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. Another new signing, goalkeeper Tim Krul, is also available, 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: Head coach Andoni Iraola said on Friday that neither of his new summer signings, Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, were “close” to playing, but the latter should return earlier than the former. Lewis Cook will not be available against Spurs but could return next week. Marcus Tavernier, Adam Smith, Ryan Fredericks and Dango Outtara are all nursing injuries.
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: Josh Dasilva (hamstring) is still sidelined, while Ben Mee was deemed still not ready last time out against Fulham due to a calf injury. Striker Ivan Toney is banned.
Crystal Palace team news: Roy Hodgson has reported no fresh concerns but Michael Olise is still recovering from a hamstring injury and Matheus Franca continues to undergo treatment for a back problem.
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 out after suffering a facial injury, while midfielder Alex Iwobi will be out for “a few weeks” with a hamstring issue. 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: Matheus Nunes — subject of Manchester City interest — is suspended.
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: Gonzalo Montiel could make his debut after signing from Sevilla.
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: Roberto De Zerbi is expected to provide an update on Julio Enciso on Friday, after reports from Paraguay said the player had suffered a knee injury.
West Ham team news: Nayef Aguerd is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the win over Chelsea. New signing Konstantinos Mavropanos was pictured in training on Thursday. Fellow newcomer Edson Alvarez will be pushing for his first Hammers start after coming off the bench.
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: Anass Zaroury is suspended, while Michael Obafemi is sidelined after hamstring surgery. Jordan Beyer could return after a knock. New signings Hannes Delcroix and Aaron Ramsey may be involved.
Aston Villa team news: Unai Emery made only one midweek change in the Europa Conference League, with Diego Carlos replacing Matty Cash in the 5-0 win over Hibernian, but goalkeeper Emi Martinez was substituted at half-time and is a doubt. Àlex Moreno (hamstring) and Jacob Ramsey (ankle) are likely to miss out again, as are Philippe Coutinho and Leander Dendoncker. Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia are longer-term absentees but Nicolo Zaniolo could be involved for the first time.
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: Gustavo Hamer is set for his home debut. Striker Oli McBurnie and right wing-back George Baldock missed out through injury in the narrow defeat to Nottingham Forest, as did midfielder Anis Slimane.
Man City team news: Pep Guardiola will watch on from Spain after undergoing back surgery in Barcelona, with assistant Juanma Lillo taking charge. John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne are sidelined but Bernardo Silva — fresh from signing a new contract — should return.
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: Eddie Howe has confirmed that Joelinton is fit, despite limping off against Manchester City last time out and missing training in the early part of the week. New signing Lewis Hall could be involved in some capacity.
Liverpool team news: Ibrahima Konate is a fitness doubt. The France international has not trained this week due to a muscle problem he suffered in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Joel Matip is on standby to deputise at centre-back alongside captain Virgil van Dijk.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been passed fit but Thiago (hip) and Curtis Jones (ankle) will not return to full training until Monday. Alexis Mac Allister is available after his red card against Bournemouth was overturned.
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)