1
Spurs seek to avoid Postecoglou tension
If Ange Postecoglou refuses to change his style and Tottenham simply can't change their culture, where does that leave both sides? The Spurs are still far from a crisis, but it is a stalemate that could cause a combustion. “I didn't get here doing what everyone else is doing,” Postecoglou told Australian media this week, admitting that “sitting down” the Brighton defeat, in which The Spurs completely collapsed in the second half – has caused an agonizing international break. Despite winning five games in a row before the trip to the south coast, anything short of a win against West Ham will put further strain on the relationship between the Tottenham manager and his supporters, who may increasingly swing from one extreme to the other. to the other. sunday stand
2
The exciting Traoré needs the finishing touch
Not many wingers can make Kyle Walker eat dust. On the other hand, not many wingers are as fast or strong as Adama Traoré. However, the 28-year-old is still searching for an end product to match his blistering speed. Getting into goal positions is not the problem. Traoré had three clear opportunities during Fulham's defeat against Manchester City earlier this month, but failed to produce a clinical result each time. It was frustrating to watch and Fulham will hope to see an improvement from the Spanish international when they host Aston Villa. Traoré, who has one goal this season, has a lot going for him. It would be devastating if he could find more composure. Jacob Steinberg
3
A lot at stake for the Tractor Boys and the Toffees
Eight games later and it's time to drop to six points. Ipswich, in 17th place, are one of the four winless wonders of the Premier League. In beating Crystal Palace on September 28 Everton, 16th, left that select club, and the next tied Newcastle thanks to Jordan Pickford saving a penalty from Anthony Gordon. Evertonians will expect more of the same, rather than Pickford's chaotic performance. against Greece for England last week. Ipswich will be looking to bounce back from their first poor performance of the season at West Ham, who drove a bus through Kieran McKenna's adventurous tactics in winning 4-1particularly during a ruinous second half filled with poor defending. The continued absence of Axel Tuanzebe after cutting his hand at the bottom of a dishwashing bowl It's a huge blow to the Ipswich defence. Similarly, Everton have missed Jarrad Branthwaite, whose comeback in that match against Palace visibly improved the team before suffering a thigh injury. He has returned to training. John Brewin
4
United's questions and doubts accumulate
All eyes on the executive box at Old Trafford to see if Sir Alex Ferguson, his lucrative ambassadorial stipend cut by Sir Jim Ratcliffetake a seat. Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag continues to fight; Your job prospects will probably improve thanks to Thomas Tuchel become England manager. joined Severe and forgettable draw at Aston Villa It also calmed the whirlwind of speculation, if not the spate of injuries that have plagued the Dutchman's reign. The loss of Harry Maguire has added to the selection problems, as has Noussair Mazraoui's heart palpitations requiring minor corrective surgery. Manuel Ugarte is also reported to have suffered a muscle problem while on duty in Uruguay. The midfielder is an expensive signing who is supposed to anchor the midfield, but he has completed 90 minutes for United only once and their new manager seems reluctant to use him. Has something similar happened with Matthijs de Ligt, who is out for the game against Villa? J.B.
5
Minteh wants to prove his point on Tyneside
Yankuba Minteh returns to Newcastle for the first time since join Brighton for £33m at the end of June. In reality, the 20-year-old Gambian right winger was rarely on Tyneside after signing from Odense for just under £6m in the summer of 2023. Almost immediately after arriving at Newcastle, a purchase driven by former sporting director of the club, Dan Ashworth, Minteh left on loan for a season to Feyenoord. After starring in Arne Slot last season, Eddie Howe had high hopes for Minteh but instead PSR's concerns prompted a hasty sale which some at St James' Park fear will result in a big mistake. So far this season, Minteh has started five of Brighton's seven league games and scored his first goal for Fabian Hürzeler's side in the 3-2 comeback against Tottenham. The winger is said to have been extremely reluctant to leave Newcastle but is now threatening to show his former fans, manager and team-mates precisely what they are missing. Louise Taylor
6
Will pragmatic foxes hinder the saints?
Southampton are looking to snap their Premier League streak after a pair of very different 3-1 defeats. After losing at BournemouthRussell Martin criticized his players, “hurt by the lack of spirit and fight” while after the arsenal He had “gained a lot of heart, spirit and faith in acting.” Despite Saints' results, a significant proportion of the fans support Martín's commitment to his style of football. The same may not be true for Leicester fans for their manager. Maybe it's the connection with Nottingham Forest, maybe it's that Steve Cooper's pragmatism means Leicester no longer play in the adventurous way they did under Enzo Maresca. He victory over Bournemouth Last time was Leicester's first league win. Cooper's star man has been Facundo Buonanotte, the Brighton loanee. His return from the World Cup qualifiers in Argentina is expected to be comfortable enough to include him. J.B.
after newsletter promotion
7
Merino comes in but Saka leaves for Gunners?
The break was both a blessing and a curse for Mikel Arteta. He will have been encouraged to see Mikel Merino playing for Spain in their Nations League victories over Denmark and Serbia, the summer signing playing 90 minutes in both matches. It will surely give the green light to the Merino club coach to leave him alongside Declan Rice in Bournemouth in his preferred midfield pairing. However, the break also brought pain for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka was limped off in England's Nations League nightmare against Greece. The winger's injury It may be another obstacle that Arteta must overcome in his attempt to topple Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. The Gunners have been very lucky with injuries in the last two seasons while challenging for the title, but the modern calendar means that is unlikely to last forever. D.B.
8
City's McAtee advances
Few players had a more bittersweet international break than James McAtee. The 21-year-old Manchester City midfielder scored three goals for the England Under-21 team, including two against Ukraine, the first of which was a gritty free kick. After the game McAtee dedicated his double. to George Baldockwith whom he spent two years while on loan at Sheffield United. “When I was there, he welcomed me with open arms, he took care of me,” said McAtee, who celebrated by lifting his shirt to reveal a message that read: “GB 2 REST EASY BROTHER X.” McAtee, a fixture in City's squad this season, is unlikely to start against Wolves on Sunday but, having scored in his last appearance for the club, in the 4-0 Champions League win . against Slovan Bratislava Earlier this month, if necessary, Pep Guardiola knows he can turn to a fit man. ben fisherman
9
Defense lines scrambled for Anfield clash
Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca have benefited from relatively stable defenses throughout their impressive starts at Liverpool and Chelsea, with the former boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League currently, but both face disruptions to their defensive lines in which should be an eye-opening event. contest at Anfield. The visitors will be without the suspended Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella after each receiving their fifth booking of the season in the fighter draw with Nottingham Forest before the international break. Mohamed Salah's duel with Renato Veiga, a possible replacement for Cucurella at left back, could prove intriguing. Liverpool's loss is limited to one person, but it is still hugely influential: with Alisson out of play until after the November international break with his second hamstring injury of the campaign. Caoimhín Kelleher proved to be a capable substitute in the wins over Bournemouth and West Ham, as the Republic of Ireland international often does, and has the temperament to put Sunday's mistake against Greece immediately behind him. andy hunter
10
Forest in front of Águilas out of place
It's a battle between two of the surprise packages under the Monday night lights. but while Nottingham Forest have defied most pre-season predictions by losing just once of their first seven games, Crystal Palace have confounded expectations for the wrong reasons. It is too early to suggest that Oliver Glasner's job is in danger given the impact he made last season, but Palace's failure to win a league game so far cannot be explained simply by the summer sale of Michael Olise. There has been a directness on the part of the Eagles, a lack of cohesion that the Austrian must address, starting with this trip. With games against Tottenham and Aston Villa just around the corner, it won't get any easier. The ray of hope for Glasner is Forest's form at home; They have not won at home in four attempts in all competitions this season. D.B.
