Premier

Chelsea have warned staff to be careful about inadvertently revealing team news through Fantasy Premier League after Joao Pedro’s injury appeared to have been disclosed through team selections.

An email was sent to staff reminding them of the potential consequences of using inside information when playing Fantasy Premier League or other public gaming platforms, where team selection choices could reveal which players are unavailable or close to returning.

It followed leaks before the 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham, when Pedro was a surprise absentee because of what has since emerged to be a quad injury.

Several influential Fantasy Premier League content creators claimed to have seen evidence that forward Morgan Rogers, along with several members of Chelsea staff, had removed Pedro from their Fantasy Premier League teams before kick-off at Stamford Bridge, despite no club announcement having been made about his injury.

Asked about the matter by BBC Sport after the defeat, Xabi Alonso said he was unaware of the situation. He replied: “I am not into the fantasy team thing, so I didn’t know that.”

Since joining Chelsea in the summer, Alonso, 44, has generally been guarded when discussing injury issues in media conferences.

Chelsea have also previously experienced problems with leaks.

During former manager Liam Rosenior’s four-month spell in charge last season, team selections were leaked before both legs of the club’s Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain.

It also later emerged former defender Marc Cucurella’s barber had revealed on social media that Pedro and Cole Palmer would miss a trip to Brighton last season after discussing the matter with his client.

With regard to Fantasy Premier League, no further restrictions are expected because Chelsea regard the incident as an isolated case that can be managed through greater awareness among players and staff.

There have been many further examples, claiming to suggest players from clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester and Newcastle made revealing changes to their teams, while BBC Sport has identified accounts believed by Fantasy Premier League trackers to be linked to high-profile players and figures at clubs across the division.

The highest-profile example was arguably the revelation of then Aston Villa forward Jack Grealish’s omission from the squad before a match against Leicester City in February 2021.

Then Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers later said he had been aware of rumours surrounding Grealish’s injury absence before the match, which his side won.

More than 11 million people are said to play Fantasy Premier League, which has become an increasingly prominent part of the wider football ecosystem.

Although there are strict rules prohibiting gambling, the Premier League offers no specific guidance to clubs on how, or whether, those involved in the game should participate in Fantasy Premier League.

Instead, it is generally treated as a matter for individual clubs to manage themselves.

Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle takes issue with referee John Brooks’ decision not to call a “clear foul” on Fabian Schar in the build-up to Thierno Barry’s goal in their loss to Everton in the Premier League.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Newcastle United 0-1 Everton

Available to UK users only.

BBC Sport’s Kelly Cates, Danny Murphy and Micah Richards discuss Liverpool’s denied penalty claim for a pull on Alexander Isak’s shirt by Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber and whether the Reds can feel hard done by.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal

Available to UK users only.

BBC Sport’s Kelly Cates and Micah Richards discuss how rounded Declan Rice has become in Arsenal’s midfield, while Danny Murphy argues that if he was more selfish he would score more goals.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal

Available to UK users only.

Arsenal win at Anfield for the first time since 2012 to earn a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table following an end-to-end match that leaves Liverpool frustrated to have taken nothing.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal

Available to UK users only.

Match of the Day pundits Danny Murphy and Stephan Warnock analyse Lisandro Martinez’s performance in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, where the Argentinian defender was sent off.

MATCH REPORT: Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United

Available to UK users only.

Match of the Day pundits Danny Murphy and Stephan Warnock analyse Brighton’s impressive 1-0 victory over Manchester City, with Warnock praising the balance of the Seagulls squad.

MATCH REPORT: Manchester City 0-1 Brighton

Available to UK users only.

Manchester United one place outside EPL bottom three as Coventry City climb with 3-1 win against Sunderland.

Joint record Premier League winners Manchester United were plunged to the brink of the relegation zone by their defeat at Chelsea followed by Coventry City’s win against Sunderland.

Ten-man United were beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the early kickoff in the English top flight, leaving them on their first nine-match winless run since 1986. The Red Devils have already made their worst start to a league season in 40 years.

Despite an improved display in the first-half, in which recalled captain Bruno Fernandes spurned one of many key chances, United were beaten by a brilliant solo goal by Morgan Rogers and a penalty converted by Cole Palmer.

Lisandro Martinez was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Wesley Fofana in an aerial duel from a corner.

United’s day was about to get worse.

Coventry City’s 3-1 home win against Sunderland saw them leapfrog the fallen giants, leaving United just one point and one place outside the relegation zone.

There’s a chance the 20-time English champions, who have won only once in nine league games, could be in the bottom three by the end of Matchweek 9 – a desperate situation for a club widely regarded as the biggest in the country.

Man United’s only two victories from 13 matches in all competitions this season were against promoted Ipswich in the Premier League and tournament newcomer Sabah in the Champions League.

United’s next match is at home to Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday with yet more doubts on whether Carrick will still be in charge.

“I think the mentality was there right from the first minute,” United forward Bryan Mbeumo said. “We still trust everyone.

“Maybe today we just missed some chances. We could have been up early in the game, but that’s a positive to take out of this game.”

Only Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat at Brentford ensured United did not drop into the bottom three.

The pressure regardless is piling onto Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, who is only in his first full season in charge.

The former midfielder remains in defiant mood.

“The two halves of football couldn’t probably be further apart,” said Carrick, who added he expects to be in charge for Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Roma.

“We looked in a good place going into half-time and then found a way of unravelling it second half.”

A point for Crystal Palace in the last Premier League game of the day at Tottenham will see United fall into the bottom three.

WHEN it comes to value for money, not much beats Premier Inn for a cheap stay.

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The budget hotel chain has launched a new offer that lets even adults have everything from Full English to cereal without having to pay for it.

All you need to do is book a standard rate stay by November 9 and use the code ‘FREEBREAKFAST’.

Your stay will need to be between November 13 and February 28, 2027.

Then enter the code into the ‘Promo code’ box before paying.

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Premier Inn breakfasts usually cost between £10 and £14 per person, depending on the location you are staying at.

Up to two children aged 15-years-old and under eat for free per paying adult guest.

Breakfast items typically include full cooked items such as bacon, sausages, eggs, hash browns and baked beans as well as a continental section with pastries and cereals.

There is also unlimited Costa coffee and juices.

The breakfast usually runs at each Premier Inn hotel between 6:30am and 10:30am on weekdays and then between 7am and 11am at weekends.

A standard Premier Inn room can cost as little as £35 per night.

You don’t even have to be a staying guest to enjoy a Premier Inn breakfast – all you need to do is book in advance.

However, you will have to pay for it, if you are a non-guest.

Alonso is one of a number of managers who have become increasingly guarded when discussing team news in media conferences.

Last month, he said: “I prefer not to give more information than needed.”

On that occasion, his side went on to lose 3-0 at Brentford, having kept several injury concerns, including one involving Joao Pedro, under wraps.

Yet such is the popularity of Fantasy Premier League – a game played by more than 11 million people according to official figures – that many staff members, players and relatives of footballers also take part.

By identifying leagues or teams linked to players, staff or family members through the game, which provides an open database of participants, it can be possible to infer what is happening behind closed doors at various training grounds.

Previously, the highest-profile case involved Jack Grealish’s absence from Aston Villa‘s match against Leicester City in February 2021.

Leicester’s manager at the time, Brendan Rodgers, admitted he had heard about the issue before the match, while Villa boss Dean Smith reportedly banned figures inside the club from playing FPL after the 2-1 defeat.

Later that year, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described the situation as “unethical and unprofessional”.

There have been many further examples, claiming to suggest players from clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester and Newcastle made revelatory changes to their teams.

Often that information is widely shared on social media, but it is also known that some top FPL players will withhold information for smaller circles to gain a competitive advantage in the game itself.

BBC Sport was able to find accounts that trackers claim are linked to staff, players and family members at clubs across the Premier League.

One of the experts in finding these club-linked accounts is FPL Focal, who told BBC Sport: “I am sure there are many more that have not been found. I have noticed some players have started using aliases. I’ve also had a couple of requests over the years to remove accounts, which I have always respected.

“The FPL leaderboard is completely public, so it is straightforward to look players up. Verifying that an account genuinely belongs to a player takes a bit more time.”

Arsenal joined Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table after a 2-0 ⁠victory over Everton in torrential rain at ⁠the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, capitalising on City’s first defeat of the season earlier in the day.

City had left the door open when they fell to a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, where Nicolas Jackson struck twice to end the visitors’ perfect start to the league campaign.

Tottenham ⁠Hotspur stunned fourth-placed Chelsea 2-0 in only their second league victory at Stamford Bridge in 36 years, while Fulham beat Coventry City 1-0 for their second league victory of the season.

With the leaders beaten in Birmingham, Arsenal seized their chance to erase the three-point gap as goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel secured a comfortable win over Everton in ⁠soaking north London conditions.

The result moved Mikel Arteta’s side level on 21 points with City in what is already shaping up to be a closely fought title race after eight games, but one played under a cloud amid City’s off-field financial case.

Arsenal made their strong start count when Martin Odegaard’s corner caused chaos in the Everton box.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford kept out the initial danger after the ball was flicked on at the near post but, with Everton unable to clear, Konsa bundled home his first goal for the club from ‌a yard out in the seventh minute.

The set-piece goal was Arsenal’s first since May, ending a run of 13 games across all competitions without one.

“I’ve come to this stadium for many seasons; I know how tough it is to play against us,” Konsa said. “It’s not surprising to me.

“We are champions and to be champions you’ve got to win games consistently. This is our home, and we want to win as many games here as possible.”

Arsenal’s two milestone men combined to give the Gunners a two-goal cushion in the 68th minute, with Ben White marking his 200th appearance for the club by clipping a cross to the far post, where Gabriel headed home on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Everton are ninth in the table.

Jackson braces downs City

At Villa Park, Unai Emery’s team climbed to sixth on 11 points with their first home league victory ⁠this season and third successive league win over City, who are playing under the shadow of an independent commission’s findings that they ⁠committed 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules.

City have always denied any wrongdoing, and have appealed.

Jackson took advantage of two City blunders, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when defender Marc Guehi’s heavy touch allowed Villa captain John McGinn to pounce and feed the striker, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Erling Haaland equalised soon after the break when he headed home Iliman Ndiaye’s clipped cross from a ⁠free kick.

But Jackson struck the winner on the hour when Ibrahim Mbaye surged down the right before cutting the ball back for his Senegal international teammate, whose shot sneaked under the diving body of keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

“It was incredible; we got the win, which is ⁠the most important thing. Man City are a strong team, the league leaders,” Jackson told TNT Sports. “It’s just ⁠the beginning; we’re trying to work game by game.”

Tottenham get rare win at Stamford Bridge

At Stamford Bridge, Spurs got on the scoresheet in the 77th minute when Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders punched a corner into his own net in his first league start.

Chelsea were reduced to 10 men when Cole Palmer was shown a second yellow card in the 80th minute for a late challenge on Conor Gallagher.

Mathys Tel sealed the victory for Spurs in the 87th when he gained ‌possession inside his own half before embarking on a surging run down the left, gliding past two defenders and firing a low shot from outside the box into the bottom corner.

“It’s very special, because we came here a lot of times and didn’t get a win,” said Tel. “And today, we made it together, all together, we showed great ‌mentality, ‌and I’m very happy about it.”

Spurs climbed to 12th with the win.

At Coventry, Fulham appeared ready to substitute Oscar Bobb before the winger produced a moment of quality in the 80th minute, driving into the box and curling a superb finish into the far corner.

Fulham are 13th in the table, while Coventry are 19th.

Who: Aston Villa vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, October 22 at 12:30pm (11:30 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera will bring you all the build-up, before our live text commentary stream from 9:30am (08:30 GMT).

Manchester City can continue to put their off-field woes to one side in Saturday’s early kickoff in the Premier League when they travel to Aston Villa, where they will move six points clear at the top with a win.

Holders Arsenal entertain Everton later in the day and will very much hope to extend their winning run in the league to a third match.

City do, however, have a 100 percent record from their first seven games in the league this season, a run that defies the guilty verdict by an independent commission regarding more than 100 breaches of the competition’s financial rules.

The Manchester club have appealed the decision and no sanctions have, as of yet, been imposed.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at City’s trip to Villa Park, where the Cityzens ’ siege mentality is expected to continue.

Foden can be one of Premier League’s best again, says Maresca

Enzo Maresca said it is his job as Manchester City boss to help Phil Foden rediscover his best form after the England international ended his long goal drought.

Foden had not scored for 10 months before netting in City’s 3-2 win over Ipswich last weekend and then scored a Champions League hat-trick in a 5-1 rout of AEK Athens on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old swept the board of personal awards for the Premier League’s best player in the 2023/24 season after a 27-goal campaign.

But Foden, who has admitted struggling with mental health issues, has failed to hit top form for the past two seasons.

“Since we started, I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning. Just to show him, I don’t know if love is the right word to use, but just to show him how important he is,” said Maresca, who took charge of City in June.

“I said many times that I know Phil from years ago, so I know how, for different reasons, the last few years it was not good enough.

“When you have more players like Phil available, you are a better team because again it’s a matter of improving players. If you improve the players, you improve the team.

“So for me, I think it’s my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England.”

How have Maresca and Man City shaped up this season?

Other than a 4-2 Champions League defeat by holders Paris Saint-Germain, Maresca has made a flawless start to the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

The Italian is the first manager ever to win his first seven Premier League games in charge of a new club.

However, City’s fine form has been overshadowed by the threat of severe sanctions against the club for the widespread flouting of Premier League financial rules.

A large points deduction, which could lead to relegation, is likely unless City win their appeal.

Maresca said the mood in the dressing room remained buoyant despite the cloud hanging over the club.

“In any club, when you lose important players, many important players, and you lose the manager after 10 years, it always takes time to compete again,” he said on Thursday.

“But this organisation last summer changed many important players, changed the manager after 10 years, and we are competing at the moment.”

How have Aston Villa fared this season?

Villa sit 12th in the table, but a win would propel them to sixth, at least for a couple of hours. Under former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, Villa have been regulars among the European spots in recent seasons, and were even challengers for the title at one point.

This term has provided a sterner examination of their credentials after the exit of a number of the top stars of recent campaigns, including Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to City’s rivals United and Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal.

The Midlands club, who beat Freiburg 3-0 to win last season’s UEFA Europa League, are on a six-match unbeaten run – of which they have won five – across the league and Champions League.

What happened the last time Aston Villa played Manchester City?

Villa were 2-1 winners at City in Pep Guardiola’s last game in charge on the final day of last season.

Antoine Semenyo gave City the lead, but an Ollie Watkins brace turned the game.

What happened in Aston Villa and Man City’s corresponding fixture last season?

Villa emerged with a 1-0 win in their Premier League clash at Villa Park last October. Matty Cash scored the only goal.

When did Man City last beat Aston Villa?

City last beat Villa when they were 2-1 winners in the Premier League fixture between the sides at Etihad Stadium in April 2025.

Marcus Rashford, on loan from United, levelled matters from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva’s opener, but Matheus Nunes sealed the win for the home side.

When did Man City last win at Aston Villa?

City have not won at Villa Park since December 2021, when Ruben Diaz and Silva netted in the first half of the Premier League match. Watkins’s strike in the second period proved only a consolation.

Prediction – Aston Villa vs Man City

The Opta supercomputer has given City a 43 percent chance of winning the match, while offering Villa a 32 percent chance of victory.

Head-to-head – Aston Villa vs Man City

This is the 186th meeting between the sides, with City winning 82 times and Villa emerging victorious on 61 occasions. There have been 42 draws in the fixture that dates back to 1899 – and a 2-1 home win for Villa.

Aston Villa team news

Amadou Onana, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka miss out through injury. Johan Manzambi and Modou Keba Cisse both face fitness tests.

Predicted Aston Villa starting lineup

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Manzambi, Buendia; Jackson

Manchester City team news

Forward Antoine Semenyo is set for a lengthy spell out ⁠with a knee injury, while wing back Nico O’Reilly and midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are doubts.

League-leading scorer Erling Haaland was rested for Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League thrashing of AEK Athens because of a knock but is expected to be available against Villa.

Predicted Manchester City starting lineup

Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Bouaddi, Fernandez; Foden, Haaland, Doku

Who: Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
Where: City Ground, Nottingham, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, October 18 , at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from 12:30 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Arsenal will try to end their goal drought at the City Ground when they play Nottingham Forest on Sunday – the Gunners failed to score in their last two visits, as both matches ended in goalless draws.

Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said his side had learned lessons from their “extremely average” performance at Brighton before the international break as they returned to winning ways against Leeds last weekend.

The Spaniard was left to stew for 21 days after the 3-0 humbling at the Amex last month – the first defeat of the season for the Premier League champions.

But the Gunners got that performance out of their system at the Emirates last Saturday, coming from behind to beat Leeds 2-1.

Arsenal also cruised to a 3-0 home win over Lille in midweek to extend their perfect start in the Champions League.

Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner was beaten on his return to Crystal Palace as Daichi Kamada’s first Premier League goal inspired the Eagles’ 3-1 win last weekend.

Arsenal headed into this weekend in second place in the Premier League, three points behind Manchester City, while Nottingham Forest were 15th.

What happened in Arsenal’s last Premier League game?

Arsenal got back on track as the Premier League champions survived a scare to beat Leeds, although Arteta’s side were in danger of a second successive loss when they fell behind at the Emirates Stadium.

James Justin fired Leeds ahead in the 55th minute after Arsenal failed to clear Gabriel Gudmundsson’s cross.

Arteta had admitted Arsenal were nursing a “pain in the tummy” from the Brighton loss, but Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori found the cure when he converted Ben White’s header from close range in the 62nd minute.

Arsenal showcased their strength in depth as substitute Bruno Guimaraes drilled the winner from the edge of the area just six minutes after coming off the bench.

The Brazilian’s first goal at the Emirates since his close-season move from Newcastle made it five wins from six league matches for the Gunners.

What happened in Forest’s last Premier League game?

Glasner had led Palace to a shock FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City in 2025 and masterminded their UEFA Conference League success in May.

But the 52-year-old Austrian opted to quit Selhurst Park after reported issues with the club’s hierarchy over their transfer policy, opening the way for his move to Forest.

He was greeted warmly by Palace fans before kickoff and it looked like being a victorious return for Glasner when Forest’s Dan Ndoye opened the scoring in the third minute.

But Forest wasted a host of chances to increase their lead and Japan midfielder Kamada levelled in the 41st minute to end his long wait for a top-flight goal.

Jefferson Lerma nodded Palace in front in first-half stoppage time and Yeremy Pino’s 59th-minute goal sent Glasner home empty-handed.

What have the managers said about the game?

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager:

“We’re going to try really hard to score goals and to prevent goals as well. It’s going to be a really tough match, they’re an extremely well-coached team.

“We know that, we already have experience with Oliver [Glasner] in the past and they’re a team that at home can create a really special momentum, so we are ready for it.”

Oliver Glasner, Forest manager:

“In every game this season [Arsenal] were outrunning the opposition. It’s incredible. The effort and the mindset Mikel [Arteta] has created there is incredible.

“This makes it so tough to play against them and you see it from every single player. They have so many world-class players they can react from the bench.”

Prediction:

The Opta supercomputer has made Arsenal the clear favourites, with a win probability of 58.3 percent. Forest were given a 20.4 percent chance of winning, a draw is 21.3 percent.

Head-to-head

• Matches: 109
• Arsenal wins: 56
• Forest wins: 29
• Draws: 24

Last five encounters:

• January 17, 2026: Forest 0-0 Arsenal (Premier League)
• September 13, 2025: Arsenal 3-0 Forest (Premier League)
• February 26, 2025: Forest 0-0 Arsenal (Premier League)
• November 23, 2024: Arsenal 3-0 Forest (Premier League)
• January 30, 2024: Forest 1-2 Arsenal (Premier League)

The last time Forest beat Arsenal was a 1-0 victory at the City Ground in May 2023, courtesy of a goal by Taiwo Awoniyi, which ended the Gunners’ title hopes that year.

What happened the last time the clubs played?

Arsenal missed a slew of chances in a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest in January as a dogged defensive performance from Forest and wasteful finishing from the Arsenal forwards meant they took only a point from a game they dominated for long spells.

The best chance of the game fell to Arsenal substitute Bukayo Saka, who headed a Declan Rice cross back towards the far post, but Forest keeper Matz Sels pulled off a superb fingertip save to deny him.

Forest’s team news

Striker Igor Jesus and defender Nicolo Savona remain unavailable due to calf and knee injuries, respectively.

Key playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White is struggling with a minor muscular problem and is a doubt, while centre-back Nikola Milenkovic is back in training after a knee injury and could feature.

Predicted starting XI:

Sels (goalkeeper); Aina, Diomande, Murillo; Munoz, Schlager, McAtee, Williams; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Delap

Arsenal’s team news

Winger Christos Tzolis (hamstring) and centre-back William Saliba (back) are unavailable for the Gunners.

Arteta said midfielder Martin Zubimendi could be fit to face Forest, but defender Piero Hincapie would likely miss the trip to the City Ground.

The pair suffered freak ankle injuries during a training session on the Emirates Stadium pitch after last week’s win against Leeds.

“Piero is evolving really well,” said Arteta. “Knowing his character and the way he pushes everybody, I’m sure it’s not going to take long, but he will probably need another week or two.

“Zubi looks much better, he already looked much better today. We have another session tomorrow (Saturday) and after that we will assess whether he’s available to play against Forest.”

Predicted starting XI:

Raya (goalkeeper); White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimaraes, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Havertz

Who: Leeds United vs Manchester United
What: English Premier League
Where: Elland Road, Leeds, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, October 18, at 2pm local time (13:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have all the build-up from 9:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream

Manchester United against Leeds United has long been one of the fiercest rivalries in football.

The former’s closest shot to ending their wait since 1967 for an English top flight title came in 1993 when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were pipped to the title by the latter.

The following year United’s wait was over as Ferguson’s side – buoyed by the arrival of Eric Cantona from Leeds – lifted the inaugural Premier League crown.

The rest for United and Ferguson was history, but since the most successful manager in English football retired the Old Trafford club have been in decline.

The fortunes of Leeds, who have won three league titles, dipped dramatically after that last piece of domestic silverware. Ten years later, they were relegated and three years were even spent in League One, the third tier of English football.

Now the Elland Road club are back in the top flight, having won the Championship two seasons ago, and have an eye on the top four this weekend.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the match that for Leeds marks the arrival of their fiercest rivals, who have lurched to a 40-year low.

How have Leeds United fared this season?

Leeds have lost only one of their six league games this season, a 2-1 reverse at Arsenal in their last match when the Premier League holders were second best for much of the match and were forced to come from behind.

Two wins and two draws in their first five league matches saw Leeds holding onto the coat-tails of Arsenal and City.

That run culminated with a stunning 4-1 home win against Newcastle United.

A disappointing home draw with Crystal Palace sat in between the defeat at Arsenal.

A 6-3 defeat at Chelsea ended their League Cup hopes, but the home side needed two goals in the last ten minutes to pull clear in the thrilling encounter.

How have Manchester United fared this season?

United’s season – and Michael Carrick’s start as permanent manager – couldn’t have got off to a worse start with a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City.

When the Red Devils fell a goal behind against another promoted side, Ipswich Town, at Old Trafford in their next match, the warning signs were there.

Carrick’s side came back to win 5-2 – and that remains United’s only league win of the season.

A contentious 1-0 home defeat by Manchester City – in which a controversial VAR decision separated the sides – has been one of United’s better performances with deflating draws against Everton, Fulham and Tottenham surrounding the derby.

United were also dumped out of the League Cup by Brighton, who overcame the home side’s early 2-0 first-half lead to the disbelief of Old Trafford.

What is the latest on Lisandro Martinez’s Manchester United criticism?

Defender Lisandro ‌‌Martinez will be available for Sunday’s game after ⁠⁠United accepted ⁠⁠his apology for criticising its transfer policy, Carrick told reporters on Friday.

Martinez met Carrick and senior club officials on Thursday, two days after suggesting United ⁠⁠needed greater investment to compete at the highest level following their 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.

The centre back later apologised for his remarks and Carrick ⁠⁠sought to downplay the episode when he spoke to reporters on Friday.

“We’ve moved on from that. It was one of those things. It’s really not a drama for the group,” Carrick said.

“The squad have trained really well and they are in good spirits. There is ‌‌a freshness about the group…

“He’s part of the squad [for Sunday].”

What happened the last time Leeds played Manchester United?

Leeds were 2-1 winners at Old Trafford when the sides met in the Premier League in April.

Noah Okafor scored both goals for Leeds to inflict the only defeat of Carrick’s interim tenure, having replaced Ruben Amorim as manager.

Martinez was sent off early in the second half, but Casemiro offered United some hope just after the hour mark.

What happened in the corresponding Leeds-Man Utd game last season?

The teams shared a 1-1 draw in the Premier League match at Elland Road last season. Leeds’ Brenden Aaronson opened the scoring in the 62nd minute with Matheus Cunha levelling three minutes later.

When did Manchester United last beat Leeds?

United were 2-0 winners when the sides met at Elland Road in Leeds’ relegation season in 2022-23.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho netted the goals.

When did Leeds last beat Manchester United at home?

Leeds haven’t beaten United at home since Harry Kewell scored the only goal of the game in a Premier League match in 2002.

There have been seven matches between the sides at Leeds since then, with United winning five of those.

Prediction – Leeds vs Manchester United

The Opta supercomputer has given Leeds a 42 percent chance of victory, while offering United a 32 percent chance of winning.

Head-to-head – Leeds vs Manchester United

This will be the 116th meeting between the sides, with United winning 50 and Leeds claiming the spoils on 27 occasions. Another 38 matches were draws.

Leeds United team news

Joe Rodon and Mateo Joseph will both miss the game due to injury, while former United winger Daniel James is a doubt with a back problem.

Predicted Leeds United starting lineup

Trafford, Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin

Manchester United team news

Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte and Benjamin Sesko all remain sidelined by injury, while Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo face late fitness tests. Matthijs de Ligt is nearing a return to action following his long-term back injury.

Predicted Manchester United starting lineup

Lammens; Dalot, Martinez, Maguire, Shaw; Baleba, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Diallo; Cunha

8. Daniel Sturridge

There’s a good case for Danny Welbeck, who as the only current player in the top three, with 19 goals, still has time to catch those above him.

Welbeck was a goalscoring sub at Manchester United and Arsenal but perfected the art on the south coast, with 12 of his tally coming during six years with Brighton.

The 35-year-old is now at Chelsea but – with apologies to Danny – there is another former Blue whose stats demand a place on this list.

Daniel Sturridge has two fewer substitute goals then Welbeck but has scored a slightly higher percentage of his overall Premier League tally as a sub – 22%.

The former England man, who played for Manchester City, Chelsea, Bolton, Liverpool and West Brom in the top flight, was good for an assist, too.

In fact, when you take his total goal contributions of 24, he provided at a more prolific rate than every substitute in Premier League history – bar Edin Dzeko and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Richarlison matches Sturridge for minutes per goal contribution, but with eight fewer the Brazilian, perhaps harshly, misses out.

Coventry backed up their victory at Nottingham Forest before the international break, scoring four goals in the top flight for the first time since a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in May 2000.

Those around the Sky Blues’ training ground at Ryton feel that, if they are competitive over the next seven games, they will have a platform for survival.

A trip to Tottenham and the visit of Fulham – both winless – come next, with games against Sunderland, Everton, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Ipswich to take them into December.

“It’s big and we have to tap into that in a good way, in a humble way,” said Lampard, whose side are now 14th.

“We have to be excited and I’m seeing players in my eyes that are developing quite quickly.

“A lot of players had low Premier League minutes, or zero Premier League minutes – Jack Rudoni, [Brandon] Thomas Asante, [Ephron] Mason-Clark, a lot of them.

“So is it human nature in the first few games we’ve had two top teams in the league (Arsenal and Manchester City) and we’ve had Brighton and we’ve gone: ‘hmm, it’s not easy here’.

“This [win] gives good confidence, so it’s the balance of confidence against overconfidence. But it’s great when you have a template of feeling when you get a result of that level.”

It can be a defining six weeks for Lampard’s men after a resounding, if not perfect, win against Newcastle.

Coventry’s previous home games had seen them fall to a 1-0 defeat by fellow promoted side Hull before a 5-0 thumping by Brighton.

Sandwiched in the middle was a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, meaning it was imperative they found form at the CBS Arena.

“We’re going to be a relative underdog in pretty much every game,” added Lampard. “So we have to maximise everything and be on the limit and I thought we were on the limit in loads of ways.

“They need to keep their feet on the ground because the next one’s tough and the one after that will be tough.

“But we look like a team that [will make it] hard for teams to come here. That’s the feeling we haven’t quite had in our first CBS games this season.”