You’d think SYCO’s One Direction are set for a sure-fire #1 in their home country of Blighty with Made in the A.M. out 11/13, but Justin Bieber, whose Purpose is being powered by Ted Cockle’s Virgin EMI on the Queen’s isle, isn’t backing down without a fight. SYCO chief Simon Cowell and President Sonny Takhar, meanwhile, are just as ready to rumble.

The battle midweek pre-release date is tight, with preorders of both album deluxe editions meaning JB is currently ahead of 1D on the U.K. iTunes charts at #6 while 1D sit at #13. Singles wise, Bieber’s “Sorry” is at #2 and “What Do You Mean” at #11. 1D is at #12 with “Perfect,” and Bieber's back at #13 with “I’ll Show You.”

On the RadioMonitor charts, “Perfect” is at #14 while “Sorry” is at #19. 1D’s “Perfect” is on the A List at BBC Radio 1 as well as Global’s Capital FM. The track has had 1,685 radio plays since Friday, while “Drag Me Down” has garnered 309. Bieber’s “Sorry” (2,005 plays) and “What Do You Mean” (2,223 plays) are both on the A List at Capital.

Bieber’s comeback has hit a high note in Blighty so far, with “What Do You Mean?” hitting #1 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart at the end of August and spending a total of five non-consecutive weeks there. “Sorry” hit #2 last week, only behind Adele’s “Hello,” where it looks set to stay. “Drag Me Down,” meanwhile, was a chart topper on 8/13 for one week, “Perfect” #2 on 10/29. Instant grat track “History” was at #24 in the U.K. midweeks on Monday.

Other U.K. priority releases to look out for come Friday include Roman Holiday (Decca) by classical violinist Andre Rieu and Alone In The Universe (Columbia) from Jeff Lynne’s ELO.

Will David Joseph’s Universal claim victory one week before Adele dominates the albums chart for the foreseeable future, or will Jason Iley’s Sony prevail? We’ll be documenting the developments for your reading pleasure.