The Premier League takes centre stage once again this weekend, with every team aiming to collect maximum points.
Aston Villa host Manchester City and will be looking to become the first team this season to take points off Enzo Maresca’s side.
Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount on Michael Carrick, but the former Middlesbrough manager will look to make the most of home advantage as his team host Bournemouth, with all three points the target.
Elsewhere, we await the mouthwatering clash between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur clash at Stamford Bridge, while Brighton will fancy their chances given their current form and the fact that Liverpool are yet to win at Anfield in the Premier League this season.
Plenty of intriguing matches await this weekend, with each fixture carrying significant stakes.
Here, Sport Just Sport writer Anurag Tyagi scours the markets for the televised top-flight tussles from Gameweek 8 of the Premier League and provides some suggested predictions and bets for them.
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur – Saturday, October 24, 17:30 BST
Chelsea will be aiming for a hat-trick of Premier League wins when they host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
The Blues have a terrific record at home against Spurs, having lost to them just once since 1990 across all competitions.
That solitary defeat came on April 1, 2018, when Christian Eriksen scored in first-half stoppage time before Dele Alli struck twice in quick succession (62′, 66′) to hand Spurs a 3-1 win and end their 28-year wait for a win at the Bridge.
Form guide
Chelsea opened the season with two wins against Fulham and Brighton before going on a three-game winless run.
That spell began with a 2-1 away defeat to reigning champions Arsenal. Another disappointing league result followed, as the Blues had to settle for a 2-2 home draw against newly promoted Hull City, who have been impressive this season.
Chelsea were the better side in the first half against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, but the Bees came out stronger after the break and claimed a stunning 3-0 win.
Since that defeat, Xabi Alonso’s men have scored seven goals across two matches, first recording a 5-1 win over Bournemouth before securing a 2-0 away victory against Everton last weekend. With no European football to contend with, Chelsea should be fresh for this clash.
Tottenham Hotspur have equalled their worst start to a Premier League season in the club’s history, managing just two points from their opening five games of the 2026/27 campaign under manager Roberto De Zerbi.
However, De Zerbi’s men have impressed in their last two matches. They secured a point at Old Trafford despite playing the final 12 minutes, plus second-half stoppage time, with 10 men.
Spurs finally ended their winless start to the new season after beating in-form Coventry City 3-1 on Monday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Head-to-head
Chelsea are on a six-game winning streak against Tottenham in the Premier League.
They also hold the better head-to-head record across all competitions, winning 83 of their 181 meetings, while Spurs have recorded 56 victories. The remaining 42 matches ended in draws.
Tottenham have beaten the Blues just once in all competitions since November 2020 and have managed only one win at Stamford Bridge since April 1, 2018.
Chelsea team news
Chelsea will be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, who suffered a horrific head collision with Jarrad Branthwaite during their 2-0 win over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium last week.
The former Aston Villa shot-stopper has since undergone successful surgery, with Mike Penders likely to start in goal for the home side.
Pep Chavarría is a doubt after picking up a knock in training last week, while club captain Reece James has been ruled out until January 2027 after undergoing minor knee surgery.
Tottenham team news
Dejan Kulusevski returned to the team after more than 500 days out and featured off the bench against Coventry City on Monday.
However, the former Juventus star is still short of full match fitness and is likely to feature from the bench again at Stamford Bridge.
Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie both missed the clash against Coventry on Monday, and remain doubtful.
Lucas Bergvall also remains sidelined with the knee injury he picked up against Manchester United.
Savinho, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mykhailo Mudryk remain long-term absentees.
Rodrigo Bentancur is serving a three-game ban following the red card he received against Manchester United.
Match odds
Chelsea are tipped to take all three points at 8/11, with Tottenham Hotspur at 77/20 to pull off an upset. The draw is available at 17/5.
Suggested bet
Tottenham to score but Chelsea to claim a 3-1 win.
Liverpool vs Brighton and Hove Albion – Sunday, October 25, 14:00 BST
Liverpool welcome in-form Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield for a crunch Premier League clash on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
This is a crucial game for the Reds, who sit fifth in the table, four points behind their next opponents. The clash is effectively a six-pointer for Liverpool, who cannot afford another slip-up at home.
Form guide
Liverpool are one of only three teams in the league yet to win at home this season.
They have played three games at Anfield so far, drawing their first two matches against Nottingham Forest (2-2) and Fulham (0-0) before losing 0-3 to Manchester City.
However, Andoni Iraola’s men have been the league’s best team away from home, with 10 of their 12 points coming from away matches.
The pressure is on the home side to finally get their home form going and secure a long-awaited league win at Anfield.
For Brighton, the season could not have got off to a better start.
Not only do they boast the second-best run in the league at the moment, behind only Manchester City, with four consecutive wins, but they also sit third, just two points behind Arsenal and ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool.
Fabian Hürzeler’s team also produced one of the best performances by any side in the league this season when they dismantled Crystal Palace 5-0 last weekend.
This is a tough fixture for the Reds, even with home advantage.
Head-to-head
Liverpool boast the better head-to-head record against Brighton across all competitions.
The Reds have won 25 of their 46 meetings with the Seagulls, who have managed just nine wins, while 12 matches have ended in draws.
Liverpool have also remained unbeaten against Brighton at home since February 2021. However, the last meeting between the two sides ended in a 2-1 home win for Brighton.
Liverpool team news
Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all returned from injuries to feature against Brentford last week.
Isak and Gakpo also featured in the midweek Champions League match against Villarreal, but Szoboszlai missed the Champions League after being forced off against Brentford due to a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
The Liverpool vice-captain is expected to miss up to three games, according to Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor.
Rio Ngumoha is pushing for a start following a dazzling display in the Champions League, but the youngster is likely to feature from the bench, with Gakpo and Bradley Barcola playing on either side of Isak up front.
Ryan Gravenberch is once again available for selection after serving a one-game suspension following his red card against Manchester City.
Jeremie Frimpong also picked up a muscle injury during the match against Brentford and is set to spend some time on the sidelines.
Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley remain long-term injury absentees.
Brighton team news
Brighton are likely to name an unchanged starting XI following their incredible 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.
However, as far as team fitness is concerned, the Seagulls are without a handful of players, with Yankuba Minteh, Zadok Yohanna, Mats Wieffer, Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson and Stefanos Tzimas all sidelined through injury.
Match odds
Liverpool are favourites to win the clash at Anfield, with the Reds priced at 23/20. A draw is available at 3/1, while Brighton are priced at 9/4 to claim all three points.
Suggested bet
Brighton to score anytime but Liverpool to win 2-1.
Manchester United vs Bournemouth – Sunday, October 25, 14:00 BST
Under pressure, Michael Carrick will be looking for a first win in seven games when his Manchester United side take on Bournemouth in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Man United remain in deep trouble in both the Champions League and the Premier League, with Carrick in serious danger of losing his job if he fails to steady the ship.
Form guide
The Red Devils suffered a chastening 4-1 defeat at the hands of Cesc Fabregas’ Como in the Champions League.
The result reflects the struggles surrounding the club, with Manchester United lacking a clear identity under Carrick. Right now, the Manchester giants appear to have problems all over the pitch.
The 20-time English champions have been winless since beating Azerbaijani side Sabah 4-0 at home in the Champions League on September 11.
Since then, Man United have played seven matches across all competitions, losing four times, been eliminated from the League Cup and collecting just two points from a possible 12 in the Premier League.
With just seven points from as many games, United sit only two points above the relegation zone and a massive 14 points behind current league leaders Manchester City.
Bournemouth will fancy their chances, even though they have their own issues.
However, after claiming their first league win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland last weekend, along with another solid display against European giants AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League, the Cherries will have no shortage of confidence heading into the Old Trafford clash this weekend.
Head-to-head
Manchester United have suffered just five defeats in 26 head-to-head meetings against Bournemouth across all competitions, winning 14 times and drawing seven matches.
However, the Cherries have been a bogey team for the Red Devils in recent seasons, remaining unbeaten in their last six matches against Man United.
The last three meetings between the two sides have ended in draws.
Man Utd team News
Kobbie Mainoo picked up a knock during Man United’s 1-1 home draw against Tottenham. Carrick also stated that the England international needs “another 10 days or so” to regain full fitness.
Benjamin Sesko has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and is likely to remain out until January 2027.
Left-back Luke Shaw also remains sidelined after limping off during the draw against Tottenham.
Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte are two other players currently nursing injuries, while Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martínez both missed the clash against Como and remain doubtful.
Bournemouth team news
Bournemouth’s prized asset Alex Scott has returned to individual training but will not feature for at least another two weeks as he continues to recover from a thigh injury.
Julián Araujo is yet to feature for Bournemouth this season after undergoing successful surgery on his left thigh. The Mexico international suffered a muscle injury during a pre-season friendly against St. Pauli in Austria.
Manager Marco Rose is likely to stick with the same starting XI that beat Sunderland 2-0 last weekend.
Match odds
Manchester United are favourites to win, with odds of 11/10, while a draw is at 14/5 and Bournemouth are at 27/10 to claim all three points.
Suggested bet
Manchester United to win 2-0.
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