The Premier League returns after a three-week FIFA international break, with champions Arsenal hosting Leeds and Manchester United facing Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
Arsenal will play Leeds at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners want to move past their first defeat of the season, a loss to Brighton just before the break.
“The pain is still there in the tummy, we certainly have to play with that,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, according to IOL.
Arteta has signed a new deal with the club. His side now face a Leeds team that has not lost a league game and sits fifth on the log.
Asked if Leeds had surprised him with their strong start, Arteta said he takes nothing for granted. He said Leeds had earned their place.
“When I watch their games, no. I think they fully deserve where they are because they’ve earned it,” Arteta said. “We know their qualities, we talked to [the players] in the last two days, and we are fully ready for it.”
Chelsea will also play, taking on Bournemouth. The club hopes to build momentum after the international window.
Chelsea have shown good signs under Xabi Alonso but have struggled to stay consistent. They have collected only seven points from five games.
The biggest game of the day is at Old Trafford, where both managers are under pressure. United manager Michael Carrick has not been able to build a winning run.
Tottenham have not won a single game this season under Roberto De Zerbi. Carrick said the London side have played better than their points show.
“Yeah, points-wise, I think they’ve played a lot better than that, at times. When you look at the games, they’re a very good team with some very good players, obviously,” Carrick said.
He added that his team would not expect anything less than Spurs at their best. “They have shown for a large part, but probably haven’t had the results that maybe the performances deserve,” he said.
Spurs got good news in defence before the trip. De Zerbi spoke to the media on Friday and confirmed that centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke are both available.
Both Dutch defenders had fitness concerns during the international window. Pedro Porro is injured but will still travel to Old Trafford with the squad.
Dejan Kulusevski will also travel as he works his way back from a long injury. Mykhailo Mudryk, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain out for Spurs.
For United, Carlos Baleba could make his debut for the club. The hosts will check on Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo before the game.
Patrick Dorgu, Benjamin Šeško and Manuel Ugarte are all ruled out of the match for Manchester United.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.