Premier League talking points: Liverpool face Chelsea test, Spurs reaction, winless wonders

We pick out the big issues ahead of this weekend's English top-flight action

Premier League leaders Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday. EPA

The Premier League hurtles back into action after the international break with a London derby kicking off this weekend's schedule.

On Saturday, the early game (3.30pm kick-off UAE) sees Spurs host West Ham United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Five matches follow at 6pm with Fulham facing Aston Villa at Craven Cottage, Ipswich Town entertaining Everton, Manchester United taking on Brentford at Old Trafford, Newcastle United versus Brighton on Tyneside and Southampton against Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium. Bournemouth tackle Arsenal in the late game (8.30pm).

There are two games on Sunday starting with Wolves up against Manchester City at Molineux and Liverpool's home clash with Chelsea at Anfield. That leaves one game for Monday evening when Nottingham Forest are up against Crystal Palace.

When will winless wonders break their duck?

As the season enters Matchday 8, there remain four teams in the top flight who have yet to taste victory this campaign: Wolves, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

Wolves and Southampton prop up the rest having secured one point apiece so far with the former conceding the most goals (21) in the division and the latter scoring the fewest (four).

Southampton at least showed some fight last time out, taking the lead against Arsenal before losing 3-1 in North London. “They are not the games that are going to define us,” said manager Russell Martin at the Emirates Stadium. “The games that define us are coming up.”

And that begins with a home game against Leicester who only secured their first win at the seventh attempt when they edged out Bournemouth 1-0.

Wolves fell to a 5-3 defeat at Brentford before the break in what was an embarrassing defensive performance from Gary O'Neil's side which would result in set-piece coach Jack Wilson being sacked from his role.

“The way we are playing, the way we are defending right now is going to get us in relegation and we have to be honest about that right now,” said captain Mario Lemina.

Is Kovacic the man to fill Rodri's boots?

Unfortunately for O'Neil, his next attempt to end a seven-game winless streak sees them take on reigning champions Manchester City, who have now gone a club record-equalling 30 matches without defeat.

The match at Molineux sees the worst defensive record going up against the division's top scorers (18 goals) led by the Premier League's most ruthless attacker in Erling Haaland who already has 10 goals.

Wolves would have been given a glimmer of hope by City's struggles to beat Fulham before the break when the London club could have been 3-0 up had they taken their chances at the Etihad.

Wolves also took the honours in this fixture last season, with their 2-1 win one of only three defeats inflicted on Pep Guardiola's men all campaign.

Rodri's absence through injury is another plus point for Wolves although his midfield replacement Mateo Kovacic stepped up to the plate against Fulham with an unlikely double.

“He is not a top goalscorer but he maybe saw how many goals Rodri has scored in that position and did copy and paste,” joked Guardiola. “He scored two fantastic goals … [and] was really important.”

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  Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, right, celebrates scoring their first goal in the 3-2 Premier League win against Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, October 5, 2024. PA

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  Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City scores their opening goal. EPA

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  Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic scores his side's second goal. AP

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  Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic celebrates scoring their second goal. PA

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  Manchester City's Jeremy Doku celebrates scoring their third goal. PA

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  Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz scores their second goal. AFP

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  Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham celebrates after scoring his team's second goal. Getty Images

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  Manchester City's Jeremy Doku celebrates with Erling Haaland after scoring their winner. PA

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  Fulham's Andreas Pereira scores their opening goal. AFP

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  Fulham's Andreas Pereira, left, celebrates with teammate Raul Jimenez after scoring his side's first goal. PA

Can Spurs bounce back from Brighton debacle?

Going into an international break on a high is a welcome boost for clubs but one that was not afforded to Ange Postecoglou's Spurs two weeks ago.

The Tottenham manager could only look on in disbelief as his team capitulated in spectacular fashion as their 2-0 half-time lead against Brighton evaporated in 18 second-half minutes, resulting in a 3-2 defeat.

“I’m absolutely gutted with that,” admitted Postecoglou. “It’s a terrible loss for us, as bad as it gets, and there’s only one way to fix it and that’s my responsibility.”

The Australian will be demanding a reaction from his team against a West Ham side who were the recipients of that pre-break bounce when they thrashed Ipswich 4-1 at the London Stadium.

That win gave the Hammers their biggest winning margin in the league since last December and their first home victory in the league this season.

"We are focused 100 per cent for the next challenge, which will be a very hard challenge,” said manager Julen Lopetegui on Thursday. “They're one of the best teams in the Premier League and I like to see them a lot, they have a big intensity, good players and good ideas.”

How will Liverpool cope without Alisson?

Arne Slot's flying start to his Liverpool reign will be given its biggest test yet when they take on one of the 'Big Six' for only the second time this season.

The table-topping Reds ripped apart a wafer-weak Manchester United 3-0 on enemy turf at the start of September but should find Chelsea a tougher nut to crack at Anfield this weekend.

Liverpool's battling 1-0 win at Crystal Palace last time out came at a cost, though, when goalkeeper Alisson Becker picked up a hamstring injury that is set to keep him out until late November.

It means Caoimhin Kelleher, who looks set to leave the club next summer due to lack of game-time, is likely to deputise for the Brazilian No 1. But Republic of Ireland keeper Kelleher did not enjoy the greatest of international break with his error gifting Greece a goal as the Irish were beaten 2-0 in Athens.

Slot insists he would be more worried if Kelleher was not complaining about being on the bench and is confident the Irishman will not let him down. “He has shown many times in the past few years, and even in pre-season, that’s he’s ready every time we need him,” said the Dutch coach.

Can Chelsea maintain away day form?

Another manager who appears to have had an immediate impact since joining his new club in the summer is Enzo Maresca at Chelsea.

Since losing to Manchester City on the opening weekend of the campaign, Chelsea have gone six games unbeaten and are up to fourth in the table, four points shy of Liverpool.

“When we started the season, to think by the second international break you are fourth and the team is playing in the way we are playing ,” said Maresca. “For sure, it's something I am very happy [about].”

There was frustration when the Blues' three-game win streak came to an end with a frustrating home draw with Nottingham Forest in a feisty game at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca will be hoping Cole Palmer can add to his 28 goals and 16 assists since the start of last season, while the Blues have won all three of their away league games so far with a 10-2 aggregate score.