Premier League Matchday 9: Derby delight as top flight returns

Arsenal host Tottenham at the Emirates on Saturday before Manchester City and Manchester United face off a day later, while Leicester collide with East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest on Monday night.

Graham Potter manages Chelsea for the first time in the top flight at London neighbours Crystal Palace and his Brighton successor Roberto De Zerbi will hope to mastermind a win at Liverpool.

A much-anticipated North London derby kicks off the weekend with strong starts to the season seeing Arsenal and Spurs occupy first and third in the Premier League.

It is the first meeting between the pair with one of them sitting top since December 2007. If Spurs win, it will be the only time in top-flight history that either team has beaten the other to replace them at the summit.

The Gunners have lost just one of their last 29 home league games against their arch-rivals and are unbeaten in 11 against them at the Emirates since a 3-2 loss in November 2010.

Heung-Min Son got up and running for the season in emphatic style with a hat-trick against Leicester last time out — the South Korean has managed four goals and two assists in his last five North London derbies.

Impressive rises from lower divisions in recent years mean this is the first Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Brentford.

The managerless Cherries are unbeaten since Scott Parker’s sacking last month, with caretaker boss Gary O’Neil guiding them to a win and two draws so far.

It is the Bees that has enjoyed the more success in recent league meetings though having done the double over Saturday’s opponents in 2020-21 before winning their Championship play-off semi-final.

Ivan Toney returns to his club fresh off earning his first England call-up and will look to build on his record of finding the net in two of three away league fixtures so far this term.

Chelsea boss Potter will finally manage his new side in a Premier League game as they make the short trip to Crystal Palace.

Just one of the last 10 permanent Blues bosses have lost their first top-flight game in charge, though that was their only other English manager in that time — Frank Lampard.

It is a fixture they have not had too many issues in of late having won the last 10 meetings, including last season’s FA Cup semi-final.

Palace continue to prove a tough nut to crack at Selhurst Park under Patrick Vieira though, losing just one of their last nine league games at home (four wins, four draws).

Fulham remain one of the season’s surprise packages as they welcome Newcastle to Craven Cottage.

Marco Silva’s sixth-placed side have won three of their last five Premier League outings, including their most recent two at home. It is as many victories as they had in their previous 30 in the competition.

The Magpies are without a win in six top-flight games since a 2-0 reverse of Nottingham Forest on the opening day, though they have only been beaten once in that time (five draws).

Returning striker Callum Wilson has three goals in three Premier League appearances against the Cottagers and has found the net twice in three games this term.

An underwhelming start to the season sees Liverpool sit below Brighton ahead of facing them for the first time since October 1981.

The Seagulls have a new man in the dugout as De Zerbi takes charge of his first Premier League game — each of the last five top-flight managers whose first game came at the Reds have lost.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have tasted defeat in just one of their 10 Premier League meetings with the South Coast club, though the away side are unbeaten in their last two visits to Anfield.

Mohamed Salah has netted only twice in the league this term but has an impressive 11 goal involvements in his 10 top-flight games against Brighton, scoring six and assisting five.

Southampton and Everton meet at St Mary’s knowing a victory for either could lift them into the top half.

The Toffees have lost seven of their last nine away league games with the Saints, more than they had in their previous 22 visits.

But they are currently enjoying an unbeaten run of five top-flight matches under Frank Lampard, their longest run without defeat in a single season since 2017.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are looking to record consecutive victories at home for the first time since February, when they beat Everton and Norwich.

Two sides who have endured surprisingly poor starts to the season face off in Saturday’s late game as West Ham host Wolves.

The pair sit 18th and 17th respectively with just a single win each this term — they are also the division’s joint-lowest scorers with three apiece.

But the Hammers will be encouraged by their three wins in the last four meetings with the West Midlands outfit.

Jarrod Bowen is yet to net a Premier League goal this season after bagging 12 last term. Only Brighton’s Solly March (17) has had more shots without scoring than the England international (15).

Despite a mini revival under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United travel to face rivals Manchester City as underdogs once again.

The Red Devils are looking to win five Premier League games in a row for the first time since April 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Meanwhile, the champions will aim to record three consecutive victories over their old rivals for the first time since a run of four between April 2013 and November 2014.

Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland is looking to become the first player to score a hat-trick in three straight Premier League home games.

Steven Gerrard remains under pressure at Aston Villa despite victory last time out as his side head to Leeds.

The Villans have lost just one of their last 10 top-flight trips to Elland Road (five draws, four wins), winning the most recent two since the Whites’ return to the top flight in 2020.

That said, Jesse Marsch’s men are yet to taste defeat at their home ground this term having recorded three wins and a draw in all competitions so far.

While without a goal this term, Philippe Coutinho was involved in four across two games versus the Yorkshire side last term (two goals, two assists).

The final derby of the weekend rounds off Matchday 9 as East Midlands foes Leicester and Nottingham Forest meet in the Premier League for the first time since May 1999.

The pair occupy the bottom two places of the division, with the Foxes currently on a six-game losing streak and Forest four.

Leicester have won just one of their last seven league meetings with their rivals, while the Reds have only a single defeat in the pair’s six previous Premier League meetings.

James Maddison’s form has been a rare positive of the home side’s troubled campaign so far. The English midfielder has been directly involved in 11 goals in his last 10 top-flight games (seven goals, four assists).