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.

Martin Ødegaard’s claim that “all of the teams are good” has already been tested by three weeks of Premier League football, and matchday three offered more evidence that quality in this division is abundant, but perfection remains elusive.

Across the round, several teams produced encouraging spells without turning them into clean, controlled wins. Some were left to regret missed chances, others survived by narrower margins than expected, and a few drifted into the familiar territory of being competitive without quite being convincing.

At one end of the scale, Liverpool were pushed hard by Ipswich, with Gary O’Neil admitting: “I hate having to talk about good performances when you don’t get points because you need to maximize them,” while Ipswich could not consistently threaten a side that still looked vulnerable at times.

Aston Villa’s visit to the MKM Stadium was harder to explain. Unai Emery insisted the match had gone exactly as intended, although the performance raised obvious questions about how a game plan can survive without even a shot on target.

Chelsea began sharply, with Morgan Rogers’s second-minute volley setting the tone after a set-piece routine, but Arsenal gradually took control. Chelsea created almost nothing after the interval, while Martin Ødegaard’s winner underlined the difference between a bright start and a complete performance.

Elsewhere, Hull’s seven points from three games drew a playful Champions League reference from Sergej Jakirović, while Tottenham remained stubbornly in the middle ground. Roberto De Zerbi’s side were held to a goalless draw that suited neither heaven nor hell.

There were also reminders that strong starts can unravel quickly. Bournemouth led 2-0 at St. James’s Park before another late setback, while Everton earned a point thanks to Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s 96th-minute strike and Manchester United were undone by Everton’s set-piece threat after a flat first half.

Elsewhere, Brighton “woke up too late,” Nottingham Forest were left frustrated by a disallowed goal, Brentford needed a triple half-time change to find a response, and Leeds experienced a textbook game of two halves. Sunderland, meanwhile, secured a different outcome from the same spot and the same goalkeeper, when Enzo Le Fée produced a far better penalty than he had before.

For Manchester City, Erling Haaland again provided the decisive edge, as Coventry’s resistance made the result far less straightforward than expected.

The 2026 summer window delivered its share of headline purchases, but not every major move inspired confidence. Alongside smart recruitment and eye-catching spending, there were also a number of deals that raised questions across the game.

With so many players changing clubs, some questionable decisions were always likely. Here are eight signings that stand out for the wrong reasons.

Tottenham Hotspur’s capture of Sávio was among the most eye-catching. The $101.9 million fee surprised many, especially given the Brazilian’s return of just two Premier League goals in two seasons at the Etihad. Spurs also added Omar Marmoush from Manchester City in quick succession, and the scale of the Sávio deal left plenty of people stunned once the talk of a sell-on clause was dismissed.

Another Tottenham move came on deadline day and caused just as much confusion. The loan signing of Mykhailo Mudryk, alongside the addition of Chelsea center back Tosin Adarabioyo, puzzled supporters. Mudryk had not played a competitive match in nearly two years after a doping ban that was recently lifted, making the move a considerable gamble.

Nottingham Forest also drew attention for the wrong reasons when they spent $61.2 million on Liam Delap. Chelsea had only signed him for $40.6 million, and after a difficult debut season that brought three goals in 49 appearances, the fee looked excessive despite his 12-goal Premier League campaign for Ipswich Town in 2024-25.

Chelsea’s own summer business included Emmanuel Emegha, signed from Strasbourg for $28.5 million. Expected to back up João Pedro, he now sits third in the pecking order after the arrival of Danny Welbeck, leaving him with a difficult route to regular football.

Juventus paid $43.8 million for Randal Kolo Muani after his mixed loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored five goals in 41 appearances. AC Milan then turned to Gonçalo Ramos for $80 million, despite his role as a rotation option behind Ousmane Dembélé and a return of 13 goals in 50 matches.

Gabriel Martinelli’s $81.5 million move to Al Hilal was not a disaster for the clubs involved, but it was still a surprising step for a 25-year-old forward who could have rebuilt his standing at a Champions League club.

For Trabzonspor, the free signing of Mohamed Salah was a major coup. The Liverpool winger arrived with no transfer fee attached and plenty of interest elsewhere.