Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Another goal from super-sub Leandro Trossard sparked Arsenal’s successful revenge mission against Aston Villa last week, with the Belgian forward now having scored six off the bench since joining from Brighton in January 2023. The question now is whether Mikel Arteta is tempted to throw him in from the start against his former club when they meet on Saturday. Trossard has made only 28 Premier League starts for Arsenal – the same number of times he has been introduced as a substitute – and has managed 14 goals, with Gabriel Martinelli starting both league games on the left side of his attack so far this season. “I know the competition in the team and it pushes everyone to go onto the next level and I’m very happy to have an impact and help the team,” Trossard said after the Villa game last week. Ed Aarons

Aaron Ramsdale’s £18m arrival can boost the survival hopes of Southampton. Gavin Bazunu’s long-term injury left Alex McCarthy between the sticks but the veteran will now return to his backup role. Saints manager Russell Martin now has the use of a keeper many Arsenal fans would tell you is no worse than David Raya. Ramsdale now has a chance to restore himself in the England reckoning at a club with a tradition of national-team keepers going back to Jack Robinson in 1899, through Peter Shilton, Tim Flowers and Fraser Forster. He is likely to make his Saints debut at Brentford. By kick-off, there might also be some semblance of solution to the Ivan Toney saga that has hung over the west London club. Whatever happens there, Toney will not play. To Thomas Frank’s credit, they have usually forged on admirably without him. John Brewin

“We’re trying to be active,” said Sean Dyche, asked about potential new arrivals to help rescue Everton. A grandmaster at affecting being unruffled in the face of adversity, underneath the gruffness, Dyche is one of football’s great optimists, forever willing to take the positives when many of his contemporaries would plunge into the deepest funk. Considering Everton’s eternal state of doom, then perhaps that sunny outlook is the tonic the club needs to keep swigging from. However, this season bears similar signs to the 2020-21 campaign that ended with Burnley’s relegation. With no goals scored so far in the Premier League, Everton look cold and ill-prepared. They can still be difficult. Last season, Everton seized on the slowness of Andoni Iraola’s start in English football, beating Bournemouth 3-0. In March, it look a last-minute Séamus Coleman own-goal for Iraola to be able to celebrate defeating an Everton team without a win since the previous December. JB

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What to make of Ipswich so far? The honest answer is that there isn’t really a workable sample size yet, with the Tractor Boys’ losing their two opening games to Liverpool and Manchester City – hardly a test of their survival credentials. Wednesday’s Carabao Cup exit at AFC Wimbledon was more alarming, particularly with new signings Jack Clarke, Kalvin Phillips, Dara O’Shea, Ben Johnson and Chiedozie Ogbene starting, but still doesn’t define their start to the season and their chances of staying up. Portman Road will be bouncing at 3pm on Saturday, and even against a buoyant Fulham side, Ipswich will fancy their chances of earning their first Premier League points in more than 22 years. Michael Butler

The season is only two games old (and who isn’t desperate for an international break after the third?) but already, Morgan Rogers looks like one of its breakout stars. Though he showed his promise last term, this season at Aston Villa suggests a young player making a definitive step up. By the looks of things, Rogers has bulked up during the summer – crucially, without compromising his agility – such that West Ham’s midfield struggled to contain him on the opening weekend, before he gave Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Thomas Partey more than they could handle. The best players are those who do not need circumstances in their favour to regularly affect games. Or, in other words, we know how good Rogers is when he’s good; at some point this season, we’ll find out if he is still good even when he’s bad. Daniel Harris

Chris Wood scored 15 goals (zero penalties) last season for Nottingham Forest. There is no doubt that they would be a Championship side without him, as Forest survived on 32 points, the lowest-ever safety total in the Premier League. In April, Opta crowned Wood the most clinical player in Europe, converting nearly 40% of his chances in 2023-24, which was also by far the best rate since their Premier League records began in 2003-04. Wood has already found the net this campaign, scoring to secure Forest a draw on the opening day. Forest’s talks with Eddie Nketiah broke down over wages, but Nuno Espírito Santo may be better off sticking with the big New Zealand striker. Wood will be keen to prove why against a Wolves side that shipped six to Chelsea last time out. MB

Julen Lopetegui has veered away from ripping everything up at West Ham. The Spaniard has made a few tweaks here and there since replacing David Moyes – his decision to sideline the captain, Kurt Zouma, in central defence is a notable move – but the overall vibe has been evolution rather than revolution. Tomas Soucek, who was a crucial figure for Moyes, is still a regular in midfield and Vladimir Coufal has started West Ham’s opening two games. While Soucek justified Lopetegui’s loyalty by scoring the winner against Palace last weekend, there is a sense that time is running out for his Czech compatriot. Coufal’s place is in serious doubt after the arrival of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who made an eye-catching impact during his Palace cameo. Wan-Bissaka played a key role in Soucek’s goal and it would be a surprise if he is not in the starting line-up against Manchester City on Saturday. The former Manchester United full-back’s pace could be crucial against Jérémy Doku. Wan-Bissaka will remember doing well against the City winger in the FA Cup final last season. Jacob Steinberg

Control has continued to elude Chelsea. They were thrilling in attack during their 6-2 thrashing of Wolves but the defence remains a concern. Enzo Maresca’s new team have conceded four in their first two matches and the Italian will be looking for an improvement when Crystal Palace visit Stamford Bridge. Chaotic defending was one of the reasons that Chelsea moved on from Mauricio Pochettino. They were vulnerable at set-pieces, prone to silly mistakes and often shaky when placed under serious pressure. Maresca is working to iron out the flaws andwill not have liked every aspect of the performance against Wolves. JS

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An ankle injury dictates that Dominic Solanke will not lead Tottenham’s attack at Newcastle on Sunday. Eddie Howe must wonder what might have happened had he got his wish and been able to sign his former striker from Bournemouth. PSR concerns meant Newcastle could not justify investing £65m on a striker and, instead, mounted a month-long pursuit of Crystal Palace’s England defender Marc Guéhi, St James’ Park executives have displayed a willingness to invest around the £65m on reinforcing Howe’s defence. But what happens if Sweden’s Alexander Isak gets injured? The idea of Isak partnering Solanke would surely have petrified opposition defences. Might it not have been better to recruit a promising young centre-half to understudy – and eventually replace – the still highly effective defender Fabian Schär? The Switzerland international is suspended on Sunday. Which will be the bigger miss: Schär’s ball-playing abilities at the back or Solanke’s capacity to fill Tottenham’s Harry Kane-shaped hole at centre forward? Louise Taylor

Erik ten Hag is already answering questions about his job security at Manchester United. After two Premier League games (the first a victory over Fulham, the second a 2-1 defeat at Brighton) this talk is seriously premature yet there is a fever-state that surrounds the manager and the club. But if Arne Slot’s Liverpool team beat United at Old Trafford on Sunday, Ten Hag can expect more of the same. Two years ago, after losing their first two outings, Liverpool were their third opponent at Old Trafford, too, and United won 2-1. A victory, again, would be priceless, the prospect of which may be enhanced if Manuel Ugarte’s signing from PSG can be sealed in time for him to be involved. Jamie Jackson

Source: theguardian.com