Manchester City aim to extend their flawless start to the season at Aston Villa, despite doubts over the club’s future in the top flight. Enzo Maresca is the first manager to win his first seven Premier League games in charge of a new club, yet it may all count for nothing unless City are successful in their appeal after being found guilty of Premier League financial rules. They travel to Villa, hoping to improve on a miserable recent record in Birmingham.
City have lost on their past three visits to Villa Park and face a resurgent Villa. Unai Emery’s side have won five and drawn one of their past six games in all competitions as new signings Nicolas Jackson, Johan Manzambi and Zion Suzuki have quickly settled. **Rob Smyth** buckles up for the blog, with **Will Unwin** reporting from Villa Park. Zion Suzuki has settled in quickly at Villa Park. **Billy Munday** clocks on as Clockwatch-meister, with two tasty 3pms to relish. **Arsenal** will be eager to capitalise on any City slip-ups as they welcome **Everton** to the Emirates.
Their 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek came at the cost of an unsettling injury to Bukayo Saka, but their home record is a daunting six wins on the trot. Everton’s fine start to the season came unstuck with a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea last time, and they haven’t clocked a win in their last eight away league games. **Fulham**’s wait for a league win under Álvaro Arbeloa is finally over after beating Hull City last time out. The Londoners’ next test is against another promoted side in **Coventry**, who have won just two of their seven league games.
An so to the late match, as fourth-placed Chelsea host rivals Spurs after back-to-back league victories over Bournemouth and Everton. Struggling Tottenham, meanwhile, finally got off the mark with Monday’s 3-1 home win over Coventry – glaringly just their fourth of 2026 in the Premier League – after a miserable start that has left them 16th with six points from seven games. It gets worse: Tottenham’s record at the Bridge is lamentable: just one win in their last 36 league visits (D11 L24) and that was back in 2017-18, a 3-1 victory under Mauricio Pochettino.
Since then, they have garnered only two points in eight visits (D2 L6). **Scott Murray** has minute-by-minute commentary, with **Barney Ronay** and **Jacob Steinberg** our matchday duo in west London. Kimi Antonelli is poised to become F1’s youngest champion, and Italy’s first in 73 years, but the 20-year-old will have to win and hope the Texan stars align for him elsewhere. Four years old when Sebastian Vettel became the hitherto youngest champion at 23 in 2010, Antonelli has a mighty 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell.
There will be a maximum 125 points remaining to win after the chequered flag drops at the Circuit of the Americas, meaning Antonelli – in his second F1 season – will clinch the title if he extends his lead by 23. Only a victory would give him that margin but the Italian will still need Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to finish no higher than ninth or fifth respectively. Otherwise the wait to become Italy’s first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 rolls on to (at least) Mexico City a weekend later.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
