An engrossing Emirates battle headlines gameweek nine of the 2024-25 Premier League season, as leaders Liverpool make the trek to North London to meet third-placed Arsenal in Sunday's main event.
The top-of-the-table clash concludes another interesting weekend of fixtures, one which also includes arguably the mismatch of the season on paper, as winless Southampton head to the Etihad for a date with Manchester City.
The Sky Blues' formerly noisy neighbours - Manchester United - visit West Ham United with the chance to alleviate more pressure off the shoulders of head coach Erik ten Hag following last weekend's beating of Brentford.
Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea vs. Newcastle United will also make for good viewing on Sunday, but before all of that, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest collide in Friday's opener at the King Power Stadium.
Another week of Premier League football means another Sports Mole prediction competition, and this time around, we are pitting our wits against singer-songwriter Maddox Jones, a relatively new Manchester United supporter.
Read on to see how Sports Mole and Jones anticipate this weekend's matches panning out, as well as finding out the winner of our head-to-head with proFESSional lead guitarist Rob Hennebry last week.
Leicester vs. Nott'm Forest
Friday, 8pm
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Maddox: Leicester 2-1 Nott'm Forest
Sports Mole: Leicester 2-2 Nott'm Forest
There have been at least four goals scored in all four of Leicester's Premier League home games against Nottingham Forest to date, and that record could be prolonged on Friday.
Although Forest have tightened up at the back, their old foes are clearly improving - particularly in the final third - so the Foxes can pick up a point.
Aston Villa vs. Bournemouth
Saturday, 3pm
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Maddox: Aston Villa 2-0 Bournemouth
Sports Mole: Aston Villa 3-1 Bournemouth
Bournemouth rank third for total shots in the current Premier League campaign - only behind Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur - so Iraola's forward-thinking troops can trouble a fatigued Lions backline.
The Cherries are never the strongest defensively on the road, though, so Emery's men still have our vote to march to their third successive win in all tournaments.
Brentford vs. Ipswich
Saturday, 3pm
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Maddox: Brentford 3-1 Ipswich
Sports Mole: Brentford 3-1 Ipswich
Brentford playing at home usually means guaranteed goals at both ends of the field, but Ipswich's attacking play has left a lot to be desired all season long, and McKenna's men should be limited to the single consolation goal if anything at all.
McKenna is also ruing the loss of a few defenders through injury, so the Bees should rediscover their sting and return to winning ways without breaking too much of a sweat.
Brighton vs. Wolves
Saturday, 3pm
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Maddox: Brighton 2-1 Wolves
Sports Mole: Brighton 1-1 Wolves
As potent as Wolves can be in the final third, O'Neil's men just cannot shut up shop no matter how hard they try, but their defensive efforts with a back three against Man City were highly praiseworthy.
Should O'Neil employ a similar rearguard shape on Saturday, we can envisage Wolves surprising a few and nicking a point against their hosts, especially if the red-hot Welbeck is spearhead the Brighton attack.
Man City vs. Southampton
Saturday, 3pm
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Maddox: Man City 3-0 Southampton
Sports Mole: Man City 4-1 Southampton
Man City's defence has been far from watertight in the Premier League so far this season, which should provide Southampton with a glimmer of hope, but even if the Citizens were to fall behind, you would back them to respond as they have already picked up a league-high 13 points from losing positions this term, while Southampton have dropped more points (231) from winning positions than any other top-flight team since the 2012-13 campaign.
Guardiola and co will be regarded as strong favourites to come out on top here, even without the presence of a few star players, and they should have few problems outscoring their opponents en route to reclaiming their place at the Premier League summit.
Everton vs. Fulham
Saturday, 5.30pm
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Sports Mole: Everton 1-1 Fulham
Fulham's recent record at Goodison Park bodes well ahead of Saturday's fixture, but Everton have impressed in the last few weeks and could frustrate the Cottagers this time around.
A closely-fought contest could be on the cards on Merseyside and with little to separate these two teams, we feel that the spoils will be shared on this occasion.
Chelsea vs. Newcastle
Sunday, 2pm
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Maddox: Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
Sports Mole: Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
Chelsea do have a tendency to give up goals easily, but Newcastle's ruthlessness has been non-existent so far this month, and the Magpies should not rediscover it against a refreshed set of first-choice Blues.
Not since 2012 have Chelsea lost a Premier League home game to Newcastle, and that sequence should be extended on Sunday before the two sides go again in the EFL Cup.
Crystal Palace vs. Spurs
Sunday, 2pm
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Maddox: Crystal Palace 1-3 Spurs
Sports Mole: Crystal Palace 0-2 Spurs
Tottenham may have struggled to find their attacking bite against AZ, but Postecoglou did put out a second-string team, and his well-rested big hitters should have no problem teaching a profligate Palace a footballing lesson.
With Jean-Philippe Mateta losing his touch, Eberechi Eze struggling for form and Michael Olise long gone, Glasner's men just have not found a Plan B in the final third, and their wait for a win will surely go on.
West Ham vs. Man Utd
Sunday, 2pm
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Maddox: West Ham 1-2 Man Utd
Sports Mole: West Ham 0-1 Man Utd
The loss of Kudus ought to hit West Ham hard, even if the Irons do boast a surprisingly good record without him, and Irons fans are still wondering what their true identity and style of play under Lopetegui is.
As pitiful as Man United can also be, the Red Devils have developed a mean defensive streak on the road and can rely on individual talent at the other end to make the breakthrough, so the visitors should eke out another narrow success to keep Ten Hag kicking that bit longer.
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
Sunday, 4.30pm
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Maddox: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool
Sports Mole: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
The prospective return of Saka will slightly aid Arsenal on the creativity front, but Arteta's crop are now welcoming the meanest defence that the Premier League has to offer, one that has given up just three goals thus far.
Liverpool also rode their luck against Leipzig, though, and Arsenal can still put out a fearsome rearguard even without the influential Saliba. Avoiding defeat should be priority number one for the hosts on Sunday, where a dull draw is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Maddox Jones Q&A
How did you come to support Man United and what are your favourite memories from your time as a fan?
I never used to be into football and then for some reason when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as interim manager I started following Manchester United. My favourite moments are when Rashford scored the dramatic late winner against PSG in the Champions League in 2019. Also winning the EFL Cup in 2023 was an incredible moment just to finally win a cup again.
Who have been your favourite five players for your club?
Rooney, Rashford, De Gea, Ronaldo and Fernandes
What's going on for you as an artist at the moment?
I'm releasing my second album on November 1st and also going on tour with Will Young starting next week. It's a busy end to the year!
Maddox Jones' latest track 'One Minute' is available to stream now.
You can follow Maddox Jones on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter).
2024-25 SEASON LEADERBOARD (ARTISTS)
Scores are calculated as one point for a correct result and five points for a correct scoreline.
1. Kyle Starkey (16pts | Gameweek 3)
2. Make Friends' Max Lewin (15pts | Gameweek 2)
3. Everyone Says Hi's Nick Hodgson (13pts | Gameweek 1)
4. Blitz Vega's Kav Sandhu (10pts | Gameweek 5)
5. Trampolene's Jack Jones (9pts | Gameweek 4)
= Kneecap's Mo Chara (9pts | Gameweek 6)
7. Kids in Glass Houses' Iain Mahanty (6pts | Gameweek 7)
= proFESSional's Rob Hennebry (6pts | Gameweek 8)
2024-25 COMPETITION HISTORY
Gameweek 1: Everyone Says Hi's Nick Hodgson 13-14 Sports Mole
Gameweek 2: Make Friends' Max Lewin 15-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 3: Kyle Starkey 16-13 Sports Mole
Gameweek 4: Trampolene's Jack Jones 9-9 Sports Mole
Gameweek 5: Blitz Vega's Kav Sandhu 10-11 Sports Mole
Gameweek 6: Kneecap's Mo Chara 9-4 Sports Mole
Gameweek 7: Kids in Glass Houses' Iain Mahanty 6-3 Sports Mole
Gameweek 8: proFESSional's Rob Hennebry 6-7 Sports Mole
Ben Knapton
