Premier League Matchday 4 Preview, September 12-14
In this preview, we break down the matches from Premier League Matchday 4. The Manchester derby, which takes place on Sunday, will be the main attraction of the round. The upcoming matchday will be spread across three days, with most fixtures taking place over the weekend and one game scheduled for Monday. Several exciting contests await us. Liverpool host Fulham, Arsenal travel to the north-east to face Sunderland, and Tottenham will try to claim their first win of the season at home to Everton. Before getting started, do not forget to check out our useful bonuses resource – https://scores24.live/en/sportbooks.
Bournemouth vs Brentford
The match will take place on Saturday evening, which should guarantee a full house at the compact Vitality Stadium. The home side have not started the season particularly well and failed to win any of their opening three league matches. The Bees have made a more interesting start, thrashing Tottenham 3-0 and drawing twice. Both teams are known for their tactical flexibility and ability to hurt opponents in open exchanges, which should produce bright and uncompromising football.
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Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
The start of the season has been extremely difficult for both teams: neither Villa nor Nottingham have tasted victory in the new league campaign. Aston Villa managed only one point from a 0-0 draw with Hull City after a heavy 0-4 defeat to Brighton and a 0-1 loss to Arsenal, although they partly made amends a few days ago with an impressive 3-2 Champions League win over Club Brugge. Nottingham Forest are following a similarly difficult path, losing 0-1 to Leeds before earning hard-fought draws with Liverpool (2-2) and Tottenham (0-0). In this duel, the hosts will try to end their home drought, while the stubborn visitors will do everything possible to extend their unbeaten run and finally take all three points.
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Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich
The opening stretch of the season has been completely symmetrical for these opponents: both teams have three points from one win and two defeats, with the same goal difference (-4). Crystal Palace will definitely be without key striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Jorgen Larsen taking his place at the tip of the attack. Winger Ismaila Sarr and defender Chadi Riad are also unavailable for the Eagles, while Eddie Nketiah is a doubt. Ipswich midfielder Jack Taylor will miss the game. The main intrigue is which side can stabilize defensively and show more quality in attack.
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Chelsea vs Hull City
On September 12, Stamford Bridge will host an eye-catching clash between Chelsea and Hull City. Both teams have made surprisingly strong starts to the campaign and established themselves near the top of the table. Chelsea opened the season with comeback wins over Fulham (3-2) and Brighton (4-3), although they slipped up in last round's derby against Arsenal (1-2). Hull City, under Sergej Jakirovic, are still unbeaten: the Tigers shocked Manchester United (2-0), beat Coventry (1-0) and ground out a goalless draw with Aston Villa. The main intrigue will be whether the bold newcomers can break a historical curse: Hull have never won at Stamford Bridge, although Chelsea's current run of 19 Premier League home matches without a clean sheet gives the visitors a genuine chance of an upset.
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Liverpool vs Fulham
Anfield hosts an exciting Premier League Matchday 4 fixture as Fulham travel to Liverpool. Both teams are playing entertaining football and are determined to strengthen their positions early in the season. Liverpool began the campaign with high-scoring draws against Newcastle (2-2) and Nottingham Forest (2-2), but quickly gathered momentum by beating Ipswich 2-0 and then boosting their confidence further with a recent 2-1 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. Fulham, meanwhile, have shown remarkable character and uncompromising football at the start of the tournament, producing a thrilling 2-3 game with Chelsea and prompting experts to talk about their aggressive attacking line. Can the Cottagers' organized defense contain Liverpool's in-form attacking partnership, or will Anfield once again confirm its reputation as an impregnable fortress for the Londoners?
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Tottenham vs Everton
Tottenham's start to the season has been a disaster. Spurs have somehow slipped to 18th in the table with just one point — a draw with Nottingham and two defeats — but the wildest part is that Roberto De Zerbi's team have gone 270 league minutes without scoring a single goal. By comparison, Everton under David Moyes look like an island of stability: the Merseyside club sit eighth and remain unbeaten, having beaten an opponent in one match, drawn 2-2 with Manchester United and collected five points. Tottenham are one step away from an embarrassing club anti-record: if they fail to break through the Toffees' defense, it will be the worst scoring drought at the start of a season in Spurs' history. De Zerbi urgently needs to prove that the huge summer spending was not in vain.
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Sunderland vs Arsenal
Bold Sunderland welcome an Arsenal side gathering momentum. For the Black Cats, this match is a test of maturity. Sunderland have made a very good start to the season, collecting four points, including a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Brentford, and during the week they pragmatically reached the League Cup round of 16 thanks to a narrow 1-0 win over Hull. Now, however, the reigning champions come to visit. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are not only perfect in the league after beating Chelsea 2-1 in the previous round, but they also managed a 1-0 away win over Napoli in the Champions League in midweek. Can Sunderland cope with the Gunners' pressure and take points against the backdrop of the Londoners' extremely demanding schedule?
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Coventry vs Brighton
Coventry City, back in the Premier League after 25 years, host bold and unpredictable Brighton. The start of the season is turning into a brutal test of resilience for Frank Lampard's side. Coventry sit at the very bottom of the table after losing all three opening matches — Arsenal (0-3), Hull (0-1) and Manchester City (0-1). Brighton, under Fabian Hurzeler, are doing considerably better: the Seagulls sit ninth with four points and are playing aggressive, brave football. Lampard risks coming under a wave of criticism if the Sky Blues suffer a fourth straight defeat to start the season. The central question is whether Coventry can finally end their league scoring drought.
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Manchester United vs Manchester City
The football world stops as the great Manchester derby roars into Old Trafford, ready to set Premier League Matchday 4 alight. The teams have made contrasting starts: Manchester City are perfect with nine points and lead the table alongside Arsenal. Manchester United under Michael Carrick, meanwhile, have been inconsistent: after a 0-2 defeat to Hull and a 5-2 thrashing of Ipswich, the Red Devils drew 2-2 with Everton. This is the first derby of City's new era without Guardiola. Facing their bitter neighbours on enemy territory is a severe test for Enzo Maresca's tactical structure. Carrick would love nothing more than to ruin City's perfect start, restore United's status as Manchester's leading club and prove the Red Devils are ready to fight for the highest places.
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Manchester United vs Manchester City
Leeds vs Newcastle
Daniel Farke's Leeds have made a decent start, collecting four points and beating Nottingham 1-0, but they suffered a huge psychological blow in the League Cup a few days ago when Chelsea literally destroyed the Peacocks 6-3. Newcastle's league situation is even more intriguing: the Magpies sit seventh and remain unbeaten on five points, having opened with thrilling 2-2 draws against Liverpool and Bournemouth. Elland Road has historically been a hellish place for visiting teams, but Newcastle's rapid counterattacks are perfectly suited to punishing a Leeds side that leaves space when pushing forward. This will be a clash between two systems that cannot stand closed football.
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Matchday 4 Summary
There are plenty of intriguing matches this round: the Manchester derby, Arsenal's trip to Sunderland, Chelsea vs Hull and Liverpool vs Fulham. The headline fixture is at Old Trafford, where the two Manchester clubs meet to give supporters a real show. But there is an equally intriguing contest in London: after three rounds Tottenham remain winless and goalless as they host an Everton side unbeaten at the start of the season. Chelsea welcome Hull, who have made a brilliant start to their league campaign, with both teams sitting in the top four, and a battle for points in a game like this is always worth watching.
FAQ
When will Premier League Matchday 4 in 2026/2027 take place?
Premier League Matchday 4 will take place from September 12 to 14, 2026.
Which match will be the headline fixture of Premier League Matchday 4 in 2026/27?
The headline fixture of Matchday 4 will be the Manchester derby, where United and City meet to decide which is the best club in Manchester.
Who is at the bottom of the Premier League table after three rounds in 2026/27?
The worst-performing teams after three rounds are Tottenham, who still cannot claim their first league win, Coventry, who misjudged their capabilities at the start of the season, and Fulham, who travel to Anfield to traditionally cause problems for the Merseysiders.
