Premier League Weekend Preview
Manchester City will be eager to bounce back from two straight defeats as they face rivals Manchester United, while Alexander Isak prepares for his Liverpool debut.
City boss Pep Guardiola and United’s new manager Ruben Amorim are both under pressure just three games into the season. In contrast, champions Liverpool are the only team with a perfect winning record so far.
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou has returned to management with Nottingham Forest only three months after his dismissal from Tottenham.
Manchester Derby: A Test for Both Sides
The clash at the Etihad brings together two struggling teams, each with just one victory from three matches.
City’s back-to-back losses against Tottenham and Brighton have cast doubt on Guardiola’s summer rebuild. Injuries have added to his problems—Omar Marmoush is out, while Rayan Cherki and Mateo Kovacic remain sidelined. Fitness concerns also linger over John Stones and several others.
United secured their first win of the season thanks to a last-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes against Burnley, but questions remain after defeats to Arsenal, a draw with Fulham, and an early League Cup exit to fourth-tier Grimsby.
Isak Set for Liverpool Debut
Liverpool broke the British transfer record with a £125 million move for Alexander Isak from Newcastle. After finally joining on deadline day, the Swedish forward is expected to make his first appearance against Burnley.
Reds manager Arne Slot has a wealth of attacking options, including Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and Cody Gakpo. How Isak fits into this lineup will be closely watched.
Liverpool already sit top of the table with three consecutive victories as they chase a record 21st English league title.
Postecoglou Takes Over at Forest
Ange Postecoglou is back in the Premier League, now in charge of Nottingham Forest. His debut comes against Arsenal on Saturday.
The Australian coach, who won the Europa League with Spurs before being sacked, now faces the challenge of meeting the high expectations of Forest’s demanding owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Nuno Espírito Santo led Forest to Europe for the first time in 30 years but was dismissed after tensions with Marinakis. Postecoglou will need to deliver quickly to avoid similar pressure.
Fixtures
Saturday
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Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest (11:30 GMT)
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Bournemouth vs Brighton
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Crystal Palace vs Sunderland
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Everton vs Aston Villa
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Fulham vs Leeds
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Newcastle vs Wolves
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West Ham vs Tottenham (16:30 GMT)
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Brentford vs Chelsea (19:00 GMT)
Sunday
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Burnley vs Liverpool (13:00 GMT)
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Manchester City vs Manchester United (15:30 GMT)
