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Goals expected on South Coast
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Arsenal will be Arsenal
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Almost perfect Brighton have a flaw
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Both teams are improving and changing before our very eyes as Andoni Iraola and Ange Postecoglou take their new teams in a different direction. It makes the early kick-off an intriguing proposition as two works in progress collide.
Yet when trying to make sense of this one the future can wait as we look instead to its recent past.
Son Heung-min relishes taking a bite at the Cherries, scoring five times, and assisting twice against them in six previous meetings. Last term at Dean Court, the Korean forward conjured up six chances, his highest tally away from North London.
Dominic Solanke meanwhile was involved in all three of his team's goals in the corresponding fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It is telling that both players have started their campaigns brightly, the latter with a goal and an assist already. It's also notable that both games last season ended 3-2, each decided by last-minute winners.
Arsenal v Fulham (15:00) - History will have to wait
The Cottagers have never won at Highbury or the Emirates and all logic tells us that history is unlikely to be made on Saturday. The Gunners last lost in North London to a side outside the top six way back in April 2022, and in their last ten outings on home soil they have averaged 2.9 goals per 90.
A shock result can never be disregarded of course but as Lewis Jones points out, bad times are coming for Marco Silva's men and it is all-too-easy to picture what awaits them here. Martin Odegaard will pull the strings, floating into pockets of space and making the most of it. Saka and Martinelli will torment down each flank.
And then there's Eddie Nketiah, who is prolific in front of the Arsenal faithful, scoring nine in his last 12 starts at home.
How do you replace the goals of Ivan Toney? For the buzzing Bees the answer has been pretty straightforward in pairing up Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, the duo scoring 14 of Brentford's last 15 in the league.
Moreover, since being deprived of their talismanic frontman last May, Thomas Frank's side have picked up 13 points from 15, playing Spurs twice in that period and beating Manchester City for good measure.
It's tempting therefore to think that Palace won't overly test the hosts, especially given how comfortably Fulham were brushed aside last week. Brentford all told are in fine shape.

Don't discount though how well Roy Hodgson can set up a side difficult to break down, a trait that has become crucial for the Eagles with Zaha gone, Eze distracted by transfer talk, and Michael Olise injured.
In their first two games, Palace have faced only four shots on target and it is pertinent too that the last four meetings between these teams have ended in stalemate.
Bottom plays second from bottom at Goodison and with both teams anticipated to struggle this season it can legitimately be considered a six-pointer. In August.
Conceding five goals apiece at this early juncture reflects how porous their defences are and there is little chance of either side compensating for that when we acknowledge how wasteful they have been. Between them, Everton and Wolves have taken on 67 shots this past fortnight, with just one goal to show for it.
It's a profligacy that can be explained by the naked eye. Last week, Fabio Silva looked visibly panicked when presented with a gilt-edged opportunity. Neal Maupay meanwhile has the confidence of a mouse in a snake-pit.
The Toffees should be backed to prevail but only because they have the ability to rustle up the odd 1-0 win on Merseyside. Wolves are winless in nine on the road.
Looking blunt up front and with a midfield three that has wholly failed to gel, there are some big problems for Erik Ten Hag to fix at present, the most concerning of which lies with their wide-men. Garnacho, Sancho and Antony have each been insipid and entirely ineffective.
From such a low base surely we can expect some degree of improvement against a side that picked up only eight points away from the City Ground last term, but Forest will fancy their chances here, particularly if any early pressure is withstood.
Prominent in Steve Cooper's thinking will be the 23 shots United faced in their opening fixture at home to Wolves.
On that note, Taiwo Awoniyi is an obvious threat, scorer of eights goals in his last six outings, while Anthony Elanga will be desperate to impress on his return to Old Trafford. The 21-year-old greatly impressed at Arsenal on the opening weekend.
Lastly, for all of United's current woes, expect a decent corner count from them. An average of seven per game is a credible return for a team elsewhere labouring.
Despite losing Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo, the Seagulls have picked up where they left us, leading the way for shots and big chances created, as well as topping the actual Premier League table. A repeat of last season's four-goal demolition of the Hammers at the Amex is absolutely not out of the question.
Amidst all of the fluid, adventurous wonderment though there is one small negative to look out for. In their two outings so far, Brighton have picked up eight cautions. Last season they averaged 1.5 per game.
Is this because they're adapting to a tweaked version of De Zerbi-ball post-Caicedo? Very possibly and in Fornals, Bowen and Paqueta the visitors have fleet-footed creatives to capitalize on any uncertainty, drawing fouls so that James Ward-Prowse can do his thing.
With West Ham on a high from beating Chelsea, and Brighton flying as always, it would be criminal if this one disappointed.
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