Premier League weekend preview: Henderson returns to Merseyside as key fixtures run from Saturday to Monday

Jordan Henderson returns to Merseyside to face Everton in the Premier League this weekend, beginning with Everton v Chelsea at 12.30pm BST on Saturday, and a full slate of matches continues through Monday evening.

Henderson’s presence will be a major talking point after he registered two goals and an assist in Chelsea’s win over Bournemouth last Saturday, becoming the oldest player to contribute directly to three goals in a Premier League game. His midfield partnership with Moisés Caicedo has been credited with providing balance for Xabi Alonso’s side and allowing the front three of Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Cole Palmer to flourish. Everton’s defence, which had impressed earlier in the season before costly errors in the draw at Hull, will be tested by the veteran midfielder and Chelsea’s attacking unit.

Brentford’s pragmatic approach has them unbeaten and relies on sitting deep, closing off the middle and forcing opponents to play around them while flooding the opposition box at set pieces and throw-ins to create chances. Liverpool, fresh from “spanking six past Lask, the Austrian champions”, will face a less obliging home side at the Gtech Community Stadium and must cope with Brentford’s intent to turn the afternoon into a saloon brawl and capitalise on dead-ball situations.

Gonzalo García has one league goal from 18 shots this season after joining Fulham from Real Madrid and carries an expected goals tally of 3.60 while underperforming with his finishing. Fulham, bottom of the league with six goals in six games, are without a goal from García since his debut strike against Chelsea; Álvaro Arbeloa has shown faith in him but the head coach is under increasing pressure as Fulham host Hull City.

Manchester City rallied from 3-0 down to give Paris Saint-Germain a scare in Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League defeat, and Enzo Maresca has been praised for following Pep Guardiola serenely as his team remain a free-flowing attacking machine. If historical form is any guide, Ipswich last beat City at home in the competition in November 2000, and that statistic is likely to be mentioned ahead of Saturday’s meeting.

Newcastle’s 4-1 defeat at Coventry has prompted an inquest on Tyneside and raises questions about Matthias Jaissle’s emphasis on “vertical football”. Jaissle argues that the high-octane, aggressive attacking style is the club’s preferred identity and what fans want to see, but his side will face Aston Villa at St James’ Park under pressure to avoid repeating recent lapses.

With nine league games each scheduled for the month between international breaks, Bournemouth v Sunderland is an early test of squad depth; Sunderland sit 17th and Bournemouth 18th with seven points separating them after six rounds. Both clubs welcome returns—Justin Kluivert for Bournemouth and Brian Brobbey for Sunderland—that Marco Rose and Régis Le Bris will hope can make decisive contributions, while Brighton, unbeaten and the Premier League’s top scorers, host Crystal Palace on Sunday after failing to beat Palace since a 4-1 win at the Amex in February 2024 when Roberto De Zerbi was in charge; Fabian Hürzeler managed only a point in four encounters with the Eagles under Oliver Glasner.

Michael Carrick has lost five of his past six technical-area duels with Daniel Farke and his only win over Farke came in a League Cup tie during Carrick’s Middlesbrough tenure, with Leeds still seeking a first victory at Elland Road against Manchester United since 2002 in what is expected to be a raucous War of the Roses. Nottingham Forest, who played well despite a 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace, gave Oliver Glasner cause to remark: “It was like I didn’t deserve to win at Selhurst Park because the players did everything,” and Forest will host Arsenal at the City Ground on Sunday hoping Morgan Gibbs-White or Liam Delap can convert chances they missed at Selhurst Park.

Tottenham host Coventry on Monday evening after Coventry’s 4-1 demolition of Newcastle, a result that saw four different players praised for their roles; the last time Tottenham faced Coventry in the Premier League, Steffen Iversen, Les Ferdinand and Serhiy Rebrov combined in a 3-0 win. Spurs enter the fixture watching a Coventry side that has grown in confidence through back-to-back wins while Tottenham have struggled to establish similar momentum in recent seasons.

The weekend schedule runs from Everton v Chelsea at 12.30pm BST on Saturday through a series of Saturday and Sunday ties including Brentford v Liverpool (3pm), Fulham v Hull (3pm), Manchester City v Ipswich (3pm), Newcastle v Aston Villa (5.30pm), Bournemouth v Sunderland (Sunday 2pm), Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sunday 2pm), Leeds v Manchester United (Sunday 2pm) and Nottingham Forest v Arsenal (Sunday 4.30pm), before concluding with Tottenham v Coventry at 8pm on Monday.