Image source, BBC Sport

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

His opponent for this weekend's fixtures is MMA star and Aston Villa fan Fabian Edwards.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Luton are desperate to get their first win - or even just a point - on the board.

Wolves have not started the season particularly well either but they do have a bit about them, and they were a little unlucky to be beaten by Liverpool last week after going ahead.

Of course Luton have got a chance of getting something against them, and they will put up a decent fight - they have only lost their past two games by a single goal - but I just feel like they will come up short again.

I don't want to be down on Luton every week but I am here to make predictions, and they kind of have to prove they can find a way to get a result before I start backing them to get one.

I suspect Wolves will go there and narrowly win, but I have a lot of sympathy for Luton boss Rob Edwards. He has clearly got a massive job on his hands and if he keeps the Hatters up, he'd be manager of the century.

Fabian's prediction: 0-1

Read the rest of this weekend's predictions

Image source, BBC Sport

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

His opponent for this weekend's fixtures is MMA star and Aston Villa fan Fabian Edwards.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

These teams have made identical starts to the season with two wins, two defeats and a draw apiece - and this game just smells like a draw, doesn't it?

It will be good to see my old manager Roy Hodgson back in the Palace dugout after he was unwell last week.

But I'm going with my nose here, so Roy won't get a win against one of his former clubs.

Fabian's prediction: 0-1

Read the rest of this weekend's predictions here

Image source, BBC Sport

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

His opponent for this weekend's fixtures is MMA star and Aston Villa fan Fabian Edwards.

Sutton's prediction: 4-0

Manchester City's squad is a bit thin on the ground because of injuries but I suppose that does make 'Pep Roulette' a little bit easier to play when it comes to picking their players for your Fantasy team.

I've brought City's Belgium winger Jeremy Doku into my team because I like the look of him after seeing him against West Ham and Red Star Belgrade in the past week. He will surely play a part this weekend.

City trailed at half-time in both of those games but they never seem to panic. They are just relentless - they just keep creating chances, and the goals always come.

Erling Haaland missed a stack of chances in both matches and, on that basis, he will probably score eight on Saturday. I've been so impressed by Julian Alvarez's play behind him - he is such an intelligent player, and it's very hard to keep him quiet.

Nottingham Forest were pretty hopeless away from home last season but they won at Stamford Bridge before the international break, and gave Arsenal and Manchester United a good game last month.

I can't see them getting anything here, though. Haaland got a first-half hat-trick the last time Forest came to Etihad Stadium, and, although I am not expecting City to go as big this time, it should be business as usual for them.

Fabian's prediction: 2-0

Read the rest of this weekend's predictions here

Joe Bradshaw
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Brown says Wolves should be looking at this Luton game as a “must-win”.

Facing promoted sides at home in the early weeks of the season on paper offers a great opportunity to pick up some much-needed points, but last year such results were hardly a given for Wolves.

Their opening home game was Championship winners Fulham, fresh from a barnstorming 2-2 draw with Liverpool on the first day. The result? A goalless draw at Molineux, which could have been worse had Jose Sa not saved Aleksandar Mitrovic’s late penalty.

Three weeks later, Bruno Lage’s Wolves travelled to fellow newbies Bournemouth who had also just played Liverpool, been hammered 9-0 and had installed now-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil as caretaker.

However, it was another snooze-fest on the south coast as Wolves laboured to a 0-0 draw that made it three draws in their opening five games.

They did beat then-bottom side Nottingham Forest in October at Molineux, thanks to a Ruben Neves penalty but again Sa had to save a penalty to secure the result. Hardly inspiring.

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When Bournemouth came to town in February, they burst Wolves’ two-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory at Molineux while the reverse fixtures at Fulham and Forest were both draws.

In the 2021-22 season, Wolves again faced promoted clubs early, beating Watford at Vicarage Road in September before slumping to defeat against Brentford at home a week later.

It was better overall though, collecting three wins and two draws from their six games against promoted clubs.

If games against teams in the mini-league at the bottom of the Premier League table are decisive, Wolves do not have comprehensive recent history of making them count.

They did it against Everton last month and victory against the bottom-placed Hatters – who boast no points and just two goals scored so far – would be a very appealing follow-up for O'Neil's side.

Is this a must-win game? Let us know

Michael Brown
Former Manchester City midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

It started part away through last season, Pep Guardiola looking to try and get Alvarez up alongside Haaland.

You look and think, 'How are you going to get him in the team?' Because Haaland always plays. So it was a case of putting him in those wide positions.

Now, [without De Bruyne] Guardiola has had to think of something different. Because of Alvarez' work rate, he is infectious and wants to always get the ball back, he more than adds to that press up front that Haaland isn't as good it.

He has been better at finding the spaces, getting on the half turn and advancing forward, making those late runs into the box. He's getting goals, assists, is not afraid to shoot, and he is starting to be found by his teammates in those areas.

Image source, Getty Images

Julian Alvarez has shown "what an excellent footballer he is" with his performances so far this season for Manchester City, according to Chris Sutton.

The World Cup winner has played all seven games for City up to now, scoring four goals.

After Tuesday's brace against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League, Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I thought when he first signed for Manchester City, I hadn’t seen a lot of him but I thought he was going to come and try and play in between the centre-halves and play high up, but he has shown his versatility and what an excellent footballer he is.

"It was Haaland who played highest up and he dropped in that number 10 role and took up some really intelligent positions. He is so good on the half-turn. He made forward runs at times as well and it’s ominous.

"What we have learned from Pep Guardiola’s teams over the years is that he sort of re-invents them every season, players come in and find a way and hit the ground running and Alvarez has done that this season.

"It looks at this moment in time like Haaland and Alvarez are Pep’s preferred option."

Hear more reaction to Tuesday's Champions League action on the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Kenilworth Road

This is my first visit to Kenilworth Road in many years, since before Luton dropped out of the league never mind their rise to the Premier League.

The surrounds of the stadium are proper old school, with the ground itself squeezed in between rows of houses and narrow paths.

Underneath the main stand it has not changed too much either but outside, with the sun shining, it really does look a picture.

Image source, BBC Sport

Alex Pewter, FYP podcast, external

It seems the Tuesday headline from two weeks ago that "injuries will test this squad" turned out to be annoyingly prophetic.

The loss of Marc Guehi and Jefferson Lerma during the international break and the last-minute absence of manager Roy Hodgson because of ill health immediately tested the much-maligned 'depth' in the squad and the club's emotional resolve.

Of course, the issue for this team isn't the immediate back-ups - in this case Chris Richards and Will Hughes - but who backs up the back-ups in turn. Like a long-distance runner who set off too quickly, Palace led into the home straight but without the necessary substitute options or stamina to maintain the required pace.

Such is the ability of several first-team players, the gap between the first and third option - at centre-back in the case of Guehi - may never have been wider. Having a do-it-all England international highlights flaws in others that have been part and parcel of the past hard-fought decade in the Premier League.

A trusty long-time rotational player like Martin Kelly - who started just over 50 matches at centre-half for the club - dropped into this team at his previous best, would likely be derided as a reserve option within the context of this squad.

Unfortunately, there isn't the time and space to dissect the controversial penalty decision. But, attempting to remain level-headed in defeat, circumstance cost Crystal Palace this time, which at this stage is preferable to an outright poor performance.

"Again clueless Pep". Discuss.

James: Hoping we (Man Utd) can put all the off field nonsense to one side and get a good result this evening to kickstart our season - although these players have been failing to do that in 5 games so far...

Anonymous: Why still play Gvardiol at left back when his strength is at centre back? A partnership between him and Dias would be formidable. Again clueless Pep.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Cooper insists he will not rest on his laurels as he celebrates two years in charge at Nottingham Forest.

Cooper arrived in September 2021 with Forest floundering at the bottom of the Championship before taking the club up to the Premier League later that season and establishing top-flight football at the City Ground.

But the former Swansea boss is adamant he has not achieved enough and says he needs to be "obsessed" with continuing to improve.

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"There is no entitlement," Cooper told BBC Radio Nottingham. "Whatever good things we might have done over the last two years is not enough. It has got to be more. The supporters deserve to enjoy things, they’ve earned that."

"They’ve given unconditional support to the club in good and bad times since before I’ve come here so I have to be completely obsessed with getting the best from every single day. We are very together and you don’t always have that.

"All I want to do here is good things; two years here, okay, that’s fine but I’m only looking forward."

Cooper added that he understands what Forest means to the local community and the "responsibility" he holds.

"We love this football club and we love being here. But we understand the responsibility to do right by the fans. I know how much of an impact a football club can have on a community, especially in this city."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Nottingham Forest

Big news for Forest this week!

Take That have confirmed they will be performing their This Life on Tour show at Nottingham Forest.

Musicians Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen will be joined by Olly Murs when they take to the stage at the City Ground on 26 May 2024.

It will be the first concert to be held at the football stadium since REM performed there in 2005.

A projection of the boyband's logo appeared on the stadium this week, prompting speculation about a gig.

Question is, though - are Nottingham Forest back in the Premier League for good? Hahahahaha. Urgh.

Image source, Getty Images

Erling Haaland is "far more than just an out-and-out finisher" says former Chelsea and England striker Chris Sutton after the Norway striker laid on Manchester City's equalising goal for Julian Alvarez against Red Star Belgrade.

Haaland has seven goals already this season - and scored 52 in 53 games last year - but Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast the 23-year-old was more well-rounded than perceived.

"I have always thought that about him," said Sutton. "You see that was such a clever pass when he shaped to shoot with his hammer of a left foot and then slipped Alvarez in with a reverse ball.

"City have seamless combinations in the final third and always have runners and Haaland showed again what an important team player he is."

Sutton also praised Haaland for his perseverance as he spurned a number of golden opportunities to add to his 30 Champions League goals.

"Those are chances he normally buried but he keeps getting in the positions," said Sutton.

"But it was never a game where you worried it would be one of those nights for City. They scored a brilliantly worked goal straight after half-time and away they went again."

Listen to full reaction on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Kenilworth Road

This banner is hung in the corner of the Oak Road Stand in Kenilworth Road.

It relates to the Football Association initially deducting Luton 10 points in the summer of 2008 for complex financial rule breaches, which was then compounded when the Football League added a further 20 point penalty.

That ended up costing Luton their place in the Football League.

Although their climb back to the top flight is now the stuff of legend, Hatters fans have evidently not forgotten.

Image source, BBC Sport

Looks that way, Mark. We've just been discussing in the office how nobody looks capable of stopping City winning the league this year.

You'd need, what, a minimum of 90 points at least to win it? Who's getting that other than the current champions?

Chris Wise
BBC Final Score at Kenilworth Road

Here’s our view at Kenilworth Road today.

Luton have to find a way to make this place their fortress. They’re still yet to take the lead in a Premier League match this season. The ‘Kenny’ is definitely ready for that moment.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Nottingham Forest's American goalkeeper Matt Turner has never played at Etihad Stadium before but he is currently warming up by being tested by shots from every possible angle, so he probably knows what to expect later.

City managed 29 shots when they beat West Ham last weekend, and another 37 as they overcame Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, at an average of one effort every three minutes... so, if they keep that up, Turner will be in for a busy afternoon.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker says he will continue to wear the captain's armband but will not reveal who will permanently skipper the side.

Walker, 33, has been leading the team since Ilkay Gundogan departed for Barcelona in the summer.

But he has confirmed that with City's senior leadership group - including himself, Kevin de Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Bernardo Silva - in place, the identity of the captain doesn't matter and they will decide when to announce it.

"There is a captain but I just feel out of respect to everyone that's involved in it, there's no numbers," said the England international.

"We're a team and we (the leadership group) are a team inside a team, and whoever wears the armband or has the armband on the day, is going to wear the armband until the time is right, until certain members in that captaincy group feel it's right to announce the number or the order.

"That's what we'll do but, until then, I'm wearing the armband because I was the third captain last season and I'll continue to wear it for the rest of the season until the time's right.

"I don't even think it's really necessary. We're a team inside a team."

Walker had been linked with a summer exit from the Etihad Stadium with Bayern Munich interested, but he signed a new contract recently.