Tottenham and Manchester United battle in North London
Sitting level on points and within touching distance of the Premier League’s top three, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United do battle in North London on Saturday lunchtime.
The two teams meet for the first time since last season’s Europa League final in May.
After being booed off the pitch by their own supporters following their wretched 1-0 defeat to rivals Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, Tottenham bounced back in emphatic fashion on Tuesday night as they put Copenhagen to the sword 4-0 on home soil in the Champions League.
Tottenham fans are now crying out for consistency and Frank is optimistic that his side can build an extended run of form.
Man United and head coach Ruben Amorim deserve credit for how they have responded to a turbulent start to the campaign.
Amorim, who has been nominated for October’s Manager of the Month award, believes that his players are “giving everything” and “have the potential to do better” in their quest to push the club up the table.
Now sitting eight in the table and only behind both Spurs and Chelsea on goal difference, Man United will endeavour to put together a run of five games without defeat for the first time since January/February 2024, which was also the last time they scored at least two goals in five successive matches.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Real Sociedad clash against Elche today
Real Sociedad will be aiming to make it three straight wins in Spain’s top flight when they continue their campaign with a clash against Elche at Estadio Martinez Valero on Friday night.
The visitors are currently 14th in the La Liga table, picking up 12 points from their first 11 matches of the season, while the home side are ninth, boasting 14 points from their opening 11 games of 2025-26.
Elche have a record of three wins, five draws and three defeats from their 11 league matches this season, with 14 points leaving them in ninth spot in the table, four points behind sixth-placed Espanyol.
Elche have lost three of their last four in La Liga, though, including a 3-1 reverse to Barcelona last time out.
Real Sociedad beat Elche 1-0 and 2-0 during the 2022-23 La Liga campaign, while they have not been overcome by the Green-striped ones since a 1-0 reverse in April 2015.
The White and Blues have had a tough start to the season, but they are currently on a run of three straight wins in all competitions, including their last two in La Liga against Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao.
There has not been a draw between these two sides since August 2013, with Real Sociedad dominating the recent meetings, but Elche are yet to lose on home soil this season, and we are expecting the Green-striped ones to be good enough for a point here.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Sunderland and Arsenal square off in top-four battle
The unofficial Granit Xhaka derby will be held at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, when Sunderland and Arsenal square off in a Premier League top-four battle.
The high-flying hosts find themselves just seven points and three places worse off than Mikel Arteta‘s men, who must attempt something no other team has managed so far this season – beat the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s Champions League collision with Slavia Prague made them achieve something no English top-flight side had achieved for a staggering 105 years – win eight successive games in all competitions without conceding a single goal.
The seventh result in that sequence was another routine away-day triumph – a 2-0 beating of Burnley at Turf Moor that saw Arsenal maintain their six-point advantage over Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League standings, where they will remain throughout the international break.
Arsenal are also bidding to record five straight Premier League wins with clean sheets for the first time in their history, last managing that feat in the top flight during the George Graham days of 1987.
Sunderland’s consistent home scorers pit their wits against one of the meanest backlines English football has ever seen, and the latter has our vote to come out on top.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Undefeated Como welcome Cagliari
Undefeated at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia this season, Como welcome Cagliari in Saturday’s Serie A gameweek 11 fixture, aiming to avoid defeat in Lombardy.
Cesc Fabregas‘s team have earned 11 of the 15 points available in front of their supporters, including winning two consecutive matches, and they are favourites to secure a third straight victory against an opponent who are winless in their last three away games in the top flight.
Como secured a commendable point in Naples last weekend, drawing against Antonio Conte’s team to prolong their unbeaten away streak to four matches.
However, although they have not been defeated since a 1-0 loss to Bologna at the end of August, the Lariani have only managed three draws in their most recent four away games, including two consecutive goalless matches against Parma and Napoli.
They aim to secure three consecutive home wins in Serie A, a feat not accomplished since last season when they defeated Torino (1-0), Genoa (1-0) and Cagliari (3-1) between April and May.
This goal appears attainable, considering they have scored the joint-third highest number of goals (nine) in home matches and conceded just three, fewer than every other club except Bologna and Pisa, who have let in one and two, respectively.
Cagliari were the team against whom Como achieved three consecutive wins in May, and the Sardinians hope to avoid a repeat this weekend.
However, this season’s precedent suggests the Isolani may face more disappointment on the road, given their record of one win, two draws and two defeats away from home.
Against a team as skilled as Fabregas’s side, the Sardinians are likely to face a third defeat on their travels this weekend.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Saturday
Sunday
Brentford 14:00 Newcastle United
Saturday
Girona 13:00 Alavés
Sevilla 15:15 Osasuna
Atletico Madrid 17:30 Levante
Espanyol 20:00 Villarreal
Sunday
Athletic Club 13:00 Real Oviedo
Rayo Vallecano 15:15 Real Madrid
Mallorca 17:30 Getafe
Valencia 17:30 Real Betis
Celta Vigo 20:00 Barcelona
