Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime in the opening game of Premier League Matchweek 9, with Liverpool against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday headlining the weekend, according to ToffeeWeb’s Matchweek 9 guide and NBC Sports’ schedule, which both confirm the same fixtures and times. Chelsea against Manchester United kicks off at 12:30 p.m. UK time, according to ToffeeWeb, while Liverpool against Arsenal is at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the same source.
Saturday brings eight matches in a single day, according to the weekend preview coverage, from Chelsea against Manchester United at lunchtime to Aston Villa against Fulham under the lights at 8 p.m., according to ToffeeWeb. Manchester City host Brighton, Tottenham meet Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth face Leeds, according to the same source, in a Matchweek 9 slate running from Saturday, October 31, to Monday, November 2, according to the predictions coverage.
Chelsea-United opens a defining weekend
Chelsea, fifth in the table, according to the weekend team-news preview, face a Manchester United side with one league win from their opening eight matches, according to the same source, and sitting 16th, one point above the relegation zone, according to the Nigerian preview coverage. United are winless in eight games across all competitions, according to the same source, making Saturday’s lunchtime game a test of nerve as much as of tactics.
Cole Palmer returns for Chelsea, according to the team-news preview, after serving a ban, according to the same source, while the suspension list confirms other absences across the round, according to the same source. Stamford Bridge, for a 12:30 kickoff, according to ToffeeWeb, will be loud, and the result will set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
Liverpool-Arsenal could shift the title race
Sunday’s headline fixture, Liverpool against Arsenal at Anfield, according to ToffeeWeb, features Arsenal level on points with league leaders Manchester City, according to the Nigerian preview, with six points separating Liverpool and Arsenal at the top, according to the weekend headline coverage. A Liverpool win closes the gap; an Arsenal win extends it and strengthens the champions’ grip on the title race, according to the same source.
Monday’s final game, Newcastle against Everton at 8 p.m., according to ToffeeWeb, closes Matchweek 9, with Newcastle facing Everton for the second time in four days, according to the team-news preview, after their Carabao Cup meeting. By Monday night, according to the headline coverage, the title race, the relegation picture and the European race will all look clearer — and Saturday’s eight games, starting with Chelsea against Manchester United, will have done much of the shaping.
