The Premier League returns for Matchweek 7 from Saturday, October 17, to Monday, October 19, 2026, with ten fixtures scheduled across the weekend. Everton vs Chelsea opens the action, while Manchester City host Ipswich Town and Liverpool travel to Brentford on Saturday.
Sunday features several intriguing contests, including Leeds United vs Manchester United and Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal. Tottenham Hotspur will then face Coventry City on Monday night to bring the round to a close.
Here are the predicted Premier League lineups for Matchweek 7, including expected starting XIs, formations and the key team-news stories to follow. These are provisional predictions, not confirmed team sheets, and may change before kick-off.
Everton vs Chelsea — Saturday, October 17, 12:30 BST
Everton welcome Chelsea in the opening match of the weekend. Chelsea will be looking to build on their attacking threat, while Everton aim to make home advantage count.
Everton predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Keane, Branthwaite; Garner, Armstrong; Johnson, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry.
Chelsea predicted lineup (3-4-3): Martínez; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Henderson, Chavarría; Welbeck, Rogers; Pedro.
Chelsea's attacking options could be affected by injuries, with Cole Palmer and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens among the reported absentees. Reece James is also a player to monitor ahead of kick-off.
Brentford vs Liverpool — Saturday, October 17, 15:00 BST
Liverpool face a challenging away trip to Brentford. The hosts will hope to take advantage of their home support, while Liverpool could make changes because of injuries and suspension.
Brentford predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Schuster, Diouf; Yarmolyuk, Janelt; Anthony, Lewis-Potter, Schade; Thiago.
Liverpool predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Becker; Araújo, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Nyoni; Muñoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas.
Liverpool's predicted XI includes several selection questions in defence and attack. Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are reported unavailable, while Hugo Ekitike and other attacking options could influence the final team selection.
Manchester City vs Ipswich Town — Saturday, October 17, 15:00 BST
Manchester City host Ipswich Town at the Etihad Stadium. City will be aiming to maintain their strong start to the campaign, with Erling Haaland expected to lead the attack.
Manchester City predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Guéhi, O'Reilly; Anderson, Fernández; Ndiaye, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.
Ipswich Town predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Walton; Ouattara, O'Shea, Diop, Davis; Florentino, Lukić; Maeda, Enciso, Philogene; Emersonn.
City's attacking quality makes them a major focus of the weekend, although the fitness of several players could affect the final selection. Ipswich will need a disciplined performance to contain the hosts.
Fulham vs Hull City — Saturday, October 17, 15:00 BST
Fulham take on Hull City in a meeting between two sides looking to collect valuable points. Hull could adopt a more defensive approach, while Fulham are expected to use a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Fulham predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Bassey, Affengruber, Sessegnon; Berge, Charles; Bobb, King, Iwobi; García.
Hull City predicted lineup (5-4-1): Tzolakis; Coyle, Mendy, Egan, Ajayi, Giles; Gelhardt, Crooks, Slater, Thomas; McBurnie.
Hull have several reported injury concerns, while Fulham will be monitoring the fitness of players in defence. The tactical battle in midfield could prove important.
Newcastle United vs Aston Villa — Saturday, October 17, 17:30 BST
Newcastle United host Aston Villa at St James' Park in one of Saturday's most intriguing fixtures. Both teams will be looking for consistency as the Premier League season develops.
Newcastle predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Horníček; Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Touré, Willock; Bamba, Wissa, Barnes; Fernández-Pardo.
Aston Villa predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Suzuki; Torres, Lindelöf, Mings, Wan-Bissaka; Kamara, Barkley; McGinn, Buendía, Manzambi; Jackson.
Newcastle have doubts over some defensive and midfield options, while Aston Villa are also dealing with fitness concerns. The final team selections could depend on late assessments.
Bournemouth vs Sunderland — Sunday, October 18, 14:00 BST
Bournemouth welcome Sunderland for Sunday's early kick-off. Both sides will be eager to make a positive start to the day's action.
Bournemouth predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Smith, Silva, Hill, Truffert; Adams, Christie; Rayan, Tavernier, Brooks; Evanilson.
Sunderland predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Danso, Alderete; Xhaka, Sadiki; O'Nien, Le Fée, Angulo; Isidor.
Bournemouth could make a late decision on the availability of David Brooks, while Sunderland have fitness questions involving several players. Both teams will want to find an attacking balance without leaving themselves exposed defensively.
Brighton vs Crystal Palace — Sunday, October 18, 14:00 BST
The meeting between Brighton and Crystal Palace is another key fixture on Sunday. The local rivalry adds extra interest to a match in which both teams will be targeting an important result.
Brighton predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Kadıoğlu, Dunk, Vušković, Boscagli; Groß, Chema Andrés; Gómez, Ayari, De Cuyper; Kostoulas.
Crystal Palace predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Benítez; Mingueza, Richards, Canvot; Khalaili, Wharton, Timber, Mitchell; Pino, Kamada; Larsen.
Brighton have a reported doubt over Lewis Dunk, while Palace's defensive and attacking options could be influenced by injuries and suspension. The final lineups will provide a clearer picture of each manager's approach.
Leeds United vs Manchester United — Sunday, October 18, 14:00 BST
Manchester United travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United in one of the weekend's standout fixtures. The intensity of the contest and the battle for midfield control could be decisive.
Leeds predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Trafford; Justin, Elvedi, Muharemović; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin.
Manchester United predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Martínez, Dalot; Tielemans, Mount; Diallo, Fernandes, Mbeumo; Cunha.
Manchester United have several selection issues to consider, including defensive absences and doubts over the availability of some midfielders. Leeds will hope to use their home advantage and physical intensity to challenge the visitors.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Sunday, October 18, 16:30 BST
Arsenal travel to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest. The Gunners will aim to maintain their momentum, but Forest have the potential to make the contest difficult on home soil.
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Sels; Aina, Diomande, Murillo; Muñoz, Schlager, McAtee, Williams; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Delap.
Arsenal predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Gabriel, Konsa, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Ødegaard, Madueke; Havertz.
Arsenal's predicted lineup depends partly on the fitness of Kai Havertz and other players carrying injury concerns. Nottingham Forest also have questions over their defensive options, which could influence their selection.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City — Monday, October 19, 20:00 BST
Tottenham host Coventry City in the final match of Matchweek 7. Coventry will look to continue their positive run, while Tottenham will be keen to produce a strong performance in front of their home supporters.
Tottenham predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Kinský; Gray, van Hecke, Senesi, Udogie; Tonali, Bergvall; Sávio, Gallagher, Kudus; Solanke.
Coventry predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Rushworth; van Ewijk, Thomas, Pinnock, Dasilva; Yirenkyi, Grimes; Thomas-Asante, Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Cherif.
Tottenham have reported absences and doubts in defence, while Coventry will assess their own fitness concerns before the match. The final team sheets will confirm whether either manager makes significant changes.
Premier League Matchweek 7 fixtures and kick-off times
All times are in UK local time (BST).
- Saturday, October 17
- Everton vs Chelsea — 12:30
- Brentford vs Liverpool — 15:00
- Fulham vs Hull City — 15:00
- Manchester City vs Ipswich Town — 15:00
- Newcastle United vs Aston Villa — 17:30
- Sunday, October 18
- Bournemouth vs Sunderland — 14:00
- Brighton vs Crystal Palace — 14:00
- Leeds United vs Manchester United — 14:00
- Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — 16:30
- Monday, October 19
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Coventry City — 20:00
For the latest fixture information, consult the official Premier League Matchweek 7 schedule.
Final thoughts
Matchweek 7 offers a busy Premier League schedule, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all facing important tests. The predicted lineups provide an early guide to possible team selections, but injuries, suspensions and tactical decisions could lead to changes before kick-off.
Check back before each match for the confirmed starting XIs and the latest team news.