MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City will try to preserve the Premier League’s only perfect record at Aston Villa this weekend while dealing with mounting injuries and major off-field distractions following their guilty verdict on financial-rule charges.
Enzo Maresca’s City have won all seven league matches to sit three points clear of champions Arsenal, but an independent commission’s finding that the club were guilty of 114 financial breaches has cast a shadow over their blistering start.
City have denied any wrongdoing and appealed, with sanctions yet to be decided.
Their immediate task is maintaining their flawless run at Villa Park on Saturday despite a growing injury list.
Forward Antoine Semenyo is set for a lengthy spell out with a knee injury, while wing back Nico O’Reilly and midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are doubts.
League-leading scorer Erling Haaland was rested for Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League thrashing of AEK Athens because of a knock but is expected to be available against Villa.
Arsenal, City’s closest challengers on 18 points, host Everton on Saturday, although they have fitness concerns after Bukayo Saka limped off in the 10th minute of Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich with a quadriceps injury.
“He doesn’t look good at all, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.
Fourth-placed Chelsea host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after back-to-back league victories over Bournemouth and Everton.
Spurs finally earned their first league victory of the season with Monday’s 3-1 home win over Coventry City after a miserable start that has left them 16th with six points from seven games. Chelsea have 13 points.
Liverpool face one of the tougher challenges of the weekend when they welcome high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield on Sunday.
Brighton’s superb start has them third with five wins and a draw from seven matches, two places and four points above Liverpool, while their goal difference of plus 18 is the league’s best.
Liverpool, though, have uncovered another attacking weapon in 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who produced a dazzling performance in their 4-3 Champions League comeback win over Villarreal on Tuesday.
Ngumoha created two goals and became the youngest Liverpool player to register a Champions League assist, earning a standing ovation from the Anfield crowd.
“That’s the good thing with Rio he is still 18, he is not the full package, he can add things fortunately for us. Hopefully he can continue in the same way,” Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said. “But I’m happy because attitude-wise I think he’s in a great place.”
Liverpool’s injury problems complicate the task, with the versatile Dominik Szoboszlai, wing back Jeremie Frimpong, right back Conor Bradley and striker Hugo Ekitike among those sidelined.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United desperately need a victory over Bournemouth to breathe life into a season that has gone awry.
Michael Carrick’s team are 13th with one victory and seven points from their opening seven matches and are coming off a shambolic 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday.
“I have to apologize to the supporters,” Carrick said after the latest setback in Italy. “I care about this football club as much as anyone, if not more.
“For us to play in that way, it’s not acceptable. That bit of intensity, that aggression, that real willingness to give everything tonight was totally the opposite of the performance. It was tough to watch.”
Complicating matters, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Lisandro Martinez are among those with injury or fitness concerns, while midfielder Manuel Ugarte has a long-term knee injury.
Carrick’s United were held 1-1 at home by Tottenham and away to Leeds United in their last two league outings and now face a Bournemouth side who sit one point below them.
For Manchester City, the challenge is almost the reverse. While their rivals search for momentum or try to keep pace, they head to Villa attempting to ensure the legal fight surrounding the club does not interrupt a perfect start on the pitch.