Premier League Matchday 8 Preview: All eyes on the not so fab four at Anfield, Big Ange at Forest and red-hot Haaland | OneFootball

English Premier League

Will Liverpool get back to winning ways? Will Ange 'win' the sack race? Is Haaland going to score again?

The latest international break is over and all eyes now turn to Matchday 8 in the Premier League. Mike Norman takes a look at the current state of play and what we have to look forward to this weekend include the big game at Anfield and players and managers to watch...

What happened in Matchday 7?

Matchday 7 commenced with Bournemouth coming from a goal down to beat Fulham 3-1, a result that moved the Cherries up to second in the table for around 18 hours or so.

It was then Tottenham's turn to move up to second in the table when they beat Leeds 2-1 in Saturday's early kick-off, but a few hours later they were overtaken by north London rivals Arsenal who beat West Ham 2-0 to not only leap ahead of Spurs, but also to jump ahead of Liverpool and lead the Premier League table.

Under pressure Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim secured a crucial 2-0 win over Sunderland, only for one of the club's part-owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to come out and say a few days later that he wants Amorim as his manager for at least three seasons so that he can build a team.

Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool lost their third game in a week when Chelsea scored a dramatic stopping time winner against the Reds at Stamford Bridge while on Sunday there were wins for Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle, and Manchester City. Wolves secured just their second point of the season with a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton.

Who are the favourites to win the Premier League title?

After going top of the table Arsenal are the new favourites to win the title, thanks in large to Liverpool's back-to-back Premier League defeats. The Gunners can be backed at 10/11 ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in Saturday evening's live tea-time kick-off.

Liverpool are available to back at 11/4 to retain their crown, while Manchester City are the only other club trading in single figures, available to back at 4/1.

2025/26 Premier League Winner:

- Arsenal 10/11- Liverpool 11/4- Manchester City 4/1- Chelsea 25/1- Tottenham 40/1- Manchester United 66/1- BAR 125/1

What are the Matchday 8 fixtures?

Saturday 18 October

- Nottingham Forest v Chelsea (12:30, live on TNT Sport)- Brighton v Newcastle (15:00)- Burnley v Leeds (15:00)- Crystal Palace v Bournemouth (15:00)- Manchester City v Everton (15:00)- Sunderland v Wolves (15:00)- Fulham v Arsenal (17:30), live on Sky Sports)

Sunday 19 October

- Tottenham v Aston Villa (14:00, live on Sky Sports)- Liverpool v Manchester United (16:30, live on Sky Sports)

Monday 20 October

- West Ham v Brentford (20:00, live on Sky Sports)

What is the game of the weekend?

Undoubtedly the game of this weekend is Liverpool hosting Manchester United in the late Super Sunday slot, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 16:30.

Even at this stage of the season it's a crucial game for both clubs. The Reds have failed to find their top form in the first few months of the campaign, and including their Champions League defeat to Galatasaray Arne Slot's men lost three consecutive games going into the international break. A fourth consecutive defeat - to arch rivals Manchester United - would surely see panic mode set in.

As for United, it's been another poor start to a season, especially on the road where they've failed to record a single win in four games that included an embarrassing EFL Cup exit at League Two Grimsby Town. The Red Devils haven't won at Anfield in any of their last 10 visits and just two seasons ago they suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals.

In the Match Odds market, Liverpool are the 4/7 favourites to win the game with United available to back at 4/1. The Draw can be backed at 10/3.  We will have various previews of the game including a full in-depth Opta analysis from 9am Saturday morning.

Players to watch in Matchday 8

All eyes will be on Anfield this weekend for the big game as reigning champions Liverpool host Manchester United, but perhaps most of those eyes will be on Slot's not-so-fab four - Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong - who between them cost an estimated £311m in the summer.

It's perhaps a tad harsh to include Isak in the above quartet given that he missed pre-season and does have an EFL Cup goal to this name for his new club, but he has definitely struggled - for club and country - in the first two months of the new campaign.

However, Wirtz, Kerkez and Frimpong have been nothing short of disastrous so far this term. Strong words admittedly, but it's hard to argue that Wirtz hasn't been a huge disappointment during his early Liverpool career and is in fact having a negative impact on how the Reds perform.

Kerkez at left wing-back has looked like a rabbit in the headlights while Frimpong on the opposite side has shown nowhere near the attacking ability he displayed at Bayer Leverkusen.

All four simply have to improve, as does Liverpool's star man Mo Salah who has looked a shadow of the player he was last season when he topped the Premier League goalscoring and assist charts. Betfair Ambassador Alan Shearer has had his say on Salah's form, plus his thoughts on other Premier League topics, in his latest exclusive.

Managers to watch in Matchday 8

While Ruben Amorim may still be under pressure at United, despite what Sir Jim Ratcliffe says, and that a heavy defeat at Anfield on Sunday will only add to the pressure, undoubtedly the manager to watch this weekend is new Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou.

And we must emphasise the word 'new'. It's incredible to think that after just four Premier League games in charge the former Celtic and Tottenham boss is fighting to save his job.

Admittedly he's failed to win any of those four games, and the same is true of his EFL Cup and Europa League games he's been in charge of, but under Evangelos Maranakis you simply have to deliver results otherwise you pay the consequences.

There have been rumours this week that Sean Dyche is already being lined up to replace Postecoglou, which would suggest that only a win for Forest - at home to Chelsea in Saturday's early kick-off - will save him his job. Forest are 12/5 to secure the three points and take some of the pressure off Ange.

In Betfair's Sack Race market, Postecoglou is the 2/5 favourite to be sacked next, just ahead of Amorim at 3/1.

Haaland the irresistible force

Enough of underperforming players and managers, let's talk about a player who is absolutely thriving this season, Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

Of course, this isn't the first time he's started a Premier League season in great form - he always does - but in other competitions for both club and country he's been absolutely phenomenal.

Haaland has scored a scarcely believable 21 goals in just 12 games this season including scoring at least once in each of his last 10 games for club and country. He's scored in every game that Manchester City have scored in this term.

But not only that, the Norwegian has been pivotal to City's defending set pieces, winning 25 aerial duels and often being the player to head the ball way from opposing corners. He looks happy both on and off the pitch and is arguably in the best form of his career.

He's the 3/1 favourite to be crowned the PFA Player of the Year at the end of the season, and you'd have to say, if the award was given out today then he'd win it in a canter.

Up next for Haaland is Everton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and you won't be surprised to learn that he's just 12/5 to be the First Goalscorer in the game.