Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton: Rivalries, grudge matches, and points to prove - weekend Premier League preview

Manchester United v Liverpool: Can Arne Slot break last year’s league deadlock?

The oldest rivalry in English football saw an all-time classic last season when Erik ten Hag’s men knocked outgoing boss Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool out of the FA Cup in a twisting 4-3 thriller.

However, the two sides couldn’t be separated in the Premier League with a goalless draw at Anfield in December and a 2-2 stalemate at Old Trafford in March. Now, Arne Slot will look to continue his unbeaten start as Liverpool manager with a win over their rivals - while Ten Hag’s side will look to atone for last week’s disappointing defeat to Brighton and keep up a recent unbeaten streak against their biggest rivals.

Not much has changed in Liverpool’s line-up since the two last met, with Federico Chiesa so far being Slot’s only new arrival - the winger could make his debut on Sunday, having signed for the club earlier this week. United, however, are likely to line up very differently to their last encounter with Liverpool - two of the back four that started in April have now left the club (Willy Kambwala and Aaron Wan-Bissaka), while Rasmus Højlund’s injury will mean he’s out of contention.

Newcomers Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui, and Matthijs de Ligt are all in the running. How the midfield sets up will be interesting in the absence of Mason Mount. Manuel Ugarte is understood not to have completed his move in time to register for the game - but fans will no doubt be keeping an eye out for the 23-year-old Uruguayan in the stands, and he could even be unveiled at Old Trafford.

United v Liverpool kicks off at 4pm on Sunday.

Five teams looking to get off the mark - keep an eye on Everton, Wolves, and Ipswich

Lose two games in a row, and that can be unlucky; lose three, and maybe it’s time to start worrying. There are still five teams yet to record a single point from their opening fixtures, and some stand a chance of doing so this weekend as they face other teams in the bottom half of the table.

Everton are currently dead last after losses to Brighton and Tottenham - this weekend they will look to reset when they host Bournemouth, who are currently 14th after two respectable draws. This is a chance for Sean Dyche’s side to shake off some of the negativity from their heavy defeats.

Ipswich Town have what many would consider to be their first ‘winnable’ fixture of the season - they sit in the relegation zone after the terrible luck of facing Manchester City and Liverpool on the bounce. Fulham, this weekend’s opponents, are 10th after one win and one loss - this is likely to be a game where we see Ipswich enjoy slightly more of the ball and make their case as contenders to stay in the Premier League, so is one to look out for.

Southampton and Crystal Palace are looking to collect their first points against Brentford and Chelsea respectively; however, one of the more intriguing fixtures of the weekend is Wolves’ trip to Nottingham Forest. In the two seasons since Forest were promoted back to the top flight, the two have finished within a few places of each other and only just avoided relegation. Now, Forest sit 7th with four points from their first games and Wolves are in the drop zone.

In their last five meetings, the two teams have drawn three times and won one each. They’ve been far more evenly matched than their current places in the table suggest - if Forest continue to outperform them this weekend, it could be a worrying sign of a slide downwards for Wolves. It’s also a big fixture for Morgan Gibbs-White: in the week he received his first senior England call-up, he will welcome his old club Wolves to the City Ground.

Their last meeting, a 2-2 draw, saw Gibbs-White score against his former team and celebrate in front of their supporters - if he’s flying high off the back of his inclusion in Lee Carsley’s squad, it could make for a tough afternoon for Wolves.

Chelsea and Crystal Palace face off on Sunday at 1.30pm; the other four fixtures mentioned are at 3pm on Saturday.

Arsenal look to leapfrog Brighton in tantalising top-three clash

At the other end of the table, there are four teams who’ve won each of their matches so far - but that must be whittled down by the end of this weekend. Arsenal are currently third, with Brighton second on goals scored; the two meet at the Emirates this weekend and will vie to end each other’s perfect starts.

There are familiar faces all around: Danny Welbeck will hope to match last weekend’s feat of scoring against a former club, while Leandro Trossard was a game-changing substitution for Arsenal against Villa last weekend and could settle a score against his old club.

Trossard departed Brighton after a falling out with then-manager Roberto De Zerbi and has since bagged 14 goals for Arsenal, including one against the Seagulls which he had no qualms about celebrating.

Brighton finished 11th last season, but have already beaten Everton and Manchester United under Fabian Hürzeler. If they can continue that record against likely title challengers Arsenal, it could recalibrate many spectators’ views of their prospects for the season. The Gunners, meanwhile, have lost out on the title by two and five points in the last two campaigns - they know all too well that every result counts. Both managers are without key summer signings, though; Brighton’s Matt O’Riley needs ankle surgery after a challenge in his debut against Crawley Town, while Mikel Merino is not available to Arteta after a shoulder injury picked up in training.

Arsenal host Brighton on Saturday at 12.30pm.

Howe’s Newcastle have a point to prove when they host Tottenham Hotspur

Magpies manager Eddie Howe admitted the transfer window hasn’t gone as they wanted in his pre-match press conference this morning. After months of pursuit, their top target Marc Guehi is staying at Crystal Palace. Barring any last-minute drama, it means their only outfield signings this summer will be 21-year-old William Osula, 25-year-old Lloyd Kelly, and the permanent transfer of last year’s loanee Lewis Hall.

So far, the Magpies have narrowly beaten newly-promoted Southampton, escaped with a lucky draw from Bournemouth, and squeaked past Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup on penalties. Howe urged supporters to stay united in his press conference this morning - and his squad will no doubt want to prove they are good enough without any additions in this weekend’s clash.

If recent results are anything to go by, that added impetus could create a goalfest this weekend. Their last three meetings in the Premier League have yielded a minimum of four goals each - 16 overall - so if the Magpies come out with a point to prove, this could be a very entertaining clash.

The match at St James’ Park is at 1.30pm on Sunday.

Debuts to look out for

Any signings made on Friday evening before the transfer window closes might well make an appearance in their new club’s stadium, but can’t feature on the pitch if they were registered after noon. Those who could be involved, however, include Federico Chiesa - if he’s thrown right in at the deep end for Liverpool with a debut at Old Trafford.

Arne Slot’s decision on that matter is likely to heavily depend on how the game stands, but the Italian being named in the squad is certainly possible. Fans might remember Chiedozie Ogbene from Luton’s ill-fated top flight campaign last year - he could make a Premier League return having signed for Ipswich earlier in the week, and Dara O’Shea could also feature for the Tractor Boys after completing a move from Burnley.

Leicester’s new forward Bilal El Khannouss could be in contention, while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has moved from Arsenal to Southampton, might also be eligible - Sky Sports report that his new club believe they completed the deal in time. Whether Brighton’s new defender Ferdi Kadıoğlu would feature in a fixture as important and potentially tight as an away game at Arsenal is in doubt, but he should be eligible.

One man who is very likely to make a debut start is Kepa Arrizabalaga, who will spend the season on loan from Chelsea to Bournemouth. With Bournemouth’s captain and number one Neto having just confirmed a loan move to Arsenal, Kepa could walk straight into the line-up against Everton.