• 1
  Chelsea go into this one in fourth, still bruised after Arsenal handed Xabi Alonso his first defeat as Chelsea boss last weekend. Hull, of all clubs, sit one place and one point above them, unbeaten and playing like a side that's forgotten it was relegated from this division about a decade ago. Bragging rights are secondary here — Chelsea need a response, and Hull want proof their start isn't a fluke before anyone starts asking when the wheels come off.
• 2
  History is heavily on Chelsea's side: they haven't lost to Hull in ten previous Premier League meetings, winning eight and drawing two. It's the kind of stat that should offer the Blues some comfort, except most of those games were played by a very different, much richer version of this fixture — this Hull side has spent the whole season ignoring what's supposed to happen to clubs like them.
• 3
  Keep an eye on Cole Palmer. He's the one who took Chelsea's academy tracksuit and swagger and turned it into cold, ruthless finishing — he was the difference in the opening-day win over Fulham, and Alonso's whole attacking plan tends to run through him standing very still and then suddenly not being still at all. If Chelsea are going to break down a defence that hasn't conceded all season, it's probably going through him.
• 4
  Xabi Alonso arrived with a reputation for control and instead got a chaotic week — first a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, then a wild 6-3 Carabao Cup win over Leeds in which Chelsea somehow scored four goals in twelve second-half minutes. Add a growing injury list (Caicedo, Henderson, Palestra and Emegha all missing) and quiet noise about Enzo Fernández's future amid Manchester City interest, and there's plenty for Alonso to be tetchy about in his press conference.
• 5
  Here's the genuinely mad stat of the week: Hull City are the only club in the top four divisions of English football yet to concede a single league goal this season. One more clean sheet here and they match Manchester City's feat from 2015-16 of shutting out opponents in each of their first four league games — something no promoted side has ever managed in the entire history of the top flight. Chelsea lead the league for goals scored, so something has to give, and that collision course alone is worth clearing your Saturday afternoon for.

• 1
  Chelsea have a new manager yet again — Xabi Alonso took over in the summer, their fifth permanent boss under the current ownership. He arrives with real pedigree though: he won an unbeaten Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen before a spell at Real Madrid.
• 2
  Chelsea signed Aston Villa's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for a strikingly low £7.5m this summer. A serious upgrade between the posts for not much outlay — good value-spotting, even by Chelsea's usual standards.
• 3
  French centre-back Maxence Lacroix arrived from Crystal Palace for around £52m, fresh off representing France at this year's World Cup. Worth mentioning if Palace comes up in conversation — a smart, defence-first signing rather than a flashy one.
• 4
  Chelsea's early season has been a rollercoaster: 16 goals in their first five games across all competitions, but the defence has looked shaky doing it. Exactly the kind of team that's brilliant to watch and stressful to support.
• 5
  Alonso's job now is turning that entertainment into consistency. Chelsea fans have learned not to get too attached to any one manager's project, but this is the most credentialed appointment they've made in years — worth flagging that cautious optimism rather than either extreme.

• 1
  Hull City are unbeaten after their first three Premier League games back in the top flight — wins over Manchester United and Coventry, plus a goalless draw at Aston Villa. They haven't conceded a single goal yet either, which for a newly promoted side is a genuinely remarkable start.
• 2
  Beating Manchester United in their first few weeks back among the elite is the kind of result Hull fans will be telling people about for years. It doesn't matter how the rest of the season goes — that one's banked.
• 3
  Most promoted clubs take a few months to stop looking overawed by the step up. Hull look like they've done their homework instead, playing with a level of composure that's caught a lot of people off guard.
• 4
  No promoted side keeps a zero in the goals-conceded column all season, so this record won't last forever. Enjoy it while it's there rather than assuming it's the new normal — Hull fans certainly are.
• 5
  This is a club and fanbase that deserve nothing but warmth right now — a hard-earned promotion followed by the best possible start to life back in the top flight. Don't be the person who immediately points out it can't last.