1
United must match ambition with effort
Bruno Fernandes regretted that last week Defeat in the Manchester derby down to “individual quality of City players”. It's hard to argue, but the most frustrating part of United's defeat was not committing for the full 90 minutes. At 2-1 down, even some senior players had their heads down and seemed to show a lack of effort in the final 15 minutes. The individual quality does not matter, which in itself is unforgivable. And that attitude only serves to encourage future opponents. Jordan Pickford has said he is confident Everton will overcome Erik ten Hag's side on Saturday. “For me, I think (with) the intensity and the work rate that the guys give, the career statistics. I think we can chase them. “We can run them over.” Yara El-Shaboury
2
Luton want to thwart Palace expectations
Until they were surpassed by the unlikely figure of Timo Werner at Tottenham Last week, Oliver Glasner's optimism opening victory over Burnley had Crystal Palace fans dreaming of achieving Premier League security with plenty to spare. “A great job of 60 to 70 minutes,” said the manager. Falling to a 3-1 defeat against Spurs, especially considering Burnley's poor form: reduced expectations for Palace. Beating Luton may go some way to restoring confidence and taking the rope off Rob Edwards' team, whose confidence could be waning. Losing against Aston Villa last week, after coming back from two goals down, could end up serving as a microcosm of Luton's spirit in adversity that came up short. Defeating Palace in November, a first home league win at Kenilworth Road, was an essential part of Luton's recovery. It will need to be repeated if Glasner's team and others can be dragged into trouble again. John Brewin
3
Hughes will be a big loss for Bournemouth
A big story emerged at Bournemouth this week, with confirmation that their manager Richard Hughes will be leaving at the end of the season. Apart from Eddie Howe, arguably no individual has been as influential in shaping the club in the top flight as Hughes, the former midfielder who played under Howe and later worked closely with him. It was Hughes who pushed for the appointment of Andoni Iraola, who has impressed after a difficult start and is the architect behind his recruitment, including the eye-catching arrivals of exciting talents such as Alex Scott, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi. Hughes, highly respected around the world, will hand over the baton to Simon Francis, another former player who has worked as his assistant for the last three years. This type of joint thinking has been rare in the club below. Sheffield United for a moment. ben fisherman
4
A small team hurts the Wolves' big dreams
After three wins in a row, Wolves suffered a setback in Newcastle last time out with a discordant 3-0 defeat. It was the type of game where almost everything that could go wrong did, with José Sá and Pedro Neto forced to retire through injury. The good news for Gary O'Neil is that both substitutions were preventative, but the bad news is that he still doesn't have a true forward. Nathan Fraser, a 19-year-old academy forward, is the only recognized No. 9, with Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan possibly sidelined until May due to hamstring problems. So few are the numbers that Wolves named 15-year-old defender Wesley Okoduwa on the St James' Park bench. Wolves are aiming for a European spot that seemed out of reach at the start of the season but their small squad may ultimately sabotage those plans. boyfriend
5
Havertz prospers as Arsenal strive to reach the summit
Kai Havertz finally seems to have found his place at Arsenal and adapted to the pace of the Premier League. Doubts were raised about his ability after an overall disappointing season at Chelsea and poor performances at the start of the season didn't help. But Mikel Arteta's faith never wavered and he is finally reaping the rewards. In Arsenal's last three Premier League games (resounding wins against Burnley, Newcastle and Sheffield United), Havertz has been involved in five goals, equaling his previous 32. The German is thriving and he, along with the team, seem to prefer being the hunters rather than the hunted. It was around this time last year that Arsenal, who were at the top of the table, began to crack. They finally have the chance to reach the top again and this time they must not let the pressure get to them. With Liverpool and city of manchester By playing each other on Sunday, Arsenal can overtake the pair with a win over Brentford. YEAH
6
A great battle in the race for the Champions League
When the team news came 75 minutes before kick-off at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday, it offered an important indication of Unai Emery's thinking and how meaningful he views Tottenham's visit to Villa Park on Sunday. Captain John McGinn, in-form striker Leon Bailey and full-backs Matty Cash and Alex Moreno started the game on the bench, and 20-year-old midfielder Tim Iroegbunam made his second start, almost two years after his full debut. Spurs are five points behind fourth-placed Villa but have a game in hand, so a home win would establish a welcome buffer between them and their closest rivals for a Champions League place. Villa won the first leg in November thanks to goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins and a repeat would be priceless. boyfriend
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7
New faces waiting in the wings of West Ham
West Ham have some talented youngsters and it was a shame David Moyes didn't bring any off the bench during his team's recent win over Brentford. It was 4-1 after 69 minutes and George Earthy, Ollie Scarles and Divin Mubama were waiting in reserve. However, Moyes erred on the side of caution. He needed a win after a poor run of results and the closing stages became nervy after Brentford pulled one goal back. However, it would be nice to see Moyes give his young players a taste of first-team action if West Ham find themselves in a similarly dominant position against Burnley on Sunday. Jacob Steinberg
8
Will Clattenburg be in the spotlight again?
Whether Mark Clattenburg emerges in the mixed zone at the Amex Stadium, conveniently located next to their dressing room and press conference facilities, may depend on whether Nottingham Forest feel they will get a good blast from the referee's whistle at Brighton. After Last week's 99th minute award to Liverpoolhe Appearance of the Gladiators television star in the mixed zone of the City Ground It surprised even the most seasoned journalists. The role of Forest “referee analyst”, appointed by owner Evangelos Marinakis after a friendship struck up when the Durham player was working as head referee for the Greek Super League, appears to be the latest – and not necessarily welcome – development in modern football. determination to referee every match again. The fact that Clattenburg and other former officials have such colorful post-refereeing careers and live increasingly public lives is another dimension of the extended Premier League universe. Add all that to the increasing number of unforeseen circumstances that the introduction of VAR has brought to the game. J.B.
9
Will City banish their demons from Anfield?
Anfield comes to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, and Anfield knows it. The conquering City manager has won only one of his eight visits since taking charge of the Etihad in 2016 and that 4-1 rout, while a significant moment in the fight for the title against Liverpool in 2021 was played against backdrop of an empty stadium due to the pandemic. In a packed and frenetic stadium, as will be the case on Sunday, Guardiola's record at Liverpool reads: lost, lost, lost, drawn, lost, drawn, lost. It is a place where Liverpool's pressure, refereeing decisions, missed penalties and periods of unrewarded dominance have broken Guardiola's temperament, and where his reputation for making unnecessary adjustments has been grounded. The City manager has spoken of the need for his champions to focus only on what they can control in their quest for an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title. A cold approach in the white heat of Anfield, where Jürgen Klopp's leaders are unbeaten in 29 games in all competitions, would not only tilt the title race in City's favor but would represent a change for them. andy hunter
10
Newcastle's weak defense faces tough test
Newcastle's previous trip to London did not go well, a 4-1 win against Arsenal exposing a multitude of flaws and leaving Eddie Howe open to questions about his future. But the response has been decent. Newcastle reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup by beating Blackburn on penalties and will be hoping last weekend's emphatic 3-0 victory over Wolves is a sign of things to come. However, to secure European qualification for the second consecutive season, the consistency of yesteryear has to return. Newcastle continue to concede too many goals. They have only kept three clean sheets since the start of the year and will be without Kieran Trippier against Chelsea, who remain dangerous in attack despite being hampered by weaknesses in other areas. js
