The second weekend of the 2026/27 Premier League season brings several intriguing fixtures, with Manchester City travelling to Crystal Palace on Friday before Liverpool, Newcastle, Chelsea and Brighton take centre stage over the weekend.
The early-season picture is still taking shape, but the opening round has already provided useful clues. Liverpool and Newcastle played out a 2-2 draw, while Manchester City recovered from a disappointing Community Shield performance to beat Bournemouth. Chelsea and Brighton also made strong starts.
The Premier League’s official fixture list confirms Crystal Palace v Manchester City for Friday, followed by Liverpool v Nottingham Forest and Tottenham v Newcastle on Saturday, with Chelsea v Brighton among Sunday’s fixtures.
For those assessing the weekend’s football betting markets, player scoring, team goals and match-goal selections offer several angles worth examining.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City: Semenyo to score first
Antoine Semenyo is one of the most interesting attacking players to watch when Manchester City visit Crystal Palace.
City opened their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth, while Semenyo was involved for the full match. His attacking numbers and positioning make him particularly interesting in a fixture where City are likely to have extended periods of possession.
The forward also has a useful record in this particular matchup. He scored the opening goal when City visited Selhurst Park last season, while six of his previous seven goals for the club had been opening goals.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, will need a significant improvement after a disappointing opening-weekend display at Everton. Their attacking trio failed to impose themselves consistently, leaving Oliver Glasner with plenty to correct before the visit of the champions.
Weekend pick: Antoine Semenyo to score first
Wrexham v Birmingham City: Daniel Imray worth watching
The Championship fixture between Wrexham and Birmingham City provides another interesting player market.
Wrexham have started the campaign with two 1-1 league draws, while Birmingham have also shared the points in both of their opening league matches. That makes the outright result difficult to separate, but Daniel Imray has already provided Wrexham with an attacking outlet from the right.
The summer signing has registered a goal and an assist across his opening two appearances, giving him an immediate influence in the final third. Birmingham also showed vulnerability down their left side in their previous match.
That combination makes Imray an appealing goalscorer option rather than relying solely on the match result.
Weekend pick: Daniel Imray to score anytime
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest: Gakpo can make an impact
Liverpool’s first home league match of the new campaign is one of the weekend’s headline fixtures.
The Reds drew 2-2 away to Newcastle in their opening match, while Nottingham Forest began with a 1-0 home defeat against Leeds. Liverpool therefore have an opportunity to establish momentum at Anfield.
Cody Gakpo is a particularly interesting attacking option. He was heavily involved in Liverpool’s opening-weekend attack and registered six shots against Newcastle, more than any other player in the Premier League during that round.
Forest’s opening performance offered fewer attacking assurances. They managed only one shot on target from open play against Leeds, suggesting that Oliver Glasner’s side may again prioritise defensive organisation away from home.
The historical pattern also points towards a potentially tight contest. Five of the last nine meetings between Liverpool and Forest have ended 1-0 to either side.
Liverpool’s first home fixture under Andoni Iraola is scheduled for Saturday, 29 August at Anfield.
Weekend pick: Cody Gakpo to score
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest: Expect a controlled game
The Gakpo goalscorer angle can also be combined with a more conservative view of the match itself.
Liverpool should have most of the territory, but Forest’s approach could make the game less open than the names involved suggest. Their lack of attacking output in the opening weekend is one reason to avoid automatically expecting a high-scoring contest.
Liverpool’s recent competitive meeting with Newcastle showed that the new side can create chances, but Forest are likely to make the contest more physical and compact.
A Liverpool win without both teams scoring is therefore one possible route for those expecting the hosts to control the game.
The fixture is confirmed for Anfield on 29 August.
Weekend pick: Liverpool to win to nil
You can also keep up with the wider Premier League schedule through Winonbetonline’s 2026/27 Premier League fixtures guide.
Middlesbrough v West Brom: Goals could arrive at Riverside
The Championship provides another potentially high-scoring fixture when Middlesbrough face West Bromwich Albion.
Middlesbrough began the season with a 2-1 victory over Lincoln City, while West Brom opened with a 2-1 win at Norwich. Both teams therefore enter the weekend with attacking confidence.
Middlesbrough have also produced a significant volume of attempts during the early stages of the campaign. Their aggressive approach under Kim Hellberg has created plenty of opportunities, while West Brom’s attacking options provide another reason to expect an open contest.
The recent meetings between these sides have also produced goals. Middlesbrough won the corresponding home fixture 2-1 last season before the return meeting ended in a five-goal thriller.
Weekend pick: Over 3.5 goals
MK Dons v Leicester City: Home side can punish Foxes
Leicester City’s difficult adjustment to League One continues with a trip to MK Dons.
The Foxes have undergone considerable changes in recent seasons and are now adapting to another new manager and a different level of competition. Their early performances have not yet suggested that the transition will be straightforward.
MK Dons, meanwhile, have shown a willingness to attack. Their opening two league matches have produced a high volume of shots, while Leicester have struggled to consistently test opposing goalkeepers.
The fixture is confirmed for Stadium MK on Saturday, 29 August. Leicester’s official schedule lists the meeting as their third league fixture of the campaign.
That makes the home win worth consideration, particularly if Leicester’s defensive problems remain unresolved.
Weekend pick: MK Dons to win
Tottenham v Newcastle: Newcastle’s attack can deliver
Tottenham face Newcastle after two very different opening-weekend performances.
Spurs were beaten 3-0 by Brentford, producing a disjointed performance that left Roberto De Zerbi with several problems to solve. Newcastle, by contrast, looked lively against Liverpool and came close to taking all three points before conceding late.
Anthony Elanga was particularly effective for Newcastle, while the team’s ability to create transitions caused Liverpool problems throughout the contest. Newcastle eventually settled for a 2-2 draw.
Tottenham should improve in front of their home supporters, but Newcastle’s attacking structure gives them a strong chance of scoring multiple times if Spurs again struggle to protect possession.
The match takes place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, 29 August.
Weekend pick: Newcastle over 1.5 team goals
Chelsea v Brighton: Fast start could produce early goals
Chelsea and Brighton both provided plenty of attacking encouragement during the opening weekend.
Chelsea took an early lead against Fulham and produced a particularly strong first-half performance, while Brighton overwhelmed Aston Villa with a dominant opening period.
That makes the first-half goals market particularly interesting when the teams meet at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea created the majority of their chances before the interval in their opening match, while Brighton demonstrated an aggressive attacking approach from the start against Villa.
Neither side appears likely to spend the opening stages simply protecting a point, which could create opportunities before half-time.
Weekend pick: Over 1.5 first-half goals
The key Premier League weekend selections
The strongest early angles from the weekend fixtures centre on Manchester City’s attacking threat, Liverpool’s home advantage and Newcastle’s performance against Tottenham.
The selections are:
- Antoine Semenyo to score first against Crystal Palace
- Daniel Imray to score anytime against Birmingham City
- Cody Gakpo to score against Nottingham Forest
- Liverpool to win to nil against Nottingham Forest
- Over 3.5 goals in Middlesbrough v West Brom
- MK Dons to beat Leicester City
- Newcastle to score at least twice against Tottenham
- Over 1.5 first-half goals in Chelsea v Brighton
These are early-season football angles rather than guarantees. Team selections, injuries, line-ups and market prices can change before kick-off, so the final team news remains important.
For the official Premier League fixture schedule and confirmed match dates, the Premier League fixture list is the appropriate reference.