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.
Erik ten Hag will be looking for a riposte from Manchester United when they face Aston Villa again in the EFL Cup on Thursday. New Villa boss Unai Emery started his spell in charge with a rousing 3-1 home victory over United in the Premier League on Sunday.
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.
Real Sociedad and Manchester United have already qualified from Europa League Group E but top spot and an automatic last-16 berth is up for grabs. The Red Devils need to win by more than one clear goal to avoid heading into the knockout round play-offs.
Arsenal have to beat FC Zurich to make sure of topping Europa League Group A and going straight through to the last 16. The Gunners only prevailed 2-1 against the same opponents in Austria on Matchday 1 but did dominate proceedings, having 70% of possession.
Chelsea are already through to the Champions League knockout phase and only need a point against Dinamo Zagreb to wrap up top spot in Group E. However, the Blues should be determined to exorcise the demons of Saturday’s Premier League loss at Brighton and put on a show.
Real Madrid still need to beat Celtic at the Bernabeu to clinch top spot in Champions League Group F and will be hoping to avoid any dramas. Los Merengues are showing signs of wear and tear following a tough schedule, plus their home pitch has been in better shape.
Liverpool are safely through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League but have only a slim chance of pipping Napoli to top spot in Group A. The Reds would need to win by four clear goals, but they will be keen to bounce back from Saturday’s shock loss to Leeds here.
Tottenham know a point against Marseille will see them qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League. Harry Kane thought he had fired Spurs into the knockout stage in their last outing against Sporting Lisbon, but his last-gasp goal to make it 2-1 was ruled out by VAR.
Rangers need a point in their final Champions League group game against Ajax to avoid a piece of unwanted history. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have lost all five matches with a goal difference of -18, putting them in danger of posting the worst ever group-stage record.
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.
Liverpool will be looking for a response when they travel to Ajax on Wednesday night. The Reds’ mini revival came crashing to a halt on Saturday with a defeat at struggling Nottingham Forest, while Ajax have restored some confidence in their last two outings.