with the former Brentford boss now coming under fire following a run of four defeats in six games in all competitions.
Tottenham were thrashed 4-1 at Arsenal last weekend, then a comical defensive performance saw them lose 5-3 at PSG during the week. Spurs return to home soil on Saturday night, but this will hardly inspire confidence given that only Wolves (1) have picked up fewer points on their own patch than Spurs (5).
A defeat to fellow Londoners Fulham – who themselves have just one point from a possible 18 on the road – would see Spurs lose 10 league games in a single calendar year for the first time since 2003.
Toothless Man Utd
- A blank from Manchester United would extend their goalless run against Crystal Palace to five straight Premier League matches.
Man United’s resurgence proved to be a brief one with three straight wins followed by a three game winless run, including a damning 1-0 defeat at home to the 10 men of Everton last time out.
United now travel down to the capital where they face a Crystal Palace side they’ve failed to beat in four games, losing three. In fact, they’ve not even scored in any of those games.
If United fail to find the net again, they will match their longest goalless runs against a single opponent, equaling previous droughts against Blackburn (1920-1922) and Everton (1971-1973).
Reds in ruin
- Liverpool could concede 3+ goals in three consecutive league games for the first time since April 1955.
Liverpool are trapped in a nightmare run of form, during which they’ve sunk to nine defeats in their last 12 games in all competitions – including a 4-1 home thrashing to PSV – leaving Arne Slot under enormous pressure.
Liverpool return to the Premier League this weekend, where they have sunk to back-to-back 3-0 defeats away to Man City and at home to Nottingham Forest. The Reds haven’t conceded three or more goals in three straight league games since April 1955, when they were in the second tier, and they last lost three consecutive league matches by 3+ goals in December 1953.
Forest bid to go back-to-back
- Nottingham Forest can win back-to-back league games against Brighton for the first time since a run of five wins between 1980 and 1982.
Nottingham Forest thrashed Brighton 7-0 when the teams last met in the league back in February, a game in which Chris Wood bagged a hat-trick.
It was Forest’s biggest ever Premier League win, and now they go in search of back-to-back league triumphs over the Seagulls for the first time since a run of five straight wins between 1980 and 1982.
The Tricky Trees will also have their eye on a third straight league win, having disposed of Leeds and Liverpool in their last two games.
Winless Wolves
- If Wolves fail to win, they will have equalled their longest ever Premier League winless run.
Wolves find themselves in a real hole, having failed to win any of their opening 12 league games, picking up just two points from a possible 36 so far this season, raising fears that Derby’s infamous 11 point record could be under threat.
Wolves fans are unlikely to be particularly optimistic ahead of Sunday’s clash at Midlands rivals Aston Villa, who have won six of their last seven.
If Wolves, who took one point from their final four games last season, fail to win again, then they will equal their longest-ever Premier League winless run of 17 games.
Arteta’s Blues benchmark
- Mikel Arteta can boost his Chelsea win rate to 61.54%, surpassing Pep Guardiola.
Chelsea and Arsenal meet in a blockbuster top-of-the-table showdown on Sunday. The Gunners arrive with a six-point cushion at the summit and have claimed victory in seven of their last 11 league encounters with their London rivals.
Mikel Arteta currently boasts the third-best Premier League win rate against Chelsea, winning 58.3% of his matches (seven from 12) against the Blues.
A win at Stamford Bridge this weekend would lift the Spaniard’s record to 61.54%, edging him above Pep Guardiola (61.1%) and making him the second-most successful manager to have overseen 10 or more Premier League games against Chelsea, trailing only Kenny Dalglish (76.9%).