Chelsea vs. Luton Town

Stamford Bridge, Friday, 8pm Local, 3pm Eastern

Chelsea’s rebuild is already attracting detractors after their loss to West Ham last weekend. The criticism is fair, but it’s early enough in the campaign that the problems in the squad could just as easily be chalked up to growing pains as stagnation. A goal from new frontman Nicolas Jackson would help to quell some of the rumblings around Stamford Bridge, but - more than anything - a capable first start for Moisés Caicedo in the heart of midfield would be a welcome step forward for the Chelsea faithful.

Luton Town have had two weeks off to prepare for this matchup with Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues, and they’ll hope they can give a better account of themselves than they did versus Brighton on the opening weekend. That performance wasn’t without positives, but - if the main concern is whether or not the Hatters can raise their standards to Premier League level - they haven’t yet proven they can compete against top sides. 

Bournemouth vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Vitality Stadium, Saturday, 12:30pm Local, 7:30am Eastern

The early match on Saturday features a jubilant Spurs team facing an exciting but still developing Bournemouth outfit. Spurs aren’t exactly the finished article either, despite winning last weekend against Manchester United. Their win will have boosted spirits, but they conceded a number of chances (especially in the first half) that sharper finishing would have punished. Tottenham supporters will desperately want to see Richarlison find the back of the net, as his move south from Everton has yet to pay off. The good vibes are a welcome change for the North London club - their next challenge will be to show consistency.

The Cherries are still working to find their rhythm under Andoni Iraola, and they showed they can be dangerous in their loss to Liverpool. Tyler Adams joins Alex Scott as a solid new addition to the team, but - like Scott - Adams is unavailable due to injury. The South Coast club won’t be devastated to lose this match, but will feel capable of taking a step forward this weekend. No matter the result, this match up of styles looks ripe for goals.

Arsenal vs. Fulham

Emirates Stadium, Saturday, 3pm Local, 10am Eastern

Arsenal are one of only three clubs to start the new season with back to back victories and face an unmoored Fulham at home this Saturday. The Gunners’ narrow win away to Crystal Palace showed maturity, especially after going down to 10 men. Supporters of the North London club will be slightly concerned that their squad have yet to look their best, but 6 points from 6 is nothing to scoff at. They have an opportunity to lay down a marker this weekend, and Gabriel Jesus has been cleared to play.

The Cottagers come into the match teetering on the edge of a minor crisis. They were thoroughly beaten by Brentford last weekend, have lost their top goalscorer, and - while they’ve recorded 3 points - earned their only win against the run of play at a flailing Everton. Marco Silva gave the club a tremendous vote of confidence over the summer when he spurned lucrative approaches from Saudi Arabia - he’ll hope that he has the backing he needs for success. 

Brentford vs. Crystal Palace

Gtech Community Stadium, Saturday, 3pm Local, 10am Eastern

The Bees of Brentford start the third Match Week in the top four and have shown no sign of struggling to bag goals without their frontman, Ivan Toney. Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are scoring for fun, though it is approaching crunch time for the likes of Mikkel Damsgaard and Kevin Schade to start their tallies with the West London club. The team has rhythm and positivity going into the match, but Palace are showing signs that they’ll be hard to defeat.

Crystal Palace were pipped by Arsenal 1-0 on Monday, with the only goal coming from the penalty spot. That defeat followed a relatively routine win against struggling Sheffield United. They’ve also - so far - avoided high-budget clubs raiding their roster, with Cheick Doucouré, Eberechi Eze, and Michael Olise staying put. This match should prove a good test for the Eagles, who will look to improve on their 11th place finish last season. If they want to do that, challenges like this are where they’ll need to find points.

Everton vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Goodison Park, Saturday, 3pm Local, 10am Eastern

Saturday gives fans a match some have (only slightly jokingly) referred to as a relegation six pointer. Both of these clubs have 0 points from two matches, and have each looked unlikely to improve quickly. Wolves seem the most likely to pull themselves out of their funk. They were very unlucky to lose in the first Match Week, but were roundly thumped last time out against Brighton. Until they show a clinical edge in attack, it’s very difficult to imagine them challenging many teams in the division.

However, if there’s a team that Wolves have an advantage over, it’s Everton. The Toffees looked hopeless against Aston Villa and have lost Dominic Calvert-Lewin again. Scoring is their main challenge as well, and Neal Maupay has done very little to inspire confidence when trusted to lead the line. Sean Dyche has plenty of experience leading clubs who aren’t favored on paper. But his Burnley sides never had quite this much dysfunction on and off the pitch. Everton have an uphill battle to survival, and - if they were to lose this match at home - an already steep climb would tip that much more against them.

Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest

Old Trafford, Saturday, 3pm Local, 10am Eastern

The Red Devils haven’t hit their stride in the first two matches of the campaign, and - putting aside their actions off the pitch - have been further hampered by injuries to Luke Shaw and Mason Mount. The stand out weakness for the Manchester club is their midfield, so it’s not an insane suggestion that Mount’s temporary absence could allow them to reset. However, if they can’t find ways to be harder to play through, Forest’s quick attacking players (especially former United winger, Anthony Elanga) could punish them. 

Nottingham Forest aren’t without their own faults, though, and their win over Sheffield United wasn’t completely dominant. They were lucky not to concede, and Manchester United will fancy themselves better finishers than the Blades. It’s still early to worry too much about the Red Devils, but anything less than a win against Forest would validate many of the criticisms they’ve faced so far. 

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. West Ham United

The American Express Stadium, Saturday, 5:30pm Local, 12:30pm Eastern

The late game on Saturday features two Europa League sides in Brighton and West Ham. Both are coming off of victories, with the Seagulls one of three teams yet to drop points. Roberto De Zerbi’s side sits on top of the table, and has yet to show any major weakness. If there’s any caveat to their early success, it’s that their wins came over Luton Town and Wolves - so it’s an open question if they’ve been truly challenged. Whether or not that’s the case, their attack is brimming with talent in Mitoma, Ferguson, and March - though they’ll have to do without Julio Enciso for the foreseeable future following the young talent’s knee injury.

West Ham recorded the surprise result of last weekend over Chelsea, winning 3-1 despite going down to 10 men. They’ve shown they’re no pushovers even though their league form was rocky last campaign. While Brighton will enter this match the favorites, the Hammers are proving frustrating opposition and have so far added well to their squad. James Ward-Prowse will look to continue his quick adjustment to life in East London, and his delivery from set pieces could prove the difference.

Burnley vs. Aston Villa

Turf Moor, Sunday, 2pm Local, 9am Eastern

After two weeks off, Vincent Kompany’s Clarets look to prove themselves at the top level. No one will pile on them for losing to Manchester City, and they created chances against the champions. They lacked quality on the final ball, and fans will hope that they’ve spent their time off honing their finishing. They’ve also continued to bolster their squad, with Aaron Ramsey (not that one) the latest confirmed arrival. Burnley look to be the promoted club taking the most risks to stay in the Premier League, and this weekend will finally give viewers another chance to see how they stack up.

Unfortunately for the Clarets, Aston Villa seem to have rediscovered their form after their first week hammering away to Newcastle. They followed up a defenestration of Everton by crushing Hibernian in Europa Conference Qualifying midweek. Their pacey forwards and solid midfield will prove a daunting challenge for their hosts. Ollie Watkins found his shooting boots in their European competition, and - if he brings them on Sunday - Burnley will have a lot to worry about.

Sheffield United vs. Manchester City

Bramall Lane, Sunday, 2pm Local, 9am Eastern

Sheffield United, a promoted club looking for traction in the league, face just about the worst possible opponents on Sunday afternoon. Manchester City have won both their matches comfortably, and brought home the European Super Cup as a bonus. The Blades have yet to be completely outplayed, but you fear for them in this match. However, they’ve begun to add a few more players and Gustavo Hamer has shown that he only needs a half chance to score. There are reasons to give Sheffield United hope this season, but I wouldn’t expect the positives to start yet.

On the Manchester City side, this match affords the club an opportunity to unveil new signing Jérémy Doku, who’s been brought in to improve their front line. City will be without their manager on the sideline until after the international break, but there’s little to suggest that will slow them down. 

Newcastle United vs. Liverpool

St. James Park, Sunday, 4:30pm Local, 11:30am Eastern

St. James Park plays host to the match of the weekend, with last season’s 4th and 5th placed clubs squaring off. Newcastle should be able to write off their away defeat to Man City last weekend, and reignite their season with a strong showing against the Merseyside club. The Magpies were kept off the scoresheet in their last match, but Liverpool’s defensive frailties have been well documented. Isak and Barnes in particular will look to find space on the break. Add to that what is sure to be a raucous home atmosphere, and you’d fancy Newcastle to find joy on Sunday evening.

On the other hand, Liverpool dealt Newcastle 2 of their 5 defeats last season, and their new signing Wataru Endō has had a full week to learn the ropes (as opposed to only 24 hours). This affords the Reds tactical flexibility they haven’t had yet this season, with a specialist defensive player to help anchor their preferred box midfield system as well as giving them personnel to fit their classic 4-3-3 lineup. Whatever the result, we’ll know a lot more about where these clubs stand in their push to become true title challengers.