Matchday 9 of the English Premier League kicks off with a
log jam beginning to build in the top of the standings as Arsenal, on the backs
of a five-game winning streak, have pulled even with Manchester City on points
while Tottenham and Liverpool linger only one and two points behind
respectively. With every game available
live on the NBC family of networks or online at NBC Live Extra, tune in to see
if we will have a new league leader by the end of the weekend.
Saturday (all times eastern)
10am – Sunderland @
West Ham United – London Stadium, NBC Live Extra
Beset by injuries, without a win in their last five league
games, and down to ten men for the final twenty minutes, West Ham United held
on to pick up a crucial three points on the road over Crystal Palace 1-0 and pull
themselves out of the bottom three in the table. It was the type of gritty performance that
could turn a season around and the Hammer’s will hope to build on only their
second victory of the season when they welcome Sunderland to the London Stadium
on Saturday, with the Black Cats and David Moyes in absolute freefall following
a 2-0 defeat to Stoke City at the weekend.
As we approach the quarter pole of the season, Sunderland
and Moyes are still looking for their first win (D2 L6), having taken only two
points from eight games and sitting in their all too familiar place at the
bottom of the table, four points from safety.
Sunderland are just the second team in top-flight history to fail to win
any of their opening eight league games in consecutive seasons and that could
very well be nine by the end of Saturday, as the Black Cats have not won in
their last six meetings with the Hammers (D3 L3) and taken all three points only
once in their last nine visits to the east of London (D2 L6).
Sunday (all times eastern)
8:30am – Southampton
@ Manchester City – Etihad Stadium, NBC Sports Network
Just before the Giants and Rams get underway in the next installment
of the NFL’s foray overseas, Manchester City and Southampton will kick off the first
of two Sunday games from the Etihad Stadium, with both games having the
potential to shake things up in the top half of the table. After winning ten games in a row across all
competitions, City have now gone four in succession without a victory after
they controlled the game but could only muster a 1-1 draw with Everton last
weekend before they were dismantled 4-0 in their midweek Champions League
showdown with Barcelona.
It was an unwelcome return to the Camp Nou for City manager
Pep Guardiola, where the Spaniard had previously won fourteen trophies over a four-year
period before his self-imposed sabbatical, and they will face a Southampton side
who may have started the season slowly, but with their 3-1 win over Burnley last
weekend completed a haul of ten points from their last four games (W3 D1) to
move up to eighth place in the table.
Climbing higher this weekend looks to be a daunting task however, with
the Saints losing four of their last five meetings with City (D1) and their
last six trips to the Etihad Stadium.
11am – Manchester
United @ Chelsea – Stamford Bridge, NBC Sports Network
It might have taken eight weeks, but the park the bus
defensive approach so often employed by Jose Mourinho over the years was put
into action against Liverpool, with the tactic paying off as Manchester United
snatched the always important away point in a tepid 0-0 draw on Merseyside. Mourinho will return this weekend to very
familiar grounds when he takes his side to Stamford Bridge for a showdown against
the club that fired him less than a year ago, with Chelsea looking as if they
are finding their rhythm under new manager Antonio Conte following their
comfortable 3-0 victory over Leicester City.
It was the most complete performance of the season so far
for the Blues, who have now won three of four across all competitions (L1) and
have begun to settle in nicely to Conte’s tactically preferred back three
formation. Though Chelsea have not lost
in their last ten meetings with United across all competitions (W5 D5), and
have failed to take all three points in just one of United’s last five trips to
Stamford Bridge (D1), don’t expect Mourinho to exercise the same caution on the
road this weekend, with the Portuguese looking to make a statement in the
return to his old stomping grounds.