Manchester United appear stronger than in the 2023/24 season, but still have enough vulnerabilities for Liverpool to be the favorites in this clash. This gives Slot a golden opportunity to win over the supporters with a victory that would not only firmly place Liverpool in the early title race but also carve out a piece of history.
None of the last nine Liverpool managers have won their first league match against Manchester United. The last to do so was Bob Paisley, who secured a 3-1 win in November 1975.
If Slot can achieve a result that draws comparisons with Paisley, it would be an incredible start to his tenure. Here is a look at what the stats say ahead of Premier League matchweek three.
Arsenal v Brighton and Hove Albion
31 August 2024 | 1:30pm CAT live on SuperSport
Arsenal have won three of their last four Premier League games against Brighton (L1), as many as they had in their first 10 against them beforehand (D3 L4).
Brighton have won three of their seven Premier League away games against Arsenal (D1 L3). They’re one of just three teams to have won more or as many visits to the Emirates as they’ve lost in the competition, along with Manchester City (W7 L6) and Swansea City (W3 L3).
Brighton failed to win any of their seven Premier League away games against London sides last season, drawing three and losing four. Their last victory in the capital was a 3-0 victory at Arsenal in May 2023.
Brentford v Southampton
31 August 2024 | 4pm CAT live on SuperSport
Brentford have won their last three Premier League games against Southampton without conceding, winning both home games against Saints by a 3-0 scoreline.
Southampton have won just one of their last nine away league games against Brentford (D3 L5), beating them 3-0 in April 2011 while in League One.
Southampton won both of their league games in London in the Championship last season (1-0 v both Millwall and QPR). However, in the Premier League they’ve won just one of their last eight visits to the capital (D1 L6), beating Chelsea 1-0 in February 2023.
Everton v Bournemouth
31 August 2024 | 4pm CAT live on SuperSport
Everton have won six of their seven Premier League home games against Bournemouth, with the exception a 3-1 defeat on the final day of the 2019-20 campaign.
Bournemouth have won four of their last six Premier League games against Everton (L2), twice the amount they had in their first eight against the Toffees (W2 D2 L4).
Everton are just the fourth Premier League side to lose their opening two matches in a season without scoring and shipping 7+ goals, along with Leicester in 2001-02 (9 conceded), Wigan in 2010-11 (10 conceded) and Norwich in 2021-22 (8 conceded).
Ipswich Town v Fulham
31 August 2024 | 4pm CAT live on SuperSport
The only previous Premier League meetings between Ipswich and Fulham were in the 2001-02 campaign, with the Tractor Boys remaining unbeaten against the Cottagers back then (1-1 away, 1-0 at home).
Fulham have won their last four league meetings with Ipswich, with this the first since a 4-1 home win in January 2018. The Cottagers had been winless in nine league games against the Tractor Boys before this run (D3 L6).
Ipswich Town have lost both of their Premier League games this season; only in 1949-50 (third division south), 1956-57 (third division south), and 2006-07 (Championship) have the Tractor Boys ever lost each of their opening three matches of a league campaign.
Leicester City v Aston Villa
31 August 2024 | 4pm CAT live on SuperSport
Leicester have lost just seven of their 28 Premier League meetings with Aston Villa (W11 D10), their lowest loss rate against any side they’ve faced 20+ times in the competition (25 per cent).
Aston Villa have won two of their last three Premier League away games against Leicester (D1), more than they had in their first 11 such visits beforehand (W1 D4 L6).
Since a run of five clean sheets in six Premier League games across October and November 2022 prior to that year’s Fifa World Cup, Leicester City have kept just one clean sheet in their last 25 matches in the top-flight, a goalless draw with Newcastle in May 2023.
Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers
31 August 2024 | 4pm CAT live on SuperSport
Nottingham Forest have won just one of their last 11 league games against Wolves (D5 L5), beating them 2-0 at Molineux in January 2018. Each of the last three league meetings between the sides has ended in a draw.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last six away league games against Nottingham Forest (W3 D3) since a 3-1 loss in March 2013. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest have taken four points from their opening two Premier League games this season (W1 D1). They last avoided defeat in their opening three games in a top-flight season in 1995-96, going on to finish 9th.
West Ham United v Manchester City
31 August 2024 | 6:30pm CAT live on SuperSport
West Ham are winless in their last 17 Premier League meetings with Manchester City (D3 L14) since a 2-1 away win in September 2015.
Manchester City have lost just one of their last 14 away league games against West Ham (W8 D5), and are unbeaten in their last nine visits since a 2-1 loss at Upton Park in October 2014.
Manchester City have scored more away goals against West Ham than they have against any other opponent in the Premier League (42). Meanwhile, their 25 goals at the London Stadium is the most an away team has scored at a specific venue in the Premier League since its opening in 2016-17.
West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League home games, last having a longer run without a clean sheet between April and December 2009 (12).
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
1 September 2024 | 2:30pm CAT live on SuperSport
Chelsea have won each of their last 13 Premier League games against Crystal Palace. Only Manchester City (a current run of 14 against Bournemouth) have ever had a longer winning run against an opponent in English Football League history.
Crystal Palace have lost 80 per cent of their 30 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W4 D2 L24), the highest loss rate of any side to face another at least 30 times in the competition. Each of their four wins against the Blues have come under a different manager (Tony Pulis, Alan Pardew, Sam Allardyce, Roy Hodgson).
All three of Crystal Palace’s Premier League games this season have been London derbies (Brentford, West Ham United, Chelsea). This is only the fifth occasion in English top-flight history of a London club facing London opponents in each of their first three matches of a campaign, after West Ham in 1970-71, Wimbledon in 1991-92, Palace themselves in 2021-22, and Brentford in 2023-24.
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
1 September 2024 | 2:30pm CAT live on SuperSport
Newcastle have won three of their last four Premier League meetings with Spurs (L1), as many as in their previous 13 (D2 L8). Three of their last five league victories against Spurs have been by at least a four-goal margin.
Tottenham have lost their last two Premier League away games against Newcastle by an aggregate score of 10-1. They’d only lost two of their previous 11 such visits to St James’ Park (W6 D3).
Newcastle v Tottenham is the most played fixture in Premier League history to never finish 0-0 (58 games). Only Liverpool v Tottenham (191) and Arsenal v Liverpool (190) have seen more goals than this in the competition (186), while there has been 34 goals in the last seven meetings alone (4.9 per game).
Newcastle have scored at least once in each of their last 20 Premier League home games, scoring with their only attempt on target in their last such match against Southampton. Only once have they had a longer scoring streak at St James’ Park in the competition, going 24 games between January 1995 and February 1996.
Manchester United v Liverpool
1 September 2024 | 5pm CAT live on SuperSport
Manchester United have won just one of their last 12 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (D5 L6), beating them 2-1 at Old Trafford in their third game of the 2022-23 campaign.
Liverpool have lost just one of their last six Premier League away games against Manchester United (W2 D3), while only Manchester City (9) have won away at Old Trafford more often than the Reds (7) in the competition’s history.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Manchester United have lost 13 of their 35 Premier League games played in September (W19 D3), only losing more often in May since 2013-14 (15). It’s more defeats than they suffered in the month in 76 games under the Scotsman (W45 D19 L12).
Liverpool have won both of their Premier League games 2-0 this season. Twice before have they won each of their first three in a campaign without conceding, doing so in 2013-14 and 2018-19 – they beat Man Utd 1-0 on 1st September in the third game in the former.
No team has had more shots than Liverpool in the Premier League this season (37), while the Reds also have the highest expected goals total (5.3) and the lowest expected goals against total (1) so far.