Premier League matchday 7 preview: perfect City host Ipswich, Arsenal go to Forest, Liverpool visit Brentford

Manchester City have won all six and lead by three points, and on Saturday afternoon they are at home to Ipswich, tenth. Arsenal, three points behind, play last of the leading sides, at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Liverpool, beaten 3–0 at home by City in their last league match, go to unbeaten Brentford, and at the bottom Fulham, with two points, are at home to Hull City.

Saturday

Everton v Chelsea (11:30 UTC, Hill Dickinson Stadium). Everton, fifth on ten, are unbeaten with two wins and four draws and drew 2–2 at Hull; Chelsea, sixth on ten, beat Bournemouth 5–1 and have scored 15 and conceded 13. Everton won 3–0 here in March; Chelsea won the two meetings before that, 2–0 at home in December and 1–0 at home in April 2025, and the game at Everton in December 2024 finished 0–0. Chelsea are without Reece James after knee surgery, and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite is a doubt with a knock, according to the Premier League's website.

Brentford v Liverpool (14:00 UTC, Gtech Community Stadium). Brentford, fourth on ten, are unbeaten with four draws in six and drew 2–2 at Aston Villa; Liverpool, ninth on nine, lost for the first time against City. Brentford won 3–2 here in October 2025 and the meeting at Anfield in May finished 1–1; Liverpool won 2–0 here in January 2025 and 2–0 at home in August 2024. Ryan Gravenberch serves a one-match ban for his red card against City, Liverpool's website says, and Andoni Iraola has left open a return for Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, who missed the last two games injured.

Fulham v Hull City (14:00 UTC, Craven Cottage). Fulham are bottom on two, without a win, and lost 2–1 at Ipswich to a goal on 90; Hull, eighth on nine, drew 2–2 with Everton. It is their first league meeting since February 2022, when Fulham won 1–0 at Hull in the Championship; Fulham also won 2–0 at Hull in the FA Cup in January 2023, and Hull's last win in the fixture was 3–0 here in November 2019.

Manchester City v Ipswich (14:00 UTC, Etihad Stadium). City have 18 points from 18, have scored 16 and won 3–0 at Anfield; E. Haaland leads the scorers with six. Ipswich, tenth on nine, have three wins and three defeats and beat Fulham 2–1. City won both league meetings in 2024–25, 4–1 here in August 2024 and 6–0 at Ipswich in January 2025. City have no injuries and Phil Foden is available again after a ban, and Ipswich's Gary O'Neil expects to be at full strength with Abdul Fatawu back from suspension, according to the Premier League's website.

Newcastle v Aston Villa (16:30 UTC, St James' Park). Newcastle, eleventh on eight, lost 4–1 at Coventry; Aston Villa, sixteenth on five, drew 2–2 with Brentford. Villa won 2–0 here in the league in January, and Newcastle won 3–1 at Villa in the FA Cup in February; the league game at Villa in August 2025 finished 0–0.

Sunday

Bournemouth v Sunderland (13:00 UTC, Vitality Stadium). Bournemouth, eighteenth on three, are without a win and lost 5–1 at Chelsea; Sunderland, seventeenth on four, lost 2–0 at home to Brighton. The meeting here in February finished 1–1, and Sunderland won 3–2 at home in November 2025.

Brighton v Crystal Palace (13:00 UTC, American Express Stadium). Brighton, third on 13, have scored 18, the most in the league, and have won three league matches in a row without conceding, the last 2–0 at Sunderland; Crystal Palace, twelfth on seven, beat Nottingham Forest 3–1. Brighton have not beaten Palace in the last four meetings: Palace won 1–0 here in February, 2–1 at home in April 2025 and 3–1 here in December 2024, and the game at Selhurst Park in November 2025 finished 0–0.

Leeds v Manchester United (13:00 UTC, Elland Road). Leeds, seventh on nine, lost for the first time, 2–1 at Arsenal; Manchester United, thirteenth on six, drew 1–1 with Tottenham. Leeds won 2–1 at Old Trafford in April, and the league meeting here in January finished 1–1. Lisandro Martínez is in the United squad after criticising the director of football, Jason Wilcox, and then apologising; Michael Carrick said the defender "realised he made a mistake", Sky Sports reports.

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal (15:30 UTC, City Ground). Forest, fifteenth on five, lost 3–1 at Crystal Palace and have scored five; Arsenal, second on 15, came from behind to beat Leeds 2–1 and have won five of six. Forest have not scored against Arsenal in the last four meetings: 0–0 here in January and in February 2025, and 3–0 to Arsenal in London in September 2025 and November 2024. Oliver Glasner suggested his captain, Morgan Gibbs-White, is "doubtful" with a minor muscle injury, according to the Premier League's website. Mikel Arteta said Arsenal would assess Martín Zubimendi after Saturday's training, and William Saliba has another scan next week.

Monday

Tottenham v Coventry (19:00 UTC, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium). Tottenham, nineteenth on three, are without a win and have scored three, the fewest in the league; they drew 1–1 at Old Trafford with ten men. Coventry, fourteenth on six, lost their first four and have won the two since, 4–1 against Newcastle last time. The head-to-head record lists two cup meetings, both won by Tottenham: 2–1 at Coventry in the League Cup in September 2024 and 3–0 here in the FA Cup in January 2013. Rodrigo Bentancur serves the first match of a three-match ban, the club says, and the Premier League's website says James Maddison could make his first league start since April 2025.

The table before the round

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Manchester City	6	+11	18
2	Arsenal	6	+5	15
3	Brighton	6	+13	13
4	Brentford	6	+6	10
5	Everton	6	+3	10
6	Chelsea	6	+2	10
…
17	Sunderland	6	−6	4
18	Bournemouth	6	−6	3
19	Tottenham	6	−6	3
20	Fulham	6	−4	2

City play on Saturday and can go six points clear before Arsenal kick off at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon. Four sides are on nine points, from seventh to tenth, one behind the three on ten.

Numbers to know

• E. Haaland has six league goals, João Pedro of Chelsea five.
• City are the only side with a perfect record; Brentford and Everton are the other unbeaten sides.
• Bournemouth, Tottenham and Fulham are without a win.
• Brighton have scored 18, Tottenham three; City, Arsenal, Brighton, Everton and Leeds have conceded five each, the fewest.

The full round with kick-off times in your time zone is on the Premier League page.

Sources for the context: Premier League, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Sky Sports.