Seven fixtures shape the early Premier League picture today, September 12, 2026, with
Chelsea’s attacking form on show, Liverpool seeking a first home win, and Sunderland hosting
free scoring Arsenal.

By The Matchday Pundit

Matchweek 4 Arrives With Plenty on the Line
The Premier League returns today with a full Saturday programme of seven fixtures, following a
midweek schedule that saw English clubs sweep every one of their Champions League and Carabao
Cup matches. That momentum now shifts back to domestic action, where surprising early leaders
Manchester City, Arsenal, and Hull City all look to maintain their positions near the top of an already
fascinating early table.

Today’s card offers something for everyone, from Chelsea’s continued goal rush at Stamford Bridge
to two sides still searching for their first win of the season colliding at Villa Park. Here is a complete
breakdown of all seven fixtures, along with our predictions for how each match is likely to unfold.

Bournemouth vs Brentford
Bournemouth host Brentford at the Vitality Stadium looking to end a three match winless run, though
their recent performances have offered plenty of encouragement despite the lack of results. The
Cherries produced an impressive display in their 2 goals to 2 draw against Newcastle United last time
out, with winger Marcus Tavernier earning widespread praise for his contribution, and Andoni Iraola’s
former club will hope that attacking quality can finally be converted into three points today.

Brentford arrive off the back of their own mixed start, having already let leads slip on more than one
occasion this season. Both sides have shown a tendency toward high scoring, entertaining matches
rather than cagey, defensive ones, and today’s fixture has the look of another goal filled affair
between two teams with genuine attacking intent but occasional defensive lapses. Our prediction: a
draw, with the scoreline finishing Bournemouth 2, Brentford 2.

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in a meeting between two sides both still searching
for their first Premier League win of the season, a genuinely rare occurrence this deep into a
campaign for two clubs with such recent European pedigree. Villa’s build up to this fixture has been
dominated by their continued goal drought, having failed to score in any of their opening three league
matches, though their away victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League offered a welcome
change of story in midweek.

Unai Emery’s side will be missing a considerable number of players through injury, including Leon
Goretzka, Johan Manzambi, and Amadou Onana, all ruled out with knee problems, alongside Brian
Madjo, while Joao Gomes serves the final match of a three game suspension. Despite those
absences, history offers Villa genuine encouragement, having won each of their last six home
Premier League meetings with Forest, including a 4 goals to 1 aggregate victory over these very
opponents in last season’s Europa League semifinal.

Nottingham Forest, for their part, head into this fixture off the back of a goalless draw against
Tottenham Hotspur, extending a run of just a single win in their last eight matches under Oliver
Glasner. The visitors have developed something of a reputation for settling into draws rather than
pushing for victories this season, a pattern that, combined with their well documented struggles in
front of goal, makes breaking Villa’s dominant recent home record in this fixture a considerable ask.
Our prediction: a narrow Aston Villa win, with the scoreline finishing Aston Villa 1, Nottingham Forest
0, as Villa finally end their goal drought against opponents they have historically dominated on home
soil, even if both sides’ attacking struggles suggest this is unlikely to be a high scoring affair.

Chelsea vs Hull City
Chelsea host newly promoted Hull City at Stamford Bridge, and after an extraordinary start to the
season that has already produced scorelines of 3 goals to 2, 4 goals to 3, and 6 goals to 3, Xabi
Alonso’s side arrive full of attacking confidence. Chelsea have scored 16 goals across their opening
five matches in all competitions this season, a remarkable tally that suggests today’s fixture against
considerably weaker opposition could produce another routine, high scoring victory for the home side.

Hull City, meanwhile, have been one of the genuine surprise packages of the early season, sitting
remarkably in the Premier League’s top three heading into this fixture, an extraordinary position for a
club that only secured promotion through the playoffs. The newly promoted side did suffer a Carabao
Cup defeat away at Sunderland in midweek, but their defensive solidity domestically, having yet to
concede in several of their Premier League outings, suggests they will not simply capitulate against a
Chelsea side that, for all their attacking quality, has also shown defensive vulnerabilities of their own.

Our prediction: Chelsea to win, with the scoreline finishing Chelsea 3, Hull City 1. Chelsea’s attacking
form and home advantage should prove too much for Hull’s defense to withstand for the full ninety
minutes, even if the visitors’ recent defensive solidity makes a routine, one sided demolition slightly
less certain than the underlying goal difference numbers might suggest.

Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town
Crystal Palace’s fortunes have transformed dramatically in recent weeks, with Pierre Sage’s side
following up a thrilling comeback win over Fulham with a commanding 3 goals to 0 victory over
Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup, restoring considerable confidence at Selhurst Park after difficult
opening weekend defeats to Everton and Manchester City. Palace will look to make it three
consecutive wins across all competitions against an Ipswich side that has struggled badly since their
opening weekend win.

Ipswich Town, despite investing heavily in the summer transfer market, remain one of the division’s
weakest attacking outfits, having conceded seven goals across their last two defeats to Manchester
United and Liverpool. Both defenses have looked genuinely vulnerable so far this season, suggesting
today’s fixture could produce goals at both ends even if Palace’s superior overall form makes them
clear favorites to claim all three points.

Our prediction: Crystal Palace to win, with the scoreline finishing Crystal Palace 2, Ipswich Town 1,
continuing Palace’s impressive recent upturn in form while acknowledging that Ipswich’s own
defensive fragility, rather than genuine attacking quality, should still be enough to get the visitors on
the scoresheet.

Liverpool vs Fulham
Liverpool host a Fulham side without a single point from their opening three league matches, and
Andoni Iraola’s team will be eager to finally convert their improving form into a first home Premier
League victory of the season following three consecutive draws at Anfield. Liverpool head into today’s
fixture full of confidence, having beaten Atletico Madrid 2 goals to 1 in the Champions League during
the week, with Alexander Isak continuing to find his scoring touch after netting twice in the win over
Ipswich Town last time out in the league.

Fulham’s season has been one of persistent near misses under Alvaro Arbeloa, losing 3 goals to 2 to
Chelsea, 1 goal to 0 to Sunderland, and 3 goals to 2 to Crystal Palace, with poor finishing and
defensive problems repeatedly costing them despite creating a reasonable volume of chances in
each match. History offers little encouragement for the visitors either, having won only once in their
last five meetings with Liverpool at Anfield across all competitions.

Our prediction: Liverpool to win, with the scoreline finishing Liverpool 3, Fulham 1. Fulham’s ongoing
defensive frailties look exactly like the kind of weakness Liverpool’s in form attack, spearheaded by
Isak, should be able to exploit repeatedly, even if the visitors will likely find the net themselves given
their own reasonable record for creating chances this season.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton
Tottenham Hotspur remain without a goal in the Premier League through three matches, an alarming
statistic for a squad containing considerable attacking talent, and they now face an Everton side that
has yet to lose all season heading into this fixture. Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham began the
campaign with defeats to Brentford and Newcastle United before drawing goalless with Nottingham
Forest, managing eleven shots in their last outing but failing to register a single effort on target, a
genuinely concerning trend.

Spurs will also be missing several attacking options, with Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Xavi
Simons, and Mykhailo Mudryk all unavailable, though James Maddison is close to a return. Everton,
by contrast, arrive full of confidence after beginning their season with a win over Crystal Palace
before drawing with both Bournemouth and Manchester United, the latter salvaged through Ainsley
Maitland-Niles’s stunning long range debut goal. David Moyes’s side has struggled specifically on the
road, however, going winless in their last six away Premier League matches, a pattern that offers
Tottenham some hope despite their own goal scoring troubles.

Our prediction: a draw, with the scoreline finishing Tottenham Hotspur 1, Everton 1, as Tottenham
finally end their scoring drought in front of home supporters desperate to see an attacking response,
even as Everton’s typically resilient defensive structure prevents the home side from claiming all three
points.

Sunderland vs Arsenal
The day’s standout fixture sees Sunderland host runaway early season leaders Arsenal, who arrive at
the Stadium of Light in remarkable form, having thrashed Manchester City 3 goals to 0 in the
Community Shield before winning all four of their opening competitive fixtures since. Arsenal’s
midweek trip to Naples produced a hard fought 1 goal to 0 Champions League victory, continuing
Mikel Arteta’s side’s perfect start to the season across all competitions.

Sunderland, however, should not be underestimated. The newly promoted side has collected four
points from their opening three league matches and advanced in the Carabao Cup with a 1 goal to 0
win over Hull City in midweek, continuing what has been a thoroughly impressive return to the top
flight under Regis Le Bris. Arsenal and Sunderland have combined for just twelve total goals scored
and conceded across their opening three matchweeks, suggesting today’s fixture could develop into a
tight, low scoring, tactical battle rather than an open, high scoring affair.

Our prediction: Arsenal to win narrowly, with the scoreline finishing Sunderland 0, Arsenal 1.
Arsenal’s remarkable current form and squad depth should be enough to overcome a difficult away
assignment against a well organized Sunderland side, even after a demanding midweek Champions
League trip to Italy, though a routine, comfortable victory looks unlikely given how tightly both sides
have played throughout the opening weeks of the season.

Today’s Predictions Summary

Fixture Kickoff Prediction

Bournemouth vs Brentford 3:00 pm BST Draw, 2 to 2

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest 3:00 pm BST Villa win, 1 to 0

Chelsea vs Hull City 3:00 pm BST Chelsea win, 3 to 1


Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town 3:00 pm BST Palace win, 2 to 1

Liverpool vs Fulham 3:00 pm BST Liverpool win, 3 to 1


Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton 5:30 pm BST Draw, 1 to 1

Sunderland vs Arsenal 8:00 pm BST Arsenal win, 0 to 1



Alexander Isak’s continued sharpness in front of goal makes him essential viewing at Anfield, having
already netted twice in Liverpool’s last league outing and looking increasingly like the focal point
Andoni Iraola’s attack has been building toward. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s front line of Cole
Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Morgan Rogers continues to look like one of the most dangerous in the
entire division, having already contributed to three separate high scoring victories this season.

For Arsenal, Martin Odegaard’s remarkable recent scoring form, having produced match winning
contributions in consecutive matches against Chelsea and Napoli, makes him the player most likely to
break the deadlock against a well organized Sunderland defense. Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s dramatic
introduction to life at Everton continues to generate considerable attention, and another impactful
cameo from the bench would further cement his rapid rise in popularity among the club’s supporters.

The Bigger Picture Heading Into Today
Few would have predicted the Premier League’s early top three to be Manchester City, Arsenal, and
Hull City at this stage of the season, and today’s fixtures offer another opportunity for that surprising
order to either solidify further or begin to unravel. Arsenal’s trip to Sunderland represents arguably
their most awkward assignment of the young season so far, arriving on the back of a demanding
midweek European trip against a well drilled newly promoted side full of confidence.

Elsewhere, Chelsea’s continued attacking fireworks make them essential viewing whenever they take
the field, while Liverpool’s search for a first home league win of the season carries its own narrative
weight given their otherwise positive recent form in the Champions League. Whatever unfolds across
today’s seven fixtures, Matchweek 4 promises to add further clarity to an early Premier League table
that has already produced its fair share of surprises through the opening weeks of the 2026/27
season.

For Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, both sides still searching for their first league win, today’s
meeting at Villa Park represents an important opportunity to arrest a slow start before questions
around either manager begin to intensify further. Fulham’s continued winless run under Alvaro
Arbeloa, meanwhile, will attract close scrutiny given how many chances the club has created without
being able to convert them into positive results, a pattern that cannot continue indefinitely without
genuine consequences for their position in the table.

Matchday Pundit