Liverpool, Chelsea Clash in Early Title Race Arsenal take redemption song to the Etihad

PREMIER LEAGUE SUPER SATURDAY

With both sides having amassed the maximum points and yet to concede a goal, Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield in what no doubt is the headline fixture of this weekend’s Premier League. Though the league may just be only three weeks old a win by any of the sides would go a long way in shaping their title ambition. In another scintillating fixture, defending champions, Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium and a victory for the Citizens would ensure the Gunners had their worst league start in 67 years. It is therefore a great weekend of football especially for the neutrals to enjoy

With their 100 per cent starts to the season on the line, Liverpool and Chelsea prepare for a blockbuster Premier League clash at Anfield this evening.
Jurgen Klopp’s side saw off Burnley 2-0 in week two, while Chelsea eased to victory at Arsenal by the same scoreline.

With the Anfield faithful returning to the scene of the crime in the 2020-21 season, Klopp insisted that Liverpool would not be out for revenge against Burnley, who ended the Reds’ 68-game unbeaten home run in the top flight last term.

Lightning would not strike twice for Sean Dyche’s men on Merseyside, as Diogo Jota’s header and Sadio Mane’s calm finish either side of the half-time whistle propelled Liverpool to a comfortable win after their equally dominant success over Norwich City on the opening weekend.

Starting as they mean to go on, Liverpool’s back-to-back wins and clean sheets have seen them rise to third in the rankings – level on points and goal difference with Chelsea and West Ham United, Klopp’s men will endeavour to once again take advantage of Manchester City and Manchester United’s early slip-ups.

Victory over the Clarets marked Liverpool’s seventh in a row in the Premier League – the last four of which have seen Klopp’s men record shut-outs and the Reds’ bright attacking contingent have helped their side score at least two goals in each game during that hot streak.

Also unbeaten in 12 Premier League matches since going down 1-0 against Fulham back in March, a Liverpool side with a near-empty medical room certainly have the look of title challengers once again, although their opponents are equally desperate to reclaim the crown.
There were no prizes for guessing who would make the net ripple first at the Emirates Stadium last week, as Romelu Lukaku up against Pablo Mari and Rob Holding certainly spelled trouble for the Arsenal defence.

The £97.5m man’s physical presence proved impossible for the Gunners to deal with as he bullied his way through to tap home Reece James’s cross in the 15th minute, and James soon went from provider to goal scorer to put the tie to bed with 35 minutes on the clock.
Thomas Tuchel’s side may not have made a lot of additions this summer, but the re-signing of Lukaku may have given the Blues the attacking edge that they need to turn into genuine title contenders, although that tag will certainly be put to the test against the 2019-20 champions this weekend.

It has been 11 years since Chelsea last opened a Premier League campaign with three wins and three clean sheets on the trot, but having restricted Arsenal and Crystal Palace to a combined 10 shots earlier this month, Tuchel’s resolute defence will aim to replicate such performances against one of the most famed attacks the country has to offer.

Mason Mount scored the only goal as Chelsea prevailed 1-0 at Anfield last term, but that defeat represented only Liverpool’s second in 13 league games against Chelsea, who had previously failed to win in five on the Merseyside turf.
Earlier today, the professor meets the protege at the Etihad Stadium at lunchtime, as Manchester City take on Arsenal.
Both sides recorded crushing victories in their most recent encounters, with City easing to a 5-0 success over Norwich City while the Gunners thrashed West Bromwich Albion 6-0 in the EFL Cup.

Manchester City’s lengthy pursuit of the England captain, Harry Kane has failed to bear fruit following confirmation that he will be staying put at Tottenham Hotspur, but Pep Guardiola’s side are now being tipped to move for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo in the coming days.

However, if last week’s performance against Norwich was anything to go by, City seldom need more attacking options in their ranks, as goals from Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte and an own goal from Tim Krul propelled them to a straightforward 5-0 win over Norwich last time out.

Having recovered from their Community Shield defeat to Leicester City and opening-day loss to Tottenham Hotspur, the reigning champions recorded their second consecutive 5-0 Premier League win on home soil following last year’s final-day drubbing of Everton, but Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea remain above Guardiola’s men for the time being.

Furthermore, this weekend’s hosts have only failed to score in one of their last 35 Premier League matches at the Etihad Stadium – an astonishing streak which is unlikely to end no matter who leads the line out.
Of course, a crushing win over Arsenal would allow the Citizens to temporarily reclaim their rightful place at the top of the standings, and given their opponents’ recent performances, Arteta is a long way off emulating his former teacher Guardiola.

Granted, Arsenal’s double-figure absentee list was hardly ideal for the visit of European champions Chelsea, as Arteta’s men sought to right the wrongs of their dismal opening-day defeat to Brentford in front of their own fans.
However, the game panned out in the way that many Gooners feared – with Lukaku bullying his way through the Arsenal defence to score the opener – while James put the game out of sight before the half-time whistle blew.

Having supposedly been given only another few games to save his job in the Emirates dugout, Arteta’s intention to lay down a marker in the EFL Cup was clear, as a strong Gunners XI thrashed a youthful-looking West Bromwich Albion side 6-0 in Wednesday’s second-round clash.
While that result did give the travelling Arsenal party something to cheer, celebratory moments have been few and far between in the Premier League, although they did embark on a seven-game unbeaten run away from home before suffering defeat against Brentford.

Not since the 1954-55 season have Arsenal lost their first three games in a top-flight season, but if they are to avoid a similar fate here, Arteta’s men must emulate the FA Cup-winning squad from 2019-20, which sent City packing 2-0 in the semi-finals.
While their record on the Wembley turf is unparalleled, Arsenal have not endured such fortunes at the Etihad Stadium, as they have lost their last five league games away to Guardiola’s men and have won just one of their last 10 in the blue side of Manchester.