Premier League: 10 things to watch out for this weekend

Kai Havertz celebrating after Arsenal at Sheffield United and Wolves‘Nathan Fraser.Composite: Getty Images; Fantasista/Getty Images; PA images” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/iHknFWR8AIuIhmvxsBztnA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/theguardian_763/b7f8eaa1ecb2dbecff4cc6336c7b70a1″ data-src= “https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/iHknFWR8AIuIhmvxsBztnA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/theguardian_763/b7f8eaa1ecb2dbecff4cc6336c7b70a1″/>

United must match ambition with effort

Bruno Fernandes lamented “individual quality from the City players” against the Manchester derby last week. Hard to argue with him, but the most frustrating part of United’s loss was the failure to commit for the full 90 minutes. At 2-1 down even some senior players were down and seemed to show a lack of effort in the final 15 minutes. Never mind the quality of the individual, which in itself cannot be abandoned. And that attitude only increases future opponents. Jordan Pickford has said he is confident Everton will go ahead of Erik ten Hag’s side on Saturday. “For me, I think [with] the intensity and work rate the lads bring out, the current stats. I think we will be able to get after them. We will be able to run past them.” Yara El-Shaboury

Luton are keen to shatter Palace’s expectations

Until the unlikely figure of Timo Werner at Tottenham overcame them last week, Crystal Palace fans were optimistic about Oliver Glasner’s opener as Burnley dreamed of achieving Premier League safety with plenty to spare. “Great job over 60-70 minutes,” said the manager. Coming off a 3-1 win against Spurs, especially considering Burnley’s poor form – reduced prospects for Palace. The Luton blow may go some way to restoring confidence and pulling the rope back from Rob Edwards’ team, whose confidence could be at a low ebb. Last week’s loss to Aston Villa after clawing back from two goals down could be a microcosm of Luton’s spirit when the opposition is not forthcoming. An essential part of Luton’s turnaround was the win over Palace in November, the first home league win at Kenilworth Road. It must be done again if Glasner’s team and others can be dragged back into trouble. John Brewin

Hughes will be a big loss for Bournemouth

Bournemouth made big news this week, with confirmation that their technical director, Richard Hughes, is set to move on at the end of the season. Apart from Eddie Howe, it could be argued that no one has been more instrumental in shaping the club in the top flight than Hughes, the former midfielder who played under and worked closely with Howe. Hughes presided over the appointment of Andoni Iraola, who impressed at a very difficult start, and is the architect behind their recruitment, including attractive and exciting talents such as Alex Scott, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi. Hughes, who is well-respected throughout the game, will hand over the baton to Simon Francis, another former player, who has worked as his assistant for the past three years. Such combined thinking has been lacking at bottom club Sheffield United for some time. Ben Fisher

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A small squad hurting Wolves’ big dreams

After three defeats on the turn, Wolves suffered defeat at Newcastle last time out with a stunning 3-0 victory. It was the kind of game where almost everything could go wrong, with José Sá and Pedro Neto forced off through injury. The good news for Gary O’Neil is that those two substitutes were precautionary but the worst is that he is still without a bona fide striker. 19-year-old academy Nathan Fraser is the only one they have identified as a No 9 while Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan may be sidelined until May due to injury issues with hamstring. So light on numbers, Wolves named 15-year-old defender Wesley Okoduwa on the bench at St James’ Park. Wolves are targeting a European move that looked more distant at the start of the season but, in the end, their thin squad could scupper those plans. BF

Havertz flourishes as Arsenal seek summit

Kai Havertz seems to have finally found his place at Arsenal and has adapted to the rhythm of the Premier League. Doubts were expressed about his ability after an underwhelming spell at Chelsea and poor performances early in the season did not help. But Mikel Arteta’s faith has not wavered and he is finally reaping the rewards. In Arsenal’s last three Premier League games – thumping victories against Burnley, Newcastle and Sheffield United – Havertz has scored five goals, equaling the previous 32. the hunt. It was around this time last year that Arsenal, who were top of the table, started to deteriorate. They finally have a chance to go over the top again and this time they need to not put the pressure on them. With Liverpool and Manchester City playing each other on Sunday, Arsenal can leapfrog the pair with a win over Brentford. YES-S

A big battle in the race for the Champions League

When the team news dropped 75 minutes before kick-off at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday, it gave a big indication of Unai Emery’s thinking and how significant he sees Tottenham’s visit to Villa Park on Sunday. John McGinn, the captain, forward in the form of Leon Bailey and defenders Matty Cash and Alex Moreno started the game on the bench, while 20-year-old midfielder Tim Iroegbunam made his second start, almost two a year after he fully started it. Spurs trail fourth-placed Villa by five points but have a game in hand so a home win would create a welcome buffer between them and their nearest rivals for a Champions League place. Villa beat the goalkeeper in November courtesy of goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins and a replay would be valuable. BF

New faces waiting in the wings of West Ham

West Ham have some talented youngsters and it was a shame that David Moyes didn’t bring any from the bench during his side’s recent win over Brentford. It was 4-1 after 69 minutes with George Earthy, Ollie Scarles and Divin Mubama waiting in the reserves. Moyes was very cautious though. He needed a win after a poor run of results and the closing stages got nervy as Brentford pulled one back. However, it would be good to see Moyes give his young players a taste of first-team action if West Ham are in a similarly dominant position against Burnley on Sunday. Jacob Steinberg

Will Clattenburg clear again?

Whether Mark Clattenburg enters the mixed zone of the Amex Stadium, which is placed next to his dressing rooms and press conference facilities, could depend on whether Nottingham Forest feel they get a fair tip of the referee’s whistle at Brighton. After conceding 99 minutes to Liverpool last week, the appearance of the Gladiators TV star in the City Ground mixed zone raised the eyebrows of even the most seasoned reporters. A role as a Forest “referee analyst” created by owner Evangelos Marinakis following a friendship that developed when the Durham card-hopper was working as the head referee of the Greek Super League appears to be the latest development – and not necessarily welcome – in modern football. to decide each match to re-referee. That Clattenburg and other former officials have had such colorful post-legacy careers and increasingly public lives is another aspect of the Premier League’s expanding universe. Add all that to the pile of unforeseen circumstances that the introduction of VAR has brought to the game. JB

Will City banish their Anfield demons?

Anfield goes to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, and Anfield knows it. The all-powerful City manager has won just one of his eight visits since taking over at the Etihad in 2016 and that defeat was 4-1, although there was a significant moment in Liverpool’s title fight back in 2021. against that background. empty stadium because of the pandemic. In a completely frenzied arena, as it will be on Sunday, Guardiola’s record at Liverpool reads: lost, lost, lost, drawn, lost, drawn, lost. It’s a place where Liverpool’s pressure, refereeing decisions, missed penalties and relentless spells of dominance have broken Guardiola’s mind, and where his reputation for needless tinkering is founded. The City manager has said his champions only need to focus on what they can control as they chase an unprecedented fourth Premier League title in a row. A cold-eyed approach in the whites of Anfield, where Jürgen Klopp’s leaders are unbeaten in 29 games in all competitions, would not only tip the title race in City’s favor but would be a departure for them. Andy Hunter

Newcastle’s leaky defense faces a stern test

Newcastle’s previous trip to London did not go well, a 4-1 thrashing at Arsenal exposing a host of flaws and leaving Eddie Howe open to questions about his future. But the answer is reasonable. Newcastle reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on penalties at Blackburn and will hope last weekend’s impressive 3-0 win over Wolves is a sign of things to come. To reach European qualification for the second consecutive season, however, the consistency of the old days must return. Newcastle are still conceding too many goals. They have kept just three clean sheets since the start of the year and will be without Kieran Trippier against Chelsea, who remain dangerous in attack despite being subject to weaknesses in other areas. JS