New Delhi: Matchday 8 kicked off with a bang, as Spurs triumphed in the London derby and Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United salvaged a much-needed victory over Brentford. Aston Villa climbed to fourth in the standings while Leicester City staged a dramatic comeback to stun Southampton. Everton extended their winning streak to four consecutive matches but Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal suffered their second loss of the season and their first away defeat this year at the hands of Bournemouth. Five red cards added to the drama of the weekend’s fixtures.
As we move deeper into Matchday 8, let’s preview which teams hold the upper hand before the next round of action unfolds.
Wolves vs Manchester City ( 6:30 pm IST)
¡Llegamos a Wolverhampton!
📍 Molineux pic.twitter.com/feYuCsw0Gz
— Manchester City (@ManCityES) October 20, 2024
The defending champions Manchester City could temporarily move to the top of the Premier League table if they overcome bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers. Before the international break, Man City triumphed in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham while Wolves were involved in an eight-goal spectacle, ultimately losing to Brentford.
Despite conceding first in four of their last six league matches, City have shown resilience and collected a league-best 10 points from losing positions this season. While Wolves have demonstrated some attacking flair their defensive frailties under Gary O’Neil’s management make them vulnerable to another tough defeat. City will be looking to capitalize on those weaknesses and extend their strong form. The potential starting lineups could be as follows:
Wolverhampton: Johnstone; Semedo, S. Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Bellegarde, Lemina, Andre, Gomes, Cunha; Larsen
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Gundogan; Silva, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Prediction: Wolves 1-4 Man City
Liverpool vs Chelsea ( 9 pm IST)
🔴 MATCHDAY 🔴
We’re back in #PL action at Anfield to take on Chelsea. UP THE REDS! ✊#LIVCHE | #WalkOn pic.twitter.com/MsiEMIPC9X
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 20, 2024
The return of the Premier League will witness a clash of the titans as Liverpool welcomes Chelsea at Anfield. The Blues are in sixth place in the standings and have stepped up to the plate so far this season. The Blues entered the international break on a disappointing 1-1 draw and will look to take it up a notch this weekend.
The Reds are leading the table and have been impressive under Arne Slot. Last week they defeated the Merseyside 1-0 and will be quite confident ahead of the fixture. The potential starting lineups could be as follows:
Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Veiga; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace (12:30 am IST)
Back in #PL action 🔜 pic.twitter.com/TKuhIUpy2W
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) October 17, 2024
Crystal Palace will take on a Nuno Espirito Santo less Nottingham Forest at the City ground. The Tricky Trees earned a respectful 1-1 draw against Chelsea prior to the international break but the Eagles were beaten 1-0 by league leaders Liverpool. Both teams will look to pack a punch on the day and win the clash.
Nottingham Forest holds an upper hand over Crystal Palace having won 29 matches out of 67. Nottm Forest so far have a stellar record this season and have even managed to punch above their weight this season. The potential starting lineups could be as follows:
Nottm Forest: Sels; Aina, Murillo, Milenkovic, Moreno; Yates, Dominguez; Hudson-Odoi, Anderson, Elanga; Wood
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Guehi, Chalobah, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Nketiah, Eze
Prediction: Nottm Forest 1-1 Crystal Palace
