Iraola still waiting for Liverpool win as Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs face key tests

The headline game comes at the Emirates, where champions Arsenal host Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea in a match that could reveal plenty about both sides this early in the season.

Arsenal steel vs Chelsea flair

Arsenal have started their title defence exactly as they finished last term: hard to break down and efficient when it matters.

Last week’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa followed a 3-0 opening victory against Coventry, giving Mikel Arteta’s side 6 clean sheets in their last 7 league matches. Bukayo Saka has also begun strongly after an injury-hit 2025-26 campaign, scoring twice in the opening weeks.

Chelsea arrive with a very different feel. Alonso has opened his reign with 3 straight wins in all competitions, and his new attacking trio of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers has already made an impact. The three have scored 5 of Chelsea’s 7 league goals in victories over Fulham and Brighton.

Chelsea have conceded 5 goals in those matches, and Alonso will know his side cannot keep offering that kind of encouragement against an Arsenal team in such strong defensive form. Recent league history is also against the Blues, who have not beaten Arsenal in their last 9 Premier League meetings.

Spurs' struggles

Roberto De Zerbi’s side sit bottom after a 3-0 defeat to Brentford and a 2-0 loss against Newcastle, despite spending more than £350 million on a major summer rebuild featuring Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio.

Forest will be difficult opponents too, having beaten Spurs twice last season. Yet De Zerbi remains adamant that another relegation fight will not follow the club’s back-to-back 17th-place finishes.

“After 2 defeats, maybe someone will think it is the same story as the previous 2 seasons,” he said. “I have no doubt that it is not. I cannot change my opinion after 2 defeats. I have huge belief in the quality of the players.”

Liverpool also need a response

New manager Andoni Iraola is still waiting for his first win after disappointing draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. His side face promoted Ipswich on Friday, where Bradley Barcola could make his debut following his £124 million move from Paris Saint-Germain.

The French winger joins a heavily invested Liverpool attack that already includes Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and the injured Hugo Ekitike.

But the early issue has been at the other end. Liverpool have conceded 4 goals in 2 matches, prompting Jamie Carragher to question the balance of the squad.

“This is not a balanced squad,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “Liverpool are short at full-back and probably short of another midfielder as well.”

Iraola has already admitted relief that the transfer window is over. Now he needs the new group to settle quickly, because another dropped result would make the early noise around Anfield much louder.

“When the transfer window closes, we will know who we are,” he said on Thursday. “I think we have a lot of talent in this group of players.

“Now we have to show it, we have to do our job well, and we have to start tomorrow.”