Alexander Isak watches from the stands as his new Newcastle team-mates, in their Saudi-style white and green kit, get the game under way.

Right then, Sunday's Premier League action starts here.

Away we go at both Molineux and Villa Park. Even a sprinkling of yesterday's drama would be lovely...

Chris Sutton
The New Lawro

Wolves just don't score. They create numerous opportunities and have some talented players, I don't know how long we have said this about them but it is just that finishing touch.

Because of that, I think they might come a cropper against Newcastle, who were absolutely brilliant against Manchester City in the 3-3 draw at St James' Park last weekend.

The way they played, the way they got bodies forward and the way they attacked with real confidence, I am going to go for Newcastle.

Prediction: 1-2

West Ham are vying for a fifth consecutive league win against Aston Villa, whose only victory in the past 12 Premier League meetings between these two came seven years ago - a 1-0 win at home in May 2015.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Molineux

If Newcastle win at Molineux they will go into the top four.

If Tottenham then fail to win at Nottingham Forest they could well stay there.

I realise there has been a lot of money spent on Eddie Howe's squad - and the controversy that surround its origin - but that would still be a significant achievement.

Image source, Reuters

David Moyes sees this as the perfect opportunity to kickstart the Hammers' season and get the club back on track in "trying to be one of the big clubs".

"We're piecing a lot of things together at the moment and we're getting ready for a tough game against Aston Villa," said Moyes.

"We'll do everything we can to get started at Villa. We need good performances to get results and, at the moment, the performances haven't been good enough to get results. We're seeing signs of it improving.

"The challenge for us is aiming at the top but at the moment we've got a job to do. We want to get the win at Villa and we'll certainly try to do that.

"I'm really pleased with how we've brought the club on over the last two-and-a-half years. We've really knuckled down, kept at it, and the players have been fantastic.

"We're trying to be one of the big clubs. We want to be a big club in the transfer market. The club does a lot of big work in the community, in east London. But ultimately, the results are what drive it all."

Update, Celtic are winning 9-0 now...

Villa have lost eight of their past 14 league matches and 14 of 30 under Steven Gerrard (winning 11 and drawing the other five). Since Gerrard's first game in charge last November, the only current Premier League clubs to have lost more often in the division are Everton and West Ham, with 19 and 15 defeats respectively.

Villa are looking to earn consecutive home league wins in the same season for the first time since January 2021. Under Gerrard, they have followed up each of their four top-flight victories at Villa Park with a defeat in their next home league game.

The hosts have lost five Premier League fixtures after scoring first under Gerrard, a joint-high with Southampton over that period.

Celtic are taking the role of Liverpool today with Dundee United doing their best Bournemouth impression.

It's 8-0 to Celtic with 10 minutes to go.

See if they can reach nine or 10 here.

This makes grim reading for both Aston Villa and West Ham fans, whose clubs are among the most out-of-form teams in 2022...

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC Radio 5 Live

Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about playing at home at St James' Park and what the team want to achieve this season: "As an opposition player coming to St James', you always knew it was a difficult place to come because the atmosphere was always one of the best in the league, if not the world.

"To have that behind you, pushing you and supporting you, is something that is great to experience.

"It's everything you want and dream of as a footballer.

"We don't want to put a limit on what we want to achieve, we want to progress as a team and score more goals, concede less and build a relationship with the fans with football they want to watch.

"You could tell how much work we put in last week in and that's something fans appreciate, when players are playing for the club and badge.

"So that's something we've got to continue."

Image source, Getty Images

Sporting boss Ruben Amorim had a peculiar way of encouraging Matheus Nunes during training sessions.

Amorim would often approach the young Portugal midfielder and tell him he needed to work harder than his colleagues. The reason was simple: Nunes had to pay for his manager's signing. He was joking, albeit perhaps not entirely.

Having taken the unprecedented gamble of paying a fee of 10m euros for a coach whose top-flight experience was close to none, club president Frederico Varandas made a bold prediction as he denied any concern about the finances of the deal.

"I have absolutely no doubt that Nunes alone will pay for Amorim. You can write it down," he said in an interview with Canal 11 in May 2020.

It was some responsibility for a boy who, until the age of 19, had only played in lower leagues and was yet to make his senior debut for the Lisbon team.

But Varandas couldn't have been more right.

A month later, Nunes would feature in the Portuguese league for the first time - the start of an upward trajectory that would prompt Wolverhampton Wanderers to break their transfer record to sign the 23-year-old for £38m this summer.

Read more of Marcus Alves' piece on Nunes here.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Welsh international striker Robert Earnshaw spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about Newcastle's latest signing Alexander Isak: "Newcastle are known for their number nines but he's not really the Shearer or Cole type of player. He's more of a creator and he'll dribble.

"I think he's an excellent signing because he's had a taste of the top and it's not quite worked out, but he was goal hungry in La Liga, so this is a great time for him.

"He's still young but he's a very exciting player, which I think Newcastle fans will love because you watch him play and you know he'll do something.

"We're going to enjoy watching him this season!"

Newcastle have confirmed that Bruno Guimaraes is ruled out of today's match after picking up an injury in midweek.

Chris Sutton
The New Lawro

These sides have both had indifferent starts to the season.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard hung his hat on Philippe Coutinho and left him out last week to start with Emiliano Buendia instead, but things did not happen for them in their defeat at Crystal Palace.

Villa had a disappointing opening display against Bournemouth, too. I know they beat Everton, but things are not quite clicking and it is a big game for them with home advantage.

West Ham have not got going either, although I think they will. They have lost the first three matches in the Premier League and David Moyes will maybe be feeling a bit hard done by.

His side performed strongly at Forest, ended up hitting the bar and the post and certain things went against them, but they did not do enough against Brighton, their bogey team. West Ham also have big centre half problems, and I think this will be a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Steven Gerrard says he knew patience would be required in improving several areas at Aston Villa after a start to the season that has prompted pockets of criticism.

Gerrard, who took charge of Villa when Dean Smith was sacked in November, has guided his side to one win from three so far this term.

Defeats to Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have led to talk of him being under pressure, while debate over his move to take the club captaincy away from Tyrone Mings prompted brief unrest.

“When you take over a club the size and the challenge of Aston Villa, there are numerous things you need to work on and progress: the team, the squad, the culture of the club, and the mentality of the players and staff around the building," said Gerrard.

"It takes time and it’s a process. I believe we’ll get there in the end. I didn’t expect any quick fix or overnight fix. We’re certainly working every minute we can to improve the team and get to those consistent levels.”