🌦 Friday Forecast: Knackered Klopp and a battle at the top | OneFootball

We’ve had one Premier League weekend and then the Uefa Super Cup to keep us ticking over during the week.

Fun having football back, isn’t it?

Here’s what to look out for in the second instalment of the 2019/20 Premier League season.

Game of the Weekend

Manchester City v Tottenham

Only four players scored more than one goal on the opening weekend of the season and two of them are on show here.

This one really could boil down to whether Harry Kane or Raheem Sterling finishes better. The England team-mates come up against each other’s fierce defences but, so early in the season, don’t expect this one to be too cagey. Both teams have a point to prove.

Spurs want to be in the mix for the league this year and City, as defending champions, would love to nip that in the bud.

Is this the day Tottenham underline their credentials as title contenders? Or will Manchester City simply prove how far ahead of the pack they are?

Potential upset

Southampton v Liverpool

Yes, really. After losing 3-0 at Burnley, Southampton might do something against Liverpool.

All of the Reds’s fabled front three played summer tournaments and now, just days into the season, have had to travel to Istanbul and back. It’s got to take its toll at some point.

Liverpool may have won comfortably on opening day but they were wide open against newly-promoted Norwich. Things didn’t look that much better defensively on Wednesday, when Chelsea tore through the centre of the park more often than you’d expect.

It’s not something we saw from the Reds last season and it may not last long but if they haven’t fixed it by Saturday, Southampton have plenty to play for.

Easiest three points

Arsenal v Burnley

Arsenal stuttered to all three points at Newcastle last weekend but the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Lucas Torreira are likely to feature. There could even be a full debuts for Nicolas Pépé and David Luiz in front of their new fans.

For all their flaws last season, Arsenal still had the third best home record in the league.

It’s now 45 years since Burnley beat the Gunners in the top flight and, since the inception of the Premier League, they’ve played lost all five of their games at the Emirates Stadium, conceding 16 goals along the way.

That won’t change here.

Keep an eye on

Leicester’s trip to Chelsea

Like Liverpool, Chelsea have been to Istanbul and back this week. Unlike Liverpool, Chelsea have plenty to prove.

The Blues’ squad does look thin and quality is lacking after the sale of Eden Hazard. But that’s not enough of an excuse at such a big club.

Following last weekend’s debacle at Old Trafford they played well in midweek, with Christian Pulisic impressing on his full debut and a fit-again N’Golo Kanté bossing the midfielder.

Leicester, though, are contenders to break into the top six this year. Will it be a case of one step forward, two steps back for Frank Lampard or will he get his first win as Chelsea manager?