Premier League: what games are on this weekend?
Manchester United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, the stand-out fixture of the English top flight matchday 6.
After the midweek European action for some of the clubs, the English Premier League is back for matchday 6 and, as is generally the case these days, we have some very attractive games to look forward to. It all kicks off on Friday night with two surprise packages of the season, Aston Villa vs Leeds, but the big one on paper is Chelsea's trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. Let's check out what the weekend has in store for us...
Premier League matchday 6: headline fixture
With Champions League and Europa League commitments currently interspersed between domestic fixtures, the top clubs are having to use more of their squad to keep things fresh. And both Man Utd and Chelsea can be included in that category as they come head-to-head.
Manchester United vs Chelsea (Saturday 24 October, 5:30pm BST, Old Trafford)
United are looking to win three consecutive top-flight matches against Chelsea for the first time since September 1965. Chelsea are without a win in their last seven Premier League away games against United (D4 L3). United striker Marcus Rashford has scored four goals in his last three games against Chelsea in all competitions.
Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe can enjoy a long career at the Premier League club and needs to improve his consistency to realise his full potential, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday.
Tuanzebe, who has suffered a number of injuries, kept Kylian Mbappé and Neymar quiet in his first game in 10 months as United overcame Paris St Germain 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday and Solskjaer was full of praise for the 22-year-old centre back.
Manchester United XI:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Telles; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Cavani
Chelsea XI:
Mendy; James, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell; Jorginho, Kante; Mount, Havertz, Pulisic; Werner
Premier League matchday 6: all fixtures
Here is a rundown of all the games that are taking place from Friday 23 to Monday 26 October (all times are local BST):
Friday 23 October
Aston Villa v Leeds United (8p.m.)
Villa are looking to win each of their opening five league games in a season for the first time. This is the first Premier League clash between Villa and Leeds since February 2004, when Villa won 2-0. Leeds, who defeated Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last month, are chasing consecutive Premier League away wins for the first time since December 2002.
Saturday, Oct. 24
West Ham United v Manchester City (12:30p.m.)
West Ham have lost their last nine matches against City in all competitions. This is the first time West Ham are starting a Premier League match against City above the Etihad club in the league standings since March 2009. City have won each of their five away matches in all competitions at West Ham, scoring at least four goals in all five games.
Fulham v Crystal Palace (3p.m.)
Fulham have lost their last three home Premier League games by three or more goals, having scored none and conceded 10. Palace are looking to win three successive league matches against Fulham for the first time since October 1930. Fulham and Palace last met in the Premier League in the 2018-19 season, with Palace winning both games 2-0.
Liverpool v Sheffield United (8p.m.)
Liverpool have won their last three Premier League games against Sheffield United without conceding a single goal. The Anfield club are unbeaten in their last 61 Premier League games at home, winning 27 of their last 28 matches. The Blades have lost 19 of their last 23 away top-flight matches against Liverpool (W3 D1).
Sunday, Oct. 25
Southampton v Everton (3p.m.)
Southampton have won five of their last seven home Premier League matches against Everton (L2). Everton have won each of their last three Premier League away games. Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored in all five of the team's Premier League games this season, recording seven league goals so far.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United (5.30p.m.)
Wolves have kept seven clean sheets in their last nine Premier League home games, losing both matches in which they leaked goals. Seven of the 10 Premier League matches between Wolves and Newcastle have ended in a draw, including each of the last three. Newcastle are unbeaten in their last six away league games against Wolves (W2 D4).
Arsenal v Leicester City (8.15p.m.)
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 27 home games against Leicester in all competitions (W20 D7). Leicester have lost their last two Premier League games this season, last losing three in a row in February 2019. Only Crystal Palace (32) and West Bromwich Albion (40) have had fewer shots than Arsenal in this Premier League season (41).
Monday, Oct. 26
Brighton & Hove Albion v West Bromwich Albion (6.30p.m.)
Brighton have won just one of their last 11 home Premier League games (D4 L6). West Brom striker Charlie Austin has scored seven goals in 10 games against Brighton in all competitions. The last time Brighton and West Brom met in any competition was in February 2019, when the Seagulls bounced back from a goal down to win 3-1 in an FA Cup replay.
Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur (9p.m.)
Burnley have won two of their 12 Premier League games against Spurs (D3 L7). Spurs have won both of their away Premier League games this season, scoring 11 goals in those matches. Spurs forward Harry Kane has been directly involved in eight goals in his last four Premier League games against Burnley, scoring six and grabbing two assists.
Premier League matchday 6: talking points
Premier League champions Liverpool are closing in on a club record of 63 home league wins, set between 1978-81. The last time they were beaten at Anfield in the league was when they lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace in April 2017.
Chris Wilder's Sheffield United were last season's surprise package after they finished ninth on their return to the top-flight but are winless and 19th after five games of the new season.
"Sheffield United ... deserve a lot of attention for what they do because it is really good," Klopp told a news conference on Friday. "Even when the results are not so far like they wished for the performances, they have not been bad and I'm sure Chris Wilder knows that. "For us that makes it tricky and they had full week to prepare for this game."
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho believes Son Heung-min has proven his credentials as a world class player over the last few seasons at the north London club and the South Korean forward will be rewarded with a new contract "sooner or later".
Son came on as a substitute to score for the ninth time in all competitions this season as Spurs claimed a convincing 3-0 win over LASK Linz in the Europa League on Thursday.
When asked what Son needs to do to become a world class player, Mourinho told reporters: "It is up to you - he cannot do more than what he does. "Season after season after season Sonny is showing how good he is. Of course, the better the team is the easier it is for the players to emerge."