Welcome to the 20th installment of the 2025-26 season's Standby. This article covers major football matches from October 31st to November 2nd, Pacific Summer Time:
October 31st, 7:00 AM: Premier League - Burnley vs. Arsenal
The two teams have met 115 times in history, with Arsenal winning 57, drawing 24, and losing 34. In their last 5 matches against Burnley, Arsenal has won 3 and drawn 2, and has only lost once in their last 20 encounters. At Burnley's home ground, Arsenal has won 6 and drawn 3 of their last 9 away matches. This week, Arsenal defeated Brighton 2-0 at home in the League Cup, securing their eighth consecutive win and leading the league by five points. Burnley have also won their last two Premier League matches and are five points above the relegation zone.
In this match, Burnley will be without defenders Roberts, Baier, and Amdouh due to injury. On the attacking end, Anthony and Fleming both possess scoring capabilities. For Arsenal, captain Odegaard, Madou Keke, Havertz, and Jesus are suspended. The Gunners boast one of the most potent attacking lines in the Premier League, with Saka, Dzekereish, Martinelli, and Trossard all being key scoring options. Their defense can also create chances from set pieces.
October 31, 72:00 Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United
The two teams have met 114 times in history, with Manchester United holding the upper hand with 54 wins, 24 draws, and 36 losses. However, last season they were defeated twice by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Last weekend, Nottingham Forest suffered a 0-2 away defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League, marking their fourth consecutive league loss and extending their winless streak to eight games. Manchester United, on the other hand, secured their first three-game winning streak in the Amorin era with a 4-2 home victory against Brighton, climbing to sixth place in the standings, just one point behind the top four.
Nottingham Forest will be without defenders Zinchenko, Aina, and Bakwa due to injury. While Jesus, with five goals in 12 appearances, is a formidable force, the team's defense has significant vulnerabilities, making it extremely difficult to stop their losing streak. For Manchester United, Lisandro Martinez is injured, but summer signing Mbomo has rediscovered his scoring touch, netting three goals in the last two league matches and becoming the team's most relied-upon striker. However, Cunha is still searching for his first goal.
November 1st, 10:30 AM, Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea
These two teams have met 169 times in history, with Chelsea holding the upper hand with 81 wins, 43 draws, and 55 losses. Tottenham have won their last four matches against Chelsea and have only lost once in their last 18 encounters. This midweek, Tottenham lost 0-2 away to Newcastle in the League Cup, while Chelsea narrowly defeated Wolves 4-3 away. In the Premier League, Tottenham are third, five points behind the leaders, but are winless in their last three home league games. Chelsea are currently ninth, having lost three of their last five matches.
In this match, Tottenham Hotspur will be without defenders Draguzin, Takaji, Bissouma, Kulusevski, Maddison, Solanke, Muani, and Scarlett due to injury. Richarlison and Johnson are the team's main scorers, but they lack consistency. Kudus is also a crucial part of the team's attack. For Chelsea, Colwell, Badiashile, and Palmer are out injured, while Pedro's return from injury is a major boost. Young stars Estewan and Gitens are in excellent form.
November 1st, 10:30 AM, Bundesliga: Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen
The two teams have met 104 times in history, with Bayern holding the upper hand with 62 wins, 20 draws, and 22 losses. Last season, Bayern defeated Leverkusen twice in the Champions League Round of 16, ending a six-match winless streak against them. This week, Bayern Munich secured their 14th consecutive win of the season after a 4-1 away victory against Cologne in the German Cup, leading the Bundesliga with an 8-game winning streak. Bayer Leverkusen currently sits in 5th place in the Bundesliga, 7 points behind the leaders.
For this match, Bayern will be without defenders Hiroki Ito, Davids, and Musiala due to injury. In attack, Kane is the team's key player, having scored two goals in the German Cup midweek, bringing his season tally to 22 goals in 14 appearances, making him one of the most in-form players in European football. Diaz and Olissie are also important scoring options. For Leverkusen, Tapp, Vazquez, Palacios, Diermann, and Tra are all injured. Schick and Kofane are the team's main scoring threats.
November 1st, 13:00, Premier League: Liverpool vs. Aston Villa
The two teams have met 205 times in history, with Liverpool holding the upper hand with 103 wins, 43 draws, and 59 losses. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 matches against Aston Villa, with 7 wins and 3 draws. At Anfield, Aston Villa have a poor record, drawing once and losing six times in their last seven away matches. Liverpool are in terrible form, losing six of their last seven games, including four consecutive league defeats and losing their last two home games, now trailing the league leaders by seven points. Aston Villa, on the other hand, have won six of their last seven matches, including a league victory against Manchester City last weekend.
For this match, Liverpool will be without their star goalkeeper Alisson, Leoni, Frimpong, Hrafinbeh, and Isak due to injury. The Reds are currently in a very poor overall position. In attack, star striker Salah seems to have lost his credibility, while Ekitic and Gakopo have been relatively consistent and will be key to the team's chances of winning. As for Aston Villa, despite their weak attack, they should have a good chance of scoring against a Liverpool side that has conceded goals in ten consecutive matches.
November 1st, 13:00 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Valencia
The two teams have met 213 times in history, with Real Madrid holding the upper hand with 111 wins, 43 draws, and 59 losses. Notably, in the second leg of last season's La Liga, Real Madrid lost 1-2 at home to Valencia, ending their 17-game unbeaten home run against the Bats. Last weekend, both teams played a La Liga match. Real Madrid secured their fifth consecutive victory, defeating Barcelona 2-1 at home, extending their home winning streak this season and maintaining a perfect home record. They now lead the La Liga standings by 5 points. Valencia, on the other hand, have drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 5 league matches, dropping to third from bottom.
In this match, Real Madrid will be without defenders Rüdiger and Carvajal due to injury. Their attack relies heavily on Mbappe, who has scored 16 goals in 13 games this season after his goal in El Clásico. Vinicius's starting position is uncertain after a rift with the manager. Valencia, on the other hand, have Danjuma and Duro with some scoring ability, but their defense is paper-thin, one of the worst in the league. The Bats are unlikely to escape defeat at the Bernabéu.
November 2nd, 9:30 AM, Premier League: Manchester City vs. Bournemouth
Manchester City have a record of 21 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in 24 matches against Bournemouth, including 11 wins and 1 draw in 12 home games. Manchester City's five-game unbeaten run ended with a 0-1 away defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, dropping them out of the top four and trailing the leaders by 6 points. Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last 7 games, rising to second place, 4 points behind the leaders. This will be a tough battle for Manchester City. In this match, the key to Manchester City's victory still lies with Haaland. He is the only reliable player in the team's attack, scoring 15 goals in 12 games. If he goes cold, the Citizens will struggle to win. For Bournemouth, Brooks, Evan Nelson, and Ünal are injured, and Semenyo, who has scored 6 goals, is the biggest threat to Manchester City's defense.
November 2nd, 10:30 AM, La Liga: Barcelona vs. Elche
Barcelona has a record of 34 wins, 12 draws, and 9 losses in 55 matches against Elche, including a perfect record in their last 10 games and an unbeaten run of 19 wins and 4 draws in their last 23 matches. Last weekend, both teams played a league match. Barcelona lost 1-2 to Real Madrid in El Clásico, and although they are second in the league standings, they are already 5 points behind the leaders. Elche, after a seven-game unbeaten start to the season, has had 1 draw and 2 losses in their last 3 league matches. In this match, Barcelona will be without goalkeeper Joan Garcia, Ter Stegen, Christensen, Pedri, Gavi, Olmo, Rafinha, and Lewandowski due to injury. On the offensive end, Yamal's form is doubtful, and for now, the only hope lies in the performances of Rashford and Ferran Torres, who each have scored 5 goals this season. For Elche, A. Silva, who has scored 4 goals in 10 games, is the biggest threat to Barcelona's defense.
