The EPL is back after that monster three-week international break, and it returns with a proper card, Arsenal needing a response, Spurs desperately needing a win, and Liverpool hosting the unbeaten league leaders.
Arsenal got absolutely walloped 3-0 by Brighton before the break, which is not the sort of result Mikel Arteta will have enjoyed sitting with for three weeks.
The good news is they are back at the Emirates against a Leeds side that is unbeaten, but still finding its feet at this level.
Leeds have made themselves hard to beat and Dominic Calvert-Lewin gives them a proper focal point, so this is not a free hit for Arsenal.
Still, the Gunners should have too much quality across the park if Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and co get moving early.
A response is needed here. Arsenal do not need to reinvent football; they just need to stop conceding soft territory and start making their good players do good-player things.
Score Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Leeds United
Potential Goal Scorer: Bukayo Saka
Chelsea are sitting 10th after five games, which feels about right for a side that looks brilliant for 20 minutes, confusing for 20 minutes, then somehow finds a way to make the final 20 minutes stressful.
Bournemouth will not come to Stamford Bridge to make life easy.
The Cherries are good enough in transition to make Chelsea’s high-risk approach look a little silly if the home side get sloppy.
Cole Palmer is one to watch after a muscular issue, so I am not building the entire preview around him just yet.
Chelsea should still have enough, but Bournemouth are more than capable of landing one themselves.
Score Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Potential Goal Scorer: Evanilson
Villa Park has not exactly been the happy place it usually is so far this season.
Unai Emery’s side have been patchy, injuries are not helping, and Brentford arrive looking like one of the early surprise packets.
The Bees have made a strong start and Igor Thiago has become a proper reference point up front.
Villa are missing Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen and Leon Goretzka, so they are not quite as balanced as Emery would like heading into a game where Brentford will happily make it physical and direct.
Villa should improve at home, but Brentford have already shown they are not here to play the plucky underdog role.
This has the feel of a game where both sides score and neither side gets exactly what it wants.
Score Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Brentford
Potential Goal Scorer: Igor Thiago
Ipswich have shown enough going forward to suggest they can stay competitive this season, but they need to start turning those decent spells into points.
Julio Enciso is the player most likely to create something out of nowhere, especially with Abdul Fatawu suspended.
Fulham are one of those sides who will happily make this a proper midfield scrap.
Alex Iwobi has been their most reliable attacking outlet, and if Fulham can keep the game structured, they should fancy themselves against an Ipswich side still looking for consistency.
Neither team is screaming “comfortable win” here, which usually means we are all in for a draw and a lot of people pretending they saw it coming.
Score Prediction: Ipswich Town 1-1 Fulham
Potential Goal Scorer: Alex Iwobi
Brighton are flying after putting three past Arsenal before the break, and they head to Sunderland with a bit of swagger.
Fair enough too, Fabian Hürzeler’s side have started quickly and have shown they can hurt anyone when the press clicks.
Sunderland have competed well, but they are missing suspended defender Reinildo and have injury concerns around Daniel Ballard and Brian Brobbey.
That is not ideal when Brighton are moving the ball as sharply as they are right now.
The Black Cats will make it awkward at the Stadium of Light, because that is what promoted sides with a home crowd behind them are supposed to do.
But Brighton look the more settled side, and Pascal Groß feels like the man who can keep the game ticking in their favour.
Score Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Potential Goal Scorer: Pascal Groß
This is a game between two clubs who have made a right mess of their opening five weeks.
United sit 12th with five points; Spurs are bottom with only two.
Nobody is arriving in great shape, but somebody has to leave Old Trafford feeling slightly less miserable.
United have more firepower on paper.
Bryan Mbeumo has been one of their few consistently threatening attackers, Matheus Cunha gives them a bit of chaos, and Bruno Fernandes is still capable of deciding any match if Spurs give him room.
Tottenham need a response badly, but their likely XI still has a few moving parts and their season is already in danger of becoming one long “trust the project” speech.
Score Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Potential Goal Scorer: Bryan Mbeumo
Hull have been stubborn enough this season to make plenty of opponents work for everything, and their likely back five suggests they will not be changing that plan against Everton.
The Toffees have looked more organised than explosive, which is fairly on brand.
James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should control plenty of the midfield battle, while Thierno Barry will be hoping to get a bit more service than he has had in some of Everton’s tighter games.
This one has a low-scoring slog written all over it.
Hull will sit in, Everton will have the ball, and we will find out whether either side has brought a can opener.
Score Prediction: Hull City 0-1 Everton
Potential Goal Scorer: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Palace are in a rough spot.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is out, Dean Henderson is out, Axel Disasi is suspended, and suddenly a squad that already looked a bit light has become very thin in the wrong places.
Forest have not exactly been perfect either, but they have more attacking options available.
Morgan Gibbs-White remains the player who makes things happen, Liam Delap gives them presence through the middle, and the visitors should fancy their chances against a Palace side missing so many key names.
The Eagles will scrap, because Selhurst Park tends to demand it, but this looks like a difficult afternoon for them.
Score Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Potential Goal Scorer: Morgan Gibbs-White
Here we go then.
Liverpool against Manchester City at Anfield, with City five from five and Erling Haaland already looking like he has made a personal agreement with the back of the net.
It is the sort of game that makes the rest of the weekend feel like the undercard.
There is also the small matter of City’s financial charges saga bubbling away in the background.
The club was found guilty by an independent commission of serious Premier League financial-rule breaches late last month and has lodged an appeal, with sanctions still to be decided.
Not exactly the quiet lead-in you want before a trip to Anfield.
Liverpool have started to click under Andoni Iraola and Alexander Isak has four league goals of his own, but the Swede is carrying a thigh concern and needs checking closer to kick-off.
City are without Phil Foden through suspension, but that still leaves Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo as a fairly ridiculous set of problems to deal with.
Liverpool will have their moments at Anfield. They always do. But City look relentless right now, and Haaland is not exactly the bloke you want to face when he is in one of these moods.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City
Potential Goal Scorer: Erling Haaland
Coventry finally got their first win of the season at Forest before the break, and that gives this fixture a totally different feel.
They are still missing plenty of players, but they will now believe they can make Newcastle uncomfortable under the lights.
Newcastle’s injury list is ugly. Dan Burn, Joelinton, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Ramsey and Will Osula are among those unavailable, which leaves Eddie Howe working with a pretty patched-up group.
Yoane Wissa is still the obvious threat, but Coventry will not be scared of a side that has not looked particularly settled.
I can see Newcastle having more of the ball, Coventry having the better moments in transition, and everyone walking away with one point and a complaint about something.
Score Prediction: Coventry City 1-1 Newcastle United
Potential Goal Scorer: Jack Rudoni