Premier League

Manchester City have been magnificent on home turf this term and should brush aside Brentford in Saturday’s lunchtime Premier League clash. The Bees have not won any of their seven top-flight away games, although it should be noted that they have scored in five of them.

Arsenal’s Premier League title credentials will come under scrutiny again when they visit Chelsea in Sunday’s lunchtime London derby. The Gunners dropped points in their last away game at Southampton and this Stamford Bridge clash represents an even tougher test.

Manchester United and West Ham return to Premier League action after wins in Europe on Thursday night extended their decent runs of form. United gave us a 5/1 correct score pay-out with a 3-0 victory over Sheriff while West Ham secured a place in the last 16 of the Europa Conference League after beating Silkeborg 1-0.

Arsenal’s stunning start to the season is showing signs of slowing down as their busy schedule continues with the visit of Nottingham Forest. The Gunners start the weekend top of the Premier League but last weekend’s draw at Southampton was followed by a Europa League defeat at PSV Eindhoven.

Fulham are making a much better attempt at Premier League survival than in recent seasons and look more like top-10 contenders than relegation battlers. The Cottagers start the weekend in seventh place and are providing plenty of entertainment with only matches involving Manchester City averaging more goals per game.

West Ham will be chasing a fifth straight home win when entertaining Bournemouth in Monday’s night Premier League clash. The Cherries are doing better than most pundits predicted this term, lying two places and a couple of points above the Hammers in 11th in the table.

United produced their most complete performance for several years when beating Tottenham and will be hard to beat at Chelsea if in the same mood. The Blues have gone seven games without losing but were far from convincing at Aston Villa and Brentford in their last couple.

Liverpool have looked more like their old selves over the past 10 days and will be eyeing a fourth straight win when visiting Nottingham Forest. The hosts have tightened up at the back of late but do not seem equipped to match any elite-level Premier League team.

Leicester are bottom of the Premier League but will take heart from their head-to-head record against Palace in recent years. The Foxes have beaten the Eagles at King Power Stadium for the past three seasons, as well as being undefeated at Selhurst Park during that time.

Brighton did the double over Brentford last season and look in better shape again this term ahead of Friday night’s Premier League clash. The Bees have enjoyed a couple of flashy home wins over Manchester United and Leeds but their recent results offer cause for concern.

Nottingham Forest have suffered five straight Premier League defeats but can stop the rot by drawing with Aston Villa at the City Ground. Villa have only picked up one point from four top-flight road trips this term and Steven Gerrard may settle for doubling that tally here.

Fourth-placed Brighton and Tottenham, who are third, tend to be involved in close Premier League encounters, but stalemates are rare. There hasn’t been a draw in their last eight top-flight meetings, but six of those fixtures were settled by just a one-goal margin.

Two teams with just one Premier League win between them meet on Merseyside in the last of this weekend’s round of fixtures. Everton are still searching for their first victory but are above West Ham on goal difference after drawing their last four matches.