Three talking points from the Premier League

Liverpool are league-leaders with 18 points from their first seven games, but the calendar is about to get challenging for the Reds as they aim to get their first Premier League title since 2020. Arne Slot has kicked off Liverpool's post-Klopp era with league wins over Ipswich, Brentford, Manchester United, Bournemouth, West Ham, Wolves and Crystal Palace. His only slip-up came as a result of a shock-home defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Nevertheless, that run of fixures was far from challenging for the Premier League leaders, especially with United in the midst of their worst start to a season. Having been able to adapt to English football in a relatively low-stress enivonment, Slot's honeymoon period at Anflied might not last much longer, as clashes against fourth-placed Chelsea on Sunday and Arsenal next weekend await for Liverpool.
Chelsea have gone unbeaten in their past seven games in all competitions and find themselves just four points behind Liverpool. While power struggles between co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali continue behind the scenes for Chelsea, new manager Enzo Maresca has been silently resetting the culture at the Bridge. The Italain boss has been praised for succesfully managing the Blues' star-packed squad thus far after an underwhealming couple of seasons. Sunday's showdown at Anfield will provide both managers a clearer picture of just what can be achieved this season.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag cannot afford another flop from his troubled team when they host Brentford at on Saturday. United are currently going through their worst start to a top-flight season since 1989/1990 as the under-fire manager's fate could be settled over the next week.
Thomas Tuchel was targeted as a possible candidate to take over from Ten Hag by club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe at the end of the last season. However, with the appointement of the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss as England manager, the Dutchman might have breathed a sigh of relief. While one potential threat to his position has been ruled out, Ratcliffe remains likely to dismiss the ex-Ajax boss if results do not improve drastically.
Brentford's recent habit of scoring within seconds of kick-off makes them a serious danger for United, who instead have a habit of shooting themselves in the foot. Should Ten Hag survives the Brentford test, Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho will surely be eager to add to his old club's problems in Thursday's Europa League clash in Istanbul. Man United's tough week ends with a trip to West Ham, where defeat could well prove the final straw for Erik ten Hag.

Ipswich and Southampton, who have failed to resigster a single win since earning promotion from the Championship last season. While champagne-soaked celebrations might now be a distant memory for the two teams, the upcoming weekend could be the turning point for both as they look to escape from the relagaiton zone. Ipswich host 16th-placed Everton, while second-bottom Southampton go up against 15th-placed Leicester at St Mary's.
Crystal Palace, who also find themselves in the relegation zone, travel to Nottingham Forest with the aim to claim their first victory of the season. Meanwhile Wolves, who sit bottom of the table with only one point from seven games, will hope to go against everyone's expectations by shocking champions Manchester City at the Molineux.
Saturday
Tottenham v West Ham (13:30), Fulham v Aston Villa, Ipswich v Everton, Manchester United v Brentford, Newcastle v Brighton, Southampton v Leicester (16:00) Bournemouth v Arsenal (18:30)
Sunday
Wolves v Manchester City (15:00), Liverpool v Chelsea (17:30)
Monday
Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace (21:00)