Five games into the season, Manchester City have 15 points from a possible 15 under Enzo Maresca, three clear of champions Arsenal. The autumn fixture list will show whether that gap is real.
A five-game table can flatter or punish any side, so anyone weighing up Premier League football predictions for the autumn will find last season’s head-to-head results under each match below. Kick-off times are given for UK and Malawi. Malawi is one hour ahead of the UK until the clocks go back on 25 October, then two hours ahead.
Liverpool v Manchester City: Sunday 11 October
City won both meetings in 2025-26, 2-1 at Anfield and 3-0 at the Etihad. Liverpool are unbeaten this season under Andoni Iraola, but they have drawn three of their five games.
The game also brings together the league’s top two scorers. Erling Haaland has five goals for City and Alexander Isak has four for Liverpool.
Liverpool v Arsenal: Sunday 1 November
Arsenal have won four of their five games. The exception was a 3-0 defeat at Brighton, who sit third.
Neither of last season’s meetings had many goals. Liverpool won 1-0 at Anfield, and the game at the Emirates finished 0-0. That makes one goal in 180 minutes between two sides that finished first and fifth.
Arsenal v Manchester City: Sunday 29 November
This is the first meeting of last season’s top two. Arsenal did not beat City in 2025-26. They drew 1-1 at the Emirates and lost 2-1 at the Etihad, yet still won the title by seven points, finishing on 85.
City have a new midfield since then. Rodri has gone to Barcelona, and Maresca paid Chelsea £125m for Enzo Fernandez, equalling the British record Liverpool set for Isak.
The fixture also starts a heavy week for Arsenal. They visit Brentford on Wednesday 2 December and Tottenham three days later.
Tottenham v Arsenal: Saturday 5 December
Tottenham are bottom of the table. They have two points and two goals from five games under Roberto De Zerbi, and they are one of three clubs yet to win, with Bournemouth and Fulham.
Arsenal won both north London derbies 4-1 last season, 8-2 on aggregate. Spurs have until December to fix a side that has already lost at home to Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Manchester City v Chelsea: Saturday 12 December
Maresca left Chelsea on New Year’s Day 2026, 18 months after arriving. He had won the Conference League and the Club World Cup there. This is his first game against them, and Fernandez faces his old club for the first time too.
Chelsea sit 10th on seven points under Xabi Alonso. They have conceded 12 goals, more than any other side in the league. Last season City won 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and drew 1-1 at home.
The run that decides it
City have a tough run before Christmas. Between 11 October and 5 December they make five away trips, including to Anfield and the Emirates. If they are still unbeaten when Chelsea arrive, the title race will have its first clear favourite.
