Manchester City and Arsenal gear up for top-of-the-table showdown

After a week of highs and frustrations for English teams in the revamped Champions League, it's back to familiar territory this weekend with Matchday 5 of the Premier League.

Aston Villa and Liverpool both secured emphatic European victories earlier this week and will aim to carry that momentum into their Saturday clashes against Wolves and Bournemouth, respectively.

Meanwhile, England’s other two Champions League representatives, Arsenal and Manchester City, who both played out goalless draws in Europe, will face off at the Etihad on Sunday in what could already be a season-defining showdown.

Beyond the European contenders, there’s plenty more Premier League action to look forward to. Saturday features a London Derby as Chelsea visit West Ham, while Everton, still chasing their first win of the season, will look to bounce back after squandering two-goal leads in their last two games.

Here’s our selection of key things to keep an eye on in this weekend’s top-flight action.

Will Everton bounce back?

Where do you begin with Everton’s dismal start to the Premier League season? Four games, four losses, and 13 goals conceded—it’s been a nightmare. To make matters worse, they’ve thrown away 2-0 leads in their last two matches, only to suffer defeats.

Adding insult to injury, they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup this week, losing to newly promoted Southampton on penalties at Goodison Park.

While reports suggest that manager Sean Dyche still has the support of the owners after steering the team to survival last season despite a points deduction, he desperately needs to secure at least a point on Saturday against Leicester City.

Everton is more than capable of doing just that. Despite the heavy losses to Aston Villa and Bournemouth, they didn’t play poorly. However, top-flight football is unforgiving, and their inability to convert good chances has cost them dearly.

They are close to turning things around, but Dyche knows his side must be more clinical if they hope to earn their first points of the season at the King Power Stadium.

"I have spoke endlessly about both boxes, the killer instinct in both boxes,” said Dyche following the defeat to Villa,

“There are very small margins and we cannot get on the right side of them at the moment.

"If we score that third goal the mood changes radically in the stadium. But, they get one and the mood changes.

"They scored a worldie to win it and we don't press as hard as we should, but they probably don't expect it.

"I didn't walk here blind I knew it was going to be a big challenge, it has been a bigger challenge than what I thought."

Duran to start for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa striker Jhon Durán has made a habit off coming off the bench to score this season, netting three times in his last four Premier League games. The last of those was an emphatic winner against Everton on Saturday when the 20-year-old seized the ball 25 yards from goal and unleashed a stunning, dipping strike that swerved into the top corner, giving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford no chance.

With his current form, the Colombian is making a strong case for a starting spot. The challenge? He’s up against Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who netted twice against Everton and finished last season with 19 Premier League goals.

However, with Villa competing in the Champions League this season, squad rotation will be vital. Watkins started midweek against Young Boys, which could pave the way for Durán to get the nod from the off against Wolves on Saturday.

“[Duran] has been confident as a player, with his skills and within our structure,” said Villa manager Unai Emery following their 3-2 triumph against Everton.

“He has scored like that before. We know [he can do it]. He’s confident to shoot from there.

“He’s scoring. I’m very happy because we have two strikers and we have to try to manage both. Today we started to play both. We have to try to keep the balance.”

Manchester United seeking first win at Selhurst Park since 2020

Manchester United will be aiming for their first win at Selhurst Park in four years when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday night. The Red Devils have struggled in recent visits to Croydon, failing to win in their last four, including a 4-0 thrashing last season. However, they head into this clash with renewed confidence, having scored 10 goals in their last two matches.

Erik ten Hag’s side cruised past a poor Southampton at St Mary’s last weekend before putting seven past League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. While Palace will pose a far tougher challenge, United’s recent form has surely boosted morale, and the team will fancy their chances after those dominant displays.

No one has benefited more from United's mini-resurgence than Marcus Rashford. The forward ended a 181-day goal drought with a strike against Southampton, and followed it up with a brace against Barnsley, as he looks to recapture the form that saw him score 17 Premier League goals in the 2022/23 season.

"Confidence is a big part of it. It's not everything, there are also other parts, but confidence is a big part,” said Erik ten Hag of Rashford.

"I think Rashford is a big guy. He's scored so many goals and is one in the list of [current] United goalscorers.

"But you are as good as your last game and every time you have to prove it.

"But I have even seen the biggest guys, the biggest football players, when they are not performing and when strikers are not scoring, then they drop in confidence. It doesn't matter who it is."

Can Arsenal finally beat City at the Etihad?

It’s only the fifth matchday of the 2024/25 season but we could already have a season-defining clash on our hands this Sunday. A Manchester City victory over Arsenal would put them five points ahead of their title-rivals, while an Arsenal triumph would see them hold a one point advantage over City.

It’s a crucial clash at such an early part of the season, and one you would think that Arsenal can simply not lose. A win is obviously the goal, but I’m sure Arsenal fans would also snap your hand off if you offered them a draw before the game as they can't afford to let City pull away.

The Gunners face a tricky task. They haven’t beaten City at the Etihad since 2015 and have picked up just two points in the blue side of Manchester since that victory.

One of those points was banked last season after a resolute Arsenal held City at bay, while they also beat the Citizens at the Emirates last year, which was their first home victory over them in nine years.

Credit goes to manager Mikel Arteta, who has transformed Arsenal into a resilient team that’s difficult to break down– just look at last week’s game away to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur if you’re looking for the definition of defensively solid.

Arsenal will need that same solidity on Sunday to stay in close contention with Pep Guardiola’s side which features an in-form Erling Haaland, who has netted an astonishing nine goals in just four Premier League games.