From Graeme Bryce at Villa Park
Unai Emery’s Villa are flying.
Not only do the Brummies top the Champions League table after picking up a perfect nine points out of nine, without conceding a goal.
They are also formidable domestically, having collected 17 points after eight Premier games for the first time in more than quarter of a century.
However Bournemouth’s confidence is sky high after slaying Arsenal and Andoni Iraola will be hoping for a first ever win against fellow Basque boss Emery at the fifth attempt.
How many?
Some silly odds kicking about today for this man to grab a goal today.
I must’ve heard ‘captain’ and ‘triple captain’ nine times since starting.
Which coincidentally is an expected number of goals from the Etihad today. How many will he get?
Ps shout out for Chris Wood, what a start to the season for him.
From Nick Szczepanik at the Amex
Wolves are looking for their first league win of the season at the Amex, but are up against one of their bogey sides.
Brighton have more top-flight wins (11) against the men from Molineux than against any other club.
Lewis Dunk makes his 250th Premier League appearance for the Seagulls.
From Dan King at the Gtech Community Stadium
The omens already weren’t good for Ipswich – Brentford have beaten all three teams from the Premier League’s lower reaches that they have played at home this season.
Now it looks like captain Sam Morsey and Omari Hutchinson have joined the ranks of the injured, and frontman Liam Delap has to settle for a spot on the bench. A home win looks likely.
How we stand
So here’s the Premier League table as we head into today’s games.
Nottingham Forest up to the dizzying heights of FIFTH having played a game more last night.
City with the chance to go top and a good win for them can send Southampton bottom on goal difference potentially.
From SunSport’s Phil Thomas at the Etihad
It seemed Oscar Bobb had made the greatest return in history when the teamsheet came out…with his name on it.
That would have been some comeback, considering he was pictured in Abu Dhabi yesterday on City’s Premier League trophy tour – and is still recovering from a broken bone in his leg.
One quick re-print later, and James McAtee was on there instead. As he should have been all along.
