Arsenal and City to break the tie at the top.. Saint-Germain tests Marseille's ambition

Its recent 4-2 victory over Ipswich in the Cup came with the participation of a number of substitute players, and Arteta expressed his admiration for the enthusiasm shown by the reserve players.

He said, "This is what we want, to deal with every match and every tournament with the same mentality, the same commitment, and the same desire, and so far we are doing that."

After winning against Sunderland last week, the "Gunners" achieved their ninth consecutive victory in the league. This is the team's longest winning streak since March 2004, when it continued its path toward winning the title without suffering any defeat throughout the season.

Arsenal has conceded only two goals during this period, and it may now be on the verge of achieving at least ten consecutive victories in the league for only the third time in its history.

Thanks to six victories in its last seven away matches in the league, against one defeat, Arteta's team seems to be a candidate to overcome Brighton, especially since it has not lost to them in the last seven matches, achieving five victories and two draws, even if its opponent will not be easy.

It might seem surprising that Brighton is the highest-scoring team in the league after four rounds (13 goals), but that came after its 5-0 thrashing of Coventry in the previous round.

However, Brighton was unable to keep its record clean of defeats, as it fell narrowly to Chelsea (3-4), but it surprised Manchester United and defeated them 3-2 in the League Cup.

Chelsea looking for defensive solutions

Chelsea, in sixth place, opens the round against its host Brentford, in seventh place, in a West London derby.

Despite its attacking strength, the "Blues" suffer defensively, which explains why they have only achieved two victories in the first four matches.

Chelsea's league matches this season have seen 19 goals scored, the highest number in the tournament, with 10 goals scored by the team and 9 goals conceded.

Brentford hopes to extend its longest unbeaten streak in the league, but it is also looking for victories, after settling for 10 draws in its last 14 matches in the league.

Speaking of draws, Liverpool is present, which has also not lost any match, but has dropped six points in three matches, including two at Anfield stadium.

The team plays its next match away from home against Bournemouth in search of its second victory only. But the Vitality Stadium is no stranger to the Spanish coach Andoni Iraola, who coached Bournemouth between 2023 and 2026 before moving to the "Reds".

Hull City hopes to continue its successful and unexpected journey, after collecting 8 points without a loss, when it meets its host Newcastle United, the twelfth-placed team.

Tottenham also looks forward to achieving its first victory in the league against its guest Aston Villa, which has also lost three matches and settled for one point.

Alonso confirms that Chelsea's ambition has become clear

Spanish coach Xabi Alonso said that the ambition of his team, Chelsea, is "very clear" after Clearlake Capital took full control of the London club, ending the presidency of American Todd Boehly.

Chelsea announced on Wednesday evening that Clearlake, led by co-founders Iranian-American Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, will acquire the shares of Boehly and director Mark Walter.

The two American billionaires had previously partnered with Clearlake to buy the club from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, in a deal imposed by the British government in May 2022.

Before Wednesday's deal, the private equity firm Clearlake owned 61.5% of the club, while Boehly and Walter shared the remaining shares with another investor, Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss.

The club said that Wyss "will remain a shareholder and an important partner in the ownership group."

Chelsea said in a new statement yesterday, "Our ambition is clear: to compete at the highest levels, win major trophies, and build sustainable success."

The "Blues" coach, who took office on July 1, told reporters that the change is "an important day for the club."

He added, "Thanks to the former owners for what they did. I wasn't here, but I know they played an important role," on the eve of Chelsea's league match against Brentford today.

He continued, "And now that Behdad has more control, almost complete, I think it's good to have a clear main person in charge."

He added: "I have a very good relationship with Behdad. He is the one who came to Madrid to explain the project to me, and convince me, and we are working together well."

He added, "We know where we want to be, and we know that everything takes time, but the ambition for that is very clear."

Since the acquisition (Clearlake became the majority shareholder) in 2022, the best ranking Chelsea has achieved in the league is fourth place, in the 2024-2025 season, the season in which the club won the Conference League and Club World Cup titles.

France

Attention turns on Sunday to the French football Clasico between defending champion Paris Saint-Germain and its host Marseille in the fifth round of the league, in a confrontation between two teams whose start to the season was not at the level of expectations.

Saint-Germain, which plays without its fans at the Vélodrome stadium by decision of the Ministry of the Interior, aims to confirm its awakening when it visits its fierce rival Marseille, the thirteenth-placed team with four points from a win and a draw.

After a shaky start to the season in which it failed to win in the first three matches of the local league, the machines of Spanish coach Luis Enrique's team began to regain their luster after the crushing 6-1 victory over Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava in the opening round of the Champions League unified group stage, before following it with another victory, albeit less prolific in scoring, over Brest 1-0 in the league.

The "Clasico" is traditionally considered one of the most tense and intense French football confrontations.

Saint-Germain fans will be banned from attending the match at the Vélodrome stadium, and even from being in its vicinity.

A decision issued by the Ministry of the Interior stated, "On Sunday, September 20, individual or collective movement, by any means whatsoever, is prohibited for any person claiming the status of a fan of Paris Saint-Germain club or acting on that basis, between the municipalities of the Île-de-France region on one hand and the city of Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) on the other."

This decision comes after another issued on September 9 by the delegated police prefecture in Bouches-du-Rhône, banning any Saint-Germain fan on Sunday from "entering the Vélodrome stadium or stopping or moving on public roads in the city center and in the vicinity of the stadium."

Saint-Germain relies on its star-studded arsenal, led by Ousmane Dembélé, the best player in the world for 2025, and also armed with the remarkable presence of its new Spanish striker Ferran Torres, the scorer of the winning goal against Brest.

In turn, Marseille relies on the strength of its midfield, led by Dane Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Englishman Angel Gomes, with the aim of disrupting Saint-Germain's offensive build-up from the deep, and launching fast and lightning-quick transitions.

The irony is that Marseille had defeated its rival in the confrontation that brought them together in September of last year at the Vélodrome stadium 1-0 with an own goal by Brazilian Marquinhos, which strengthens the ambitions of coach Bruno Génésio's team to repeat the victory.

As for Saint-Germain, which started the season with a loss in the French Champions Trophy against Lens, and then settled for two points from three matches in the league, it hopes to achieve its third local victory.

Monaco to break the tie for the lead temporarily

The other capital giant, Paris FC, seeks to confirm its strong start when it hosts Strasbourg in a confrontation between two teams present strongly at the beginning of the season, tomorrow.

Paris FC occupies fourth place with eight points (two wins and two draws), on goal difference from Lyon, which hosts Rennes in a difficult confrontation, while Strasbourg comes in sixth with seven points (two wins, a draw, and a loss).

In turn, Monaco seeks to break the tie for the lead, even if temporarily, when it hosts Lens, the runner-up of last season's champion, today in the opening of the round.

After starting the season strongly with three consecutive victories, including one over Saint-Germain 2-1, the Principality team fell into the trap of a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg last week, losing the lead on goal difference to Lille, while it is also ahead on goal difference from third-placed Rennes (10 points for them).

Coach Felipe Luis's men aim to continue consistent performances before the international break, which gives them a big morale boost at the start of a long and arduous season.

Luis is counting on following the young German striker Paris Brunner for his brilliance, after he scored three goals in four matches, including a remarkable brace that led his team to victory over their guest Marseille in the second round (2-0).

Monaco has the opportunity today to extend its unbeaten home record in Ligue 1 to six consecutive matches this month. Their last league defeat at their home stadium, "Louis II," dates back to September 2023, when they lost to their traditional rival Nice 1-0.

For his part, Lens started the season strongly, having ousted Saint-Germain in the French Super Cup match, before opening their league campaign with a crushing 5-2 victory over Auxerre. However, the team quickly lost the luster of its start, after suffering two losses and settling for a draw in its last three matches, dropping to tenth place with 4 points.

In turn, Rennes and Lille are looking to maintain their unbeaten records when they play against Nice and Lyon tomorrow and Sunday, respectively.