The European leagues offer a number of mouth-watering fixtures ahead of the international break from September 4 to 13. The 3 main fixtures to watch this weekend are: Arsenal-Manchester United, Liverpool-Aston Villa in the Premier League and Napoli-Lazio Roma in Serie A. The Rome Vs Milan advance clash played out on Friday went in the Lombards' favor (1-2).
Arsenal vs Manchester United: top-of-the-table clash between teams back to their best
Arsenal-Manchester United was the biggest English clash of the Wenger-Ferguson era. The most eagerly-awaited match has seen its appeal diminish in recent seasons with Liverpool's revival and Chelsea's good period. But Arsenal's latest season, which has seen them return to the Champions League alongside Manchester United, has given new life to this year's fixture. Arsenal, with their talented youngsters, are the bookmakers' main rivals to City, and will face the unpredictable Manchester of Ten Hag. After last year's success under the Dutch coach, the start of the season has revealed United's shortcomings. Many are finding it hard to pinpoint their ambitions, to form an idea of what they can play for. The team is too inconsistent: sometimes catastrophic (Day 2); sometimes resourceful (against Nottingham Forest).
As well as the stakes of a prestigious victory, the match will give a further idea of the promise of these teams for this long season. Confirmation for Arsenal or the beginning of doubt? Is Manchester back on track, or is there little promise? Ultimately, this match is a good barometer for assessing whether these 2 teams are equipped to compete with the machine and the certainty of Man City. The match takes place this Sunday, September 3 at Emirates Stadium, kick-off at 15:30 GMT.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa: attacking action all round!
If there's one team used to strong opposition at the start of the Premier League season, it's Liverpool!It's Liverpool!In 3 rounds, they have met Chelsea, Newcastle and will cross swords with Aston Villa this Sunday at 13:00 GMT. After a draw with Chelsea and a straightforward victory over Bournemouth, Liverpool also showed their resourcefulness against Newcastle, overcoming a one-goal deficit with 10 games to 11. Their attack is firing on all cylinders, with Diaz, Salah and Nunez showing their mettle. If the midfield and defence get up to scratch, Liverpool can be a serious contender in the race for the Premier League.
To confirm this, Unai Emery's Aston Villa are a strong contender. The team's transformation began in the 2nd half of last season. This has enabled them to secure a place in the Europa League Conference, where they have put in some fine performances against the big boys, with a highly effective game and a fiery Watkins.
With the possible exception of the opening-day slip-up against Newcastle, whose scoreline could be misleading. That's because of the opposition they put up against Newcastle in that match.Since then, they have settled down, beating Everton (4-0) and Burnley (1-3). The match promises to be a fiery affair with two top-class midfielders. The defenders could be in for a rough ride. This match will reveal the dynamics of the clubs and their ability to play for the title in the case of Liverpool and the Champions League in the case of Aston Villa. 6 to 7 teams could be battling for the top 4 places.
Napoli vs Lazio Rome: European duel
Reigning champions Napoli got their Serie A season off to a good start with 2 wins from 2 games. Striker Victor Osimhen has already set the tone, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia continues to distill brilliant passes. The team now coached by Rudy Garcia will face a tougher test on Matchday 3 against Lazio Rome. This match will be their first real-life test of the season. Why? Lazio have a quality squad and a seasoned coach in Maurizio Sarri. Sarri is also a former Napoli coach. Lazio, on the other hand, already have their backs against the wall with 2 opening defeats at the start of the season.
The Romans will be even more determined against the Partenopéi, who are the team to beat.
A win would put their poor start to the season behind them.But above all, it could give Lazio confidence.They have improved during the summer mercato with some good players, such as Kamada. This match could provide an opportunity to assess the Laziale's chances of repeating their feat of clinching one of the 4 Champions League qualifying places.
Are Napoli still the machine they were last year? Will they continue in the same vein? Is Rudy Gracia the right man for the job? These are the questions that arise as the match approaches. And they're sure to be answered by our Italian columnists. The match kicks off on Saturday September 2 at 18:45 GMT.
