Leaders Manchester City will be facing a tough test to their title credentials this weekend as they play away to the other unbeaten side so far in the Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur.
Son Heung-min is firing on all cylinders for Tottenham and ably filling up for the injured Harry Kane.
The South Korean is as keen as any other Spurs player to leave the past in its rightful place and focus on the present as the north Londoners, currently four points behind Man. City, are poised to smash their wage ceiling to give hitman Kane a new deal worth £120,000-a-week.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed the quality of Son after he grabbed another brace against Middlesbrough before scoring the only goal of the match away at CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Manchester City revealed the full extent of Kevin de Bruyne’s hamstring injury, saying he could be sidelined for at least three weeks.
Before Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Celtic, the Citizens had won every game under manager Pep Guardiola. The sequence (10 victories and 26 goals) was halted by the Hoops who fought hard for a 3-3 draw in a Celtic Park thriller.
Arsenal, still undefeated on the away front, play Burnley at Turf Moor tomorrow.
Theo Walcott said Arsenal, after the 3-0 win over Chelsea and the 2-0 victory over Basle in midweek, now have all the experienced players required to prevail in big matches.
Arsene Wenger said Walcott, who scored against Chelsea and Basle, has been spurred on to have a good season after being overlooked for England’s Euro 2016 squad in summer.
Walcott has reverted to his right-wing berth rather than featuring up front and has looked back to his menacing self in the Arsenal attack.
In today’s early kick-off, Liverpool play guests to troubled Swansea City who may lose their manager – Francesco Guidolin – if they suffer another defeat.
Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius is aware of the competition for places at Anfield and that means he cannot afford to be complacent having won the battle to be Juergen Klopp’s first choice.
Adam Lallana is finally getting the rewards his work-rate deserves and is flourishing in Liverpool’s counter-pressing style.
The 4-1 triumph at home to champions Leicester City seems to have silenced Manchester United’s critics as Jose Mourinho’s men prepare to play Stoke City at Old Trafford, tomorrow.
Juan Mata is confident United have turned a corner following the 4-1 mauling of the champions as Chris Smalling has backed Wayne Rooney to regain his place in the team after starting on the bench last week.
Back-to-back defeats have ruffled feathers at Antonio Conte’s court as Chelsea cross swords at Hull City this afternoon.
According to reports in the UK, Conte is ready to embark on a ruthless defensive clear-out following his side’s 3-0 defeat by Arsenal which stretched the Blues’ winless run in the league to three matches.
Leicester hit back strongly from the heavy defeat to Manchester United after beating Porto 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Today, Claudio Ranieri’s men will be seeking to chalk up their third win in the league in a difficult match against in-form Southampton.
Football programme in the UK...
Premier League
Hull City-Chelsea
Sunderland-West Brom
Swansea City-Liverpool - 13:30
Watford-Bournemouth
West Ham-Middlesbrough
Tomorrow:
Burnley-Arsenal - 17:30
Leicester City-Southampton - 15:15
Man. United-Stoke City - 13:00
Tottenham-Man. City - 15:15
The Championship
Birmingham-Blackburn Rovers
Brentford-Wigan Athletic
Bristol City-Nottm Forest
Burton Albion-Cardiff City
Fulham-QPR 13:45
Ipswich-Huddersfield
Leeds United-Barnsley
Preston NE-Aston Villa
Reading-Derby County
Rotherham-Newcastle United
Sheffield Wed.-Brighton
Wolves-Norwich City - 18:30
League One
AFC Wimbledon-Gillingham
Bolton-Oxford United
Bury-Scunthorpe
Charlton-Rochdale
Chesterfield-Bradford
Fleetwood-Sheffield United
Northampton-Bristol Rovers
Oldham-MK Dons
Port Vale-Coventry City
Shrewsbury-Swindon Town
Southend-Peterborough
Walsall-Millwall
League Two
Barnet-Leyton Orient
Cambridge-Accrington
Carlisle-Colchester
Cheltenham-Luton Town
Crawley-Blackpool
Crewe-Mansfield
Grimsby-Hartlepool
Newport-Stevenage
Notts County-Morecambe
Plymouth-Yeovil Town
Portsmouth-Doncaster
Wycombe-Exeter City
Scottish Premiership
Dundee FC-Celtic - 13:15
Hamilton-Inverness CT
Kilmarnock-Aberdeen
Rangers-Partick Thistle
Ross County-St Johnstone
Scottish Championship
Ayr United-Dunfermline
Dumbarton-Queen of South
Morton-Raith Rovers
St Mirren-Falkirk 18:15
Tomorrow:
Hibernian-Dundee United 13:00
League One
Albion Rovers-Queen’s Park
Alloa Athletic-Airdrieonians
East Fife-Stenhousemuir
Peterhead-Livingston
Stranraer-Brechin City
League Two
Berwick Rangers-Clyde
Cowdenbeath-Stirling
Edinburgh City-Arbroath
Elgin City-Annan
Forfar-Montrose
Note: kick-offs 16.00 unless stated.