Machida Aim for Four Straight Wins at Mito; Kashima Also Target Fourth Straight Win at Tokyo V [Preview: MEIJI YASUDA J1 Matchweek 4]

All 10 Matchweek 4 fixtures in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE will be played on 29 August.

Machida sit top of the table after three straight wins and travel to face Mito. They cruised to a 3-1 victory over Urawa last time out and have shown impressive attacking form, scoring 12 goals in three matches. The departure of Yuta Nakayama, a key member of their back three, is a blow, but the rest of the defence will need to step up in his absence. Mito, meanwhile, beat Kyoto to record their first-ever J1 victory. They will look to carry the momentum from that three-goal performance into this match and claim their first J1 home win.

Kashiwa have also made it three wins from three and travel to face Shimizu. They beat Nagasaki 4-2 last time out. Can new signing Shota Fujio, who joined from Machida, add further momentum to the side? Shimizu lost to Cerezo Osaka to suffer their second straight defeat. Having failed to score in either of their last two matches, they will look to new signing Ryo Germain to provide the cutting edge.

Kashima also made it three wins from three by beating Fukuoka last time out and now travel to face Tokyo V. Expectations remain high for Leo Ceara, who has scored in all three matches and already has four goals this season. Tokyo V drew with Okayama and remain winless after three matches. Having managed just five shots and failed to score, they will need more from their attack.

Gamba Osaka host Hiroshima after suffering their first defeat of the season against Nagoya last time out. Having conceded seven goals in three matches, tightening up their defence will be a key priority. Hiroshima drew with Kawasaki Frontale and were unable to make it three straight wins. After failing to hold on to their lead, managing the game when ahead could be key.

Nagasaki host FC Tokyo after losing to Kashiwa for their second straight defeat. Can Yuto Iwasaki, who scored his first goal of the season, help turn things around? FC Tokyo beat Chiba convincingly to claim their first win of the season. Soma Anzai scored in that match and then struck twice in Wednesday’s Emperor's Cup, making him one to watch again this weekend.

Urawa host Yokohama F. Marinos after losing to Machida to make it three straight defeats to start the season. With the side enduring a difficult run, recent arrivals Miki Yamane and Tatsuki Seko will be looking to make an immediate impact. Yokohama FM, meanwhile, beat Kobe to make it two straight wins. Can 16-year-old Shin Miidera, who scored the decisive winner, produce another big moment?

Kawasaki Frontale host Chiba after drawing with Hiroshima, their third straight draw to start the season. With wins proving elusive, they will be hoping Yasuto Wakizaka can open his account for the season. Chiba lost to FC Tokyo to suffer their third straight defeat and are still yet to score this season. Can new signing Erison make an impact against his former club?

Nagoya host Okayama after beating Gamba Osaka to record their first win of the season. Can Yudai Kimura, who opened his account for the season, deliver again? Okayama drew with Tokyo V and were unable to make it back-to-back wins. Despite taking 15 shots, they failed to score, so improving their quality in the final third will be key.

Kyoto host Fukuoka after losing to Mito and remain winless after three matches. Tightening up a defence that has continued to concede multiple goals will be a key priority. Fukuoka lost to Kashima and were unable to make it back-to-back wins. New signing Shu Morooka scored against his former club in that match. Can he now produce a result that earns his side all three points?

Kobe host Cerezo Osaka after losing to Yokohama FM and are winless in their last two matches. With several key players unavailable, expectations will be high for Ren Komatsu, who scored twice in Wednesday’s Emperor's Cup. Cerezo Osaka edged Shimizu 1-0, with Thiago Andrade coming off the bench to score the winner. How he is used could again be a key factor this matchweek.