Arsenal and Chelsea will put their unbeaten starts to the new Premier League season to the test on Sunday when the London rivals meet at the Emirates, while Tottenham face an early attempt to halt a worrying slide.
Both Arsenal and Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea have won their opening two league matches, leaving them among four teams yet to drop a point alongside Manchester City and newly promoted Hull City.
For Arsenal, the early-season priority is maintaining the defensive strength that helped them secure the title last season. Mikel Arteta’s side followed a 3-0 opening-day victory over Coventry with a narrow 1-0 triumph at Aston Villa, recording another clean sheet in the process.
The Gunners have now kept six clean sheets in their last seven league matches, while Bukayo Saka has already found the net twice after struggling with injuries during the previous campaign.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have offered a very different proposition under Alonso. The Blues have won all three of their matches in all competitions, with their attacking quality already evident.
Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers have accounted for five of Chelsea’s seven league goals, but their defensive record remains a concern after conceding five times against Fulham and Brighton.
History provides further encouragement for Arsenal, with Chelsea heading into the match without a Premier League victory over their London rivals in nine attempts.
Tottenham Under Pressure
Tottenham’s poor beginning has placed Roberto De Zerbi under early pressure, although the manager remains convinced his team can avoid another difficult campaign.
Spurs have followed successive 17th-place finishes with defeats to Brentford and Newcastle, conceding five goals without scoring.
That poor start comes despite spending more than £350 million during the summer, including on players such as Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio.
Tottenham now face Nottingham Forest, a side that defeated them twice last season, at the City Ground on Saturday.
Iraola Demands Liverpool Improvement
Liverpool are also searching for their first league victory under new manager Andoni Iraola after consecutive draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
The Reds could hand Bradley Barcola his debut following his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth up to £124 million.
With Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and the injured Hugo Ekitike also part of an expensive attacking unit, Liverpool possess considerable firepower. However, conceding four goals in their opening two matches has raised questions about their balance.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has already identified weaknesses in the full-back positions and midfield.
Iraola, who welcomed the closure of the transfer window, now believes the squad must turn its potential into results.
“Now we have to perform, we have to do our job and we have to start from tomorrow,” he said.
The weekend schedule begins with Liverpool’s trip to Ipswich on Friday, before Tottenham and Arsenal-Chelsea headline Saturday and Sunday respectively.
