One Direction and Justin Bieber go head-to-head for albums Number 1

It’s the battle of the pop titans this week as One Direction take on Justin Bieber for this week’s Official Albums Chart top spot.

Made In The A.M. - 1D’s fifth studio album and final release ahead of their break next Spring - is currently out in front by 14,000 combined chart sales, but with four chart days still to go, Bieber’s Purpose (2) still has time to challenge for the crown.

If its sales momentum continues, Made In The A.M. will give One Direction their fourth UK Number 1 album following 2012’s Take Me Home, 2013’s Midnight Memories and 2014’s Four. See One Direction’s full Official Chart history.

Purpose marks Justin Bieber’s fourth studio album and if it takes the top spot, will be his second UK Number 1, following 2012’s Believe. See where all of Justin Biebers singles and albums have charted in the UK.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO make the first of their two appearances in today’s Official Albums Chart Update with new entry Alone In The Universe, at 3, while All Over The World – The Very Best Of re-enters at Number 20.

Current chart-topper Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream drops three places to Number 4 midweek, trailed by Little Mix’s Get Weird, down three places to 5.

New entries

Kylie Minogue is on course to score her 16^th Top 10 this week with new Christmas album Kylie Christmas (6), which features collaborations with comedian James Corden, Frank Sinatra, Iggy Pop, Chris Martin and Kylie's sister Dannii.

2014 X Factor winner Ben Haenow is set to enter the Top 10 on Friday with his self-titled debut (7), as is Andre Rieu with his new collaboration with the Johann Strauss Orchestra, Roman Holiday (8).

Released to mark the 20^th anniversary of her Blues Alley concert, Eva Cassidy’s Nightbird, which is comprised of the complete concert recordings and includes eight previously unreleased songs, starts at Number 17 today.

Neil Young is on course for a 36^th Top 40 with live album Bluenote Cafe (27), while London-based rapper Skrapz is heading for his Official Albums Chart debut with The End Of The Beginning (31).

Elsewhere, Kurt Cobain’s Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings (33) and Logic’s The Incredible True Story (37), are both set to enter this week’s Top 40, while The Shires’ Brave (40) is on course to re-enter for a 16^th week.

See the full Official Albums Chart Update Top 100 here (from 5.45pm)