Halloween Saturday: Eight Premier League Games, Two Managers Under the Spotlight

The Premier League serves up a Halloween feast on Saturday, October 31, with eight matches crammed into a single day — starting with Chelsea against Manchester United at lunchtime and ending under the lights with Aston Villa against Fulham.

The 12:30 kick-off at Stamford Bridge feels like a seismic game for both clubs. Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso and United's Michael Carrick are both under scrutiny, and defeat for either side would pile on the pressure after a difficult run of results.

Elsewhere, Manchester City host Brighton in a meeting of the division's two highest expected-goals teams — and its two highest scorers so far, with Brighton on 23 goals and City on 20. Tottenham host Crystal Palace in the late afternoon game, while Bournemouth, Brentford, Coventry and Hull all feature in the 3pm slate.

Sunday brings just one match — Liverpool against Arsenal at Anfield — before the round closes on Monday night with Newcastle against Everton.

The lunchtime pressure cooker

United have not won in the league since late August and were beaten 3-0 at home by Bournemouth last weekend, while Chelsea need a response after a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham. Something has to give at Stamford Bridge, and the result will set the tone for the whole weekend.

Goals expected at the Etihad

City and Brighton lead the league for expected goals this season, and both have been free-scoring. If the numbers hold, Saturday afternoon in Manchester could be the most entertaining watch of the weekend.

Source: TNT Sports