By The Telegraph (World News) | Created at 2024-10-05 12:50:29 | Updated at 2024-10-05 15:21:40
2 hours ago
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the five matches kicking off at 3pm in the Premier League.
Arsenal are seeking to keep up the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool. Mikel Arteta has reasons to be optimistic: they are unbeaten so far, while opponents Southampton come to the Emirates Stadium on the back of their joint-worst start to a top-flight campaign, having only taken a point so far. The home side will be looking to get the job done a lot more comfortably than they did last weekend against Leicester City, mind.
Manchester City will also line up against Fulham full of confidence. They’ve enjoyed 16 consecutive wins on the bounce against the Londoners, the longest recorded by a league side against another. Kevin De Bruyne remains unavailable, but there are no new injury issues for Pep Guardiola’s team. He will be hoping to show that last weekend’s 1-1 draw away to a buoyant Newcastle was a brief winless blip.
Sixth-placed Fulham will be no pushovers though, unbeaten in five matches and enjoying one of their best starts to a Premier League season.
West Ham host Ipswich Town, looking to stop the rot under Julen Lopetegui and move up to mid-table. Fourteenth plays fifteenth and if you’re a betting person, the smart money might well be one point after four draws in the first six matches for Kieran McKenna’s side. The Londoners are still without striker Niclas Fullkrug, getting over a calf problem, while Ipswich will miss midfielder Jens Cajuste, suffering with a knee injury.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are at the bottom of the table, yet to record their first win. Manager Gary O’Neill is under fire and will be looking to change the record away to Brentford. Stopping the Premier League season’s rapid starters from scoring inside the first 60 seconds, as they have done in half their games so far, will be the first test. The west Londoners welcome defensive midfielder Christian Norsgaard back after a two-match absence.
Another team yet to register three points are Steve Cooper’s Leicester City, hovering just above the relegation zone. They have only won one of their last dozen matches against Bournemouth, who would move into the top half with a win. Goals seem likely: Leicester have faced the most shots (114) of any Premier League side this season.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are a goal to the good at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace in the early kick-off, thanks to a smart Diego Jotas finish. You can follow Kieran Crichard’s live coverage here.
Teams news for the five 3pm (GMT) kick-offs to come shortly.
