Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Nuno Espírito Santo has rolled backmost nan years successful an effort to prevention West Ham. He has gone old-school, switching to a gung-ho 4-4-2 strategy to springiness his broadside much threat successful nan last third. Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos, some January arrivals, person altered nan look of nan attack, but neither guardant has been prolific. Castellanos has scored 3 goals successful each competitions since joining from Lazio and Pablo, who is yet to unfastened his relationship successful English football, grounded to person during past week’s penalty shootout conclusion by Leeds successful nan FA Cup. As a pair, though, Castellanos and Pablo person been oddly effective. Are they immoderate good? Unclear. Do they tally astir a batch and springiness a antecedently ponderous West Ham much energy? Undoubtedly. Played together, Pablo and Castellanos do a worthy occupation for nan team. Importantly, they create abstraction for nan wingers, Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, who hopes to return from a calf wounded for Friday night’s captious location crippled against Wolves. Bowen and Summerville are nan large threats; they are West Ham’s main root of goals, but some are much vulnerable pinch Pablo and Castellanos successful nan team. Jacob Steinberg

Kai Havertz’s winner for Arsenal astatine Sporting connected Tuesday was nan Gunners’ 4th Champions League extremity this play to beryllium scored aliases assisted by a substitute: nan champion return by immoderate squad successful a azygous play successful nan competition’s history. It’s a knack which has led to Arsenal’s “finishers” contributing to 38 goals successful each competitions this play (24 goals and 14 assists), which is much goals disconnected nan chair than for immoderate different squad successful Europe’s apical 5 leagues. With caller doubts complete Martin Ødegaard’s fittingness to look Bournemouth connected Saturday, Arteta whitethorn opt for Havertz successful nan No 10 domiciled aliases could moreover manus Max Dowman his first Premier League commencement aft nan 16-year-old impressed successful a much cardinal domiciled successful nan FA Cup nonaccomplishment astatine Southampton. Whoever gets nan nod, Arteta will still person plentifulness successful reserve connected nan chair if things get tight astatine nan Emirates. Ed Aarons

Few would person expected that this match, aft 31 games, would beryllium seventh v eighth successful nan Premier League and perchance very important successful nan title for European qualification. In nan week it was confirmed 5 English clubs will decidedly beryllium successful nan Champions League adjacent season, these 2 sides are only 3 points disconnected fifth-placed Chelsea pinch 7 games remaining. Even getting to nan Europa League would beryllium an unthinkable achievement, but neither squad person not endured overmuch unit this play and Saturday will beryllium a trial of nerves. Keith Andrews’ broadside person stumbled, winning conscionable 1 of their past six outings, admittedly during an wounded crisis. But pinch much bodies now disposable aft 3 weeks without a game, Brentford must apprehension their descent against an Everton squad pinch nan fourth-best distant shape successful nan Premier League. Will Unwin

Only Erling Haaland has scored much Premier League goals than Brentford’s Igor Thiago this season. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

When Burnley mislaid astatine Brighton connected 3 January, Scott Parker’s patience pinch his underperforming broadside snapped. “We lacked belief and I didn’t consciousness for 1 2nd that it was a squad that ever believed they could travel present and get a result,” Parker said. There person been immoderate respectable moments since but immoderate arsenic antagonistic efforts successful defeat, pinch nan Clarets 10 points from safety. Relegation seems inevitable and ignorant has taken complete Turf Moor. The fans surely want to spot thing different from nan drab displays they person endured for a agelong time. If Parker could create a concoction of conflict and talent and beryllium bolder successful his decisions, Burnley could springiness their fans thing to cheer. They person thing to suffer but immoderate supporters to regain earlier what is almost definite to beryllium a difficult Championship season. WU

Disgruntlement is guaranteed astatine Anfield moreover earlier Arne Slot’s broadside effort to triumph a Premier League crippled for nan first clip since February. Liverpool’s determination to summation astir summons prices by nan complaint of ostentation for nan adjacent 3 seasons, capped astatine 5%, has sparked understandable anger astir a nine that posted grounds revenues of £703m and had nan highest costs measure successful nan Premier League past season. The first successful a bid of protests – which will besides see delaying season-ticket renewals and not paying for nutrient and portion wrong nan stadium – is being held earlier nan sojourn of Fulham arsenic fans sound their guidance to nan “normalisation” of summons value rises complete nan adjacent 3 years. Those voices are liable to turn louder should Liverpool’s play of diminishing returns continue. Andy Hunter

Arne Slot acknowledges Liverpool’s travelling fans aft their conclusion astatine PSG. Supporters person not had overmuch to applaud of late. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Tyrick Mitchell whitethorn consciousness that his opportunity to gain a spot successful England’s World Cup squad has passed him by aft not being selected by Thomas Tuchel for past month’s friendlies. The Crystal Palace left-back, who won 2 caps nether Gareth Southgate successful 2022, has been 1 of nan astir accordant performers for Oliver Glasner’s broadside and will beryllium hoping that he still has clip to play himself into nan picture. Sunday’s gathering pinch Newcastle is an opportunity to impressment against a nonstop rival successful Lewis Hall, who came disconnected nan chair against Uruguay and Japan but struggled to make an impact. Playing arsenic a wingback nether Glasner has astir apt worked against Mitchell, fixed Tuchel’s penchant for a backmost four, but nan 26-year-old has improved astatine some ends of nan pitch, scoring successful Thursday’s Conference League success against Fiorentina. EA

Every cloud, supposedly, has a metallic lining. For Vítor Pereira and Nottingham Forest, Elliot Anderson’s European suspension, which caused him to miss Thursday’s travel to Porto, allowed him much rest. As a Premier League midfielder and England regular, often playing doubly a week successful Europe, clip disconnected is difficult to find for Anderson. . Sunday’s opponents, Aston Villa, besides had to recreation overseas for their Europa League quarter-final successful Bologna and will get astatine nan City Ground jaded. Anderson is simply a standout performer for Forest and if he tin bring greater physicality to his team, past it could beryllium nan difference. WU

Back successful nan summertime of 2024, Régis Le Bris’s Sunderland – past a Championship broadside – drew a pre-season friends pinch Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille, 2-2 astatine Bradford’s Valley Parade. A fewer weeks earlier Le Bris had spent portion of his introductory property convention talking astir his admiration for nan Italian and nan inspiration he had taken from watching De Zerbi activity astatine Shakhtar Donetsk and Brighton. On Sunday that knowledge could travel successful useful arsenic Tottenham’s caller head makes his front astatine nan Stadium of Light. The pragmatic yet opinionated Frenchman is overmuch little of a tactical fundamentalist than De Zerbi. It will beryllium intriguing to spot whether nan second follows a akin way arsenic he attempts to steer Tottenham clear of relegation. Who, 2 summers ago, could person predicted these 2 coaches would meet again successful nan Premier League pinch Spurs staring astatine Championship shot and Sunderland dreaming of Europe? Louise Taylor

Roberto De Zerbi taking Spurs training this week, arsenic he prepares for nan first lucifer of his five-year contract. Photograph: Chloe Knott/Tottenham Hotspur FC/Shutterstock

Roméo Lavia could person a large domiciled to play against Manchester City connected Sunday. With Reece James injured and Enzo Fernández connected a Chelsea-branded naughty step, location is simply a spot disposable adjacent to Moisés Caicedo successful midfield. Liam Rosenior tin take betwixt Andrey Santos, Dário Essugo and Lavia. Essugo is nan evident outsider, fixed he has hardly played this season. Rosenior had Santos astatine Strasbourg and has pushed nan Brazilian since becoming Chelsea’s caput coach, but Lavia is simply a tempting option. The Belgian has had different stop-start season, pinch only 15 appearances successful each competitions, and 4 months retired aft getting injured against Qarabag successful November. Lavia has struggled to beryllium much than an thought astatine Chelsea and has rarely been fit since joining for £50m-plus successful 2023. However, he has started nan past 2 games and his expertise to defy nan property could beryllium captious against City. These adjacent fewer weeks are important for nan 22-year-old, who needs to show he has a early astatine Chelsea. They are willing successful signing a midfielder this summertime and could work together a woody for Strasbourg’s Valentín Barco. JS

Roméo Lavia started precocious successful Chelsea’s conclusion astatine Everton and (left) successful nan 7-0 FA Cup triumph complete Port Vale. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

It will beryllium 24 days since Manchester United past played a crippled erstwhile they big Leeds connected Monday, but Harry Maguire will request to hold a small longer for his adjacent outing. The defender is suspended aft being sent disconnected against Bournemouth, forcing Michael Carrick into a alteration astatine centre-back. With Matthijs de Ligt looking improbable to characteristic again this play and Lisandro Martínez moving his measurement backmost to fittingness aft months out, United are short of acquisition successful nan bosom of their defence. Leny Yoro has collaborated Maguire successful caller weeks and has impressed arsenic portion of Carrick’s gyration but is still only 20. Ayden Heaven, 19, is nan astir apt campaigner for action but has not started a crippled since early January and ne'er nether Carrick, while Tyler Fredricson is untested astatine this level. It will beryllium 1 of nan astir difficult calls Carrick has made successful his tenure truthful far. WU