1
Will Olise give the Eagles (and City's rivals) a boost?
Michael Olise's long-awaited return from injury for Crystal Palace against city of manchester It couldn't be more timely for Oliver Glasner's team. The France under-21 international has been in sensational form this season on the rare occasions he has taken the field: Olise has played just 755 minutes so far in just 11 appearances, but in that time he has scored six goals and provided three. aid. City are believed to be one of several clubs who have been monitoring his progress and will be wary of the threat he poses to their title ambitions, especially if he can adapt quickly to Glasner's favored 3-4-2-1 formation. Like Palace, who are still not entirely sure due to their trial period only including games against teams above them, Eberechi Eze has not been in the best form of him so far under the Austrian. But could Olise's return help the England midfielder rediscover his touch too? Ed Aaron
2
Bees to fight Villa's resilience
On Wednesday night, as they were being torn apart by Phil Foden, Aston Villa did not look like a team that had spent much of the season in the top four. But that's unlikely to bother them. Unai Emery Villa's orders have a secret weapon: the ability to get up from the field. They started the season with losing 5-1 at Newcastle, then beat Everton 4-0 and the pattern has barely changed. When they lose, unless it's against Manchester United, they tend to lose a lot. 3-0 at Anfield, 3-1 at home against Newcastle, 4-0 at home against Spurs, but each of those thrashings was followed by a commanding victory. And against Brentford, whom they beat 2-1 in December, Villa will get John McGinn back from the three-game suspension resulting from his red card in the Tottenham debacle. Brentford's most realistic hope is to continue doing what they have been doing of late: inching towards survival, one draw at a time. It has been enough to prevent Everton and Luton from catching them, although all three, plus Forest, are in the twilight zone where a couple of wins for one team can make the difference. Tim Lisle
3
Dyche desperately needs to beat his former club
Everton have forgotten how to win, to take up the phrase that Sean Dyche once used of Frank Lampard's team when he was Burnley coach. With the threat of a second points deduction on the horizon and four home games remaining against other teams in the bottom six, they must remember how they did against their former club. Burnley will be the in-form team at Goodison Park having achieved their best run of the season with four games unbeaten. Dyche, by contrast, has now presided over the longest winless streak in Everton's Premier League history after Tuesday draw in Newcastle He extended his barren streak to 13 games. Not even Mike Walker was that bad. Talk of the manager's future is understandable but futile: Everton don't have the board, a committed owner or the money to sack Dyche and recruit a replacement, but they certainly need a win to alleviate growing criticism and relegation concerns. . andy hunter
4
Barnes must move on to rekindle England dream
Harvey Barnes has disappeared from the English scene. He made his international debut in 2020 and enjoyed the same type of position that Anthony Gordon now enjoys: an energetic and enterprising young winger with every chance of becoming a regular in Gareth Southgate's team. However, injuries have prevented Barnes from progressing. He has struggled for fitness since joining Newcastle from Leicester and, unlike Gordon, has no chance of going to Euro 2024. Still, his talent endures. Barnes scored twice After coming off the bench against West Ham last weekend and providing an assist against Everton. He now he needs to move on. Newcastle, who visit Fulham, would be much more dangerous with the speed of Barnes on the left and Gordon on the right. Jacob Steinberg
5
Cherries could leave a sour taste in Luton again
Who has been the best team in the league in the last three games? Not Arsenal (they are second). Neither Liverpool (third) nor Manchester City (fourth). It is, of course, Bournemouth. Yes, they have had a series of meetings with the bottom seven, but you can only beat the team in front of you and Bournemouth have done it with four of their last five opponents: Burnley, Luton, Everton and Palace. Now they face Luton again. The reverse encounter was one of the sagas of the seven goals which have been a great feature of this season. Luton scored three goals in the first half and conceded four in the second. This week their manager Rob Edwards said: “I want to be in the Premier League forever.” As endearing as he was, if he wants to be there next season, his team needs to get something out of this game. Next weekend they are going to the Etihad. tdl
6
Wolves-West Ham is a quiet six-point game
On those blank tables that appear before the season begins, West Ham and Wolves are joined at the hip, despised in alphabetical order. Eight months later, both are happily installed in the middle of the table. They are separated by just three points and that gap will disappear if Wolves win their remaining game (at home to Bournemouth on April 24). So this fight is, in its silent form, a six-point fight. western ham won the second leg 3-0 in mid-December, with two goals from Mohammed Kudus and one from Jarrod Bowen. But Wolves have sharpened their teeth since then, while the Hammers have had their hands too full in Europe to keep knocking on the door of the top six. Saturday's visitors have just two league wins this year, and David Moyes will fancy a third given Wolves' numerous injuries. But Gary O'Neil is very good at organizing his team. Can Kudus and Bowen show their class again? tdl
7
Will the Seagulls recover against the relentless Arsenal?
Some managers are admired for their ability to get results; others manage to be admired despite everything. Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton were seventh on January 3, above Manchester United, but have been in a depression since then. They have won just three of their last 11 league games and have scored just three times in seven games in all competitions, including a rout for Roma. Solly March, out since October with a knee injury, has been sorely missed. However, De Zerbi continues to be mentioned in the newspaper's dispatches Upcoming vacancies in Liverpool and Bayern Munich. No one would blame them for losing again to Arsenal, who have been relentless in the league this year, with 28 points from a possible 30. What's more, Brighton need to find the fluidity that earned them those admiring glances in the first place. tdl
8
Ten Hag needs FA Cup spirit against Liverpool
In a difficult season, Erik ten Hag's team talk is sure to be easy for this visit of their fierce road rivals East Lancs – reminding their players of the defiant way in which they twice came from behind to beat Jürgen Klopp's side . to enjoy a 4-3 victory in the 120th minute of an FA Cup thriller. That was just three weeks and three games ago, but United are tremendously erratic and Liverpool arrives after another victorydetermined to give his genius coach the best of farewells with a second Premier League title before leaving for a new future. Jaime Jackson
9
Time adjustment gives Chelsea fans the Blues
Chelsea fans are not happy that their match at Bramall Lane starts at 5.30pm and who can blame them? Public transport – not even to London – never runs better on Sundays, let alone at night, but the situation may be aggravated by the rail strikes planned for this weekend. Many travel enthusiasts will end up driving but, given the Easter school holidays, the motorways are also likely to be congested. To be fair to the broadcasters, who seem to impose increasingly inconvenient match times on those who actually attend them, it was originally scheduled for 1.30pm on Sunday, but had to be changed because it coincided with the Sheffield Half Marathon. Problems with police, stewards, parking and local taxis dictated the need for a change… but did it really need to be moved at 5:30 pm? Louise Taylor
10
Johnson's Forest reunion adds spice to Spurs
A match brought forward 24 hours due to rail and underground strikes could see Nottingham Forest strengthen their survival hopes. Nuno Espírito Santo's men should certainly arrive in north London with confidence after a Thrilling midweek win over Fulham. Forest were 3-0 up before the break thanks to a performance full of intensity and quality and overall seem galvanized by the four-point deduction they received last month for violating profitability and sustainability (PSR) rules. That makes them potentially dangerous opponents for any team they face between now and the end of the season, and Spurs could be especially ripe for attack given the openness with which they defend, along with how often they fall behind. back at home. . Their opponents on Sunday should believe they can take the lead and, unlike teams like Palace and Luton, take advantage of that. However, it will not be easy against a team that scores many goals, with the presence of Brennan Johnson in the local ranks adding a tantalizing narrative. Sachin Nakrani
