Premier League: Must-Watch Matches Ahead of First International Break
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Brentford vs Chelsea - West London Derby to Set the Tone for MD5
Matchday 5 in the Premier League kicks off at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Brentford taking on Chelsea in a West London Derby on Friday night.
The Bees have made a promising start to the season, currently one of the seven teams still unbeaten after the first four games, though they are looking to get back to winning ways here, having drawn three in a row as discussed in our Brentford vs Tottenham prediction.
10 of Brentford’s last 14 EPL matches have ended in draws!
Keith Andrews made wholesale changes to his side for their Carabao Cup win over Reading in midweek, with Callum Wilson and Fabio Carvalho being given an opportunity to start, but the Bees boss is likely to return to a more familiar lineup for this match.
Chelsea will also be looking to get back in the win column this weekend, having taken just one point from their last two league games, following up their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal with a 2-2 draw against the surprise package of the first month, Hull City, last weekend.
Under Xabi Alonso, the Blues are one of the most potent attacks in the EPL this season, already on 10 goals in four games, but their defence has been far from impressive, and Alonso will be hoping that the likely return of Moisés Caicedo will help steady things at the back.
Brentford vs Chelsea: Head-to-head results last five games
- January 17, 2026: Chelsea 2-0 Brentford
- September 13, 2025: Brentford 2-2 Chelsea
- April 6, 2025: Brentford 0-0 Chelsea
- December 15, 2025: Chelsea 2-1 Brentford Jackson.
- March 2, 2024: Brentford 2-2 Chelsea
Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Giants Battle at the Bottom of the EPL
Coming into this season, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa were widely expected to be among the teams battling for European qualification. However, a full month into the campaign, they are now looking to enter the first international break above the dotted line.
While the Villans went winless in their first four games last season but still ended up finishing fourth, there are major alarm bells ringing this term, as they are languishing in 19th place after taking just one point and scoring only a single goal to date.
Villa have only failed to win their first five games in a top-flight season on three previous occasions!
Tottenham Hotspur splashed the cash in the summer as part of a major rebuild, but so far, things have not gone to plan for the Lilywhites, as they are one of only two teams - along with Coventry City - that have yet to score a goal in the Premier League this season.
The underlying stats show that Spurs’ lack of goals is no fluke either. Across their four matches to date, Roberto De Zerbi’s side have only managed a higher xG than their opponents once - 1.12 xG vs Newcastle United’s 0.69 xG on August 29.
Brighton vs Arsenal - EPL’s Best Attack Meets the Meanest Defence
After the first month of the season, Arsenal have firmly announced themselves as the clear favourites to defend the title, already top of the league standings with a perfect record of four wins from four, but this weekend’s clash is perhaps their toughest assignment to date.
The biggest concern for the league champions this week comes at right-back, where Ben White is listed as a doubt after picking up a groin issue last week against Sunderland. Jurrien Timber replaced White in that match but is still working his way to full fitness following his own groin problem.
Still, the Gunners' defence is by far the best in the Premier League once again this season, as they have kept three clean sheets in their four matches, and have the lowest non-penalty xGA in the top flight (1.94), with the next-best being City at 3.68. Find more stats in our Brighton vs Arsenal prediction.
Mikel Arteta’s side have also conceded the fewest: shots, shots in the box, shots on target, shots from set-pieces, headed shots, and big chances!
However, Brighton & Hove Albion have been the most lethal attack in the top flight this term, netting 13 goals in their first four games, and they will enter this match brimming with confidence after overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Man United 3-2 in the EFL Cup in midweek.
The Seagulls, despite missing several key attacking players such as Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh, have the highest xG in the Prem (10.18) and the highest non-penalty xG (9.39) this season, with Man City second on 7.68 non-penalty xG.
