The Premier League action continues, with three sides hoping to maintain perfect starts in matchweek three.
Brighton, who have hit eight goals in their first two games, will aim to continue to impress against West Ham, while Arsenal host Fulham in a London derby and champions Manchester City head to Sheffield United hoping to compound the promoted side’s early misery.
Click or tap the match headings for more, including team and player stats, officials and pre-match reading.
Friday, August 25 (8pm BST)
Chelsea team news: Head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Mykhailo Mudryk will miss the Luton game, as will new signing Romeo Lavia. The west London club also have a number of long-term absentees including, Carney Chukwuemeka, who faces a spell on the sidelines after having surgery on a knee injury. Benoit Badiashile, Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku are all also unavailable for first-team action due to injury.
Luton team news: Former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is in contention to face his old side, but defenders Gabe Osho and Dan Potts remain sidelined.
Referee: Robert Jones
Opta omen: Pochettino has won 85 per cent of his Premier League games in charge against promoted sides (W34 D4 L2), the joint-best win rate of any manager with 10+ such games. Both of his defeats have come in home games, however (1-3 v Wolves in December 2018, 0-1 v Cardiff in April 2014).
Saturday, August 26 (12.30pm BST)
Bournemouth team news: Tyler Adams has arrived in a £23million deal from Leeds United but has not played since March due to a hamstring injury. The USMNT midfielder told the club in a interview after his arrival that he would be “on the pitch very soon”.
Tottenham team news: James Maddison is a doubt after leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches last weekend, though the playmaker told reporters after the game that was a “precaution”. Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil are out.
Referee: Tim Robinson
Opta omen: Early days, but under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham are averaging 63 per cent possession, 18 shots, 533 successful passes (174 ending in the final third), 18 sequences of 10+ passes, and 18 pressed sequences per game, all increases on their Premier League game averages under Antonio Conte (51 per cent possession, 14 shots, 425 successful passes – 91 ending in the final third – 12 sequences of 10+ passes, and 12 pressed sequences per game).
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Arsenal team news: Takehiro Tomiyasu is suspended after being sent off in the win over Crystal Palace. Oleksandar Zinchenko made a late cameo in that game after returning to the bench following a calf issue. Jurrien Timber (ACL) is a long-term absentee. Gabriel Jesus, who was ruled out for a “few weeks” at the beginning of August, returned to full training on Thursday.
Fulham team news: Willian is a doubt for the visitors, but the biggest miss in their squad is how they cope with life after Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbia international departed west London for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal last week, leaving Marco Silva’s side with less than two weeks to find a replacement up front before the summer transfer window closes.
Referee: Paul Tierney
Opta omen: Arsenal have never lost a home league game against Fulham, winning 24 and drawing six of their 30 such meetings. It’s the most one team has faced another at home without ever losing in English league history.
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Brentford team news: TBC
Crystal Palace team news: TBC
Referee: Peter Bankes
Opta omen: All four Premier League meetings between Brentford and Crystal Palace have been draws – no pair of sides has ever drawn each of their first five meetings in the competition before.
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Everton team news: Everton manager Sean Dyche confirmed that striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend, while midfielder Alex Iwobi will be out for “a few weeks”. New signing Jack Harrison has not trained with the group since joining on loan from Leeds but is “back out on the grass”.
Wolves team news: TBC
Referee: Craig Pawson
Opta omen: Despite losing their opening two games, only Brighton (43) have attempted more shots across the opening two Premier League matchdays than Wolves (39), netting just a single goal from an xG of 4.48 (-3.48, the biggest negative differential in the division so far).
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Man Utd team news: Left-back Luke Shaw is expected to be sidelined for an extended period after sustaining a muscle injury. Midfielder Mason Mount could be out until after the September international break due to an injury picked up against Tottenham. Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay could step in. Harry Maguire missed the defeat to Spurs with a knock, while fellow defender Tyrell Malacia is still out. Rasmus Hojlund has been building up his fitness after a back injury.
Nottingham Forest team news: TBC
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Opta omen: Manchester United have won their last 10 meetings with Nottingham Forest in all competitions by an aggregate score of 36-3. They won all four meetings last season without conceding a single goal.
Saturday, August 26 (5.30pm BST)
Brighton team news: TBC
West Ham team news: TBC
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Opta omen: Having netted four goals in each of their first two Premier League games this season, Brighton are looking to become only the fourth side in English top-flight history to score 4+ goals in their first three games of a season, after Everton in 1890-91, Sheffield Wednesday in 1931-32 and Blackburn in 1958-59.
Sunday, August 27 (2pm BST)
Burnley team news: TBC
Aston Villa team news: TBC
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Opta omen: The two longest total match times in the Premier League this season have both involved Aston Villa (108:03 vs Everton on MD2 & 107:39 vs Newcastle on MD1). Indeed, their average game length of 107:51 is 3 minutes & 26 seconds longer than any other side (Chelsea, 104:25).
Sunday, August 27 (2pm BST)
Sheffield United team news: TBC
Man City team news: Pep Guardiola will watch on from Spain after undergoing back surgery in Barcelona, with assistant Juanma Lillo taking charge.
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Opta omen: Sheffield United are winless in their last eight league games against Manchester City (D2 L6) since a 1–0 home win in January 2000 while in the second tier.
Sunday, August 27 (4.30pm BST)
Newcastle team news: TBC
Liverpool team news: TBC
Referee: John Brooks
Opta omen: In his top-flight league managerial career, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp has beaten Eddie Howe more times than he has any other manager (11), winning each of his last 10 Premier League games against him. No manager has ever registered 11 consecutive Premier League wins against another, with Klopp’s 10 against Howe the joint-longest, along with Alex Ferguson against Gordon Strachan and Pep Guardiola also against Howe.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
