Preview and Predictions for Matchweek 3 of the 2021-22 Premier League Season

What a weekend we have heading our way in the English Premier League. Two matches featuring Big Six clubs. Undefeated Brighton. First-place West Ham. The last matchweek before the transfer window closes. All the madness is coming over the next few days.

Last weekend we saw things return to normal in some cases, namely Manchester City showing its impressive muscle with a 5-0 rout of EPL returnees Norwich City. Arsenal's struggles continued at the hands of Chelsea, which saw Romelu Lukaku net on his second debut for the club. Liverpool won again, as did Tottenham. Leicester were knocked back by the aforementioned Hammers. Lots happening and it's only been two weeks.

Only two weeks. There are 36 more matches left for teams to play. If your club hasn't performed its best through the opening pair of contests, fear not. There is lots of football left to play, and as we see with most seasons in our beloved Prem, you never really know what to expect.

With an international break following this round of fixtures, we can take some time to sit back and reflect on the beginning of the season and prepare for the long haul. And maybe relax a bit following one of the craziest transfer windows in recent memory.

For now, let us dive into Matchweek 3, starting with a massive contest at Anfield.

Anfield, Saturday, Aug. 28, 12:30 p.m. ET

Streaming: NBC, Telemundo, Peacock Premium

Boy oh boy, this has to be the match of the season so far.

Both teams won their opening two fixtures comfortably with five goals scored and zero goals allowed. Both are truly in the title mix as they have the talent needed to unseat Manchester City as champions. A true early-season heavyweight bout.

With a packed Anfield behind them, Liverpool will feel confident that it can take something from this match, especially with a mostly healthy squad at Jurgen Klopp's disposal. The return of Virgil van Dijk has been a massive plus for the Reds, and his task will be a tall, burly, powerful one in the form of Lukaku. Honestly, we could all spend 90 minutes watching that battle. 

The teams split their matches in 20/21 with both sides winning the road fixture.

Chelsea's 1-0 win at Anfield in March was during Thomas Tuchel's tenure and was another example of the fine organization and structure the German had instituted with the Blues following Frank Lampard's dismissal. Switching to a back three was the driving force behind the shoring up of the rearguard, so much so that he went unbeaten in his first 14 matches as Blues boss.

He'll be facing his German compatriot Klopp again in this one in a match that could go either way. Diogo Jota has supplanted Roberto Firmino in Liverpool's famed front three, with the Brazilian becoming a useful option coming off the bench.  

Trying to counter the movement of that attacking trio will be Chelsea's wide men, Marcos Alonso and Reece James, who both put in brilliant displays against Arsenal in the 2-0 win Sunday.

James in particular was able to handle his defensive duties and pivoted into a forward-thinking wing-back, as he showed when setting up Lukaku's opener. If Chelsea can keep up that kind of pressure and capitalize on those opportunities to break forward, it could be a difficult afternoon for the home side.

It seems, however, that the sides are pretty well balanced and may end up canceling each other out in one of those unfortunately disappointing and drab matches between the league's bigger clubs. We'll probably see a goal on either side, but both clubs will make adjustments to secure a point apiece.

Match Prediction: Liverpool 1, Chelsea 1 

Etihad Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 28, 7:30 a.m. ET

Streaming: Peacock Premium

It has been a bumpy ride for Arsenal so far this season. After two losses in the Premier League to Brentford and Chelsea, the North London club found a respite in its 6-0 thrashing of West Brom in the Carabao Cup. Now, the Gunners have to travel north to Manchester City, where Mikel Arteta's old boss, Pep Guardiola, patrols the sidelines, and face the champions. No easy task.

Reports suggest Arteta is on relatively thin ice at the Emirates Stadium, with fans becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of results and shallow nature of the squad, despite spending a whopping $162 million in the transfer market this summer. With veteran leadership lacking throughout the team and a crop of youngsters being forced into action before they're fully ready, Arteta has had difficulty finding the right balance in the first two weeks of the season.

City struggled in Week 1 at Tottenham Hotspur and lost 1-0, but it came roaring back against Norwich City with a 5-0 victory at home, including a first goal in sky blue for record signing Jack Grealish. The club will be hungry for more when it welcomes Arsenal to Manchester first thing Saturday morning.

It'll be really interesting to see how Grealish continues to grow into his role within Pep's squad and how he handles playing on a bigger stage with a bigger club in one of the traditionally bigger fixtures in the league over the last decade. This will be a great opportunity for the Englishman to make his mark and start proving that the $139 million spent on him was the right amount.

This was always going to be a difficult match for Arsenal, regardless of how it started the year. Now it's going to be a near-impossible one. Greener pastures are ahead with Norwich and Burnley as the club's next two EPL fixtures, but it'll go into that first game with zero points.

Match Prediction: Manchester City 3, Arsenal 1

AMEX Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m. ET

Streaming: NBCSN, Universo

This one is a little less obvious of a choice to preview, but after a mere glance at the table, you'll understand why we head toward the South Coast to Brighton. Another two undefeated teams with the home side being the more surprising, though pleasantly.

Graham Potter's side, a collection of talented, yet unheralded, upstarts, has taken the maximum possible points from its opening two matches, beating Burnley and Watford. Sure, not the most dangerous opposition, but the four goals scored have done the trick, and they come into this match against much more challenging, confident visitors. 

The main man for the Seagulls has been French forward Neal Maupay, who has bagged two of those four goals. Possessing excellent movement and quickness, Maupay has been handful and will require a big game from Yerry Mina, who can sometimes be sloppy but has been excellent this season.

Yerry's gaffer, the one and only Rafa Benitez, has gotten off to a good start at Goodison Park, registering a win and a draw. It's still funny to type that, really. It's like if Guardiola followed his City tenure with a stint at Manchester United. Benitez, the former Liverpool boss, has begun to silence those who questioned his hiring by their crosstown rivals in blue. As surprising as it was, the momentum could keep trending that way with a road win against Brighton.

Demarai Gray has returned to the Premier League and has looked good since he joined the club. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is up to his usual tricks and will be key for them this season. I get the feeling that Rafa will keep the ball rolling with a big three points away from home.

Match Prediction: Everton 2, Brighton 1

Saturday, Aug. 28 

Aston Villa vs. Brentford (10 a.m. ET): Aston Villa 2-1

Newcastle vs. Southampton (10 a.m. ET): Draw 2-2

Norwich vs. Leicester (10 a.m. ET): Leicester 2-1

West Ham vs. Crystal Palace (10 a.m. ET): West Ham 2-1

Sunday, Aug. 29 

Burnley vs. Leeds (9 a.m. ET): Leeds 2-1

Tottenham vs. Watford (9 a.m. ET): Tottenham 3-1

Wolverhampton vs. Manchester United (11:30 a.m. ET): Man Utd 3-2