The Baggies came out on top in this fixture last year, winning 2-0, and the early evidence suggests a repeat is on the cards in Saturday's early kick-off at The Hawthorns. Although they were brushed aside 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in midweek, West Brom have won four of their last six Premiership games at home stretching back to last season. True, two of those wins have come against woeful travellers Portsmouth but getting into the winning habit in front of your own fans is always a good thing.

Birmingham, meanwhile, have taken just one point out of nine and looked pretty woeful in the 3-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough in midweek. Steve Bruce has plenty to sort out and with his team vulnerable.

Verdict: West Brom 2 Birmingham 0

Blackburn have won four of the last seven at Villa Park in League and Cup although last year an 88th minute Nobby Solano strike settled the game in Villa's favour. David O'Leary would take a scrappy 1-0 win now after three games without a win so far although, in truth, they haven't done a lot wrong. After a 2-2 draw with Bolton on opening day it was always going to be difficult to get anything at Old Trafford while they were hampered by Solano's early red card in the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth in midweek. O'Leary will be able to call on the services of Milan Baros on Saturday and the Czech striker will be desperate to make an early impression.

Rovers have taken four points from six since a disappointing opening day defeat

Verdict: Aston Villa 2 Blackburn 1

This fixture has been won by the team playing at home eight times out of eight since Fulham returned to the top flight so history is with Chris Coleman's men.

And Everton must surely be vulnerable after their draining experience in the Champions League in midweek. The Toffees will have expended an awful lot of emotional energy during the 90 minutes and immediate aftermath and must be desperately disappointed after so nearly rescuing the tie.

A good team would be fancied to take advantage and put Everton away but, on the evidence so far, the Cottagers are far from that. They've shipped six goals in losses at Arsenal and Blackburn and the home point they gained against Birmingham on opening day now looks disappointing following the Blues' subsequent two home defeats.

Verdict: Fulham 1 Everton 1

If ever a match cried out 'home banker' then this is it.

City extended their unbeaten run under Stuart Pearce to 11 games with an impressive 2-1 victory at Sunderland on Tuesday night to temporarily take top spot in the Premiership. Already it seems clear that the feelgood factor from last season has carried over to this campaign and it's been a big boost for Pearce to see new striking recruits Andy Cole and Darius Vassell both get off the mark in style in the last week.

Contrast that with a Portsmouth side which has just one point to show from matches against Aston Villa, West Brom and Spurs. Considering that two of those games were at Fratton Park and that Villa played for nearly 80 minutes with ten men it's hardly been the ideal start to the season. It shouldn't be a surprise though because no team has performed worse than Pompey in the top flight in the last six months or so.

They've now taken a paltry 14 points from the last 66 on offer and away from home it's even worse - two points from 30 available and just five goals scored and 22 conceded.

You have to go back to Boxing Day 2004 for their last success away from Fratton Park so quite how they can any hope at the City of Manchester Stadium is beyond us.

Verdict: Manchester City 3 Portsmouth 0

So much for Chelsea's unimpressive start. Three wins, three clean sheets and top of the table with a maximum nine points.

While it's no surprise to see Jose Mourinho's men back at the summit, it's unexpected to see Spurs as their nearest challengers, even though Marin Jol's men have been tipped up as potential Champions League qualifiers. While Spurs fans are more than pleased by their team's start they'd be absolutey ecstatic if they could take maximum points off Chelsea.

Chelsea took their unbeaten league run over Spurs to an incredible 30 games, spanning 15 years, by winning 2-0 at White Hart Lane last season so to say that history is against Jol's men is something of an understatement.

Spurs would normally find it tough to end the Chelsea hoodoo with the champions being favourite to chalk up yet another win over their London rivals. However rarely can Spurs have gone into this fixture with such confidence so with their tails up the White Hart Lane men can snatch a draw.

Verdict: Tottenham 0 Chelsea 0

West Ham have won three of their four home clashes against Bolton since the start of the Premiership and will have revenge on their minds when they seek to stretch that record to four out of five. Bolton's 1-0 win over the Hammers towards the end of the 2003/4 season - courtesy of a screamer from Jay-Jay Okocha - went a long way to relegating the Upton Park side and plenty at West Ham won't have forgotten. West Ham have made a positive start to life back in the Premiership with a win and a draw and will also be fresher than Bolton after not playing in midweek.

The Trotters were unlucky to lose to Everton last Sunday but took their chances in the 2-0 win over Newcastle and will want to keep the forward momentum going here. It's a difficult match to call but with Bolton's greater Premiership experience they may be the more attractive option.

Verdict: West Ham 0 Bolton 1

Talking about relegation six-pointers at the end of August may seem a little unfair but it's hard to view this match as anything but exactly that. This newly-promoted pair already prop up the Premiership table, the only two sides without a point to their name.

In fairness to Wigan they've only played the two matches and the first of those was against champions Chelsea when they were extremely unfortunate not to come away with a draw. They then suffered their second 1-0 defeat away to Charlton but that was altogether more worrying as the Latics looked toothless up front as they struggled to create anything of note. The departure of Nathan Ellington to West Brom has left boss Paul Jewell worryingly short up front and time is very much against him as the transfer window begins to close.

Sunderland also look lightweight and were also no match for the Addicks on the opening day of the season but they have improved since then against Liverpool and Manchester City. And it's interesting that they haven't lost to Wigan in four Championship matches over the last couple of seasons - and won 1-0 in the latest of those at the JJB back in April.

That all suggests that the Black Cats may have the edge but ....

Verdict: Wigan 1 Sunderland 1