This weekend's Premier League action promises an exciting encounter as Arsenal hosts Chelsea, both teams boasting 100 percent records. The defending champions, Arsenal, and Xabi Alonso's Chelsea are among four sides with perfect starts, alongside Manchester City and newly-promoted Hull. Meanwhile, Tottenham, languishing at the bottom of the table, is desperate to turn their fortunes around as they face Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal's Strong Start and Chelsea's New Era
Arsenal has started their Premier League title defence impressively, maintaining their form from last season. Their 1-0 win at Aston Villa last week followed an opening 3-0 victory over Coventry, marking their sixth clean sheet in seven league matches. A significant boost for manager Mikel Arteta has been the form of England winger Bukayo Saka, who has scored twice already this season after an injury-disrupted campaign in 2025/26.
Chelsea, under new management with Xabi Alonso, has launched their season with three wins in all competitions. The club's new attacking trio of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers has been particularly effective, scoring five of the team's seven league goals in victories against Fulham and Brighton. However, Alonso will be keen to address the team's defensive vulnerabilities, which have seen them concede five goals in those games. Chelsea's recent history against Arsenal is not promising, with the Blues winless in their last nine Premier League meetings.
Tottenham's Struggles and Liverpool's New Beginnings
Tottenham's start to the season has been disastrous, with two consecutive defeats leaving them at the bottom of the table. Despite a significant investment of over 350 million ($473 million) in the summer transfer window, including high-profile signings like Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, and Savio, there is little sign of improvement. Manager Roberto De Zerbi remains optimistic, expressing confidence in his players' qualities despite the early setbacks.
New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola is still searching for his first win, with frustrating draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. The arrival of France forward Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of up to 124 million is expected to bolster the attack. However, with four goals conceded in two matches, there are evident problems in other areas of the squad. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher highlighted deficiencies in the full-back and midfield positions, suggesting a lack of balance in the squad. Iraola acknowledged the need for performance, stating, 'Now we have to perform, we have to do our job and we have to start from tomorrow.'
