Welcome to the 13th episode of Watch for the 2025-26 season. This article will cover the major world football events from October 3rd to 4th, Pacific Time:
October 3rd, 7:00 AM, Premier League: Manchester United vs. Sunderland
Manchester United has lost just one of their last six matches against Sunderland, winning four and securing three consecutive home victories. This season in the Premier League, Manchester United has lost three of their six matches; newly promoted Sunderland is a strong team, with three wins, two draws, and one loss in six games, currently ranking fifth in the standings. Manchester United defenders Lima and Dalot are out due to injury. Mbomo, Sheshko, and Cunha, signed for a reported €220 million, still need to prove themselves with goals. Cunha, in particular, has yet to score since joining. Besides the need for improvement in their attacking line, the Red Devils' defense must also be wary of Sunderland striker Isidore, who has scored three goals in seven games, more than any other Manchester United player. If Manchester United loses this match, coach Amorim could be sacked.
October 3, 7:00 AM, Premier League Arsenal vs. West Ham United
The two teams have met 153 times in history, with Arsenal winning 73, drawing 42, and losing 38. However, they have lost their last two home games against West Ham, both without scoring a goal. This week, Arsenal defeated Olympiacos 2-0 at home in the Champions League, achieving their third consecutive Champions League victory and a record of four wins and one draw in their last five games. In the Premier League, Arsenal is second with a record of four wins, one draw, and one loss. West Ham United have struggled this season, with just one league win and second-to-last ranking.
In this match, Arsenal captain Ødegaard, Madueke, Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus were absent due to injury. Offensively, Saka scored in the Champions League midweek, ending a three-match goal drought. Summer signing Džekeres has not scored in five consecutive games and needs to rediscover his form. West Ham's two forwards, Guilherme and Felkerug, are both out due to injury. Offensively, one can only hope that Bowen, who has scored three goals in seven games, can perform well at the Emirates Stadium.
October 4th, 9:00 AM La Liga: Sevilla vs. Barcelona
The two teams have met 201 times in history, with Barcelona winning 117, drawing 39, and losing 45. Sevilla has won all six of their last six matches, and has nine wins and one draw in the past ten. This week, Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season, a 1-2 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. In La Liga, Barcelona leads the standings with 6 wins and 1 draw in 7 matches. Sevilla has a record of 3 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, leaving them winless in 3 home matches this season, with 1 draw and 2 losses.
Sevilla defender Kouassi was sidelined due to injury. Offensively, the team relied heavily on Romero and Vargas, who combined for 6 goals and were crucial to the team's chances of securing points. Barcelona also missed Joan García, Gavi, Fermin, and Rafinha due to injury. Offensively, Ferran Torres has been in excellent form recently and is the team's leading scorer. Lewandowski, Yamal, and Rashford are also key scoring options.
October 4th, 9:30 AM, Premier League, Chelsea vs. Liverpool
The two teams have met 198 times in history, with Chelsea winning 66, drawing 49, and losing 83. In the second leg of last season's Premier League, Chelsea defeated Liverpool 3-1 at home, ending their embarrassing 90-minute winless streak in their last 10 meetings. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea has won one and drawn one of their last four matches against Liverpool.
This week, both teams will play a Champions League match. Chelsea narrowly defeated Benfica 1-0 at home, but have been winless in the Premier League for three rounds and suffered two consecutive defeats. Liverpool lost 0-1 away to Galatasaray, suffering their second consecutive defeat. Both teams are currently in a slump, but the gap between them in the Premier League standings is significant. Chelsea is in eighth place with two wins, two draws, and two losses, while Liverpool has a 5-1 record and leads by two points. Chelsea defenders Colwell, Fofana, Adarabioyo, Andre Santos, Palmer, and Delap were absent due to injury. Offensively, the players were in a slump. Pedro, who shone at the Club World Cup, has not scored in four consecutive games. Summer transfer signings like Estebão, Gittens, and Ganacho have yet to score, leaving the Blues desperate for heroes to step up in the Red-Blue clash. Liverpool, on the other hand, are out injured with Leoni, Ekitik, and Alisson, dealing a heavy blow to both the team's frontcourt and backline. Backup goalkeeper Mamardashvili is expected to make his Premier League debut, while two billionaires, Wirtz and Isak, have faced serious questions due to their poor form. They need to score quickly to relieve the pressure. Salah, star player who was on the bench in the Champions League midweek, is expected to return to the starting lineup and deliver a decisive blow against Chelsea.
October 4th, 12:00 PM, La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Villarreal
The two teams have met 53 times in history, with Real Madrid winning 30, drawing 17, and losing 6. In the past 16 matches, Villarreal has only lost 2 of them. Real Madrid swept Kairat 5-0 away in the Champions League this week, shaking off the shadow of last weekend's 2-5 away defeat to Atletico Madrid. They currently sit second in the La Liga standings with a 6-1 record. Villarreal drew 2-2 with Juventus at home in the Champions League this week, ending their three-match winning streak. They currently sit third in the La Liga standings. In this match, Real Madrid defenders Rudiger, Mendy, Alexander-Arnold, and Carvajal were sidelined due to injuries. Offensively, Mbappé was the team's goal-scorer. After scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League midweek, he has scored in six consecutive games and has 13 goals in nine games this season, making him one of the best players in European football and the foundation of his team's victory. Villarreal, with forwards Ayoze and Moreno sidelined due to injuries, will need some performances from Buchanan and Pepe. Both have produced strong statistics this season, but lack consistency.
October 4th, 8:30 AM, Premier League: Brentford vs. Manchester City
Manchester City has a record of 12 wins, 3 draws, and 7 losses in 22 matches against Brentford, including an unbeaten streak of 3 wins and 1 draw in the last four encounters. This week, Manchester City drew 2-2 away to Monaco in the Champions League, leaving them unbeaten in their last six official matches with 4 wins and 2 draws. Brentford defeated Manchester United 3-1 at home last weekend, securing their first official win in five Premier League matches. Manchester City currently sits in 7th place in the Premier League standings, desperate for a top-four finish. Brentford currently sits in 13th.
Manchester City defenders Nouri, Mateo Kovacic, Cherki, and Marmus are out due to injury. Offensively, the team relies heavily on Haaland, who has scored in each of his last six club matches, for a total of nine goals. His performance will determine whether the team can secure an away victory. Brentford, with Kayode out due to injury, relies heavily on Igor Thiago, who has five goals in seven games this season and is the biggest threat to the Blues' defense.
October 4, 11:45 AM Serie A: Juventus vs. AC Milan
The two teams have met 228 times in history, with Juventus winning 89, drawing 73, and losing 66. In the second round of last season's Serie A, Juventus defeated AC Milan 2-0 at home, securing their first victory in four meetings and ending their six-match home winless streak against AC Milan. This week, Juventus drew 2-2 away to Villarreal in the Champions League, extending their unbeaten start to the season. AC Milan's 2-1 home victory over Napoli last weekend marked their fifth consecutive league win. Currently, Juventus sits fourth in the Serie A standings with three wins and two draws. AC Milan holds a 4-1 record, making this a crucial clash at the top of the table. In this game, the status of Juventus defenders Bremer and Thuram is unknown, and Milik is out due to injury. On the offensive end, the team mainly relies on the performance of Vlahovic. The former scored 4 goals and the latter contributed 2 goals and 4 assists. They are the key players for the team to win. For Milan, Estupiñan is suspended. On the offensive end, Pulisic has shined this season, scoring 6 goals and 2 assists in 7 games, including 4 goals in the last 3 games.
