Jordan Henderson returns to Merseyside with Chelsea, Daniel Farke looks to extend his dominance over Michael Carrick, and Nottingham Forest aim to trouble Arsenal in a packed Premier League weekend.
Henderson's return to Merseyside
A lively reception awaits former Liverpool midfielders Jordan Henderson and Xabi Alonso at Everton, with any jeers for the former considered an unintentional tribute. At 36, Henderson showed his enduring quality with two goals and an assist against Bournemouth last Saturday, becoming the oldest player to contribute directly to three goals in a Premier League game. His midfield partnership with Moisés Caicedo gave Alonso's team balance and allowed the front three of Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Cole Palmer to flourish. They face an Everton defence that impressed this season but made costly mistakes in a draw at Hull.
Bees a tougher test than Lask
Brentford remain unbeaten in the top flight, relying on a pragmatic approach: sitting deep, closing off the middle, and flooding the box at set pieces. Liverpool showed their attacking quality in a six-goal rout of Lask, but will face a far less obliging host at the Gtech Community Stadium. If Andoni Iraola's side can dominate the ball and move it quickly, they could win comfortably, but Brentford's physical approach may extend their unbeaten run.
García needs to find finishing touch
Gonzalo García has one league goal from 18 shots this season. The Fulham striker, who joined from Real Madrid in the summer, has an expected goals tally of 3.60 but is underperforming. Fulham, bottom of the league, have six goals in six games, and García has not scored since his debut against Chelsea. Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa has shown faith in his fellow Spaniard, but winless Fulham need García to fire against Hull.
City still free-flowing after guilty verdict
Manchester City lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday, their first defeat of the season, but rallied from 3-0 down to give the European champions a scare. Enzo Maresca's side remain a free-flowing attacking machine. Ipswich last won at City in November 2000, and that statistic is unlikely to change on Saturday.
Jaissle should find his 'inner Rafa'
Newcastle's 4-1 defeat at Coventry on Monday prompted an inquest on Tyneside. Matthias Jaissle maintains his vertical football is the high-octane, aggressive attacking style the hierarchy wants. But under Rafael Benítez less than a decade ago, Newcastle often played a low block with three at the back, rarely took risks, and improved steadily. Jaissle could do worse than slow things down and search for his inner Rafa against Aston Villa.
Eyes on Kluivert and Brobbey
Bournemouth v Sunderland will give an early indication of how both cope with a relentless Thursday-Sunday autumn schedule. Sunderland are 17th, Bournemouth 18th, with seven points between them after six rounds. The returns of Justin Kluivert for the hosts and Brian Brobbey for the visitors will be welcomed by Marco Rose and Régis Le Bris, and either Dutch international could make a game-deciding contribution in a six-pointer.
Brighton must buck Palace trend
Brighton's momentum seems unstoppable, but they have not beaten Crystal Palace since a 4-1 win in February 2024. Fabian Hürzeler managed only a point in four encounters with the Eagles under Oliver Glasner. Brighton start as heavy favourites against Pierre Sage's side, but Palace have defensive concerns.
Carrick confronts old nemesis Farke
Michael Carrick has lost five of his past six technical-area duels with Daniel Farke, his only win coming in a League Cup tie during his Middlesbrough tenure. Leeds are overdue a first home victory over Manchester United since 2002. Carrick will not care to remember that a 1-1 draw at Elland Road last January proved to be Ruben Amorim's final game in charge of Manchester United.
Forest a genuine threat to champions
Nottingham Forest lost 3-1 to Crystal Palace last weekend but played excellent front-foot football, let down by profligacy and vulnerability to counterattacks. Oliver Glasner attributed his side's defeat to karma, saying: "It was like I didn't deserve to win at Selhurst Park, because the players did everything." If Morgan Gibbs-White and Liam Delap can convert the chances they missed, Forest have every chance against Arsenal.
On-song Coventry can pile angst on Spurs
Tottenham last hosted Coventry in the Premier League when Steffen Iversen, Les Ferdinand and Serhiy Rebrov scored in a 3-0 win. But Spurs fans will view Monday's fixture with apprehension. Coventry's back-to-back wins, including a demolition of Newcastle, have announced Frank Lampard's side as a Premier League force, something Tottenham haven't managed in more than two years.
