A quintet of three o’clock kick-offs serve as the main course in our Saturday football feast, with Manchester City in pursuit of their fifth successive victory when they travel to Crystal Palace.
The Sky Blues rank top for goals (10) and shots on target (29) this term, illustrating their early dominance. They’ve also excelled on the defensive front, conceding the least shots inside the box (17) and zero big chances, resulting in an impeccable shut-out record. Rebuffing the Eagles’ buoyant attack will be far from a routine exercise, though, given that Alan Pardew’s troops rank joint-third for goals scored (eight) and joint-top for big chances generated (nine).
Arsenal play host to a Stoke City outfit that were reduced to nine men for the majority of their last league tie. Despite topping the leaderboard with regards to total attempts (83) and shots inside the box (56), only three sides have notched fewer goals (three) than the Gunners this campaign. Nonetheless, investors in their attacking assets will be encouraged by the fact that only Chelsea (13) conceded more big chances than Stoke (10) in the previous rounds of fixtures.
Elsewhere around the league, Swansea strive to retain their unbeaten record as they make the trip to Watford. The Hornets have proved tough to beat since their promotion, conceding just four goals and three big chances against the likes of Man City, Everton and Southampton. The Swans will fancy their chances of claiming a clean sheet at Vicarage Road, considering they’ve conceded just 18 shots inside box and one big chance this season, while Watford place third-bottom for attempts in the area (22).
West Bromwich Albion square up against Southampton at The Hawthorns, having conceded six goals in their previous two home matches. The Saints recorded their first win of the season against Norwich and rank second for shots inside the box (49), casting doubt over the Baggies’ clean-sheet prospects. Rounding off the mid-afternoon schedule, Norwich invite Bournemouth to Carrow Road in search of their first home win. The visitors rattled four past West Ham United during their last road encounter so will arrive in Norfolk with their tails up.
