Under-performing Chelsea welcome crisis hit Man United  

Stamford Bridge is the venue for this weekend’s pulsating Premier League lunchtime kickoff, which pits under-performing Chelsea against crisis club Manchester United.

Both Xabi Alonso and Michael Carrick are at risk of losing three successive games in all tournaments this weekend, but few expected the latter to even make the trip to the capital this weekend.

In the eyes of many, Carrick was bidding farewell to the Theatre of Dreams after last weekend’s horror show against Bournemouth, to plunge the club into further catastrophe.

Despite now overseeing an eight-game winless run in all tournaments and six-match winless sequence in the top flight – leaving Man Utd 16th in the Premier League table and just one point above the drop zone – Carrick will be given time to turn the Red Devils’ fortunes around.

Hosts Chelsea may find themselves 11 places and six points better off than Man United in the Premier League rankings, but morale is hardly any higher in West London on the back of successive defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. Expect the Blues to be the ones to respond to their recent setbacks, as the Red Devils’ disastrous run continues in the capital.

With or without Fernandes in the side, Man Utd are sure to generate opportunities against a depleted Chelsea backline, but Carrick’s own defensive problems arguably run deeper.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Brentford welcome Forest to the Gtech Community Stadium

Separated by 12 places in the Premier League table, Brentford welcome 18th-placed Nottingham Forest to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, aiming to inflict further misery on Oliver Glasner‘s men.

That aspiration, however, is complicated by the capital club’s four-match winless run ahead of their gameweek nine encounter with struggling Forest.

Brentford enter matchday nine in the Premier League still wondering how they sit sixth in the early-season standings despite claiming only one victory in their last seven league matches.

Forest would ordinarily relish the prospect of punishing the Bees’ lack of focus, but Glasner’s team have problems of their own to address if they are to give themselves the best chance of success.

The Tricky Trees head into this weekend without a victory in four top-flight matches, losing three and failing to score in two of those games to underline where their main problems lie.

Glasner’s men have either failed to score or netted no more than once in six of their eight league matches this term, a shortcoming that let them down in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town.

Brentford have more reliable match-winners and should exploit their opponents’ lack of cutting edge to end a four-match winless run.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Barca to recover from back-to-back defeats when they host Alaves 

Barcelona will be aiming to recover from back-to-back defeats when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Alaves on Saturday night.

The Catalan outfit will enter the match off the back of a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico, while Alaves drew 1-1 with Malaga in their last game in Spain’s top flight.

Barcelona won their opening 11 matches of the 2026-27 campaign, but they have since suffered back-to-back defeats, going down 4-2 to European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on October 20 before losing 2-1 to Real Madrid in La Liga last time out.

Hansi Flick‘s side remain top of the La Liga table on 27 points, but they are now only two points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid and just three clear of third-placed Real Madrid.

Barcelona will play three more times before the November international break, following this match with a home fixture against Aston Villa in the Champions League next week, before the small matter of a clash against Atletico Madrid in La Liga on November 8.

Barcelona are unbeaten at home to Alaves since September 2016, and it would be a monumental blow for Flick’s side if they suffered a third straight loss this weekend.

Barcelona need a result after back-to-back defeats, and we are fully expecting Flick’s team to return to winning ways at Camp Nou on Saturday evening.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Atletico Madrid head to Levante on Saturday

Atletico Madrid will aim to record a seventh straight win in Spain’s top flight when they head to Levante on Saturday afternoon.

Diego Simeone‘s side are second in the La Liga table, two points behind the leaders Barcelona, while Levante are 14th in the division on 10 points.

Levante boast a record of two wins, four draws and four defeats from their 10 league matches this season, with 10 points leaving them in 14th, only two points outside of the relegation zone ahead of the next set of fixtures.

Levante have only won 10 of their previous 41 matches against Atletico in all competitions, but it was 0-0 when the two teams last locked horns in January of this year.

The Frogs were last victorious against Atletico in February 2022, and they have only lost two of their last seven matches against the Red and Whites.

Atletico will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 defeat against Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga, with the result moving them onto 25 points from their 10 matches.

Atletico are in a good place at the moment, and we are expecting Simeone’s team to shade a close match against Levante this weekend.

Credit: sportsmole.co.uk

Saturday

Chelsea 11:30 Manchester United

Bournemouth 14:00 Leeds United

Brentford 14:00 Nottingham Forest

Coventry City 14:00 Sunderland
Hull City 14:00 Ipswich Town

Manchester City 14:00 Brighton

Tottenham 17:30 Crystal Palace

Aston Villa 19:00 Fulham

Sunday

Liverpool 16:30 Arsenal

Friday

Villarreal 19:00 Espanyol

Saturday

Levante 12:00 Atletico Madrid kick

Rayo Vallecano 14:15 Celta Vigo

Real Betis 16:30 Málaga

Barcelona 19:00 Alavés

Sunday

Getafe 13:00 Sevilla

Racing de Santander 14:30 Real Madrid

Elche 16:30 Valencia

Athletic Club 19:00 Real Sociedad