The first midweek stretch of the season has already brought Champions League and Carabao Cup action, and the Premier League schedule now tightens again around Gameweek 4.

Sunday’s Manchester derby is the clear centrepiece, but there is plenty elsewhere to weigh up, from Chelsea and Liverpool enjoying home advantage to Arsenal facing a testing trip away from home.

Here is a revised look at how the weekend may unfold, based strictly on the evidence from recent form, results and context in the draft.

Aston Villa are tipped to edge Nottingham Forest 2-1, with both sides still searching for their first league win and Villa Park likely to favour the home team. Bournemouth and Brentford could cancel each other out in a 1-1 draw, while Chelsea are expected to make short work of Hull and win 3-0 as their attack meets a defence that has impressed but may not be able to sustain that level.

Crystal Palace are backed to beat Ipswich 2-1 after a timely lift in form, and Liverpool are forecast to defeat Fulham 3-1, with the hosts carrying momentum into the fixture. Tottenham and Everton look set for a 1-1 draw, a result that would fit the recent frustrations around Spurs and the unbeaten start made by the visitors.

Arsenal are predicted to keep their perfect start going with a narrow 1-0 win at Sunderland, while Brighton are expected to leave Coventry with a 3-1 victory. The weekend’s biggest game, Man Utd against Man City, is called as another 1-1 draw, reflecting uncertainty on both sides despite City’s winning run.

Monday closes with Leeds against Newcastle, a meeting that could finish 2-2 after both clubs have shown enough going forward to suggest another open contest.

Mauricio Pochettino has argued that Tottenham ought to be recognised as the 2016-17 Premier League champions, saying Chelsea’s title should be taken away because of rule breaches.

Before making his case, Pochettino acknowledged the reaction his view could provoke. “The Chelsea fans will be upset with me because I’m saying this,” Mauricio Pochettino admitted. He then added: “I’ve said that we should win one title, one Premier League,” Pochettino said to reporters. “We should have been awarded it. If that was true, and that happened, for sure we deserve to be champions for that year. Because we were the second best.”

Tottenham’s campaign that season was one of the strongest in the club’s Premier League history. They lost only four matches, finished on 86 points and ended well clear of Manchester City and Liverpool, who were third and fourth respectively. Harry Kane and Dele Alli were central to that push, with the pair scoring 47 goals between them as Kane collected the Golden Boot.

Chelsea finished seven points ahead on 93 and won the title in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge, after the Italian switched to a back three following a poor defeat at Arsenal.

Pochettino said Chelsea’s admitted charges changed the context of the race. “They were punished, they admitted (it), so that’s it,” Pochettino continued of the charges Chelsea admitted to. “The title should be for the team that was second. We didn’t compete with the same rules. OK, now we can say that they scored goals, they won games. But it’s completely fair to say that we didn’t compete before the start of the season with the same card.

“Maybe with the same rules, if we apply the same things, maybe we could have signed some players that would have made the team better, or scored more goals. It’s not me complaining. It’s the truth.”

He was also careful to separate the issue from Chelsea’s performance and Conte’s work, calling him a “great coach”. But he insisted that punishment matters, warning that if clubs are not properly sanctioned then rule-breaking is encouraged.

“If we were at Tottenham and broke the rules, I would admit the same and say, ‘Look, we don’t deserve the title because we broke the rules’.” he added. “It’s impossible if only some clubs play with offside and another plays with no offside. Or one plays with VAR and another plays with no VAR. No. For everyone, it needs to be the same rules, and the capacity to create the best team.”

Pochettino never won a trophy at Tottenham before his dismissal in November 2019, though he did take the club to the Champions League final. He later managed Chelsea for one season before departing, with the move unpopular among both sets of supporters. He also said Tottenham had contacted him about a possible return in the summer, but nothing happened because of his commitment to the United States men’s national team.

Iliman Ndiaye has opened up on the decision to join Manchester City, insisting that once their interest was clear, the move became straightforward despite Tottenham Hotspur’s push for his signature.

Spurs had been working on an attacking rebuild and, after their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United, reports suggested a deal for the Senegalese international had been agreed. City, however, moved decisively and secured the player, who has now explained why he was drawn to the champions.

“I always say whatever comes, comes. God decides your future; it’s already written. I was just being patient, and when City came through, I was buzzing,” Ndiaye said, in quotes relayed by the Manchester Evening News.

He made clear that the attraction was not only the size of the club, but also the footballing step it offered. “This is where I think I belong. I’ve worked hard to get to this point. When I was speaking with my wife, I was telling her that if I had to leave Everton, it would be somewhere where I know I would be playing Champions League ,” he added.

City had previously explored a move for Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but ultimately chose against pursuing that route after the Dutchman was kept in place and an £80 million ($108 million) offer was rejected.

For Ndiaye, the appeal of Champions League football was decisive. He has not yet played in the competition, and his former club Marseille were eliminated in the third qualifying round by Panathinaikos in 2023-24 shortly after he joined them. He then moved to Everton the following summer.

That context made the timing significant, especially with Tottenham not involved in European competition during 2026-27. “For me, it was always going to be City,” Ndiaye added. “I wanted Champions League and playing at one of the best teams in the world. I’m not saying Tottenham is not, but when Manchester City comes through, you don’t say no.”

On Saturday, Erling Haaland was struck by Ndiaye’s debut display, calling his dribbling “amazing to see”, while manager Enzo Maresca took a more measured view of the winger’s performance. City’s early-season shape has looked fluid, even if Maresca remains a coach who prefers clear positional instructions.