Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Manchester City’s tame outing at Manchester United on Sunday showed how they have flatlined this term, the goalless draw also damaging their prospects of Champions League qualification – after beating Leicester the following night, Newcastle vaulted them and went into fifth place. Without Erling Haaland, unavailable until mid-May at the earliest, City were toothless at Old Trafford, and with Crystal Palace arriving at the Etihad on a run of six wins in seven matches – the other was a draw – it is time for Pep Guardiola to earn his salary by ensuring his side are far better, or Europa League football may be on the cards next season. Jamie Jackson

It will be a case of deja vu for Simon Rusk as he takes interim charge of Southampton for the second time this season after the sacking of Ivan Juric. The former Boston, York and Crawley midfielder oversaw a Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool and a goalless draw at Craven Cottage after Russell Martin lost his job in December. The main headline to come out of another sorry club statement this week was the appointment of Adam Lallana as Rusk’s assistant – the 36-year-old has made 14 Premier League appearances since rejoining the Saints last summer after four years at Brighton. Rusk’s and Lallana’s primary objective is to pick up the two points that will ensure they avoid Derby’s notorious 11-point nadir, starting with the visit of Aston Villa. Billy Munday

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The relief in David Moyes’ voice was clear as he spoke about the return of Iliman Ndiaye to his starting lineup last weekend. The Senegal international, who had not started since mid-February because of a knee injury, converted a second-half penalty to earn Everton a point at Goodison Park against Arsenal. “We’ve missed Ili, we really have,” Moyes said. “He’s one of our major talents in the frontline.” Ndiaye, who spent time with Boreham Wood at youth level and made his professional debut while on loan at seventh-tier Hyde United, has scored in four of the six games he has started under Moyes since the Scot’s return in January. That said, he may find it tough against a Nottingham Forest side who have not conceded at home in the league for almost three months. BM

Next month marks the 15th anniversary of Lewis Dunk’s Brighton debut in a 0-0 draw against MK Dons when they were still in the backwaters of League One. The defender has been instrumental in his boyhood club’s rise up the pyramid, which culminated in him leading them into the Europa League last season. But having lost his place with England after being an unused member of the Euro 2024 squad, the years appear to be catching up with him. Injuries and a loss of form have restricted the 33-year-old to just 19 Premier League starts so far this campaign, compared with more than 30 in all but one of Brighton’s campaigns since they were promoted in 2017. With only one year remaining on Dunk’s contract, PSV Eindhoven’s Olivier Boscagli is among the potential replacements being considered this summer. Dunk is expected to start on Saturday, against a Leicester side who seem to have forgotten how to score a goal, as Brighton try to get their European push back on track. Ed Aarons

“We lost maybe our best defender for four months, then Jakub Kiwior comes in and delivers the performances he’s delivering,” enthused Mikel Arteta after Tuesday’s sensational win over Real Madrid. “It’s not a coincidence.” The Poland centre-back has been a bit-part player season and was almost allowed to leave Arsenal last summer amid strong interest from several Italian clubs. But despite a few jitters at the start against Madrid, the 25-year-old, who filled in out of position at left-back last season, showed he is capable of playing at the very highest level with an assured performance against Kylian Mbappé and co. Arsenal are yet to be defeated in the eight games he and William Saliba have started together in central defence, and it will be interesting to see if either is rested against Brentford on Saturday with the second leg at the Bernabéu to come in midweek. EA

Liam Delap has an audition on Sunday: Chelsea are targeting the striker and have a chance to assess him when they host Ipswich Town. They will be wary of the 22-year-old, whose release clause drops to £30m if Ipswich go down, given he has already terrorised them once this season. He was in bulldozing form when Kieran McKenna’s side earned their only home league win of the campaign by winning 2-0 in December, Chelsea were unable to cope with his strength and speed, and Delap, who has scored twice in his last two appearances, will hope to make a similar impact at Stamford Bridge. Jacob Steinberg

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Having all but secured their Premier League status with a comeback victory against Ipswich, Wolves now find themselves in the enviable position of looking upwards at teams like Everton, West Ham, Spurs and Manchester United rather than looking below them. But Vítor Pereira faces a selection headache before hosting Ange Postecoglou’s side on Sunday: the reintegration of his star attacker, Matheus Cunha. While the Brazilian’s talent and match-winning ability are undeniable, Wolves have flown during his suspension, stringing together three consecutive league wins for the first time since 2023. In recent matches, they have accrued more points per game without Cunha than with, albeit against teams lower in the table, the current attacking unit finding a rhythm and confidence that Pereira will not want to disrupt. Can he balance the desire to unleash his most potent attacking weapon without upsetting the team’s hard-earned momentum? Yara El-Shaboury

It is not a question of who will win the Premier League title but how it will be won: at a canter or with Liverpool testing the anxiety levels of their supporters once again? The answer should become clearer after West Ham’s visit. A catalogue of individual errors resulted in the end of Liverpool’s 26-game unbeaten league run at Fulham last weekend and left Arne Slot’s team still needing 11 points to secure the club’s 20th league championship, although the total will be fewer should Arsenal drop any more points. West Ham, Leicester and Tottenham, Liverpool’s next three opponents, present the more straightforward route to victory than trying to get over the line against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace in the final four games of the season. Anfield could be an apprehensive place on Sunday and will be looking to the team’s experienced leaders to get the job almost done. Andy Hunter

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It is fair to say that throwing Eddie Howe’s name into the hat as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag did not endear Dan Ashworth to Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Manchester United’s owner was reportedly underwhelmed, telling his then sporting director that he wanted someone with more charisma. Ultimately, Ratcliffe recruited Ruben Amorim and Howe stayed put at Newcastle but Ashworth, who has now moved on from Old Trafford, remains a highly regarded judge of coaching character and capability. During an earlier executive stint at Newcastle, Ashworth did not always see eye-to-eye with Howe, yet fully appreciated his tactical acumen and capacity to improve players. Comparisons are often invidious but was Amorim really a better appointment? Although only time will tell, Sunday’s clash of the two Uniteds on Tyneside may offer Ratcliffe pause for thought. Not to mention a reminder that assumptions can be dangerous. Louise Taylor

The consistent brilliance of exciting young talents like Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen has been the mainstay of Bournemouth’s success this season. But Andoni Iraola’s side are running out of steam and it might be time to inject fresh impetus. They are winless in their last six league games, their longest such run since February last year, and have dropped seven points from winning positions in their last four matches, which is as many as they dropped in their first 27 this season. Enter Alex Scott. Having arrived with a stellar Championship reputation, Scott’s progress has been frustratingly punctured by a meniscus tear which kept him out for four months. He is fit now, though, and offers versatility in central midfield, capable of deep playmaking and driving forward. With Ryan Christie sidelined owing to a groin injury for Monday’s match against Fulham, the 21-year-old’s dynamic edge could reignite Bournemouth’s spark. YE-S

Source: theguardian.com