Premier League action resume one final time this weekend before the players depart for international duties with their respective countries to return later in the month.

Gameweek seven encompasses a lot of unpredictable fixtures, as it is the nature of the English top-flight league, a disposition that makes it the most prophesied league in the world.

We take a look at the numbers behind the fixtures, including what to expect when the balls are set rolling this weekend in stadia across the United Kingdom.

Crystal Palace- Liverpool 

Not so long ago, this was one of the most predictable fixtures in the Premier League. Liverpool winning and Sadio Mané scoring whenever these two go at loggerheads.

It never changed since the Senegalese debuted in the fixture in August 2017 till his final appearance in it, in September 2021 before departure to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022.

Ironically, Liverpool lost their final match in this fixture before Mané debuted in it. A 2-1 defeat in Anfield thanks to a Christian Benteke brace, which helped the Eagles come from a goal down to seal maximum points.

The Red then went on a span of ten straight wins against the Eagles, with Mané featuring and scoring in the first nine but missed the tenth in January 2022 due to his engagement with Senegal in the AFCON, where he led the Teranga Lions to their first continental title.

After Mané's departure, Liverpool drew their first meeting with Palace and have since then drawn two, won one and lost one in four games against today's opponent.

However, the reds are still unbeaten in each of their last ten visits to Selhurts Park, winning nine.

Form guide

● Liverpool has won each of their four away games under Arne Slot.

● Crystal Palace is unbeaten at home in each of their last three.

● Crystal Palace are also unbeaten in each of their last six meetings with teams that finished in the top eight last season, including a 1-0 win over Liverpool in Anfield last season.

Verdict

Although Liverpool has the advantage over their opponent, it is expected to be a cagey match, also considering it'll be played as an early kickoff game on Saturday. 

It is also worth noting that goals have also suddenly dried up in this fixture. So Liverpool winning by a goal margin is a very probable result.

Prediction 

Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool 

Arsenal - Southampton 

On papers, this is one of the most straightforward games of the weekend. It is like the strongest going up against the weakest. However, the Saints have haunted Arsenal in recent years from poor positions, and Mikel Arteta's side do have causes to be wary.

Arsenal are winless in each of their last three meetings with Southampton, losing one and drawing each of the last, which were games of huge consequences as it detriment their chances of winning the league in the 2022-23 season.

With things very even at the top of the standing earlier on in the season, Arsenal can not afford any slip, even so against a team like Southampton, who has just one point from six games so far.

The goodnews is that Arsenal has never lost a Premier League home game against Southampton since their first-ever meeting at home in the competition in 1993. They've won 16 and drawn eight of 24 home games in that time.

But given how much time they've tied, it has clearly not been the best run for the Gunners against a team who has made themselves their bogey in the Premier League. Southampton has also drawn three of their last four Premier League trips to Arsenal.

With the stakes of Arsenal these days, a draw will be an outmost disappointing result, no matter the context at full time.

Form guide

● Arsenal are unbeaten in each of their last 15 games across all competitions — the Gunners have also scored in each of the games since.

● Arsenal has scored 13 goals in their last four games, more than they did in five games before this run (six)

● Southampton has scored three goals in six Premier League games so far, less than Arsenal scored last time out in the competition against Leicester City, four.

● Southampton are winless in each of their last 19 Premier League games, a run that started in the 2022-23 campaign.

Prediction 

Arsenal 4-0 Southampton 

Manchester City - Fulham 

Games against the Cottagers is one of those that bring the Cityzens a lot of joy. Even before the takeover in 2008, they had always dominate in this fixture.

In 32 league meetings, Saturday's host has won 19 times and lost just four, while they've won each of the last 13 and are unbtean in 18, drawing three.

However, the visitors will also take confidence from the fact that their last three league wins in this fixture have come away from home in the Ethiad, unfortunately, their last win came as far back as April 2009, when a Clint Dempsey brace inspired them to a 3-1 comeback win.

Form guide 

● Manchester City are unbeaten in each of their last 29 Premier League games, winning 23

● Manchester City has scored in each of their last 15 Premier League games, only Aston Villa and Arsenal (twice) has stopped them from scoring in their last 44.

● Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 34 home games in the Premier League.

● For games ending in 90 minutes, Fulham is unbeaten in each of their last seven games, they've also scored in each game in that run.

Prediction 

Manchester City 4-2 Fulham

Aston Villa - Manchester United 

This is not the best of time for Manchester United to face Aston Villa but has there ever been a good time for Erik Ten Hag's side to face anyone ?

Unai Emery though, has not enjoyed playing against Manchester United, he'll forever relish the victory over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer men in the 2021 UEFA Europa League final in Gdansk, Poland.

Aside that game, he has only won twice in 13 meetings with Manchester United, one as Arsenal boss and the other on his first meeting with United as a Villa boss.

He has lost eight times against the Red Devils, including each of the last four, and well as surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 in Old Trafford last season. He has lost his two home meetings against Manchester United at Villa.

Form guide

● Aston Villa has lost one in nine games this season, against Arsenal — they even beat Bayern Munich in their last game.

● Aston Villa are unbeaten in each of their last seven games, winning eight.

● Manchester United are winless in each of their last four games across all competitions

● Manchester United has won one of four away games this season, a 3-0 win away to Southampton 

Prediction 

Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester United 

Chelsea - Nottingham Forest 

Forest were unbeaten this season before their defeat in the hands of Fulham last weekend. Their most famous result is a 1-0 away win at Liverpool, while they've also taken point off Brighton.

Chelsea will be an entirely different test. Enzo Maresca's side have been on fire lately and have moved into the midst at the top of the table. Their only league defeat so far has come in the hands of Manchester City on opening weekend.

Since Forest's return to the top-flight, it has been strange fixture but all was down to the situation found itself in. Now the Blues are returning to their best form under Enzo Maresca, they can now dominate the fixture as they are known to against minors.

Form guide

● Chelsea has won each of their last five games across all competitions, scoring four or more in the last three and three or more in the last four.

● Chelsea has won five of their last six home games across all competitions, losing none.

● Nottingham Forest are unbeaten away from home this season, scoring in all three.

Head to Head 

● Since their return to the Premier League last season, Forest has a record of one win, one lost and two draws against Chelsea.

● Nottingham Forest has not lost at the Stamford Bridge since September 1998, winning one and drawing one in that time.

Prediction 

Chelsea 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Brighton - Tottenham Hotspur 

This fixture has been anyone's game in recent times, which makes it one of the most less predictable fixtures in the Premier League, just like the weekend's curtain raiser between Liverpool and Crystal Palace.

While Ange Postecoglu's Tottenham Hotspur has been onslaught in their last five games, it doesn't take anything away from the fact that they get easily disjointed at the sight of a real competition.

Their win against Manchester United last weekend was just against a team at the lowest of its lows, while they got a decisive decision their way to cap off a win against Brentford in a match that could have easily gone the other way on another day.

For Brighton, their unbeaten start to the season was ended in the hands of Chelsea last weekend, in a match that highlighted why they have failled to fulfill so much of their potential despite sometimes appearing as geniune competitors.

They were completely unidentified, with no affiliate to what they've displayed in their opening seven games, during which they beat Manchester United and won a point away to Arsenal.

Form guide 

● Brighton are unbeaten in five home games this season, winning three.

● Tottenham Hotspur has won each of their last three games away from home, but only one in the league this season

● Tottenham has scored in each of their five away games across all competitions this season

Head to Head 

● None of the last 13 of this fixture has ended in a draw - Tottenham Hotspur has won nine and lost four in that time

● Neither of the teams has kept a clean sheet in their last three meetings

Prediction 

Brighton 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur 

 

Players to watch

Mohamed Salah vs. Crystal Palace 

The Egyptian recently became Africa's all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League and has scored in his last three games across all competitions.

On form, he has all it takes to make any defence vulnerable and he will be the center of attention in Selhurts Park, when the game gets underway this weekend

Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in five goals in his last five appearances against Southampton - the Arsenal star man heads into this weekend's game on a hot streak, assisting in all league fixtures this season except last weekend against Leicester City, where he created four big chances.

He has assisted more Premier League goals this season and is becoming renowned for his set-piece prowess, scoring Arsenal's first UEFA Champions League free-kick goal in 22 years, during a 2-0 win over PSG in mid-week.

Erling Haaland vs. Fulham 

The Norwegian has scored in each of the Premier League games this season before his blank against Newcastle United last weekend. Haaland has also scored four times in two home games against Fulham, including a hat-trick 13 months ago.

Haaland has scored ten league goals this season, and was among the goals in the UEFA Champions League 4-0 win over Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia on Tuesday night.

Jhon Duran vs. Manchester United 

Manchester United has conceded second half goals in each of their last three games and for Duran, whose reputation as a super sub is fast-growing, Sunday's fixture will be another famous occasion to come clutch again.

The Colombian has scored six Aston Villa goals this season, five of them as a substitute and as many being match-winners. His latest came against Bayern Munich, in the UEFA Champions League. Watching the United defence being torn apart in Porto last night, he must be wishing Sunday couldn't come at a better time.

Cole Palmer vs. Nottingham Forest 

Not involved in the UEFA Conference League in mid-week, the Englishman will head into Sunday's game on the back of his four goal performance last weekend against Brighton.

Palmer, albeit he hasn't scored in his two appearances for Chelsea against Sunday's opponent, he did registered an assist in his only start, which came in a 3-2 win in The City Ground in May.

Even though Forest has the joint second best defence in the league this season, it is not for one in form of Cole Palmer, who has has the most goal involvement in the competition since his Chelsea debut, to know.

Nicolas Jackson and Callum Hudson-Odoi is also worth keeping an eye on.

Brennan Johnson vs. Brighton 

The Welshman has scored in each of Spurs' last five games across all competition. He has been a changed man since his attack by the club's fans on social media.

Johnson, who also scored a stoppage-time winner the last time this two teams went head to head is a player to watchout for on Sunday.