Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Liverpool have not lost at Selhurst Park since November 2014 when Dwight Gayle opened the scoring in a 3-1 win for a side then managed by Neil Warnock. But having seen their title challenge waver last season after losing at Anfield in April to a goal from Eberechi Eze, Arne Slot will be wary of facing a Crystal Palace team that has yet to record a victory in the Premier League this season. Fresh from his brilliant goal against Bologna in the Champions League, Mohamed Salah will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a new-look Palace defence that has not looked convincing this season despite a 0-0 draw against Manchester United in their last home match. The Egyptian scored his 200th Liverpool goal against them in December to take his tally to eight in just 11 appearances, not to mention seven assists. Ed Aarons

At least Kai Havertz is honest. “It’s a nice feeling but it would be even nicer if I can do it with Arsenal and it would mean a lot more,” said the Germany forward when asked about winning the Champions League during his stint at Chelsea. After his goal against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek set up a comfortable win, Havertz has the perfect opportunity to match Robin van Persie’s record of scoring in seven successive games at the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal face struggling Southampton on Saturday. His burgeoning partnership with Leandro Trossard has made up for the absence of Martin Ødegaard in recent weeks as Mikel Arteta’s team have shown their adaptability during a testing run of fixtures at home and in Europe. EA

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Wolves’s rock-bottom start to the season can be seen in both a positive and negative light. The sight of an aghast Gary O’Neil has become a meme but, beyond the results, his team have often played well. Even in the 6-2 defeat to Chelsea, Wolves entered the break level at 2-2 having been the better and more dangerous team. After that – and here’s where the negatives start – the individual mistakes began to multiply. A similar pattern followed against Liverpool last Sunday. The league leaders escaped Molineux with no little relief, thankful that Nélson Semedo pulled down Diogo Jota in the box straight after Rayan Aït-Nouri’s well-earned equaliser. O’Neil’s reputation was won in pulling Bournemouth and then Wolves from relegation dogfights but he is now attempting to refine his approach. His current team, shorn of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, try to play the ball out from defence. It’s there the repeated mistakes have been made. Would a more direct approach work against Brentford? Thomas Frank’s team regularly delight in pressing high to pick dallying defenders’ pockets. John Brewin

After they let Everton shoot 17 times at goal a fortnight ago, Leicester allowed 36 shots to rain down on their goalkeeper, Mads Hermansen, at the Emirates last week. Yes, it was away at title-contending Arsenal, yes, the visitors nearly clinched an unlikely point regardless, but Steve Cooper’s winless side must ensure this isn’t a blueprint for their season. “I must admit, it was a bit too much,” said Hermansen after the Arsenal defeat. “No matter who you play, [36 shots] is simply too much. We have to look at what we can improve and try to do better for the future.” As they welcome Bournemouth, and the red-hot Antoine Semenyo in particular, this weekend, they must tighten up. The match kicks off a vital period for Leicester, who also face Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich in the next month. Dominic Booth

To fill the Rodri void Pep Guardiola has so far chosen Nico O’Reilly, in the Carabao Cup versus Watford, and the double pivots of Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic (Premier League, Newcastle) and Ilkay Gündogan and Matheus Nunes (Champions League, Slovan Bratislava). For Fulham’s visit we will see part four of the manager’s solution to the one position for which he has failed to find a natural high-class deputy. Perhaps John Stones will get the chance he declared being “100% ready” to take should his manager so choose, though stepping into midfield from defence when in possession is a different game to being Guardiola’s on-field general, which he is when playing at No 6. Phil Foden was the player of the match in Tuesday’s 4-0 win in Bratislava in a first start of the campaign and showed both understandable rustiness and enduring class. Unlike the Rodri conundrum, Foden is as natural a playmaker as Kevin De Bruyne so, while the Belgian remains an injury doubt, the younger man’s presence means no loss of quality. Jamie Jackson

A fourth straight home defeat would go a considerable distance to condemning Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham regime. Adventurous, exciting yet porous Ipswich, meanwhile, seek to end their winless run since they returned to the top division; none of the promoted teams has secured a win. The east-end grapevine has been hot this week with talk of a dispute between Lopetegui and Mohammed Kudus, hooked at half-time at Brentford last week. If West Ham tradition dictates flair players ought to be handed freedom, Lopetegui is not such a coach. Lucas Paquetá has been similarly lacking in influence and application, so too Jarrod Bowen. The Hammers were much more effective at Brentford once Lopetegui added defensive muscle, Konstantinos Mavropanos delivering a barnstorming showing at full-back. Max Kilman, the defender Lopetegui demanded his new club sign from his former club Wolves, still has some bedding in to do, but retains the confidence of his manager. Lopetegui will not be panicking yet but the lack of flair in his go-to footballing style is where long-term trouble may lie. JB

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The spotlight remains on Anthony Gordon not simply because the pantomime villain role awaits on his return to Goodison Park. The jeers would have been much louder had the former Everton winger returned in the red of Liverpool, as was discussed briefly this summer. Gordon embodied the improvement that Eddie Howe had called for when Newcastle produced their best display of the season in last weekend’s draw with Manchester City, looking fitter, pressing high to telling effect and, as Pep Guardiola put it, being part of a team that was “impossible to contain” for 90 minutes. And doing so in an unaccustomed centre-forward role. With Alexander Isak still doubtful for the trip to Goodison the 23-year-old may be tasked with those duties again against his former club. His impact against an Everton defence that might again be missing the influential Jarrad Branthwaite through injury could prove instrumental in Newcastle’s mission to build on the City performance and atone for their last away outing at Fulham. Andy Hunter

Great terabytes of internet wailing followed Manchester United’s latest Sunday of shame. How to fix the unfixable theatre of (still) broken dreams? Ad infinitum. This week has allowed them to return to places that recall happier days in the club’s history: Porto, where they just about managed a draw, and Villa Park. On Sunday, they face Unai Emery, a manager who has beaten them with three different clubs. Most famously, Emery’s Villarreal denied Ole Gunnar Solskjær in the 2021 Europa League final, and there was a 2-0 win for Arsenal in March 2019. His first game in charge of Villa, in November 2022, was a 3-1 victory to prelude the fine job he has done since. And yet, since then, while other opponents’ taming of United is no longer shocking, Villa have lost their past four matches to Erik ten Hag’s outfit. United’s 3-2 Boxing Day win last season, a dramatic comeback, was their first under the co-ownership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a new dawn that has already faded into the latest long, dark United night. Their 2-1 win at Villa Park in February came via the now discarded rescue specialist Scott McTominay. JB

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While criticism of Todd Boehly’s chaotic running of Chelsea was (and still is) certainly not without warrant – and praise for Enzo Maresca’s in-form team remains a tad premature – the Blues are fast becoming one of the Premier League’s must-watch sides. A key reason for that is the exciting all-English attacking midfield trio that is steadily flourishing under Maresca. To have Cole Palmer flanked by Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke is to boast an enviable triumvirate, blessed with a near-perfect blend of pace, poise and unfathomable talent. With nine goals and seven assists between them in the league this season, the numbers bode well for Boehly, as well as for the interim England manager Lee Carsley. Maresca’s main problem could be keeping his other attacking players happy while they huddle together on the bench. DB

Confirmation that Jan Paul van Hecke is facing an extended period on the sidelines was the news Brighton didn’t want to hear after their defensive issues against Chelsea last week. The Netherlands international had been called up by Ronald Koeman for the Nations League but withdrew owing to a groin problem that may keep him out until the end of November. That means Fabian Hürzeler must decide whether to stick with Adam Webster – who was badly at fault for Cole Palmer’s first goal at Stamford Bridge – or turn to Igor to partner Lewis Dunk at the back against Tottenham. With Ange Postecoglou’s side also renowned for their tendency to play with a high defensive line, there should be plenty of goals at the Amex. EA

Source: theguardian.com