The only unbeaten side in the Premier League so far this season are Manchester City.

The champions currently lie third in the standings, two points behind Manchester United, the leaders, and one point less than Chelsea.

City, who saw their Champions League hopes practically dashed this week, will be keen to stretch their home Premier League record to 35 matches against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow.

Chelsea have the best undefeated home run in the league – 86 matches.

City were last beaten at home on December 2010, going down to 1-2 to Everton.

Roberto Mancini’s team are within three matches − Tottenham, Aston Villa (Nov. 17) and Everton (Dec. 1) − of overtaking Manchester United’s second-best run of 36 home games.

The 0-0 draw at West Ham was the first time City had failed to score since their 1-0 loss against Arsenal on April 8. Coach Roberto Mancini said that with more hard work the team could recapture the attacking style which helped them win last season’s Premier League title.

Last term, after ten matches, City had scored a stunning 36 goals − that is half the tally they have to date.

Tottenham have upset their fans once more, putting another question mark over manager Andre Villas-Boas’s head regarding his future at the club.

Spurs’ shock defeat at home to modest Wigan (0-1) have left the Londoners with two wins and two draws and the same number of losses at White Hart Lane.

On Wednesday, Manchester United became the first English side to earn a place in the knock-out stages of the Champions League this season after a 3-1 win at Braga.

This evening they play Aston Villa at Villa Park – an ideal hunting ground for the visitors.

United are coming from a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the league but Alex Ferguson told his team they must be more clinical to retain the sole leadership in the Premiership standings.

Gabriel Agbonlahor scored his first league goal for exactly 12 months to hand Villa a narrow victory over struggling Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in their last outing.

Chelsea, having dropped four points in their last two league matches, came good in Europe on Wednesday after beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 with a last-gasp Victor Moses winner.

Tomorrow, the Blues take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge with captain John Terry now available after serving his four-match ban imposed by the FA.

Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven league matches as Liverpool, so renowned in the past for their strong showings at Anfield, have now become a home side that struggle to win points in front of their own fans.

After dropping eight points from four consecutive draws, Everton can return to winning form as they play hosts to Sunderland at Goodison Park today.

In his 10 years in charge at Everton, David Moyes witnessed the ups, the downs and, in particular, the many false dawnings.

So, when he dares to suggest that his present team may just be his best since he moved from Preston in 2002, it is perhaps worth listening to.

Arsenal play Fulham at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

This will be the Gunners’ fourth derby of the season after the clashes against Chelsea (home 1-2), West Ham (away 3-1) and QPR (home 1-0).

In Fulham’s last match, substitute Steve Sidwell rescued a point for his team with a late equaliser in a pulsating contest with Everton.

Fixtures and forecast...

Premier League

Arsenal-Fulham 1
Aston Villa-Man. Utd (18:30) 2
Everton-Sunderland 1
Reading-Norwich Cityx
Southampton-Swansea X
Stoke City-Qpr X
Wigan-West Brom X

Tomorrow:
Chelsea-Liverpool (17:00) X
Man. City-Tottenham (14:30) 1
Newcastle-West Ham (16:00) 1

Standings: Man. Utd 24; Chelsea 23; Man. City 22; Everton, Wba, Totten-Ham 17; Arsenal, Fulham, West Ham 15; Newcastle 14; Swansea 12; Liverpool, Wigan 11; Norwich 10; Stoke, Sunderland, Aston Villa 9; Reading 5; Qpr, Southampton 4.

The Championship

Barnsley-Huddersfield X
Blackburn-Birmingham 1
Blackpool-Bolton X
Cardiff-Hull City 1
Ipswich-Burnley 1
Leeds-Watford 1
Leicester-N. Forest (13:45) 1
Millwall-Derby 1
Peterborough-C. Palace 2
Wolves-Brighton1

Tomorrow:
Bristol City-Charlton (16:00) 1

League One

Brentford-Carlisle 1
Bury-Portsmouth X
Coventry-Scunthorpe 1
Crewe-Colchester 1
Doncaster-Bournemouth X
L. Orient-Shrewsbury 1
Mk Dons-Sheffield Utd X
Notts County-Crawley X
Oldham-Tranmere X
Stevenage-Preston 1
Walsall-Swindon 2
Yeovil-Hartlepool 1

League Two

Accrington-Northampton X
Aldershot-Bradford City 2
Bristol Rovers-Chesterfield X
Cheltenham-Burton 1
Dagenham-Rotherham X
Exeter-Fleetwood X
Morecambe-Barnet 1
Oxford-Torquay 1
Plymouth-Gillingham 2
Southend-Port Vale X
Wycombe-Rochdale X
York-Afc Wimbledon 1

Hot Four

Arsenal, Everton, Cardiff, Wolves.