Gameweek eight of the Premier League produced arguably some of the most shocking results of the season.
Chelsea were caught off guard by London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who scripted a remarkable 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United suffered yet another defeat, but this one arguably marked their lowest point yet this season as Bournemouth handed them a humiliating 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa ended Manchester City’s 100 per cent start to the season with a stunning 2-1 win at Villa Park.
Meanwhile, Liverpool, believe it or not, recorded their first home win of the current Premier League season after beating an in-form Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at Anfield.
The coming weekend brings another big round of Premier League fixtures, with Chelsea kicking off the action at home against Man United.
Then, on Sunday, Liverpool welcome defending champions Arsenal to Anfield.
Here, Sport Just Sport writer Anurag Tyagi scours the markets for the televised top-flight tussles from gameweek nine of the Premier League and provides some suggested predictions and bets.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace – Saturday 31 October, 17:30
A resurgent Tottenham take on Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.
Tottenham sit 14th in the table but are just two points behind sixth-placed Brentford.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have found life difficult since Oliver Glasner left the club in the summer to join Nottingham Forest.
Form guide
Spurs endured an absolutely torrid start to the season.
Not only were they beaten 3-0 by Brentford in their opening game, but Spurs also failed to score in their first four matches.
When they finally found the net in the league, it still ended in a 2-3 home defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.
But a trip to Old Trafford changed the fortunes of Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Reduced to 10 men and a goal down, Spurs managed to salvage a point after Dominic Solanke’s 92nd-minute strike.
Spurs followed that up with a solid 3-1 win over Frank Lampard’s in-form Coventry City before sending shockwaves across the league with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
This seven-point return from their last three games has put Spurs within just two points of the top six.
It is a reminder that a good run of form can change the fortunes of any team.
Crystal Palace will hope to do exactly that.
Life under new manager Pierre Sage has been far from convincing, with Palace continuing to search for a clear identity.
Just one clean sheet in their first eight matches and only two wins this season have left the Eagles sitting just one point above the relegation zone.
The biggest headache for manager Sage has been the defensive unit, which has shipped the most goals in the league this season, with 19 conceded.
However, Palace recently produced a solid display in the EFL Cup, beating Fulham 1-0 away at Craven Cottage.
That win should give the team a confidence boost ahead of their tough away fixture against Spurs.
Head to head
Spurs have lost three of their last four matches against Palace heading into this game.
In terms of the overall head-to-head record, however, Spurs hold the upper hand, with 38 wins, 16 losses and 15 draws in 69 meetings.
Tottenham team news
Pedro Porro is in contention to start for the first time since September after coming off the bench against Chelsea.
Savinho, Xavi Simons, Mykhailo Mudryk, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert remain long-term absentees.
Spurs are also sweating over the fitness of attacking midfielder James Maddison, who picked up a muscle injury against Chelsea last week.
Andy Robertson is likely to start at left-back as Destiny Udogie remains short of full match fitness due to a knee injury.
Rodrigo Bentancur will miss out too as he serves the final game of his three-match suspension.
Crystal Palace team news
Dean Henderson is back in contention for the first time since September after starting the League Cup match against Fulham.
Ismaïla Sarr is still not at 100 per cent due to a groin issue and remains doubtful.
Quinten Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu will both miss this game due to injuries.
Match odds
Tottenham Hotspur are priced at 57/100 to win, while a draw is available at 15/4 and a Crystal Palace win is priced at 5/1.
Suggested bet
Tottenham to win 2-0.
READ MORE: Carabao Cup: Liverpool draw Bournemouth, Man City survive Brighton scare, Fleetwood shock Arsenal
Aston Villa vs Fulham – Saturday 31 October, 20:00
Aston Villa will look to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five games when they host Fulham at Villa Park on Saturday night.
Villa sit ninth in the table but could move into the top six with a win.
Fulham, meanwhile, have also found some form and head into this match on the back of a two-game winning run.
Form guide
Aston Villa’s eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end in midweek after a shocking 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in the League Cup.
It was a result that came out of the blue as Villa had been on a solid run of form and were fresh off beating Man City in the Premier League last weekend.
Though that result was a blemish, there’s no denying that the Villans are one of the most in-form teams in the league.
They have picked up 10 points from their last four league games, the best return by any team across that period.
Unai Emery’s side could also climb several places in the table if they win this game considering they are separated from sixth-placed Brentford only by goal difference.
For Fulham, recent games have provided a much-needed boost for Álvaro Arbeloa’s team.
To give you some idea, Fulham’s tally of eight points includes the six points they picked up in their last two matches.
But Arbeloa must be happy not just because of those two timely wins, but also because the Cottagers kept clean sheets in both matches.
Although Fulham were knocked out of the League Cup by Crystal Palace in midweek, the Premier League remains the utmost priority for the former Real Madrid manager.
Head to head
There is little to separate these two sides when it comes to their head-to-head record.
In 80 meetings, Aston Villa hold a slight edge over the Cottagers, with 31 wins compared to Fulham’s 27, while the remaining 22 matches ended in draws.
Since September 2020, Villa have lost just twice in 10 Premier League meetings with Fulham, who have won two of those encounters.
However, Fulham came out on top in their most recent meeting, securing a 1-0 victory in April.
Aston Villa team news
Former Man United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains sidelined for the Villans alongside Amadou Onana and Matteo Ruggeri.
Modou Keba Cissé may have to wait a little longer to make his Villa debut as he continues to recover from a hip issue.
Fulham team news
Ryan Sessegnon remains suspended for Fulham and will serve the final match of his three-game ban.
The former Spurs player is the only absentee for Fulham, who otherwise have a clean bill of health.
Match odds
Aston Villa are priced at evens (1/1) to win, while a draw is available at 14/5 and a Fulham victory is priced at 29/10.
Suggested bet
Fulham to score but Villa to win 3-1.
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Liverpool vs Arsenal – Sunday 1 November, 16:30
This is arguably the standout fixture of gameweek nine in the Premier League as Liverpool host Arsenal in a crunch clash at Anfield on Sunday.
A win could see Liverpool close the gap on Arsenal to just three points, while Mikel Arteta’s side have the opportunity to climb to the top of the Premier League table with a win.
Form guide
It was quite bizarre to see Liverpool considered underdogs in their home match against Brighton last week.
But such has been the competitiveness of this league that teams like Brentford and Brighton have the talent and confidence to go toe-to-toe with the very best.
However, Liverpool held firm and finally recorded their first home league win of the season.
With those crucial three points against the Seagulls, Liverpool moved up to fourth in the table, two points ahead of Chelsea, who were left red-faced after defeat at the hands of Tottenham.
Andoni Iraola’s men then saw off the Blues in the EFL Cup, winning on penalties.
Liverpool are now on a five-game winning run across all competitions, and another win could see them move within three points of the top spot.
For Arsenal, the build-up to this game could hardly have been worse as they arrive on the back of a League Cup exit against Fleetwood Town, a team that plays in the fourth tier of the English football system.
But Arteta’s side are experienced enough to shrug off what happened at Highbury Stadium.
Moreover, the fact that the Gunners have lost just once in the league this season, a shocking 3-0 defeat at Brighton, highlights the consistency of the reigning champions.
Head to head
One of the most frequently played fixtures in English top-flight football, Liverpool and Arsenal have faced each other 246 times.
The Reds hold the upper hand with 96 wins, while the Gunners have managed 83 wins.
The remaining 67 matches ended in draws.
It is also worth noting that three of the last four meetings between these two sides have ended in draws, with Liverpool claiming the only win in that run courtesy of a stunning free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool team news
Szoboszlai is a major doubt for Liverpool’s home match against Arsenal.
The Hungarian midfielder is suffering from a recurrence of his hamstring injury and has missed the last three games.
Florian Wirtz rolled his ankle during the match against Brighton, but the former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker avoided the worst and even featured off the bench against Chelsea.
He should be fit for this match.
With Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong still out, Ronald Araújo is expected to start at right-back, with Virgil van Dijk and Jérémy Jacquet forming the centre-back pairing.
Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain long-term injury absentees.
Arsenal team news
Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori both sat out the League Cup defeat against Fleetwood.
Calafiori, in particular, is a major doubt after showing discomfort at the end of the 2-0 win over Everton last week.
Rice also felt tightness in his hamstring during the second half against Everton.
However, the full week of rest means the former West Ham star should be fit to start this huge clash at Anfield.
Christos Tzolis is another player nearing a return.
He has been out since suffering a hamstring injury during the last international break, but the 24-year-old Greek international could make the bench for this game.
With Bukayo Saka out, Noni Madueke is likely to start on the right wing for Arsenal.
There are also reports that Arsenal are considering appealing the straight red card Max Dowman received during the defeat at Fleetwood, so his involvement could depend on the timing of the appeal and the eventual verdict.
Match odds
The odds suggest a closely contested encounter, with Arsenal marginally favoured at 29/20.
Liverpool are priced at 2/1 to claim the maximum points, while the draw is available at 5/2.
Suggested bet
Both teams to score, with 1-1 being the most likely outcome.
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SportJustSport writers 
Aidan Leo