Dyche faces uphill task at Emirates
Sean Dyche may be struggling to find reasons for optimism before his Everton team travel to Arsenal. The Toffees were tough opponents for Mikel Arteta in the early days of his reign, picking up wins under Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez. Dyche enjoyed a 1-0 win at Goodison in his first game for Arsenal as Everton manager but has lost all three of his games since. Everton's only away win this season came at Ipswich in October (also the last time they scored away from home), while Arteta's side are on a 14-match unbeaten run at the Emirates. Dyche can be forgiven for having one eye on the January transfer window, saying on Thursday that the Friedkin Group's proposed takeover “looks very possible… but, until it's done, it's not done”. Whatever the result on Saturday, we can expect goals from set pieces. Arsenal have scored a league-high 23 corner goals since the start of last season, while 57% of Everton's goals this season have come from set pieces.
Iwobi is crucial to Silva's hopes at Anfield
Liverpool's nine-point lead from beating Manchester City at Anfield was reduced to four after the leaders' 3-3 draw at Newcastle and the postponement of the Merseyside derby last weekend. It's not that Arne Slot's team is showing any signs of faltering; Tuesday's 1-0 win in Girona maintained their 100% record in the Champions League, all but ensuring a top-eight finish, which will ease concerns about fixture congestion. Fulham, unbeaten in three games since the disconcerting 4-1 home defeat to Wolves, will offer a test on Saturday today with Marco Silva hoping Alex Iwobi can continue his good form. “He's been incredible for us,” Silva said of the player he signed for Everton and then brought to Craven Cottage last year. Iwobi never scored against Liverpool, but scored twice from his new central midfield role in the win over Brighton. He could thrive in a similar role as Liverpool are missing Alexis MacAllister, who served separate suspensions in the first division and Europe this week.
Van Nistelrooy remembers the “wonderful” Robson
Ruud van Nistelrooy will take his Leicester team to St James' Park on Saturday, with the manager sure to stop by the statue of Sir Bobby Robson to pay his respects. The former striker flourished under Robson at PSV Eindhoven, with the former England manager moving on to I recommend Van Nistelrooy to Manchester United. The Dutchman returned the favor by scoring seven goals in six Premier League games against Robson's Newcastle, but has fond memories of his former mentor. “He was a wonderful man and thinking about him makes me smile,” said Van Nistelrooy, who is still undefeated as a coach in English football. “He always talked about getting better and better… what it's like to be a team. Fight, spirit, emotion and be the best you can be.” Van Nistelrooy has certainly lifted Leicester, who can move to within three points of their hosts with a win.
Application of science keeps O'Neil safe
Gary O'Neil's Wolves team lost the game called The Sackico, coming up short at West Ham on Monday night, but the manager held on and received a vote of confidence from chairman Jeff Shi this week. writing in his Express and star In this column, Shi said: “While (Gary) knows that improving our results quickly is essential, we are united in supporting him.” Maybe because there are is the lack of alternative options – but either way, O'Neil will oversee Saturday's hat-trick against Ipswich. Whatever the outcome, Shi has vowed to maintain perspective. “Success in gaming is very much a science,” he added, in one of the strangest rallying cries in recent memory. “I believe in the power of positivity because negativity achieves nothing. Just as atoms remain atoms, the way we perceive, combine and connect them defines their collective value.”
Free forest to pursue the return of Europe
Even Brian Clough failed to lead Nottingham Forest to victory at Anfield and Old Trafford in the same season, so it is no surprise that expectations have risen at the City Ground. With relegation fears all but extinguished, talk on Trentside is about whether Nuno Espírito Santo's side can follow Aston Villa's lead and make a long-awaited return to Europe. Since 1985, the club has only enjoyed one European campaign, and that was in the 1995-96 UEFA Cup. Nuno has downplayed things in his characteristic style, saying only that Forest “has a good platform and ambition to grow and improve… we are trying to build something nice together.” Still, his team sits in fifth place, above Saturday night's opponents on goal difference, and has a reasonable run of games between now and the second leg against Liverpool in mid-January.
Hürzeler's hero becomes his rival in the derby
The A23 derby doesn't usually offer much entertainment for neutrals, with six of the last 10 meetings between Brighton and Crystal Palace ending in a 1-1 draw. The pendulum has swung the Seagulls' direction recently, with a seven-match winless streak against their rivals ending in March 2023 now turning into a six-match unbeaten streak. Brighton's 4-1 home win in February marked the beginning of the end for Roy Hodgson, who was replaced by Oliver Glasner. The Austrian was unable to maintain last season's form into the new campaign, but he has Palace on a four-match unbeaten run and has a notable admirer in Fabian Hürzeler. The Brighton manager's preparation for promotion with St Pauli was influenced by Glasner's tactics in Frankfurt and, like his new rival, Hürzeler has quickly settled in England. The question is whether, unlike Glasner, he can maintain that initial momentum.
Amorim faces Guardiola in a nervous derby
Ruben Amorim's first Manchester derby comes on Sunday, making him the fifth United manager to face Pep Guardiola's City. In truth, it is a meeting that both coaches would prefer to delay for a few more weeks. Amorim's promising start at Old Trafford has stalled with defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and the main reason for optimism for visiting fans at the Etihad is the equally poor form of their opponents. The defeat to Juventus in midweek means City's victory over Forest in the league is their only victory in 10 games. That run includes a 4-1 defeat to Sporting de Amorim in the Champions League, where City's defensive weaknesses were fully exploited. Guardiola's concerns would be significantly alleviated by the type of comprehensive derby victory he often enjoyed over Erik ten Hag's United, but Amorim has the chance to show that he is a different prospect. It is also the rarest gift for a Manchester United manager: a match in which the manager on the opposing bench is under the most pressure.
Can a short trip alleviate Brentford's distance problems?
Thomas Frank hopes a trip to a countryside just six miles from home can put an end to his terrible away form. Brentford have the unusual distinction of being the Premier League's best team at home (22 points out of 24) and the worst away (one point out of 21). Chelsea, unbeaten in seven league games and just four points off top spot, are an unlikely opponent for the Bees to break that run. That said, Brentford have won on their last three trips to Stamford Bridge and face a team returning from a 7,000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan this week, although Enzo Maresca's decision to bring a young team to face to Astana should mitigate that potential damage. Maresca's team are the top scorers in the League with 35 goals; Brentford are joint second with Tottenham, with 31 goals. Goals seem to be a certainty on Sunday night.
Martin and Postecoglou share fight
Southampton are eight points from safety, having picked up five in 15 league games so far, and Russell Martin accepted ahead of Tottenham's visit on Sunday afternoon that their position is “incredibly painful and embarrassing.” The coach has made it clear that he will not change his approach and repeated that message, urging his players to “continue to focus on the process.” Martin sees Ange Postecoglou as a kindred spirit, with the Spurs boss under pressure for his uncompromising tactical approach. “I get criticized for the same thing, for being stubborn,” Martin said, “but if you believe in something and it has led you to a certain path in life, then deviating too much from that is crazy.” Which reminds us of the old maxim about the definition of insanity: repeat the same mistakes and expect different results.
A Basque battle at Bournemouth
When Julen Lopetegui was appointed manager of West Ham, he joined three other Basque managers in the English top flight, all of whom featured on the Premier League manager of the season shortlist. Along with Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola was nominated for leading his team to mid-table after a difficult start. The four men come from Gipuzkoa, the smallest province in Spain that has become a training hotbed – but Iraola's impact may have played the biggest role in West Ham's decision to sign Lopetegui and retain him after his initial problems this season. Monday's victory over Wolves has eased the pressure on his manager, but Iraola could make a further turn seven days later. Having been linked with the West Ham job in recent weeks, Iraola's in-form Cherries could be the team to dislodge Lopetegui from the Premier League's hottest seat.
