Matchweek 10 starts at Hill Dickinson Stadium at 8pm, with Everton at home to Coventry City. It is Frank Lampard's first return as an opponent. He managed Everton, the crowd took to him, and the spell ended in another relegation fight. Seventh hosts sixteenth. Everton have 13 points from nine games. Coventry have 9. Monday's win at Newcastle, Thierno Barry's goal and a red card in the 98th minute, was Everton's first away league win of the season. Tonight asks whether that result was a turn or a one-off.
Saturday: Arsenal, then City
Leeds United against Tottenham is at 12.30pm. Both have 11 and 12 points and neither is where it expected to be, Leeds 12th, Spurs 9th. At 3pm Arsenal, leaders on 24 points, host Hull City, who are 11th on 11. A win puts the Gunners on 27 and keeps a cushion whatever Manchester City do later. Fulham, 15th on 9, host Newcastle, 13th on 11, at the same hour. Newcastle are still living with Monday's home defeat.
Nottingham Forest against Manchester City is the 5.30pm game. Forest are 19th on 6 points, with six goals scored. City are second on 21, and they won 3-2 in Leipzig on Thursday with Erling Haaland's goal. If City win and Arsenal have already won, the gap at the top stays three points. If City drop points at the City Ground, the weekend changes shape before Sunday has started. Arsenal's win at Anfield is still the result that put daylight in the table.
Matchweek 10, London Time
- Friday 8pm: Everton v Coventry City, Hill Dickinson Stadium.
- Saturday 12.30pm: Leeds v Tottenham. 3pm: Arsenal v Hull, Fulham v Newcastle. 5.30pm: Forest v Manchester City.
- Sunday 2pm: Brighton v Brentford, Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Ipswich v Bournemouth, Sunderland v Chelsea.
- Sunday 4.30pm: Manchester United v Aston Villa.
- Table after nine games: Arsenal 24, City 21, Brighton 19, Chelsea 16, Liverpool 15.
Sunday: Liverpool, United, and the bottom of the table
Four games are at 2pm. Brighton, third on 19 points and with the best goal difference in the league, host Brentford, sixth on 14. Crystal Palace, 18th on 7, host Liverpool, fifth on 15. Liverpool lost 3-2 at Fenerbahce on Thursday, having led and been pulled back twice. Selhurst is not a place to carry a European hangover, and Palace need the points more than the visitors do. Ipswich, 14th on 11, host Bournemouth, eighth on 12. Sunderland, bottom on 5, host Chelsea, fourth on 16.
Manchester United against Aston Villa is at 4.30pm. United are 17th on 7 points, with one win in nine. Villa are 10th on 12. It is Michael Carrick against Unai Emery, and the table does not flatter the home side. A win would not restore a season. It would at least stop a week in which the Champions League went on without a United game to hide in. The league table above is the one after nine matches. Nothing on Thursday night in Europe changed a single Premier League point. From 8pm tonight, it starts to.