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Is it time for Tonali to take center stage?
Dilemmas, dilemmas. Eddie Howe has some ahead of Arsenal's visit to Tyneside on Saturday, as Newcastle aim to correct a run of five league games without a win. Wednesday's reassuring Carabao Cup victory against Chelsea has surely created competition for places, particularly at right-back, where Emil Krafth's strong performance suggests he should arguably start opposite Tino Livramento. Significantly, with Bruno Guimarães on the bench for most of the afternoon, Sandro Tonali shone in midfield. Is now the time to leave the Italy international in the center and relocate Guimarães to the right of Tonali or even put the Brazilian midfielder back on the bench? Similarly, former Arsenal player Joe Willock impressed on the left in that department, pressing well and carrying the ball considerable distances. Can the Newcastle manager afford to do without Willock? Then there's Lloyd Kelly, who did very well in a rare left-sided centre-back outing. Should Kelly get the nod before Dan Burn? Dilemmas… Louise Taylor
2
Iraola gets an audition at City
While Pep Guardiola's future is still up in the air and Rúben Amorim is not under consideration, despite his sporting director Hugo Viana heading to City in the new year, many will be wondering who could step into the Catalan's shoes. Andoni Iraola will likely be on City's radar as he shares a similar philosophy to the man on the away bench on Saturday. Both are disciples of Marcelo Bielsa; Iraola played successfully under the Argentine at Athletic Bilbao and has since shown many traits learned from his former manager in Bournemouth's high-energy game. It looks increasingly likely that Guardiola will stay for another season, but Iraola is a patient man and knows he still has a lot to learn after six full seasons as a coach. What will help his chances is the ability to go head-to-head against City to give the club's hierarchy a first-hand idea of what they could expect if Iraola were ever appointed. won't win
3
Competition for places heats up at Anfield
Arne Slot says he is worried about his attacking options at the moment but the violins have not yet played for a coach who still has at his disposal Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo… and Darwin Núñez, 12 wins in 14 games in Liverpool, a 100% record in the Champions League and a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals thanks to Wednesday's victory at Brighton. Gakpo produced two top-quality finishes at the Amex Stadium, where Slot began with an innovative front two of Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai. That pairing is unlikely to be repeated when the teams meet again at Anfield, with Salah and Nunez rested for 71 minutes on Wednesday, but it will be intriguing to see if Gakpo retains his place on the left. The competition between the Dutch international and an in-form Díaz is growing, although the former has only made two starts in the championship. first division this season and one of them was after Díaz's international efforts with Colombia. Both had an eye-opening impact at Brighton and Gakpo's versatility also ensures Slot's options remain the envy of most. andy hunter
4
Crucial crash on Portman Road
The match between Ipswich and Leicester on Saturday afternoon looks set to set the tone for the season. Last weekend's defeats were punches in the gut: Ipswich's loan of a 2-0 lead at Brentford leaves them without a win after nine games, while for Leicester, two wins and five points better than their opponents, the wide 3-1 home defeat to Forest It was a reminder that this will likely be a long and challenging season. The top two in the Championship last season drew 1-1 in both games in 2023-24, although that doesn't tell the full story. It took an injury-time equalizer from Sam Morsy to rescue Ipswich on Boxing Day at Portman Road, and less than a month later Jeremy Sarmiento scored with an 89th-minute equalizer to do the same at the King Power. Defeat for either side in this case would be difficult to accept. John Ashdown
5
Southampton's search continues
Southampton desperately need a win. Russell Martin's team is little by little on its way to keeping company that Derby team, a spectacle that no fan wants to see. They may be optimistic heading into this weekend against Everton, given the visitors are historically underdogs at St Mary's and have booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. But they let a 2-0 lead slip away against Stoke after persisting with Martin's possession-based attacking style, and the manager has made it clear he is not prepared to budge. “For us, the challenge and the learning is trying to continue being who we want to be and trying to improve and be better at that and grow under the great attention and scrutiny. Then the rest will take care of itself and I will be fine and comfortable with what happens.” It's very good to say it, but they are last with one point in nine games. Everton's pragmatic and brave approach over the last two seasons has shown that they are willing to survive in the worst conditions. Is it time for the saints to do the same? Yara El-Shaboury
6
Will Gibbs-White return for Forest?
Morgan Gibbs-White has not played for almost a month due to injury. The midfielder has been Nottingham Forest's standout player since joining the club upon their return to the Premier League in 2022 and many feared his absence would be a big problem for Nuno Espírito Santo. Contrary to those concerns, Forest have been in good form, winning both matches without Gibbs-White pulling the strings. Elliot Anderson stepped up and impressed further up the field behind Chris Wood. If Gibbs-White is eventually declared fit, Nuno will have to decide whether to immediately return the England international to the starting XI or rely on the players who defeated Crystal Palace and Leicester. It is an indication of the strength Forest built up over the summer that the manager has several options on how to set up the team and which personnel to use. It's a long season and if Forest are to maintain their position in the top half they will need everyone and there is no shortage of quality to help push forward. wu
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The wolves seek to start a change
Wolves remain one of three winless teams but go into the home game against Crystal Palace with plenty of momentum after a late comeback saved a point at Brighton. Gary O'Neil hopes the draw will be a turning point and has remained optimistic despite a demoralizing start. Even a fortnight ago, when they managed just one point from seven games, he painted a more positive picture than most, inventing a word along the way. “It's easy to change,” the Wolves head coach said. Now his team has two points in nine games. “When we turn things around, which we will, it will be a really nice feeling knowing that we had to dig deep, having gone through a tough time and come out ahead.” Defeat to Palace would surely end that optimism. ben fisherman
Timo Werner's renewed confidence could be the spark Tottenham need as they prepare to face an in-form Aston Villa side. The German opened his record with a goal on Wednesday Carabao Cup victory over Manchester Cityunderscoring his commitment to his instinctive and aggressive runs into the box. The striker's scoring has been marred by recent problems, but Werner appears determined to move on. “Of course, when you are a striker and you don't score, you think too much in front of goal, but I never think about not running to get to this situation. I think it would be stupid to stop those runs just for fear of scoring.” Spurs' high-risk, forward-facing style has at times left their defense exposed. Ange Postecoglou's side have lost nine of their last 16 league games, with only Wolves having lost more since, but if Werner can channel his newfound confidence, their chances look a little brighter against Villa's clinical attack. YEAH
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Ugarte will vindicate his right
The first stages of the work of Manuel Ugarte. manchester united career has been something of a struggle. It is not his fault that he was welcomed in the last embers of Erik ten Hag's reign, when neither the performances nor the results were good enough. At 23, the Uruguayan could be at the heart of United's midfield for years to come, so viewers should accept that this is all part of the learning curve. In Wednesday night's Carabao Cup victory over Leicester, Ugarte produced his best performance yet, bringing plenty of energy and bite. It was the morale-boosting game Ugarte needed, but he knows Sunday will be a tougher test, against Chelsea and Cole Palmer. He has an advantage over his teammates because he knows what Rúben Amorim wants from his players, having spent time with him at Sporting and will be desperate to be a key person under the new manager by showing what he can do against one of the players. of the Premier League. elite. wu
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Bees hope to finally resist outside the home
Brentford's last three away games have ended in narrow defeat after impressive starts. Thomas Frank's team led against Tottenham, City and Manchester United but could not hold on as their opponents became agitated. Still, maybe that has something to do with the level of the opposition, and the level won't be as high when Brentford make the short trip to face Fulham on Monday. Frank hopes his team can defend with more organization if they go ahead against their west London rivals. That said, Brentford have not picked up any points away from home this season and will not underestimate Fulham, a very entertaining team with a good home record. Jacob Steinberg
