The big story: Chelsea face Crystal Palace test

Sitting on top of the Premier League table, Chelsea will look to equal their club record of 11 league wins in succession when they travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Chelsea have been the team in form this season and have already raced to a six-point lead in the standings.

By contrast, the hosts have the joint worst home record in the division and are undermined by injuries. There are also reports of a possible fan protest during the match after a wretched start to the league.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will host West Bromwich Albion. United trail the visitors by a place in seventh. West Brom have had a positive start to the season so far. They have played with an attacking verve that has seen them score one more goal than United have in the league so far.

Reigning champions Leicester City cross swords with Stoke City. Leicester will look for some consistency after losing at Bournemouth after their heroics against Manchester City. They will be confident against Stoke, who have earned just a point from their last two games.

Other top stories

  1. Antonio Conte has urged Chelsea players not to let huge sums on offer in China turn their heads following Oscar’s £60m move to Shanghai SIPG. The fee for Oscar is a Chelsea record and will see the 25-year-old earn as much as £350,000 a week. “I think the most important thing for us must be the passion,” said Conte. “The Chinese market is a danger for all. For all teams in the world, not only for Chelsea,” Conte added. “For sure, this market is an incredible market. It’s a great opportunity for all: for the coaches, also, not only for the players. They are offering a lot of money. But I think we must concentrate on our work, not think that in China there is a lot of money and they can arrive to take the players there.”
  2. Neymar has credited Lionel Messi for helping him settle in his Barcelona career in 2013. The Brazil international moved from Santos to the Spanish club in the summer of 2013, but admitted he struggled in the initial phase. Messi’s support though this phase helped Neymar hit his stride. “Soon after I arrived, it was not a great moment in my career and he was the one who helped me,” Neymar told CNN. “He saw that I was sad, with my head down, that things were not going right for me. “He told me to keep going, to be happy and to play the way I know. He told me this and he helped me a lot at that moment in time. He is a person who I admire a lot,” Neymar added.
  3. Borussia Dortmund earned a 2-2 away at Hoffenheim after Marco Reus was sent off in the first-half in a Bundesliga tie on Friday night. The draw saw Hoffenhein extend their unbeaten start in the tournament to 15 games. Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim the lead inside three minutes. Mario Gotze equalised for Dortmund nine minutes later. Sandro Wagner put the home side back in front before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brought Hoffenheim back on level terms. The point moves Hoffenheim up to third, while Dortmund are fifth.
  4. St Etienne temporarily suspended ticket sales for their Europa League clash against Manchester United after a ‘historic’ number of fans turned up to buy seats. “The Saint-Etienne ticket office has seen an historic interest this Thursday when tickets for the game against Manchester United went on sale,” a statement on the club’s official website read. “Given the number of fans present at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard and the waiting time, the club has decided to suspend sales today.” St Etienne will host United for the second leg tie on February 22. The first leg will be played at Old Trafford on February 16.