⛅️ Friday Forecast: Arsenal test, Diego Costa's comeback, the Moyes derby | OneFootball

After last weekend’s Premier League fixtures were all postponed, we must be grateful that seven of them are going ahead this weekend.

Here are our predictions.

💪 Game of the weekend

Wolves v Manchester City

We were denied a proper top of the table ding dong between Manchester City and Tottenham last weekend but if Wednesday night’s laboured victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League is anything to go by, the weekend off didn’t exactly do Pep Guardiola’s side the world of good.

He’ll be hoping for much better from his side at the weekend, that’s for sure.

As for Wolves, 14 days will have elapsed since their last outing by the time this match kicks off on Saturday lunchtime, and Bruno Lage will be hoping the break hasn’t halted any momentum created by their first win of the season against Southampton.

Lage will be able to hand a debut to new signing Diego Costa here, whose last Premier League appearance came for Chelsea on the final day of the 2016/17 season. At lot has changed since then, but you can bet the 33-year-old will still be a real handful for opposition defenders and referees alike.

City have a patchy record against Wolves under Guardiola, but their last trip to Molineux was a 5-1 victory in which Kevin De Bruyne scored four. The hosts will be hoping to keep the Belgian quiet on Saturday, but they will also have to contend with the frightening prospect of Erling Haaland this time around, whose tally now stands at 13 goals in eight matches.

📊 Fun fact: Wolves haven’t scored in the second half of any of their last seven Premier League games – it’s their longest such run in the competition.

🔮 Our prediction: Wolves 1-3 Manchester City

😨 Potential upset

Brentford v Arsenal

Defeat at Manchester United last time out means Arsenal won’t be going the entire season unbeaten again. Never mind, eh?

It has still been a good start to the season from Mikel Arteta’s side, who remain top of the league, and there were plenty of positives to be taken from their performance at Old Trafford despite the result.

Now there’s another tricky away game coming this weekend and a defeat at Brentford would put a rather different complexion on the Gunners’ form.

The Bees were scintillating in their 5-2 victory over Leeds a fortnight ago, with Ivan Toney’s hat-trick taking his tally to five Premier League goals already this season.

Thomas Frank’s side were victorious at home to Arsenal last season, and their 4-0 victory over Manchester United at the start of this one is still fresh in the memory.

They will back themselves to take another scalp this weekend, and why not?

📊 Fun fact: Brentford have scored 15 goals in their six Premier League games this season, with only Manchester City netting more.

🔮 Our prediction: Brentford 3-2 Arsenal

👍 Big favourites

Tottenham v Leicester

What a dismal start to the season it has been for Leicester. No wins, one draw, five defeats and 16 goals conceded. Only Bournemouth have a worse defensive record and they conceded nine in one game.

The Foxes lost some big players this summer and were unable to adequately replace them, but their problems seem to run much deeper. The players are arguing among themselves on the pitch, the pressing has been nowhere near good enough, and Brendan Rodgers still hasn’t solved some long-standing defensive issues.

Another defeat this weekend could make Rodgers’s position untenable, and you fear for him coming up against a Tottenham side who have been in fine fettle.

Or at least that was the case until Tuesday night, when a lacklustre Spurs came unstuck away at Sporting in the Champions League. Antonio Conte made a big selection call to bring Richarlison into the starting line-up ahead of Dejan Kulusevski, but it didn’t quite work, and Heung-min Son is still yet to score his first goal of the season.

Conte will no doubt be demanding a reaction from his players this weekend, and he’s likely to get one.

📊 Fun fact: Since Leicester’s return to the top flight in 2014, only Arsenal v Liverpool (64) has seen more goals in the Premier League than Tottenham v Leicester (63)

🔮 Our prediction: Tottenham 4-1 Leicester

🤔 Too close to call

Everton v West Ham

It’s the David Moyes derby at Goodison Park and it could low key be one of the most interesting games of the weekend.

Everton put in their best performance of the season so far in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool last time out and were unfortunate not to win when Conor Coady’s goal was disallowed by the tightest of offside calls.

Having said that, their goal lived a charmed life in that game, and injured goalkeeper Jordan Pickford won’t be there to bail them out this weekend.

The Hammers also had a big bone to pick with VAR when they were denied a late equaliser against Chelsea last time out, but a couple of good performances in the Europa League mean they will be feeling confident when they head to Merseyside.

Will this be the weekend Everton get their first win of the season? Frank Lampard will be desperately hoping so.

🔥 Your Fantasy Football captain should be …

Ivan Toney (Brentford)

He may struggle to get his hands on the Golden Boot this season, but Toney’s five Premier League goals so far means he’s already almost halfway to matching the 12 he scored in the entirety of last season.

The Brentford striker’s hat-trick in the win over Leeds showed what he’s all about, with a goal from the penalty spot, a stunning free-kick and an ice cold finish earning him the match ball.

It also earned him a maiden England call-up this week, and we fancy him to celebrate by getting on the scoresheet again when the Bees host Arsenal on Saturday.

Other predictions