Premier League gameweek 5 statspack
By Ben Gray
It's another bumper weekend of Premier League fixtures, with the top two from the last two season's going head-to-head at the Etihad on Sunday, although there's plenty else to look out for.
West Ham United vs Chelsea: Saturday 12:30
Chelsea smashed West Ham 5-0 in May, so have now won five of their last eight encounters with the Hammers.
However, at the London Stadium, the Irons are unbeaten in three clashes with the Blues, claiming victory in four of their last seven meetings, with Chelsea's sole victory there during this period coming behind-closed-doors.
Michail Antonio has scored three goals in his last six appearances against Chelsea.
Julen Lopetegui's side have lost both Premier League home games so far; the Hammers haven't lost three successive home league fixtures since December 2022, while they have never began a campaign with a trio of home defeats in the club's 129-year history.
In complete contrast, Chelsea are seeking three successive Premier League away wins, within the same season, for the first time since November last year, aiming to began a season in such fashion for the first time in seven years.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth: Saturday 3pm
Bournemouth's 9-0 humiliation at Anfield two seasons ago remains the Cherries' biggest-ever defeat, while it's also Liverpool's joint-record domestic win, alongside a hammering of Crystal Palace by the same scoreline in September 1989.
Mohamed Salah has scored nine goals in nine Premier League appearances against Bournemouth, on target during a 3-1 victory the last time the Cherries made the pilgrimage to this half of Merseyside.
Overall, Bournemouth have never won any of their ten visits to Anfield, losing nine of them, conceding 32 goals and scoring only six, a 2-2 draw in April 2017 the best they've ever managed.
Following defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest a week ago, Liverpool are seeking to avoid back-to-back league defeats at Anfield in front of supporters for the first time since September 2012.
Bournemouth meantime, having pulled off that remarkable comeback victory just across Stanley Park at Goodison, are hoping to win successive away league games for the first time since December.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Brentford: Saturday 3pm
The last four meetings between these two teams have produced 17 goals, that's a goal every 21 minutes on average, with both teams scoring in all of these encounters.
Brentford have lost 11 of their last 14 trips to White Hart Lane, their sole victory during this period coming two seasons ago, this their sole away win over Spurs since 1905.
Bryan Mbeumo has scored against Tottenham on three occasions, the joint-most goals he's managed against any single opponent in his career, while the Cameroonian international also already has three league goals to his name this season.
Following defeat to Arsenal last Sunday, Ange Postecoglou's record in league London derbies currently stands at: four wins, three draws and six defeats.
Failure to claim victory in this one would be the first time since 2015 that Tottenham have won only one, or fewer, of their first five Premier League fixtures,
Fulham vs Newcastle United: Saturday 3pm
Newcastle have won each of their last six encounters with Fulham, as many victories and they'd enjoyed in their previous 21 meetings.
Last season, the Magpies beat the Cottagers three times, all without conceding, meaning they've won each of their last five trips to Craven Cottage, despite losing six on the spin immediately beforehand.
Having collected ten points from their opening four fixtures, this is Newcastle's best start to a season since 1995, going onto finish second back then, although their fifth fixture did result in a 1-0 defeat at Southampton 29 years ago.
Marco Silva won three of his first four managerial meetings with Eddie Howe, but has now lost each of the last six.
Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Saturday 3pm
Aston Villa beat Wolves 2-0 back in March, ending a six-match winless streak in this fixture, so are now seeking to beat their Midlands rivals at Villa Park in the league in successive seasons for the first time since 1982.
Seven of the last nine encounters between this duo have produced two goals or fewer, so don't expect a goal-fest.
Victory for Villa will see them collect 12, or more, points from their opening five fixtures of a top-flight season for only the second time since 2009, also doing so in 2020 behind-closed-doors.
In contrast, Wolves have just one point on the board and defeat here would represent their lowest points tally after five matches since 2003, relegated at the end of that season.
Leicester City vs Everton: Saturday 3pm
Following their 3-2 defeats to both Bournemouth and Aston Villa, Everton have become only the second Premier League side, after the Cherries themselves in late-2022, to lose back-to-back matches despite being two goals ahead in both; coincidentally, Bournemouth ended that run by battering Everton 3-0, un option unfortunately not available to the Toffees!
The Blues have now lost their first four matches of a league season for only the third time, after 1926 and 1958, actually starting the latter campaign with six straight defeats, a sequence that featured a 2-0 reverse at Leicester.
Meantime, Everton have conceded at least thrice in all four Premier League fixtures so far, doing so in four successive league fixtures for the first time since April 1936, last doing so in five on the spin in October 1925.
Steve Cooper's side are also yet to win, albeit they do have two points on the board; the Foxes have only failed to win any of their first five matches in a season once since 1994, but this was the last time they were in the Premier League two years ago.
Jamie Vardy has scored seven goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances against the Toffees, five, of which have come at the King Power, on target the last time they met in May 2023.
Southampton vs Ipswich Town: Saturday 3pm
Ipswich did the league-double over Southampton last season, claiming a dramatic 3-2 victory when the pair last met on April Fools' Day, despite having been winless in eight encounters, dating back to 2007, beforehand.
Victory for the Tractor Boys here would see them win three consecutive clashes with the Saints for the first time since 1983, while they haven't won back-to-back trips to the South Coast since 1980.
Russell Martin's team are still yet to get off the mark; the last time Southampton started a season with five successive defeats is 1998.
Ben Brereton Díaz now holds the record for most Premier League appearances without ever winning a match in the competition; last weekend was his 18th outing, breaking Marvin Sordell's record.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United: Saturday 5:30pm
Crystal Palace beat Manchester United 1-0 and 4-0 last season, thereby completing a first ever league-double over them, also recording successive victories in this fixture for the first time.
At Selhurst however, the Red Devils are winless in four visits, two draws and two defeats, despite claiming victory in four successive outings in South London beforehand.
After beating Southampton a week ago, Erik ten Hag's team are targeting back-to-back Premier League away wins for the first time since February.
Oliver Glasner's side meanwhile are yet to claim victory this season; the Eagles haven't failed to win any of their first five Premier League matches to start a campaign since the failed Frank de Boer experiment of 2017.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Nottingham Forest: Sunday 2pm
Having ended their 55-year wait for a league win at Anfield last weekend, Nottingham Forest have now won four successive Premier League away games for the first time since 1995, now aiming to win five on the spin, most-recently achieving this in March 1989.
However, Brighton did complete the league-double over Forest last season, meaning the Seagulls have claimed victory in five of their last eight against the Garibaldi Reds, who've failed to score in any of their last four outings in Sussex, losing three of them.
Fabian Hürzeler's team have won two and drawn to so far; the last Brighton boss to be unbeaten after five league matches in charge is Peter Taylor in 2001, guiding them to the third-tier title back then.
Manchester City vs Arsenal: Sunday 4:30pm
Arsenal are currently winless in ten visits to the Etihad, ending a sequence of eight successive defeats by battling to a goalless draw on Easter Sunday earlier this year, their longest streak without winning at any venue in the club's 137-year history.
Having already beaten both Aston Villa and Tottenham, the Gunners are seeking to win their first three away games of a league season in back-to-back campaigns, despite not having achieved this in any campaign since 2013 beforehand.
Mikel Arteta's team continue to be very strong on the road, becoming the first side since Aston Villa in 1998 to not fall behind in 11 successive Premier League away matches, equalling the competition record, according to Harvey Downes on Twitter.
Manchester City though are currently unbeaten in 47 home matches in all competitions, winning 40 of them, claiming victory in 13 consecutive Premier League fixtures, unbeaten in 27, dating back to early-December.
Erling Braut Håland has already scored nine goals in the first four Premier League fixtures of this season, a new competition record.