Aston Villa’s rather controversial decision to sack Dean Smith after five straight Premier League defeats is looking more justified and inspired by the day.
After all the former Brentford, and now current Norwich City boss built at Villa Park, it would have been perfectly understandable for certain sections of the Villa faithful to be insipid about the decision to relieve Smith of his duties considering how far he brought such a prestigious club.
But, nowadays we live in a results business. There’s others who could argue the writing was always on the wall for Dean Smith, after much of the excitement, optimism and hope at Villa grew stale and the general feeling, it was time for an inevitable change.
Soon after the sacking though, the reports of Steven Gerrard – Liverpool’s club legend – taking over was met with much anticipation and approval considering all he had achieved in Scotland at Rangers.
Two games into Gerrard’s tenure and the new man at the helm has tasted successive victories. It’s still very early days but it seems as though Aston Villa are back on the rise.
During Smith’s latter days, Villa had been disorganized, lacking inspiration, almost motionless and forgotten how to win. However, much of that has changed in such a short space of time.
After two games under Steven Gerrard, they’ve been more resilient, tougher to beat, resurgent, forming a new and aggressive way of approaching matches.
So, what can we put it all down to? Is it that expected new manager bounce or has it been Gerrard’s managerial and coaching excellence. On the surface, it seems a mixture of the two.
In training under the new regime, there’s reportedly been an increased emphasis on building up play through the central areas, with the attacking trio remaining compact, sturdy and linking up with each other with enthusiasm and efficiency.
This was put into action in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and so it proved effective.
Not only have Villa turned around their woeful form by making a change at the top, but they’ve also started to positively overhaul the playing style in just a matter of weeks. It seems as though Gerrard has reverted back to basics especially defensively as a unit.
That’s what worked last term where they stayed compact as a unit, every facet of the starting XI working together to close down open spaces, defending as one mixed and meshed with the added brilliance of former star man Jack Grealish, Ollie Watkins and John McGinn.
If those same foundations were proved in the hard-fought win over Brighton at Villa Park, then the follow up success over Patrick Vieira’s exciting Palace team was clearly more down to careful, intentional and considered planning.
According to reports week one under the new management involved staggered training sessions, individual talks, group meetings and taking in an under-23 game – the supposed definition of going back to simplicity and the basics. Some sessions were reportedly switched to the afternoon as Gerrard blitzed through other tasks in the mornings.
Week two involved more tailor-made and intentional work: extensive planning around a much narrower shape that would thwart Crystal Palace’s threat and stop opponents playing through central areas with ease.
Plus, it involved building blocks for a longer-term project to finally transform Aston Villa into a team that seeks to dominate much of the match territory through prolonged periods of possession.
Steven Gerrard has been looking to get his instructions and messages across to the players rather swiftly, even through the distraction of the international break. A schedule was reportedly devised for those who traveled with their respective countries and for those who stayed behind.
Also, club discipline and sets of rules increased especially in punctuality and player conduct. Within the canteen, items including desserts, table sauces and sausages were removed as closer attention turned to diet and nutrition.
It was made pretty clear that the form that had occured before the new regime would be put on the back burner, out of players minds and a chance to start their season again. Players have been reminded of their qualities and that they were much better than recent results and their disappointing standing in the league table had suggested.
The plan before the season started, with some exciting new additions in the transfer window was that the club were planning to take that next step and challenge for the Europa League places this coming campaign, and after an inspired start especially their tremendous win over Manchester United at Old Trafford much of that optimism was showing until results and form depleted rather rapidly.
Under Gerrard though, players have responded well. One man who has quickly caught the eye is former Manchester United player Ashley Young.
His drive, determination and experience has stood out amongst the adversity. So too did his running statistics and work-rate, which still stack up favourably — even as the one of the oldest players in the team. That he made a telling impact off the bench in the 2-0 win over Brighton also highlighted his value to the team.
Young set up Matt Targett’s opener against Crystal Palace, producing a superb display as one of the attacking three alongside Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins. He has assisted more goals in the Premier League for Villa than any other player.
How Villa lined up against Crystal Palace
Players like Ollie Watkins have also responded well to Gerrard’s management, showcasing his fierce desire to improve especially in front of goal, and that desire to get better was highlighted through his expert and sumptuous finish against Brighton in Gerrard’s first game. That Watkins scored the first goal of the new era was fitting as a result of his style which Gerrard is very expectant of.
Captain Tyrone Mings was also reminded of his qualities and leadership when Gerrard first came in, and he’s already looked every inch the player Aston Villa rely on so heavily to lead them. John McGinn, with his “bubbly and infectious” character, but workhorse mentality and doggedness on the pitch has managed to maintain his rapid performance levels.
Another player who has increased his levels considerably looking every bit a Premier League player is Marvelous Nakamba. The midfielder showed glimpses of his combative qualities under Dean Smith but never enjoyed a sustained run in the team with Douglas Luiz and John McGinn Smith’s most trusted lieutenants in the middle of the park.
Against Palace, Nakamba put in a stunning showing in defensive midfield, and gained a number of plaudits for his performance. He won possession 10 times and broke up play in a way that provided the more forward thinking players the foundations to thrive in attack. “His performance for the team was massive,” Gerrard said post-match.
These are starting to feel like happy times again at Villa Park. And, if Gerrard and his staff can get Villa so organised and difficult to beat in just two weeks, then how good can they be in future when his plans and tactics are fully implemented?
Villa were certainly not attractive on the eye against Brighton but yet they found a way to win and if they are to challenge for those European places then winning when they don’t necessarily deserve it will have to be a common theme, though down at Palace, there was much more to appreciate.
It was in fact a tactical masterclass by Gerrard who outmaneuvered and outthought his former Premier League rival Patrick Vieira. Villa managed to reduce the gaps between defence, midfield and attack to stay tight and compact, not allowing the likes of Michael Olise, Wilf Zaha and Conor Gallagher the room or freedom to operate in.
Gerrard used the 4-3-2-1 formation to great effect at Rangers and has already been drilling his Villa side into a similar system. Off the ball, it’s all about dictating the game and protecting the middle of the pitch, and that’s what they did against Palace, springing traps in the wide areas trying to get their opponents to play through the middle then stifling their progress.
For example:
The wide players cut inside to play more like No 10s and the full-backs occasionally offer width in attack. With Olise, Eze and Zaha all looking to roam into half-spaces and create, Villa immediately closed down the areas they seeked to operate in, halting much of their attacking play.
Going forward, Gerrard has been specifically intentional working on particular patterns of play providing his team with an identity and a way of playing, forming a strong basis for the future. They largely consisted of building through central areas with McGinn and Jacob Ramsey supporting Young, Watkins and Leon Bailey in attack.
Rather than staying wide acting as proper wingers, both the players behind Watkins will at times alternate in dropping in those deep areas to pick up the ball and either drive with the ball or link with full-backs and fellow onrushing midfielders as shown in the image below:
Matty Cash and Matt Targett going forward under Gerrard’s tutelage will be tasked with more attacking responsibility as the weeks go by, offering width to allow the wide no.10s such as Bailey, Young, Buendia or El Ghazi to freely operate in the half-spaces just like Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo, Ianis Hagi performed for Gerrard during his time at the Ibrox.
Don’t be surprised to find either of those players in Aston Villa colours during 2022.
It was instances such as this that culminated in Villa’s second goal at Selhurst Park, a wonderful strike from McGinn on the edge of the area that sealed the win and sparked more wild scenes amongst Gerrard’s coaching staff.
Indeed Gerrard isn’t getting too carried away with his instant impact and progress at the helm. There are tough tests to come, not least a home game against Manchester City on Wednesday, but its clear that the former Rangers coach is laying the foundations for a bright future at Aston Villa.
Yes, the Villa players have been rejuvenated, a by-product of a new manager arriving but their recent form is also a product of Gerrard’s new rules and implementations on the training pitch and across the whole club.
This seems like a new Aston Villa. One which Dean Smith had a big hand in forming and shaping, but its now time for a new man to carry on those efforts and lead the club into a new exciting era.
The first two wins is a perfect picture of the kind of team Gerrard wants to build at Villa Park, and the swift seeds he has planted in his few weeks in charge are already bearing fruit.
Steven Gerrard must be given much credit for Villa’s current rejuvenation.
There’s simply no doubt about it, on James Maddison’s day he is arguably one of the most gifted attacking midfielders on the continent let alone England.
Seasoned creators like Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Hakan Çalhanoğlu to name a few of Europe’s most prestigious final third magicians; these players’ lofty elite levels aren’t too high for Maddison to reach when is on song.
In fact, there are periods in each passing season where Maddison is actually on-par with those names, grabbing the iniative in matches, and becoming Leicester City’s main creative hub when they are in desperate need of goals.
But that’s just it, they are only ‘periods’. There’s too many instances where we don’t see the real James Maddison at all. When Leicester have their backs against the wall at crucial points in the season, the midfielder is nowhere to be found, clutching at straws, and that’s what separates him from Europe’s elite creators.
(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
These are players who don’t only perform in spells or periods during a season, but who provide the missing ingredients and much needed inspiration on a consistent basis when their clubs need it most.
It’s no wonder why Gareth Southgate is justified in out-casting Maddison from his England setup – due his worrying consistency levels.
James Maddison is capable of reaching those incredible levels, and that’s where he must take his game to next if he is to be considered amongst those elite creators in Europe.
Last season has got to be considered his most productive yet, recording 11 goals and 9 assists in all competitions – 8 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League – but the challenge was to build on that. As successful as Leicester’s campaign was last year, it was a challenge for not only Maddison to build on those performances, but for the whole team too.
So far this season, it just hasn’t clicked for Brendan Rodgers and his men. Many expected them to be where West Ham currently are in fourth or fifth spot, a few points off the so-called ‘title challengers’, instead 13 games, in and the club currently sit in 10th place, fortunately just five points off the Champions League spots.
It was supposed to be the year Leicester took that one step further after their tremendous FA Cup success in May, the year they banked on actually breaking into the top four and finally achieving a Champions League spot after just missing out the previous two campaigns, but so far they’ve given themselves a mountain to climb.
After three league games without a win, a win over former boss Claudio Ranieri and his Watford side was paramount, and there are no prizes for guessing who stepped up when the club needed him most. Nope, it wasn’t Jamie Vardy who returned to goalscoring form, but another one of Brendan Rodgers’ go-to men; James Maddison.
A goal and two assists Maddison recorded as Leicester City triumphed 4-2 at the King Power. Just a few days earlier, the former Norwich City man hit the same goal involvements in the Europa League as the Foxes eased to a 3-1 win over Legia Warsaw.
Maddison’s return to form has been welcome and timely for the club, Brendan Rodgers and Jamie Vardy even – but most of all, for Maddison on a personal level. The 25-year-old has found his swagger and spark at just the right time for Leicester as Youri Tielemans’ absence with injury has left Rodgers without a reliable ball-player and creative outlet in the middle of the park.
Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumaré are solid enforcers in front of the back four, but you could argue neither of them possess the ability to dissect stout defences with that telling pass. James Maddison is of course Leicester’s most decisive outlet when performing those cutting edge final third passes.
It’s been a frustrating start to the campaign for Maddison, especially when his England counterparts Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount were firing on all cylinders for club and country. A campaign that has almost mirrored Leicester City’s own inconsistent displays, becoming symbiotic. It’s clear that when Maddison is a his masterful best, the whole team follows suit.
The thing is, Maddison hasn’t been at his best often enough.
The key for Maddison is to be a workhorse and a show pony. When he has been below his best, as shown in a couple instances so far this season, games have passed him by. He has been the passenger instead of the driving force Rodgers knows that he can be.
Life has dramatically changed off the field following the birth of his first child and he’s also had to contend with the unsettling nature of the speculation linking him to Arsenal. It’s understandable, but those are the kind of off-field situations that footballers have to navigate their way through, especially the elite level performers, and Maddison is no different.
After his performance against Legia Warsaw, the midfielder was asked if he had a point to prove. Maddison had started only five of the previous 13 games in which he had been included in the squad, suggesting Rodgers felt Maddison did need to prove that he had what it takes — to show that he wasn’t above being left out of the side, that his talent needed to be backed up with consistent displays. It has been a gentle kick up the backside.
However, during an important week in Leicester’s season, it finally looks as if Maddison taken heed of Rodgers’ demands and is back to his mercurial best.
“I think we always have a point to prove every single day,” Rodgers says. “For him, it was about looking at his game. He knows this is a level where you are always looking to prove yourself, always. He can never be calm with that. You always have to be intense. You have to work and when you are not working so well you have to keep focused and working hard.
“I think you can see, and not just in James, the confidence is returning. The level of the game, the movement is back and we look a real threat. But also working hard.”
What has been evidently clear of James Maddison under Brendan Rodgers, is his influence and decisiveness in much of Leicester’s attacking play. A conductor and an orchestrator in such a well-rounded unit. Whether playing in the most advanced position of a midfield three, or as a more deep-lying playmaker, or tucked in off the left-wing or in his more natural role directly behind Jamie Vardy, he is the man to set and maintain the tempo of their attacking moves.
When Maddison is in the mood, he is indeed unstoppable and that was perfectly proved against Watford. The 25-year-old provided his team with the ingredients to overcome a difficult task. Firstly, taking his goal expertly, but it wasn’t just down to him putting the ball in the back of the net, it was the unique nous and anticipation to run beyond Jamie Vardy and capitalize on any potential mistakes and that’s exactly what he did.
It’s the role of an attacking midfielder to roam beyond the striker and score goals as well as create them, and Maddison has excelled at that trait over the past year, something Rodgers instructed him to do more to get goals and assists, but unfortunately not doing it consistently enough.
The assist for Jamie Vardy’s first goal was absolutely delicious, a delicately weighted chip into the Vardy’s path on the angle, and the veteran striker put the gloss over a superb pass that only few players in the Premier League could replicate.
James Maddison’s heat-map against Watford
His heatmap above above may not seem the most productive, however, it shows the areas on the pitch in which he proved very decisive in Leicester’s attacking play, within that left half-space, an area where he can effectively roam inside and produce his dazzling creative abilities. Maddison is evidently on the ball less – only recording 53 touches against Watford – but when he is in possession of it, he is devastatingly effective, completing 100% of his dribbles, performing 3 accurate crosses – including another assist for Jamie Vardy’s second from a corner – seven chances created and 5 key passes.
If Leicester are to improve on their inconsistencies so far this season, James Maddison will once again prove central to their hopes. Getting Youri Tielemans back fit and firing can only aid their cause too.
Nevertheless, James Maddison is capable of the extraordinary, whether its the eye of the needle pass, the sumptuous first touch and the ability to locate areas in the final third in order to hurt the opposition, that’s what his game is built on.
It is now 7 goals + assists now in his last five starts in all competitions for Leicester City. The swagger and spark in his game has certainly returned, but in order for Maddison to reach those lofty heights, it needs to be combined with tenacity, a ruthless edge and a consistency that is so far unreachable in his game.
The 25-year-old is an elusive creative weapon for Brendan Rodgers, but maybe the reason Leicester haven’t taken that next level is because Maddison hasn’t yet expressed his extraordinary abilities over a prolonged period of time throughout a campaign. At such a crucial stage in Leicester City’s season, it certainly isn’t too late for him to start performing consistently right now.
After a brief two-week pause of captivating international football, the Premier League finally returns this weekend offering up yet another cracking group of fixtures to feast our eyes on.
So, without further ado, let’s get in amongst the action with some previews and predictions.
Leicester City vs Chelsea, Saturday 12:30PM
Chelsea will be looking to increase their three point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table when they travel to Leicester City for Saturday’s early kick-off.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley last time out, while Brendan Rodgers’s side also took a point from their meeting with Leeds United before the international break.
This season so far has been one of inconsistency for Leicester City as they currently sit in 12th place in the table, only winning fifteen points from a possible 33. It’s safe to say Rodgers’ men aren’t hitting the same heights as last season, and it is now three games without a win in all competitions.
Intense speculation surrounding a possible switch to replace under-fire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United will not help Rodgers and Leicester City’s cause one bit, who have just posted two Premier League wins from eight since the start of September and are without a clean sheet in 10 league games.
Rodgers has also seen his side ship two goals in each of their last three top-flight games at the King Power, and not since the 1997/98 campaign have the club managed to prevail against the starting the gameweek at the league summit.
Having impressively recorded numerous wins across the board in previous weeks, Chelsea being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Sean Dyche’s Burnley came as a big surprise considering the amount of chances the hosts wasted.
Tuchel’s men saw their seven-game winning run in all competitions come to an end just before the international break, but the Blues still hold a healthy three-point lead at the top of the table ahead of Manchester City and a resurgent West Ham United.
Chelsea have won their last three away games in the top-flight without shipping a single goal and have conceded just once on the road during the current campaign, becoming the best defensive unit so far this season.
Leicester City prevailed 2-0 at the King Power in this fixture last term which saw former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard lose his job just days after before that historic FA Cup triumph, but Tuchel’s side claimed a 2-1 win over the Foxes at Stamford Bridge back in May.
MATCH FACT: Chelsea have only lost three of their past 18 Premier League games against Leicester (won 10, drawn five), though one of those was at King Power Stadium last season, a 2-0 defeat in Frank Lampard’s last league game in charge in January.
KEY MEN: Jamie Vardy (Leicester) & Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
The Steven Gerrard-era begins at Aston Villa this weekend as the out-of-form hosts welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Villa Park.
Former Rangers boss and Liverpool legend Gerrard replaced Dean Smith at the helm during the international break, with Villa having lost their last five Premier League games.
Brighton’s last outing before the interval saw them draw 1-1 with Newcastle United at the Amex Stadium.
Many of the Villa faithful will have been disappointed to see Dean Smith get the axe from his role earlier this month after the terrific job he’s done leading the club to where they are currently – as a very decent level mid-table club. But those at the top believe he wasn’t the man to take them to the next level after their disappointing run of form as of late.
There will of course be plenty of optimism surrounding Gerrard’s appointment, whose managerial CV already boasts an unprecedented Scottish league title with Rangers, ending Celtic’s nine-year domination, and in terrific and unstoppable fashion.
The Liverpool legend’s return to the Premier League has naturally led to some speculating that his new role is a stepping stone to replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in the near future, but Gerrard has correctly stressed that the Villa job is not simply as such, and he undoubtedly still has plenty to prove as takes the reins at Villa Park.
Victory on Saturday could provide the perfect tonic for Gerrard as Villa manager, with only two of the club’s previous 12 Premier League managers – John Gregory and Gerard Houllier – winning their first top-flight outing in charge. To join that elusive list, Gerrard must bring an end Villa’s worst run of Premier League form since 2015-16, with Smith having lost his final five games in charge.
Villa have not picked up a point since beating Manchester United at Old Trafford in September, conceding 13 goals in that time and dropping down to 16th place – just points clear of the relegation places. Only the bottom two of Newcastle and Norwich have conceded more goals than Villa this season, whilst Norwich are the only team to have lost more than Villa’s seven defeats from 11 games.
The gap to Saturday’s opponents is seven points, however, Brighton’s relatively lofty league position of seventh belies a slight dip in form. The Seagulls’ last Premier League win was actually longer ago than Villa’s, failing to win any of their six league outings since beating Leicester City in September.
However, Graham Potter’s men have still managed to pick up points in that time, losing just one of those games – against Manchester City – and holding the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal to draws in that time.
A 1-1 draw with Newcastle before the international interval was a more disappointing result for Graham Potter, although they will still be more content with their current standing after 11 games, sitting level on points with Manchester United and just five points off the top four.
Chelsea and Lverpool are the only teams to have been beaten fewer times than Brighton so far this season, while those two giants and Manchester City are also the only teams to have conceded fewer goals than the Seagulls, which is very impressive reading.
Brighton are also one of three teams – along with Chelsea and West Ham – to avoid defeat away from home so far, so Saturday’s trip will not be too much of a stumbling block as they aim to put a dampner on Gerrard’s start as Villa Head Coach. Their last visit to Villa Park saw them pick up their first ever win there in a 2-1 triumph.
Villa are winless in their last three meetings with Brighton. However, last year’s corresponding fixture was also the only time Brighton have tasted victory over Villa in their last 12 attempts, and they will need to be particularly wary this time around with the hosts experiencing a new manager bounce.
MATCH FACT: Brighton’s Leandro Trossard is looking to score in three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time.
KEY MEN: Danny Ings (Villa) & Leandro Trossard (Brighton)
SCORE PREDICTION:Aston Villa 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Burnley vs Crystal Palace, 3:00PM
Patrick Vieira’s high-flying Crystal Palace will be bidding to make it three Premier League victories in a row when they travel to Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon to take on Burnley.
The Eagles overcame Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last two fixtures to rise into 10th in the table, while Burnley currently sit 18th, picking up just eight points from 11 games.
Burnley will certainly not be pleased with their position in the table, picking up just eight points so far this season, leaving them three points ahead of basement side Norwich, but the club will be encouraged by their recent performances and results.
Since losing to Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad mid-October, the Clarets have collected five points from three matches, drawing 2-2 with Southampton before winning 3-1 at home to Brentford on October 30.
Sean Dyche’s side entered the international break off the back of a much needed 1-1 draw away to table-topping Chelsea, meanwhile, with Matej Vydra netting a 79th-minute leveller at Stamford Bridge.
Burnley have back-to-back home games against Palace and Tottenham Hotspur to end November, and they are only four points behind 14th-placed Brentford at this stage, meaning that a couple positive results could catapult them up the league table heading into the intense festive period.
The Clarets have actually won their last three Premier League games against Crystal Palace, including a 1-0 victory in the corresponding match last season.
Palace, as mentioned, won 2-0 away to Man City at the end of October before entering the international break off the back of a 2-0 home success over Wolves, which made it six league games unbeaten.
The Eagles have not been beaten in England’s top-flight since the 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the middle of September, although four of their last six outings have ended in draws. Though, Vieira’s men are on upward trajectory under his new stewardship.
Only Chelsea and Liverpool have lost fewer games than Palace this term, with Vieira’s men winning three, drawing six and losing two of their first 11 games so far this campaign.
The capital side are only two points off sixth-placed Manchester United which is a credit to Vieira and his staff, with the Frenchman making a positive impression since taking charge over the summer.
Palace will now be eyeing their fourth league victory of the campaign on Saturday, and they have actually won on two of their last three top-flight visits to Burnley, including a 2-0 success in November 2019.
MATCH FACT: Burnley have won their last three matches against Palace, without conceding, their best such run in the Premier League
The only team without a win this season so far, Newcastle United prepare for battle with newly-promoted Brentford at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon in the first game of the Eddie Howe era.
The Magpies rescued a point against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 1-1 draw last time out, while the Bees became the first victims of Norwich City in a disappointing 2-1 defeat.
After being frustrated in their managerial pursuit of serial Europa League winner Unai Emery, Newcastle moved to appoint former Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe as their new leader, with the 43-year-old in attendance alongside Amanda Staveley to witness the Magpies and the Seagulls do battle on the South Coast.
Norwich’s win over Brentford means that Newcastle are now the only team in the division yet to record a victory this season, and the 19th-placed Magpies are now level with Norwich and five clear of safety before the first game of a new era.
Howe needs no reminding of the pressure he is under to deliver a positive result this weekend, with Newcastle taking just two points from their five league games at home this term and conceding a whopping 13 goals at St James’ Park already – the worst such defensive record in the top flight.
Having seen their fast start to life in the Premier League turn into a nightmare few weeks, Brentford now hold the unwanted honour of being basement side Norwich City’s first victims of the new season following a 2-1 defeat on their own turf.
On the ground where both Arsenal and Liverpool both failed to produce the goods, Norwich went into the half-time break 2-0 up thanks to goals from Mathias Normann and Teemu Pukki, and Rico Henry’s second-half tap-in could not inspire a comeback for the Bees.
That victory was not enough to save Daniel Farke from the axe at Norwich, but Thomas Frank remains in the Brentford hotseat and will desperately seek to reverse his side’s fortunes this weekend, with the Bees suddenly slipping to 14th in the table.
Brentford have suffered four defeats on the bounce in the Premier League, but only one of those losses has come on the road, and not since their League Two days in the 2007-08 season have they sunk to five consecutive losses in domestic action.
However, Burnley and Norwich were both without a win in the new season before coming up trumps against Brentford, so Newcastle fans have every right to dream of a perfect start to life under Howe this weekend.
Newcastle prevailed in both of their encounters with Brentford during the 2016-17 Championship season, but the Bees knocked the Magpies out of the EFL Cup in the quarter-finals last term thanks to Josh Dasilva’s winner.
MATCH FACT: If Ivan Toney scores it will be the 50th PL goal by a former Newcastle player against the Magpies.
KEY MEN: Callum Wilson (Newcastle) & Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Dean Smith will start life in the Norwich City dugout with a home battle against Southampton on Saturday, with the Canaries looking to make it back-to-back Premier League victories.
Norwich City still sit bottom of the table despite recording their first win over Brentford before the international break, while Southampton occupy 13th position, picking up 14 points from their opening 11 games.
Daniel Farke’s reward for leading Norwich to their first win of the season was an unfortunate sack, with the German relieved of his duties just hours after the 2-1 success over Brentford away from home.
Dean Smith, who was dismissed by Aston Villa on November 7, has taken charge at Carrow Road, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal, and the 50-year-old will be determined to get off the best possible start this weekend, as he looks to steady a sinking ship just as he was tasked with upon his arrival at Aston Villa three years ago.
The Canaries have not been able to secure back-to-back seasons of top-flight football since 2012/13 and 2013/14, having dropped straight back into the Championship following their last two promotions, and Smith will have a huge task in avoiding such a repeat this time around.
Norwich have lost their last three matches against Southampton in all competitions but did beat the Saints 1-0 at Carrow Road during the 2015/16 PL campaign.
Southampton, meanwhile, enter this weekend off the back of a 10 win over Aston Villa on November 5 which led to Dean Smith’s sacking two days later, with Adam Armstrong’s third-minute effort proving to be the difference between the two sides.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have picked up 10 points from their last four league outings against Leeds United, Burnley, Watford and Aston Villa to rise into 13th spot in the table.
The Saints are only actually three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United and will be determined to put another victory on the board ahead of a tough trip to Liverpool in their final game of November.
The Saints are only actually three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United and will be determined to put another victory on the board ahead of a tough trip to Liverpool in their final game of November.
Southampton, who finished 15th in the league last term, have also lost just two of their last 15 matches against the Canaries in all competitions, recording seven victories in the process.
MATCH FACT: Southampton can secure a fourth successive Premier League win over Norwich for the first time.
KEY MEN: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) & Adam Armstrong (Saints)
Manchester United will be bidding to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon to face Watford.
The Red Devils suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City before the international break, while Watford, who are just outside the relegation zone in England’s top flight, lost 1-0 at Arsenal in their last contest.
Watford have won three, drawn one and lost seven of their 11 Premier League matches this season to collect 10 points, which has left them in 17th position in the table, two points clear of 18th-placed Burnley, and it would not be a surprise to see the club in and around the bottom three for much of the campaign.
The Hornets will enter Saturday’s contest off the back of successive 1-0 defeats to Southampton and Arsenal, but new head coach Claudio Ranieri managed to lead the team to a stunning 5-2 success at Everton in his second match at the helm on October 23.
Watford actually started their 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a 3-2 home success over Aston Villa, but they have picked up just one point from their last four league fixtures at Vicarage Road, losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool and Southampton during a worrying run.
Ranieri’s side are now facing four difficult matches in quick succession, hosting Man United, Chelsea and Manchester City, in addition to visiting Leicester City before the end of the month.
The Hornets will certainly not be panicking, though, as there is still a lot of football to be played this season, and they ran out 2-0 winners when Man United last visited Vicarage Road in the league in December 2019.
Man United, meanwhile, suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Man City in their last match on November 6; the result increased the pressure on head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the Norwegian has kept his job and will lead the team into Saturday’s contest at Vicarage Road.
The Red Devils are actually top of their Champions League group ahead of next week’s key clash away to Villarreal, but they have lost three of their last four in the Premier League and won just one of their last six to drop down the table into sixth position five points from fourth placed Liverpool.
The 20-time English champions are entering a huge period in the league, taking on Chelsea and Arsenal in their two matches after this one, but they can take confidence from their impressive performance away to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of October, recording a 3-0 victory over the North London club.
Man United might have seen their long unbeaten away run in the league end at Leicester on October 16, but they have won three of their last four on the road in England’s top flight and will be fired up to bounce back from their derby defeat in Hertfordshire this weekend.
MATCH FACT: Manchester United have won 12 of their 14 PL matches v Watford, inflicting the Hornets’ most defeats against a single club.
KEY MEN: Ismaila Sarr (Watford) & Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo
SCORE PREDICTION: Watford 0-2 Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United, 3:00PM
West Ham United will be looking to continue their impressive start to the campaign when they head to Molineux on Saturday afternoon to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The high-flying Hammers currently sit third in the table, three points behind leaders Chelsea, while Wolves occupy eight position, just a point behind sixth-placed Manchester United.
Wolves struggled for results in the early stages of the campaign, losing four of their first five Premier League matches despite playing decent football, which brought some early pressure on new head coach Bruno Lage.
The West Midlands club have been victorious in four of their last six in the league, though, suffering just one defeat in the process, seeing them rise to eighth just a point behind the inconsistent Manchester United ahead of the next set of games.
Wolves had been on a five-game unbeaten run between September 26 and November 6 but entered the international break off the back of a 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace, which just halted their impressive progress under former Benfica coach Bruno Lage.
Lage’s team will be feeling much better about themselves following a tough start to the season, though, and will be looking to return to winning ways against West Ham, having lost their last two matches against the London club, including a 3-2 defeat at Molineux back in April.
West Ham, meanwhile, have won seven, drawn two and lost two of their 11 league matches this season to collect 23 points, which has left them third in the table, level on points with second-placed Man City and just three points behind leaders Chelsea.
The Hammers recorded a 3-2 victory over Liverpool before the international break, which made it seven matches unbeaten in all competitions, with the capital outfit also advancing to the knockout round of the Europa League with two matches to spare, in addition to booking their spot in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
West Ham have two difficult away league matches to end the month, following this contest with a clash against Man City, while David Moyes’s team will also welcome Chelsea at the start of December.
The London club finished sixth in the table last season, just two points outside of the Champions League positions, and they certainly have the look of a top-four side at this moment in time.
West Ham, as mentioned, will be eyeing a third straight win over Wolves, but they did suffer four consecutive defeats to the West Midlands outfit between September 2018 and June 2020.
MATCH FACTS: West Ham can secure a second consecutive away league win at Wolves for the first time in 100 years.
KEY MEN: Raul Jimenez (Wolves) & Pablo Fornals (West Ham)
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Johnson, Zouma, Dawson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals; Antonio
SCORE PREDICTION:Wolves 1-2 West Ham United
Liverpool vs Arsenal, Saturday 5:30PM
Arguably the standout fixture of the gameweek will take place on Saturday evening when Liverpool welcome a rejuvenated Arsenal to Anfield.
Just one place and two points seperate the two sides in the table, with Liverpool sitting fourth and Arsenal fifth after 11 games of the campaign.
At the end of August, one would have been given long odds for Arsenal having the chance to leapfrog Liverpool in the table when the two sides met in gameweek 12.
At that stage, the Gunners sat rock-bottom having lost all three of their games, conceding nine times without registering once themselves in the process, while Liverpool had taken seven points from a possible nine and conceded only once.
Fast forward a number of weeks and the Premier League picture has changed significantly; for Liverpool, that is largely down to a two-game winless streak before the international break, including their first defeat of the season last time out against West Ham United.
The defeat to the Hammers ended their 20-game unbeaten streak in the top-flight, and a 25-game undefeated run across all competitions stretching back to April.
The 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion which preceded the West Ham defeat was also a major blow as Jurgen Klopp’s side threw away a two-goal lead, with those two results leaving the Reds now four points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
The Merseysiders do now have three home games in a row before the short trip to Goodison Park for the derby on December 1, which will come as welcome news for a team unbeaten in their last 13 games at Anfield, including nine in the Premier League.
Klopp’s men have dropped points from winning positions in their last two such matches, though – consecutive 2-2 draws with Man City and Brighton – while they have only won two of their five home league games so far this season, drawing the other three.
That should Arsenal with some much needed confidence heading into Saturday’s intriguing encounter.
Liverpool’s defeat at West Ham means that the Gunners now boast the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League, taking 20 points from the 24 on offer since those three defeats to start the season.
The eight-game run makes for Arsenal’s longest undefeated streak since December 2018, while in all competitions that record improves to eight wins and two draws from their last 10.
Arsenal have kept seven clean sheets in that time too, including three in a row before the break, and in their last 10 games combined they have conceded fewer goals than they did in their 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City before then.
All of that has catapulted Arsenal right back into the top-four race, and despite still only having a goal difference of 0 – 20 worse than Saturday’s opponents – a victory at the weekend would be enough to lift them into the Champions League places for the first time since October 2020.
The main concern for the Gunners this weekend may well be their record against Liverpool in recent seasons; Liverpool have lost just one of their 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal since Klopp took charge, winning seven of those.
Most of those wins have been convincing too, particularly at Anfield where Liverpool have won five on the bounce against Arsenal, scoring at least three times in all of those matches.
You have to go back to September 1981 to January 1988 for the last time Liverpool had a longer winning run at home to Arsenal in the top flight, with the styles of both teams playing into Klopp’s hands far more often than they have Arsenal’s in recent years.
That said, Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in six of their last nine top-flight away games, including three in a row, and another on Saturday would be their best run since May 2005.
Certainly, the test on Saturday evening will show how far Arsenal have come under Mikel Arteta.
MATCH FACT: Mohamed Salah has been involved in nine goals in a many Premier League games against Arsenal (7 goals, 2 assists).
KEY MEN: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) & Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Mane
Manchester City will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they welcome Rafael Benitez’ faltering Everton side to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
The Citizens entered the international break off the back of a 2-0 victory at Manchester United, while Everton picked up a point at home to Tottenham Hotspur in their last top-flight contest.
Guardiola’s men have not had it all their own way so far this season, already losing two of their 11 matches, including a shock 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on home soil, but they were excellent and dominant in a two-goal victory against Man United in the Manchester derby.
The result moved the Citizens into second position in the table, just three points behind leaders Chelsea, and they have a huge end to November, facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next week before welcoming high-flying West Ham United in the league on November 28.
Man City were surprisingly knocked out of the EFL Cup by West Ham in the round of 16 but are on course to reach the last-16 stage of the Champions League, sitting top of Group A with nine points.
Pep Guardiola’s side have actually won their last seven Premier League games against Everton, scoring 21 times in the process, including a 5-0 victory in the corresponding match last season.
Southampton and Palace have both prevented Man City from winning at the Etihad Stadium in the league this term, though, and Everton were impressive on their last visit to Manchester, claiming a point against Man United at the start of October.
The Toffees made an impressive start to the 2021-22 Premier League season, winning four of their first six matches, suffering just one defeat in the process, with new head coach Rafael Benitez enjoying a fine start.
However, fast forward a couple months, they are without a league win in five games, suffering three defeats in the process, including a shock 5-2 home loss to Watford towards the end of October.
A record of four wins, three draws and four defeats has brought the Merseyside giants 15 points, which has left them in 11th position, just two points behind sixth-placed Man United.
The Toffees have not even managed to claim a point against Man City since August 2017, while they have not beaten the Citizens away from home in the league for almost 11 years – a record they’ll be hoping to put right this Sunday.
Benitez will certainly have a tactical plan in mind for this contest, though, and there is no question that the Merseyside club have the players to harm Man City, who struggled against Palace at the Etihad Stadium last time out.
MATCH FACT: Among teams who have never won the Premier League title themselves, Everton have won more Premier League matches against the reigning champions than anyone else (14). They also won their last such match, winning 2-0 at rivals Liverpool in February last season.
KEY MEN: Phil Foden (Manchester City) & Richarlison (Everton)
The Antonio Conte era gets well under way on Sunday afternoon as the Italian tastes his first Premier League home game as Spurs boss, welcoming Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
Both teams come into this off the back of draws before the international break. Conte’s first game saw his battle out a 0-0 draw against Everton at Goodison Park while Leeds United played out a stalemate with Leicester City at Elland Road.
Conte’s first league game in the Spurs dugout was at Goodison Park on November 7, and it was a relatively solid start for the Italian, with the capital club claiming a point in a goalless draw with Everton.
It is now three league games without a victory for Tottenham Hotspur, though, having lost their last two matches under Nuno Espirito Santo – away to West Ham United and at home to Manchester United.
A record of five wins, one draw and five defeats this season has seen Spurs collect 16 points to sit ninth in the table, but they are only one point behind sixth-placed Man United and certainly have a run of winnable games ahead.
Burnley, Brentford and Norwich City are their next three ahead of a difficult trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on December 12, then Conte’s men face tough tests against take on Leicester and Liverpool before returning to action on Boxing Day at home to revitalised Crystal Palace.
Conte has a huge job on his hands to revolutionize the North London giants after Nuno Espirito Santo’s struggles, but a victory over Leeds on Sunday would be a strong step in the right direction for the Italian, who certainly knows what it takes to build a winning team.
One test of his will be getting Harry Kane back to scoring ways in the Premier League, with only a single goal to his name so far this season. He did end the international break with seven goals to his name for his country which will boost his confidence heading into Sunday’s encounter with Leeds.
Leeds, meanwhile, have found it difficult to really get going in the opening months of the 2021-22 campaign, with a total of 11 points from 11 matches leaving them down in 15th position in the table.
The Whites have only managed to win two league games this term, which is the fourth-worst record in the division behind Newcastle United (zero), Burnley (one) and Norwich (one).
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have only lost one of their last five matches in England’s top flight, though, and will bring a three-game unbeaten run into this contest, drawing with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester, in addition to beating Norwich, since a 1-0 loss at Southampton on October 16.
Leeds recorded a 3-1 win over Spurs when the two teams last locked horns back in May, but the Whites have lost on each of their last four Premier League trips to Tottenham and have not beaten the capital giants away from home in England’s top flight since February 2001.
One man who will be key to Leeds’ short-term ambitions on Sunday will be Brazilian magician Raphinha who has scored almost half their goals (5) this season so far.
Sunday’s clash will actually see two of the lowest scorers in the Premier League lock horns, with Bielsa’s side netting just 11 times this term, while Tottenham have managed just nine, which is the second-worst record in the division behind basement side Norwich (five).
MATCH FACT: It has now been 226 minutes since Tottenham Hotspur last had a shot on target in the Premier League.
KEY MEN: Harry Kane (Spurs) & Raphinha (Leeds United)
Finally, we are seeing Emile Smith-Rowe given the opportunity his tremendous and unique abilities demanded, and he, his club and manager are duly reaping the rewards.
Mikel Arteta has got be given credit for providing him the platform, moulding and fine-tuning the youngster’s game, allowing him the freedom and room to express himself.
Smith-Rowe’s game over during the calendar year has massively improved, not only in his goal output – which we’ll come too soon – but his intelligence and understanding of where to be, where to operate effectively within the final third as Arsenal’s main source of creativity has come on leaps and bounds.
ESR is now almost the complete attacking midfield package, with more maturing and refining to come which in actual fact is quite frightening.
If you can remember during last summer when many were calling for Mikel Arteta to recruit an elite-level number-10, one who can provide Arsenal with the invention and imagination in the final third.
They went on and bought Martin Ødegaard permanently after his successful loan spell at the Emirates last season, with Emile Smith-Rowe was attracting much interest elsewhere as Aston Villa placed a £25million pound bid for his services.
You’ve got to wonder what might have been had Arsenal decided to sell the youngster, but they dared not to, and Smith-Rowe is showing the Arsenal fanbase that he is indeed the man to drive Arteta’s ever-improving squad to the next level. The 21-year-old has been so good that Ødegaard can barely get an opportunity in the Arsenal XI.
10 games unbeaten in all competitions now for Arsenal after their recent Premier League win over Watford before the November international break, and it was ESR’s moment of brilliance – albeit controversially – that broke the deadlock and rewarded them their third win a row, and third win in their last 5 games in the top-flight.
This sumptuous and uniquely gifted performer has arguably been the mastermind behind Arsenal’s recent renaissance. With his sweeping finish against Watford at the Emirates Stadium, ESR bagged his fifth goal in eight appearances, matching and beating his total for the whole of last season, just only couple months into the current campaign.
It was only right Gareth Southgate called him up to the England squad as a result, despite only getting in because of injuries to Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and James Ward-Prowse. However, Smith-Rowe’s form has been damn-near impossible to ignore. This is a player on top of his game and his goal contributions so far this campaign only tell half the story.
The academy graduate was challenged to contribute more goals by Mikel Arteta during his breakthrough campaign, a season where he hardly got a look in because of Martin Ødegaard’s increasing influence in Arsenal’s attack. But now, a few months on and Arsenal are a much better unit, a more free-flowing and exciting attacking side with Smith-Rowe at the heart of it, and that is a testament to the 21 year-old’s stunning development in such a short space of time.
Four goals and two assists in the Premier League so far, giving him the highest combined G+A total amongst the Arsenal camp so far this season, a tremendous stat for him to chew on. Smith-Rowe has been instrumental, embracing the responsibility of taking on the coveted no.10 shirt after signing a new contract in July.
Emile Smith Rowe has now been directly involved (goals + assists) in six goals in the Premier League since the start of September, more than any other English player.
6 goals – Smith Rowe 5 goals – Vardy 4 goals – Mount, Foden, Townsend, R James, Gallagher, Bowen
Together with Bukayo Saka, Kieran Tierney, new impressive recruits Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale, he has come to symbolize and represent this exciting and progressive chapter that Mikel Arteta is overseeing at the Emirates.
Smith-Rowe’s development which has accelerated this term is a result of all his hard work, application, maturity and meticulous attention to detail when working on his own game behind the scenes.
The regularly acclaimed “Croydon De Bruyne” has superbly grown into one of the most accomplished attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
Against Watford, the 21-year-old recorded 43 touches, finished with a pass success rate of 96%, delivered six crosses, made three ball recoveries, and registered two shots. His goal also meant that he is now one of four Arsenal players to have scored in three straight PL games before their 22nd birthday, after former players Nicolas Anelka, Jose Antonio Reyes and Cesc Fabregas – not a bad list to be amongst.
Towards the end of last season, Emile Smith-Rowe sat down with management and the people close to him to see how he can further enhance his game in the final third. It was highlighted that others in his position, such as Jack Grealish, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes, typically average between two to three shots per 90 minutes.
Smith-Rowe, by contrast, was only recording 0.8 shots per 90. However, there has been an intentional and concerted effort to change those numbers. He has heavily focused on his ability to get into the opposition box more, attempting to develop a better understanding of when to shoot rather than pass, and that was highlighted in his goal against Watford.
His improvement in those areas has been nothing short excellent. In 11 appearances so far in the Premier League, ESR has already taken more shots than he did in 20 outings last season. Crucially, they have come from much better positions, giving a greater chance of finding the back of the net. That is not down to luck, its down to Smith-Rowe’s willingness to learn, to improve and his determination to execute his attempts.
With the help of Arteta and his staff, Smith-Rowe has improved the timing of his runs and developed a knack of ghosting into the opposition box untracked by defenders.
Those unique qualities are highlighted in his recent goals against Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup, all of which were dispatched fist time from the centre of the 18-yard-box as seen in the image above. Much of this, is a result of the increasing freedom and room to express himself that has been handed to Smith-Rowe, and he is repaying that faith with fantastic aplomb.
Last season, he averaged 0.12 goals, 0.81 shots, 0.37 shots on target, 2.86 touches in the opposition box and 0.62 dribbles per 90 minutes.
This season those numbers have dramatically increased, he’s averaging 0.33 goals, 1.5 shots, 1.0 shots on target, 3.13 touches in the opposition box and 1.8 dribbles per 90 minutes. ESR is more well-rounded in his approach, much more meticulous and composed as well as becoming so devastatingly effective, seasoned creators like Bruno Fernandes and Kevin De Bruyne would be mightily impressed.
Also, his influence around the final third is shining through also, and hopefully providing he stays fit and healthy for much of this campaign, these numbers will only increase even further. Per 90 minutes, he is averaging 1.41 key passes, 1.92 final third passes and 1.41 passes into the opposition box. To cap it off, Smith-Rowe averages 2.73 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, already an improvement of his 2.69 average for the whole of last campaign.
If that doesn’t highlight his improvement in the final third, then what will?
The youngster may be seeing less of the ball this season, his touches per 90 dropping from 57.9 last season to 49.2 in the new campaign, but he is certainly doing more with it. There is an increased emphasis on his effectiveness on games. Where once he was more inclined to simply pass the ball to a teammate, now he’s more brave and courageous in carrying the ball forward and driving his team up the pitch.
Seriously, it is a phenomenal sight to behold.
Smith-Rowe’s dribbling numbers have rapidly increased even more than his shots on goal. He is averaging 2.1 successful take-ons per90 minutes which is nearly four times higher than it was last season and puts him at a similar level to dribble-kings Grealish, Mohamed Salah and Raheem Sterling. He records the 7th best progressive carries per 90 (7.27) and is also improving on his carries into the final third with an average of 3.33 compared to 1.81 last season.
It’s these sort of numbers that show Emile Smith-Rowe is getting better as a footballer and performer. Every time he gets the ball in those dangerous areas, Arsenal fans immediately rise up to their feet. The Emirates’ new number 10 is a showstopper, arguably the main event of an impressively growing unit under Arteta.
What’s scary is, ESR can only get better which means Arsenal will only get better and that spells good news for the Gunners faithful despite their struggles in the first few weeks of the season. The 21-year-old is influential in every phase of his game, even in his defending. He averages 3.84 successful pressures per90, meaning he is contributing to Arsenal’s pressing game with such efficient and effective energy. He doesn’t shy away from the doing the dirty work from the front, 1.62 tackles + interceptions to show for his efforts.
Smith-Rowe’s recent progress is down to a number of factors but he has certainly benefitted from an uninterrupted pre-season – a luxury he did not have in preparation for the previous two campaigns. He’s always been dedicated in terms of his approach and application but in recent months he has reaped the rewards of paying closer attention to his nutrition in order to become the complete athlete.
You can see that in his performances on the pitch, his concentration, his energy, game-intelligence and influence when Arsenal need him most. It’s no wonder why he’s received such stark praise from his manager and pundits alike. Smith-Rowe is certainly amongst the most promising young performers in the country and these past few months have proved just that.
He is indeed the come-of-age young baller with the Midas touch.
West Ham United continued their impressive upward trajectory under David Moyes with a superb performance against Aston Villa at Villa Park, powering to a 4-1 win.
It was a triumph which meant they finished gameweek 10 in fourth spot, three points away from fifth-placed Manchester United, but also it was their fourth league win in 5 games and continuing their unbeaten away form so far this season.
There is plenty of excitement and optimism at the London Stadium, as David Moyes is in the process of moulding and shaping such a well-rounded, organised, fine-balanced and progressive footballing unit.
From 1st choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski right down to lone-hitman Michail Antonio, the former Everton and Manchester United boss is assembling a team seriously capable of laying down a major assault on an unprecedented top-four sport come May, and you certainly wouldn’t put it past them.
Who knows? Maybe, just maybe the Hammers could well end this campaign with their first real competitive trophy since their FA Cup triumph in 1980. The club are still involved in all their cup competitions so far after beating EFL Cup holders Manchester City to make it to the last eight.
Much of West Ham’s fine progression has not only been down to their togetherness, spirited and organised nature on the football pitch, but its a team filled with unlikely individuals playing at the top of their games, like academy product Ben Johnson – grabbing his first professional goal against Villa – Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Tomas Soucek, Said Benrahma and the colossal Michail Antonio up front.
But one man who just simply gets better with every passing game, continuing his stellar progression under David Moyes’ tutelage is club captain and one of England and Gareth Southgate’s trusted lieutenants Declan Rice.
The 22-year-old has been in sensational form over the last couple of campaigns but has taken his game to another level in the opening weeks of the 2021/22 campaign, with pundit and TV host Gary Lineker labelling his latest performance against Aston Villa “magnificent”.
What an excellent side @WestHam have become. Good in all areas and David Moyes deserves enormous credit for getting them in this position. Many good performances with @_DeclanRice magnificent again, and he’s still only 22. 👏🏻👏🏻
Rice has been central to West Ham’s impressive start to the campaign, putting in some superb performances from midfield alongside Tomas Soucek.
“I don’t think he’s been consistent enough. He doesn’t stay with runners. He’s sloppy in possession… I can go on.” This was the grueling assessment from Roy Keane on Rice in November 2019. But two years on, the Irishman has been forced to eat his previous words and completely alter his assessment of the midfielder: “He’s 22 and I look at where I was when I was 22, and he’s way ahead of me.”
Rightly so, Declan Rice has developed into one of Europe’s most prestigious young midfielders in the space of about a year, or even inside this calendar year. The Hammers academy product has dramatically improved all aspects of his play, in his defensive work but most significantly in his distribution and ball-progression.
Rice has been the catalyst for much of West Ham’s efficient and devastating counter-attacking goals so far this campaign, and earned the treat of contributing to two of West Ham’s four goals against Aston Villa, setting up Ben Johnson for the opener and taking advantage of Emiliano Martinez’ poor positioning with a 25-yard piledriver into the bottom corner – a true reflection of the kind of confidence and elegant aura that the 22-year-old is currently performing from.
In actual fact, it’s difficult to pin-down Declan Rice’s best role, and that’s testament to the varied quality of the midfielder.
In previous campaigns, the midfielder has been defined as a deep-lying defensive midfielder, tasked in shielding his back-four, disrupting opposition attacking moves while recycling possession to his more forward-thinking teammates.
However, Rice’s game has transcended much beyond that, he is a hybrid midfielder fulfilling a number of roles and duties within the Hammers midfield, its no wonder Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly stepping up their interest in the so-called “£100m man”.
This season, Rice has maintained and excelled in his defensive anchoring duties. He’s averaged 2.9 interceptions per 90 minutes so far this campaign, the most of any midfielder in the Premier League. Also, the 22-year-old has won on average 1.60 tackles per 90 minutes, 2.00 blocks, 1.10 clearances and completed 4.30 successful pressures.
Although Rice’s defensive work has been correctly lauded prior to this season, it’s something that he has improved upon further since the summer, and his first major international tournament for his country has proven a pivotal experience in his outstanding development.
Though one aspect in which Rice is totally excelling is his distribution of the ball, and he recognises it himself: “This season, one thing I can definitely say I have improved on is my play with the ball.” This is why it is now hard to pin down the English international’s best role – a box-to-box, or deep-lying playmaker? And that’s not a bad thing, in fact its a celebration of how far the midfielder has come under David Moyes.
Rather than simply a defensive midfield anchor, Rice has transformed his passing ability of late. He’s completed 608 passes – the 3rd most of any midfielder in the Premier League behind Manchester City’s Rodri (632) and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson (635). Also, his contributions to West Ham’s possession play in dissecting defences is simply brilliant too.
He averages 1.20 key passes per 90, 6.80 final-third passes – the third most of any midfielder in the competition also – and 4.20 progressive passes (completed passes which moves the ball towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its furthest point).
Even more impressively, this has been achieved with a 91% passing accuracy, a figure 5% higher than last season. The West Ham vice-captain has for a long time been considered someone that plays the easy pass. However, the stats clearly show that has not been the case this season.
He also has the 2nd highest figure of Premier League midfielders for total progressive distance of passes. Compared to last season, Rice is making 1.5 more progressive passes per 90. So whilst Rice’s passing accuracy has improved from last season, he is actually making far more progressive, risky passes, making his improved passing accuracy all the more impressive.
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Furthermore, his dribbling of the ball, progressing his side up the pitch or evading opponent’s pressure has also represented a stand-out feature of his game. As shown in the image above, according to OptaJoe, only Bernardo Silva has amassed more progressive carries (110) than Rice’s 106 which makes for yet another pleasing reading for the English international.
Per 90, that reads at 7.40 progressive carries, whilst also averaging 3.20 progressive carries into the attacking areas of the pitch. Rice is a driving force, a true metronomic figure on the ball for West Ham whilst also becoming a dominant, sturdy and tough-tackling figure when defending his own goal.
Most notably, Rice’s ability to carry the ball up the pitch can be seen in his remarkable solo goal against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League. After intercepting the ball inside his own half, he shrugs off a challenge before marauding into the Zagreb box and firing past Livakovic. Rice’s headed goal against Rapid Wien signalled the Englishman’s newfound intent to break the lines and get into the box.
Compared to last campaign, Rice is managing more touches all over the pitch highlighting his ever-increasing contributions to West Ham’s play. He’s so far recorded three goals and three assists so far in all competitions. Defensive midfielder? Surely not.
Declan Rice has basically become a machine at positioning himself to shield the defence, making the required interception/tackle and then playing a simple but effective forward pass to break through opposition pressure and set up attacks.
Clearly, he is now more intent and confident in joining the attack while Soucek screens behind him, and vice-versa. It is why both Soucek and Rice have become arguably the Premier League’s most effective and cohesive midfield pivot, and that is a testament to the squad David Moyes is assembling at the London Stadium.
After all, he did a brilliant job of anchoring the England midfield during the recent European Championships in June/July. However, so far this season Rice has elevated his game once again. Not only has he built upon his screening work in front of the defence, but also his ball progression and contributions to West Ham’s attacking play.
Whether it’s his powerful, driving runs or his crisp passing through the lines, Rice has developed his play on the ball considerably. West Ham now have a unique talent – a hybrid player and arguably one of the most complete midfielders in European football right now.
Another weekend of Barclays Premier League action means another week of previews and predictions as this exciting new season starts to take shape heading in to game-week 10.
So, lets take a peak at Saturday & Sunday’s fixtures:
Leicester City vs Arsenal, Saturday 12:30PM
Things are beginning to head in the right direction for both Leicester City and Arsenal, who prepare for battle in Saturday’s Premier League lunchtime kickoff at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes overcame a tough Brentford winning 2-1 at the Brentford Community Stadium while Mikel Arteta’s side impressively brushed aside Aston Villa 3-1 at the Emirates.
The approval ratings are starting to increase for Brendan Rodgers and Leicester City again after a challenging start to the 2021/22 campaign, as they became the latest side to come through a testing 90 minutes at the Brentford Community Stadium last weekend.
Leicester City’s fourth win on the spin in all competitions came in Wednesday’s EFL Cup encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion – although they had to rely on their penalty prowess to progress to the next round after a 2-2 draw – but Rodger’s men are finally starting to find their feet again.
Now unbeaten in four Premier League games – taking eight points from a possible 12 in that hot streak – Leicester find themselves ninth in the table after nine matches, above this weekend’s visitors Arsenal albeit only on goal difference.
The Foxes have also scored at least two goals per game during their four-match unbeaten league run including their rampant 4-2 win over Manchester United at the King Power, but with Rodgers’s side also failing to keep a clean sheet in the league since the opening day of the season, Arsenal’s attackers will be licking their lips at taking advantage.
Mikel Arteta’s are on the upward trajectory also, arguably making this game the most intriguing encounter of the weekend. The 3-1 win over Aston Villa will have given Mikel Arteta reasons to be optimistic about his young side, putting in one of their most impressive showings this season with goals from Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the exciting Emile Smith-Rowe.
The Gunners’ route to the EFL Cup quarter-finals was more straightforward than that of Leicester’s winning 2-0 at home to a struggling Leeds United side, with super sub Calum Chambers and former Whites loanee Eddie Nketiah both netting in the second 45 minutes to chalk up Arsenal’s sixth win in eight across all tournaments.
Arteta’s side navigated the month of September unbeaten in the top-flight and will be looking to repeat that trick as October comes to a close. A tally of 14 points from the last 18 has seen them rise to 10th in the Premier League table, but can only boast a single goal away from home so far this season.
However, Arsenal have emerged victorious from their last two trips to the King Power – winning 3-1 in this Premier League fixture last term – but Leicester have claimed four top-flight wins of their own against the Gunners since 2018.
MATCH FACT: Leicester have won four of their past seven Premier League games against Arsenal, following a 22-match winless run.
Brentford’s stellar start to their maiden Premier League campaign will continue when they travel to Turf Moor to face off against Burney, with both clubs meeting for the first time since August 2015.
Sean Dyche’s men are still in search of their first win of the campaign, after a thrilling 2-2 draw against Southampton last weekend. Brentford narrowly lost to Leicester City 2-1, but could go 11 points clear of this weekend’s opponents with a win.
Coming from behind to take a point against Southampton last time out was undoubtedly one of Burnley’s most impressive performances and results so far this campaign, despite still waiting for their first league win.
Maxwell Cornet’s double gave Burnley only their fourth point so far and only their second on the road.
Whilst the Clarets may have avoided their sixth defeat of the season, their wait for a victory has now stretched to nine matches, with Sean Dyche’s side currently in the midst of the longest winless run across the top four tiers of English football.
Failing to score in seven of their previous 12 games, finding the back of the net had been the issue for Burnley prior to Saturday’s draw, yet it was their defensive frailties that cost them at St Mary’s. It is certainly something Dyche will be disappointed by, as his defence has been his saving grace in the Premier League ever since he started managing amongst the elite.
Having registered just two clean sheets in the last 12 matches across all competitions, keeping an in-form Brentford attack quiet could prove a difficult task for Burnley’s floundering defence.
Unlike Burnley, Brentford have had no issues putting the ball in the back of the net, netting in six of their nine Premier League encounters so far.
Such was Brentford’s impressive start to the campaign, they had maintained a position in the top half of the table since opening day, only dropping out for the first time after last weekend’s defeat at home to Leicester City.
Thomas Frank will be keen to see his side continue to defy the odds of history when they travel to Turf Moor on Saturday, as they are winless in matches away to the Lancashire club since December 1996.
A first win of any kind against Burnley in the 21st century will be the target for Thomas Frank’s men, as they look to pile even more misery on a seemingly relegation-destined Clarets side.
MATCH FACT: The Bees have won just one of their last 12 away matches against Burnley, a 2-1 victory in December 1996 (D5, L6).
KEY MEN: Maxwell Cornet (Burnley) & Ivan Toney (Brentford)
Fresh from their historic thumping of old rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, Liverpool go again hosting Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
While Jurgen Klopp’s machine were running riot at the Theatre of Dreams, the Seagulls unluckily got beat 4-1 on their own turf by champions Manchester City.
Liverpool were scintilating, stunning, clinical and ruthless against Manchester United, laying an old giant to sleep. Much of that was down to the free-scoring Mohamed Salah who is simply on fire right now and showcasing why he is currently the best footballer on the planet.
A much-changed Liverpool side struggled to score for an hour against Preston North End in Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash before Takumi Minamino’s outstretched leg helped his side break the deadlock, while a cheeky Divock Origi scorpion kick put the tie to bed as Liverpool advanced to the quarter-finals.
Jurgen Klopp’s men are in such thrilling form and are seeking to stretch their unbeaten Premier League run to 20 matches this weekend, talk about title favourites.
The Reds are showcasing why they cannot be counted out again this season, made all the more concerning for their rivals that they are the only side still unbeaten and are looking to stay that way.
Liverpool remain second in the table – one point behind leaders Chelsea – and Klopp’s side have scored at least two goals in 13 of their last 14 top-flight encounters during that remarkable run.
All in all, Liverpool’s stunning rate of scoring at least two goals per game has now stretched to 11 successive matches in all competitions, but only eight of their 27 league strikes this term have come at Anfield, where Brighton have pleasant memories of last season’s battle.
Brighton’s resilience in the early stages of the campaign have been superb to watch, but the results have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks for Graham Potter’s side, as Man City ran riot at the Amex last weekend. They also lost on penalties to Leicester City in the EFL Cup in midweek, despite battling to a 2-2 draw.
Liverpool remain second in the table – one point behind leaders Chelsea – and Klopp’s side have scored at least two goals in 13 of their last 14 top-flight encounters during that remarkable run.
All in all, Liverpool’s stunning rate of scoring at least two goals per game has now stretched to 11 successive matches in all competitions, but only eight of their 27 league strikes this term have come at Anfield, where Brighton have pleasant memories of last season’s battle.
However, the Seagulls can take solace in the fact that their unbeaten away run in the 2021-22 Premier League is still intact – taking eight points from their four road fixtures so far – and they have only conceded twice on the road in that solid streak.
A Steven Alzate winner saw Brighton march to a memorable 1-0 win at Anfield in the Premier League last term, and they also held the Reds to a 1-1 draw at the Amex last November in a game that was remembered more for Klopp’s post-match rant at BT Sport’s Des Kelly.
MATCH FACT: The Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah has scored in a club-record 10 consecutive games in all competitions.
KEY MEN: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) & Adam Lallana (Brighton)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Manchester City will seek to bounce back from their EFL Cup heartbreak against West Ham when they welcome Crystal Palace to the Etihad Stadium.
The Champions currently occupy 3rd spot in the table after nine games, while draw specialists are languishing down in 15th following four successive stalemates.
Manchester City were at there thrilling best especially in the first-half against Brighton last weekend.
Phil Foden bagged a brace while Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez also found the back of the net at the Amex Stadium, with Alexis Mac Allister’s penalty proving to be little more than a consolation for the home side.
However, Foden went from hero zero as City’s quest of an unprecedented fifth EFL Cup crown in succession came to an end in midweek, with the England starlet failing to convert from 12 yards as West Ham United advanced to the quarter-finals.
Pep Guardiola certainly has bigger fish to fry than the EFL Cup, though, as third-placed City seek to keep the pressure on Liverpool and Chelsea, who are one and two points ahead of them in the top three of the table respectively.
Now unbeaten in eight Premier League games since their opening day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, City’s tally of 12 goals on home soil is the second-best in the league behind Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea (16), and they are the only team in the division yet to concede on home soil so far this term.
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace were not involved in midweek EFL Cup action following their August defeat at the hands of Watford, which has given Patrick Vieira ample time to figure out a way to end his side’s run of stalemates in the Premier League.
After sharing the spolis with Brighton, Leicester City and Arsenal, the Palace faithful harboured hopes of a much needed win when Christian Benteke put them ahead against Newcastle United, but some piece of individual brilliance from Callum Wilson halted their ambitions.
Palace’s failure to convert one point into three has bewildered them in the past few weeks, and Vieira’s side currently sit 15th in the Premier League as a result but are five points clear of the dotted line, despite claiming just one win so far this season.
Finding the back of the net is not the problem for Vieira’s crop – who have scored in six of their last seven Premier League games – but failure to shut up shop at the other end has seen them concede 10 goals away from home already this season – not a good record for them with Manchester City lying in wait.
Palace did prevail at the Etihad as recently as December 2018 – thanks in no small part to Andros Townsend’s thunderbolt – but City won both fixtures in the 2020-21 season by an aggregate score of 6-0, including a 4-0 success on home soil.
MATCH FACTS: This is City boss Pep Guardiola’s 200th Premier League game in charge. He has won 146 of 199, more than any other PL manager to reach that milestone.
KEY MEN: Phil Foden (Man City) & Christian Benteke (Palace)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Man City: Ederson (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Jesus, Foden, Grealish
Chelsea will aim to cement their position at the top of the league table when they to travel to St James’ Park.
Thomas Tuchel’s men butchered league strugglers Norwich scoring seven goals in a demolition job last weekend, while Newcastle started life after Steve Bruce with a draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The inevitable sacking of Steve Bruce well and truly marked the new owners’ arrival at Newcastle United last week, but with the Magpies as yet unable to send shockwaves in the transfer market, results on the pitch have still been underwhelming.
Under the temporary charge of Graeme Jones as rumours swirl over former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca’s supposed imminent appointment, Newcastle remain one of three sides without a win in the Premier League this season and remain 19th in the fledgling standings as a result.
Eleven goals scored may represent the highest tally out of the bottom five sides, but Newcastle fans will be desperate to see a greater sense of defensive discipline under Bruce’s successor, as their side have already conceded a joint-high 10 league goals on home soil this term.
The Magpies did overcome Chelsea at home as recently as January 2020, but the Blues eased to a pair of 2-0 victories over Newcastle last term and will aim to follow Tottenham’s lead in spoiling the party in the North East this weekend.
Any perceived opinions of Chelsea being a more reserved side under Thomas Tuchel were firmly put to bed following recent results, with the Blues marching to a resounding 7-0 win over basement side Norwich in front of their own fans last weekend.
But their performance against Southampton in the EFL Cup was a far cry from their thrashing of the Canaries. Tuchel’s side triumphed on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
However, that last-16 success represented Chelsea’s fifth win on the bounce in all tournaments as they continue to lead the pack at the top of the Premier League rankings, one point above Liverpool and two clear of Manchester City after nine matches.
The Blues have also taken 10 points from 12 on offer away from home so far this term and have conceded just once on the road in the top flight – the best record in the top flight – but there is a new sense of optimism around St James’ Park right now which they will need to be wary of.
MATCH FACT: Newcastle have recorded just two home PL clean sheets since the start of last season, fewer than any other club that has been in the top flight for both those campaigns.
KEY MEN: Callum Wilson (Newcastle) & Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Watford will be looking to make it back-to-back Premier League victories when they continue their 2021/22 campaign at home to Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets, who sit 14th, recorded an emphatic 5-2 win over Everton at Goodison Park last weekend, while 16th-placed Southampton played out a 2-2 draw with Burnley in their last league outing.
Claudio Ranieri’s first match in charge of Watford suggested that it could be a long and difficult season, with the Hornets losing 5-0 at home to Liverpool, but the Italian managed to lead his side to a 5-2 win over Everton at Goodison Park last weekend to boost confidence and the euphoria at Vicarage Road.
Watford have a baptism of fire of PL fixtures coming up, taking on Arsenal, Manchester United, Leicester City, Chelsea and Manchester City in five straight fixtures after this weekend’s clash with Southampton, which means a win will be paramount.
A record of three wins, one draw and five defeats from nine matches has seen the Hornets collect 10 points, which has left them in 14th spot in the table, six points above the relegation zone which actually represents a decent campaign so far.
Watford have not won at Vicarage Road since the opening weekend of the season, though, collecting just one point from their last three home league fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle and Liverpool.
Southampton, meanwhile, will enter this weekend’s contest off the back of a penalty-shootout defeat to Chelsea in the last-16 stage of the EFL Cup on Tuesday; the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge before the hosts triumphed 4-3 on spot kicks.
Ralph Hasenhuttl will have been pleased with his side’s performance despite the defeat, and the Saints have also picked up four points from their last two Premier League matches, recording a 1-0 win over Leeds United on before playing out a 2-2 draw with Burnley last weekend.
Hasenhuttl’s team have won one, drawn five and lost three of their nine league games this season to collect eight points, which has left them down in 16th position in the table, two points behind their opponents here.
The Saints have a strong recent record against Watford and have not actually lost to the Hornets since a Premier League clash at St Mary’s towards the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
MATCH FACT: Southampton have dropped 64 points from winning positions since Ralph Hasenhuttl took charge, that is more than any other Premier League side.
KEY MEN: Joshua King (Watford) & Nathan Redmond (Saints)
Manchester United will be bidding to bounce back from their humiliating home defeat to Liverpool when they travel to North London in Saturday’s late kick-off, taking on Tottenham Hotspur.
The Red Devils suffered a 5-0 home loss to their bitter rivals in the Premier League last Sunday, while Spurs were also beaten earlier that afternoon, going down 1-0 at the home of West Ham United.
Tottenham suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Vitesse and West Ham in the Europa Conference League and Premier League respectively, but they were able to return to winning ways on Wednesday, recording a 1-0 victory over Burnley to advance to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
It has been a weird and inconsistent start to the season for the North London outfit, who have won five and lost four of their nine league games to collect 15 points, which has left them in sixth position, two points from fourth-placed West Ham United and one spot and indeed one position above their opponents on Saturday.
Spurs have only won one of their last five Premier League games against Man United, meanwhile, and the capital outfit suffered a 3-1 defeat in the corresponding contest between the two teams last season.
Man United, meanwhile, were blown away at home by Liverpool last weekend, with Mohamed Salah scoring three times in a five-goal victory for the Reds, piling the pressure on head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the Norwegian will lead the team against Spurs after being backed again by the United hierarchy.
Whether Solskjaer keeps the job on a long-term basis remains to be seen, but there is no question that there is immense pressure on the 48-year-old, who will be demanding a response from his players on Saturday after his “darkest day” in charge.
The Red Devils sit top of their Champions League group despite three underwhelming performances in Europe this term, but they have now lost three of their last four league matches – collecting just a single point in the process – which has seen them drop down to seventh position in the table.
The 20-time English champions have collected just 14 points from their nine matches and are now eight points behind division leaders Chelsea, while they have conceded 15 times, with only Leeds United, Watford, Newcastle United and Norwich City shipping more after nine games of the 2021-22 Premier League season – a damning statistic for Solskjaer and his men.
Man United lost their long unbeaten away league record against Leicester, but they have enjoyed themselves against Tottenham in the past, winning 36 of their previous 58 Premier League games, suffering just 10 defeats in the process.
MATCH FACT: Spurs have won just six of their 29 home matches against United in the Premier League (D9, L14).
KEY MEN: Harry Kane (Spurs) & Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris (GK); Emerson, Romero, Dier, Reguilon; Skipp, Hojbjerg; Lucas, Ndombele, Son; Kane
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Greenwood
SCORE PREDICTION:Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Manchester United
Norwich City vs Leeds United, Sunday 2:00PM
Norwich City’s long search of a first victory of the campaign will continue on Sunday afternoon when they host fellow strugglers Leeds United at Carrow Road.
The Canaries are rock bottom of the table, having picked up just two points from their opening nine matches, while Leeds sit 17th with just seven points to show from their first nine games of the campaign.
Too strong for the Championship but not good enough for the Premier League is a pretty accurate argument that continues to be put to Norwich, and it is difficult to argue against it considering what has occurred in the opening months of the season so far.
The Canaries have not been able to secure back-to-back seasons of top-flight football since 2012-13 and 2013-14, having dropped straight back into the Championship following their last two promotions, and it is difficult to imagine them breaking that pattern this term unless something drastic changes.
Norwich have been abject in all phases of their game this season, losing their opening six matches of the new season before picking up two points in back-to-back draws with Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Daniel Farke’s side were brought crashing back down to earth last weekend, though, as they suffered a 7-0 defeat at Chelsea, and there is simply no downplaying the importance of the clash with Leeds considering that both sides have found it difficult to perform in the opening months of the campaign.
Leeds, meanwhile, will enter Sunday’s contest off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the last-16 stage of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.
The Whites played out a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last weekend, meanwhile, with the result moving them onto seven points, which is only good enough for 17th at this stage.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side were so impressive on their return to the top flight last season, ultimately finishing ninth, and it would be fair to say that there were high hopes surrounding the team ahead of the new campaign, but they have struggled to get going in the opening months suffering from what they call “second season syndrome”.
A record of one win, four draws and four defeats has left them at the wrong end of the table, and finding the back of the net has been a problem this term, with the Whites netting just eight times in nine matches; only Burnley (seven) and Norwich (two) have a worse record at this stage.
Leeds have lost just one of their last five away league games against Norwich, though, and recorded a 3-0 victory over the Canaries when the pair last locked horns at Carrow Road in August 2018.
MATCH FACT: Norwich have actually won four of their last six Premier League meetings with Leeds, suffering just one defeat in the process.
KEY MEN: Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) & Raphinha (Leeds)
West Ham United will be looking to continue their impressive progress under David Moyes, aiming to make it three wins a row when they travel to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon to take on an out-of-form Aston Villa side.
The Hammers are currently fourth in the table, having picked up 17 points from a possible 27, while Villa sit down in 13th, with Dean Smith’s side collecting 10 points from their first nine fixtures.
Villa might have lost Jack Grealish over the summer, but an exciting transfer window for the club saw them bring in the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings; as a result, expectations were high at the start of the season, but it has not quite been the start that the supporters would have expected.
Smith’s side ended September with back-to-back league wins over Everton and Manchester United, but they have now lost their last three in England’s top flight to Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal, conceding eight times in the process.
A record of three wins, one draw and five defeats has left them down in 13th position in the table on 10 points, and they will now be looking to bounce back against a West Ham side that are unbeaten in this fixture since May 2015, with the Hammers also winning both league meetings last term.
The home side have a very tough December on paper, taking on Manchester City, Liverpool, Leicester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, so the club’s supporters will be hoping that November will be a much better month.
West Ham, on the other hand, have been excellent this season, with the London club impressively competing on three fronts in the Premier League, EFL Cup and Europa League.
The Hammers managed to progress to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night by beating the holders Man City on penalties, while they have won all three of their Europa League group-stage fixtures this term to sit top of Group H with nine points.
In the Premier League, meanwhile, David Moyes‘s side have won five, drawn two and lost two of their nine matches to collect 17 points, which has left them in fourth spot in the table, just five points off leaders Chelsea.
West Ham have won their last four games in all competitions, including their last two in the league, recording back-to-back 1-0 victories over Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, and the club will have to be taken seriously as top-four challengers this season if their strong form continues in the coming weeks.
MATCH FACT: The Hammers can triumph in three consecutive league fixtures against Villa for the first time since 1967.
KEY MEN: Danny Ings (Villa) & Michail Antonio (West Ham)
Another exciting weekend of Premier League action is upon us.
Some intriguing encounters to fasten our eyes on especially the north-west rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool on Sunday afternoon as Jurgen Klopp’s men look to continue their impressive start to the season at Old Trafford, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men – off the back of an impressive comeback in midweek in their UEFA Champions League group tie against Atalanta – look to return to winning ways after picking up just 1 point from their last 3 league games.
Arsenal entertain Aston Villa at the Emirate, the weekend’s first Premier League fixture taking place Friday evening, a tie which could well provide some twist and turns.
Managerless Newcastle United kick-off their post-Steve Bruce era under their new Saudi owners away to Crystal Palace in South London, while Brighton & Hove Albion who currently sit in fourth place in the league table host title-hopefuls Manchester City at the Amex stadium on Saturday tea-time. There’s also an exciting London derby to look forward to as Tottenham Hotspur travel to London Stadium to play David Moyes’ steadily progressing West Ham side.
So, without further ado, lets dive into the action with some previews and predictions:
Arsenal vs Aston Villa, Friday 8:00PM
Arsenal will aim to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to six matches when they welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night.
The Gunners left it late to rescue a point against Crystal Palace on Monday night, while Villa were stunned by a thrilling late Wolverhampton Wanderers comeback in the West Midlands derby at Villa Park.
Patrick Vieira’s return to North London was so nearly a joyous and successful occasion for the former Arsenal captain on Monday, as his Crystal Palace side impressively dominated proceedings at the Emirates and struck through Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener.
However, Alexandre Lacazette spared Arsenal’s blushes in injury-time, putting an inspiring cameo leading Arsenal’s charge to rescue point in front of their own fans.
While the Gunners have now gone unbeaten in five Premier League games and six across all competitions, the same old questions were asked once again following Monday’s stalemate, which has left Arteta’s side 12th in the rankings after eight matches.
Despite Arsenal’s late efforts, questions are still being asked as to whether Arteta is able to lead this talented group of players forward, and their performance against Palace did not silence any of those doubters. Arsenal have lost just one of their last six Premier League games at the Emirates, though – taking seven points from the last nine on offer at home – but they have suffered back-to-back defeats in their two most recent Friday fixtures without scoring a single goal.
They come up against another tough side in Dean Smith’s Villa who will be looking to right their wrongs after they fell victim to a late Wolves surge, allowing their rivals to come back from two goals down to 3-2 in front of the Villa faithful.
The joy of thrashing Everton and getting one over Manchester United at Old Trafford has since dissipated for Villa, who find themselves one point and one place below Arsenal in the table ahead of Friday’s encounter after winning just two of their last six in the competition.
Smith’s side have also lost three of their four top-flight away matches since the season kicked off and are yet to produce the results that their significant summer of spending may well have promised, but Arsenal fans will need no reminding what happened the last time that Villa paid a visit to the Emirates.
An Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish-inspired Villa stormed to a superb 3-0 win in the capital back in November 2020, while a 1-0 triumph at Villa Park in February also represented their third win and clean sheet on the bounce against Arsenal after a previous run of seven consecutive defeats.
MATCH FACT: Aston Villa have won three successive Premier League games against Arsenal, as many as they had in their previous 36 attempts. It’s 59 years since Villa last earned four straight league victories in this fixture.
KEY MEN: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) & John McGinn (Aston Villa)
Top meets bottom in Saturday’s Premier League battle at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea and Norwich City prepare to lock horns on the English capital.
The Blues marched to a hard-thought 1-0 win over Brentford in gameweek eight, while Norwich claimed their second point of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion. Daniel Farke’s men are yet to taste victory in their eight games so far this campaign.
Thomas Tuchel and his Chelsea team went through the most testing of games this season when they travelled to the Brentford Community Stadium to face off against Thomas Frank’s impressive English top-flight newcomers.
It was Ben Chilwell’s sweet strike which may have won the game, but they had goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to thank as he put in one of the most impressive goalkeeping performances in recent Premier League memory, keeping yet another clean sheet for his team. Tuchel’s men have only conceded three goals this term so far, the joint best in the division.
The Blues followed that up with a dominant Champions League performance versus Malmo, as Jorginho netted two penalties alongside goals from Kai Havertz and Andreas Christensen in a 4-0 win. Though, Chelsea come into this fixture with worrying injuries picked up by both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner.
While Chelsea do not sit atop the pile in their Champions League group, they do lead the way in the Premier League with 19 points taken from a possible 24 and also in the knowledge that at least one of Manchester United or Liverpool will drop points on Sunday.
Sixteen goals scored – at an average of two per game – is not the most prolific record in the top flight, but a mere three conceded at the other end of the pitch typifies the new-found defensive resilience under Tuchel, whose side have also amassed nine goals at home in the league so far this term.
While Norwich’s wait for an elusive first win of the new Premier League season continues, the Canaries have posted two respectable results in recent weeks, playing out back-to-back goalless draws with Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion
Last weekend’s stalemate with the Seagulls certainly caught the eye given Brighton’s stellar start to the new season, but even though back-to-back clean sheets can certainly be seen as a positive, that has done little to help their standing in the table.
If they are to better their positioning from their previous Premier League season, then they need to start picking up wins and quickly.
Indeed, two points taken from a possible 24 represents the worst tally so far as Norwich remain rooted to the bottom of the table – four points adrift of safety – while they have also chalked up a mere two goals during their dreadful start to life back in the big time.
The Canaries have now gone four league games without a goal since Teemu Pukki’s effort against Watford, and they are yet to find the back of the net away from home this term, while their last top-flight win on the road came all the way back in November 2019.
It has been 27 years since the Blues lost to the Canaries in any competition – a streak which is highly unlikely to end here.
MATCH FACT: Chelsea have won 10 of their last 12 Premier League games against Norwich (drawn two), last losing against the Canaries in the competition back in December 1994 (3-0).
KEY MEN: Kai Havertz (Chelsea) & Teemu Pukki (Norwich)
Newcastle United will endeavour to begin the post-Steve Bruce era in perfect fashion when they travel to Crystal Palace for Saturday’s Premier League clash.
The Magpies’ first clash under new ownership ended in a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, while Patrick Vieira’s Eagles were forced to settle for a point against Arsenal.
Despite being dominated for the opening 15 minutes against Arsenal and falling behind to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener, Crystal Palace seemed destined to march to a deserved win at the Emirates as Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard turned the tie on its head.
Vieira’s men played some superb stuff for much of the game but couldn’t build on their lead, but instead forced back by Arsenal’s late onslaught for an equaliser. It was the same story in the draw against rivals Brighton at Selhurst Park, and one in which Vieira will be enforcing his team must cut out if they are are to fulfil their potential under his tutelage.
The Eagles have now drawn their last three in the Premier League and occupy 14th spot in the table as a result, but if they can continue to produce performances anywhere near as impressive as they did at the Emirates, the Selhurst Park faithful have a bright future to look forward to under Vieira.
However, one win from eight Premier League games in the 2021-22 season is a slightly worrying statistic – with five of those encounters ending with the spoils shared – and they have now conceded eight goals in their last four top-flight matches.
On a more positive note, the return of fans to Selhurst Park has certainly benefitted the Eagles, who are one of three English top-flight teams yet to lose a league game at home this season – taking six points from a possible 12 on home soil so far.
As for Newcastle, Steve Bruce was widely expected to depart St James’ Park before being granted the honour of taking charge of his 1,000th match, but the 60-year-old remained at the helm to witness his side fall to a dampening 3-2 defeat against Spurs on what should have been a joyous occasion in the North East.
However, amid reports of player bust-ups and those in the squad growing increasingly frustrated with Bruce’s tactics, the three-time Premier League winner was relieved of his duties earlier this week as Newcastle’s new owners begin their radical overhaul.
Paulo Fonseca is rumoured to be the Magpies’ leading candidate to take the reins, but Graeme Jones will oversee the trip to Selhurst Park as Newcastle desperately aim to secure their first win of the 2021-22 league season at the ninth attempt.
Only Norwich City have accrued fewer points than 19th-placed Newcastle’s three so far, while 19 goals shipped also represents the worst defensive record in the top flight, and the Magpies are unsurprisingly still seeking their first clean sheet of the season.
Newcastle did manage to secure a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in this fixture last term – just their second win from six against the Eagles – but Palace prevailed 2-1 at St James’ Park in the most recent fixture back in February.
MATCH FACT: Crystal Palace can go unbeaten in their first five home matches of a PL season for the first time.
KEY MEN: Odsonne Edouard (Palace) & Callum Wilson (Newcastle)
SCORE PREDICTION:Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United
Everton vs Watford, 3:00PM
Watford will aim to avoid a second consecutive thrashing at the hands of a Merseyside outfit when they do battle with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.
Claudio Ranieri’s side went down 5-0 to Liverpool last weekend, while the Toffees suffered a dampening defeat of their own to West Ham United on home soil.
As injuries begin to take their toll on Everton, Rafael Benitez’s strong start to life back on Merseyside has taken quite the hit in recent weeks, with West Ham coming up trumps by a 1-0 scoreline in last weekend’s clash between the two European hopefuls.
With Abdoulaye Doucoure out for a period of time and Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering a setback in his recovery from injury, Benitez will have to continue to do without key performers for yet another weekend.
Everton slipped to just their second defeat of the league season, but it is now just one win in four for Benitez’s side in the top flight.
That underwhelming run of form has seen Everton’s European aspirations take quite the early hit, as they now sit eighth in the table but are one of three teams level on 14 points with West Ham and an under-performing Manchester United side.
Defeat to West Ham prevented Everton from claiming a fifth Premier League win on the bounce on home soil, while last season’s torrid fortunes at home means it is now eight league defeats at Goodison Park in 2021, leaving the Toffees at risk of recording their worst-ever Premier League record at home in a calendar year.
Five of Everton’s last eight home meetings with newly-promoted sides in the top-flight have ended in defeat – another worrying statistic for the club – but Watford will still be reliving their previous humiliation at the hands of the other half of the Merseyside duo.
From Mohamed Salah’s peach of an assist and world-class finish to Roberto Firmino’s hat-trick, there was no shortage of joy for Liverpool at Vicarage Road, but it was truly a baptism of fire for Claudio Ranieri upon his return to the Premier League.
Watford’s worrying haul of one point from their last three Premier League games has seen them drop to 16th in the table after eight matches, and the sense of pessimism around Vicarage Road is certainly growing.
Victory at Carrow Road represents the only positive aspect of Watford’s top-flight away journeys so far this term – losing their other three on the road without scoring a single goal – and not since December 2018 have the Hornets claimed an away win against a top-half side.
Watford have suffered three consecutive defeats in their last three clashes with Everton in all competitions, and the Toffees have never lost a Premier League fixture at Goodison Park to their upcoming visitors – posting six wins and two draws from eight games in that hot streak.
MATCH FACT: Everton have never lost a home game to Watford in any competition (13 wins, two draws) – it’s the most they’ve ever faced a side at home without defeat in their history.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to back up their memorable comeback victory over Aston Villa last time out when they travel to face Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.
The visitors trailed by two goals heading into the final 10 minutes last weekend but somehow recovered to take all three points, and they may just consider themselves favourites against a Leeds side showing very worrying signs of second season syndrome.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are probably the best recent example of a promoted team successfully backing up an impressive first season in the top flight, and that is something Leeds are eager to emulate this season.
The style and flair with which Leeds played last season meant that not many tipped them to struggle this year, but the early signs in 2021-22 have been ominous for Marcelo Bielsa’s men. The Whites’ energy and enthusiasm on the pitch remains the same, but without the wins on the board to back it up.
Leeds have only won one of their opening eight games of the campaign, scoring seven goals and picking up just six points in that time – a tally which leaves them hovering one place above the relegation zone heading into matchweek nine. It is their worst start to a league season in 33 years, while seven goals in eight games is a sharp decline from the 12 they plundered in the final four games of last season.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men are certainly undergoing a difficult patch and even their goals have dried up too. They have have only managed to score more than once in a game on two occasions from their 10 matches across all competitions so far in 2021-22, and both of those games came in August.
It’s not just at the attacking end where Leeds have struggled so far; only the bottom two – Newcastle United and Norwich City – have conceded more than the 15 the Whites have conceded, while they have faced more shots on target than any other Premier League side in 2021-22.
This will indeed be pleasing reading for Bruno Lage’s rejuvenated Wolves side who are beginning to find their feet in front of goal once again, scoring six times in their last three league games having managed only two in their opening five – one of which was an own goal.
Wolves looked down and out when Aston Villa went 2-0 up last weekend, but they discovered a new found belief and firepower as they came back to win 3-2 within just 15 minutes. It was certainly all the more sweet against their Midlands rivals.
Bruno Lage’s side have overcome a slow start to win four of their last five Premier League games, and another victory this weekend would see them pick up maximum points in four consecutive top-flight outings for the first time since January 1972.
Fifteen points after nearly a quarter of the season would make for a good start to life at Molineux for Lage, whose side are also looking to win four Premier League away games on the bounce.
Only Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United have picked up more points on their travels than Wolves so far this season, whereas Leeds have only managed four points and four goals from their four outings at Elland Road.
Wolves also have an impressive record in this particular fixture, winning their last three league trips to Elland Road without conceding a goal, and beating Leeds five times in a row home and away.
MATCH FACT: Leeds have lost each of their past five league games against Wolves, scoring just one goal in the process. They have only had six longer such losing runs against an opponent, most recently against Derby County between 2006 and 2013 (nine in a row).
SCORE PREDICTION:Leeds United 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Southampton vs Burnley, 3:00PM
Two teams with just one win between them go head to head at St Mary’s on Saturday as Southampton entertain Burnley.
The hosts picked up their first victory of the campaign at the expense of Leeds United last weekend, whereas Burnley only have three draws to show from their opening eight games.
Southampton’s triumph over Leeds last Saturday would have been a significant weight off the shoulders of Ralph Hasenhuttl, but they know they will need to follow that up this weekend against strugglers Burnley.
It has not been an easy start to the season for the Saints, with six of their eight games so far coming against teams that finished in the top half in 2020-21, and a home tie against an out-of-form Burnley side represents their easiest test on paper yet.
The win over Leeds also made it two clean sheets in their last three league outings at home – having not managed to keep any in their previous 11, and their defensive record is now the best of any team in the bottom half.
It is at the other end where they have struggled most, though, scoring just six goals all season – only Burnley and Norwich City have found the back of the net on fewer occasions.
Sean Dyche will be looking to get off the mark this weekend, at Southampton’s expense with their primary objective once again will be to remain in the division. However, like Southampton, they too have had a difficult run of fixtures.
Six of their eight outings have come against teams that finished in the top half last term, including away games against both Liverpool and Manchester City already – a factor which has contributed to their joint league-low tally of just one away point so far.
A 2-0 defeat to the champions last time out was by no means disgraceful – and comfortably a better scoreline than they have suffered in that fixture during recent years – but it does leave them in the relegation zone with only three points to their name so far. They did have their opportunities against Guardiola’s men, but couldn’t locate their clinical edge.
Draws against Leeds and Leicester City were respectable, but a stalemate at home to relegation favourites Norwich, who incidentally are the only team to have scored fewer than Burnley in the league this season, will be seen as two points dropped.
Sean Dyche’s side are now on the longest current winless run in the top four tiers of English football, stretching back 11 games, although there are signs that a first triumph could be just around the corner.
All five of Burnley’s goals this season have given them the lead in matches, but they have thrown that lead away on each occasion, dropping 10 points from winning positions already this term – a joint-high in the league alongside Newcastle United.
MATCH FACT: Burnley have won two of their last four league visits to St Mary’s, as many as in their previous 25.
Third meets fourth in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, as Brighton & Hove Albion play host to Manchester City on the South Coast.
The Seagulls were held to a goalless stalemate by basement side Norwich City last time out, while the champions coasted to a comprehensive 2-0 triumph over Burnley at the Etihad.
While it may be too premature to determine whether Brighton’s fast start to the season is slowly petering out, the Seagulls’ dominance has turned to draws in recent weeks, the latest of which came against bottom-of-the-table Norwich City.
Despite bossing the ball with 65% possession and firing seven shots on target, there was no way through for Graham Potter’s men at Carrow Road, with that result representing their third one-pointer in a row following previous stalemates with Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
However, with 11 points from the last 15 on offer under their belts during a five-game unbeaten league run, the high-flying Seagulls remain in the top four of the rankings, although they are now only above Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
It has been a fine start to the campaign from Potter’s men, and a pleasing sign of their progression under the highly-rated former Swansea boss.
Brighton may have only chalked up eight goals at the correct end of the pitch so far – the fewest out of any side in the top half – but only Chelsea and City have shipped fewer than their five at the other end, as Potter’s well-coached side finally produce the results that their performances have so often warranted.
The Seagulls have also suffered just one defeat in their last nine Premier League battles on home soil, but with a league-high 22 yellow cards already this term, indiscipline could prove fatal against the rampant champions.
Continuing their surge in the league following the international break, Man City barely needed to get out of second gear to sink Burnley at the Etihad last time out, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne both making the net ripple on home soil in gameweek eight.
Pep Guardiola’s side were expected to face a much sterner test against Club Brugge in the Champions League, but the Belgian champions’ resilience was broken in a storming 5-1 win for City.
On the pitch, Man City have certainly consigned their opening-day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur to history – taking 17 points from the last 21 on offer in the division – and they now occupy third spot in the rankings behind Liverpool and leaders Chelsea.
With only three goals conceded – all of which have come on the road – City’s defensive record is unsurprisingly the joint-best alongside Chelsea, although the travelling party will need no reminding of what happened during their most recent trip to the Amex.
Brighton marched to a remarkable 3-2 win on the South Coast after recovering from going two goals behind back in May, although City have won the other seven Premier League meetings between the two teams and have never failed to score more than twice at the Amex in that time.
This will indeed be a stern test for Guardiola’s men, don’t be surprised to see Graham Potter spoil City’s day once again.
MATCH FACT: City have never lost back-to-back league meetings with Brighton, overall losing just four of their 22 previous such games against the Seagulls (won 14, drawn four, lost four).
KEY MEN: Neal Maupay (Brighton) & Kevin De Bruyne (City)
Manchester City: Ederson (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Sterling, Foden, Grealish
SCORE PREDICTION: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Manchester City
Brentford vs Leicester City, Sunday 2:00PM
Thomas Frank’s impressive Brentford side play host Brendan Rodgers’ recently resurgent Leicester City at the Brentford Community Stadium. The Bees unbelievably unlucky in their close defeat to Chelsea last weekend, with Edouard Mendy in the form of his life to stop Brentford not only claiming a draw, but a well deserved win in all fairness.
Leicester come into this fixture purring, after a fine display against Manchester United last weekend, ending their 29-game unbeaten away Premier League run in a 4-2 win at the King Power.
The Foxes also grabbed all three points in their Europa League group tie against Spartak Moscow in what was a thrilling 4-3 encounter, with Patson Daka – scorer of the fourth against Manchester United – netting all four goals in what was a poacher’s masterclass from the Zambian.
The most pleasing aspect of the two performances was the ruthlessness of Patson Daka, who has gone from failing to find the back of the net to scoring five times in 113 minutes.
With Rodgers naturally considering the possibility of playing the Zambian in tandem with Jamie Vardy, opposite number Thomas Frank will be wary of the new-found threat offered by the visitors.
The Bees will take a lot of positives from their defeat to Chelsea, a game in which they dominated, and really should not have lost. Brentford currently sit in ninth in the Premier League table on twelve points and could find themselves in the top six providing they beat Brendan Rodgers’ men on Sunday afternoon. It represents an unbelievable start to the campaign for the newly promoted side, taking 12 points from a possible 24.
They’ve only conceded seven goals so far this campaign, the best of any of the promoted sides and are building a daring reputation on their home turf as the team to beat. However, Brentford are without a home victory in the league since the opening day, while Ivan Toney remains with just one goal from open play this season.
After going four league games without a win before they entertained Manchester United, The Foxes have been in dire straits, performing below expectations and only registering just six points from a possible 21. However, their impressive win over stuttering Manchester United will have done their confidence the world of good, especially coming back from behind to win the game.
One source of worry for Brendan Rodgers, will of course be his floundering defence. The Foxes have conceded 14 goals so far this season and have just the single clean sheet to their name this season. It will provide a promising incentive for Brentford as they go in search of another scalp against one of the top teams in the Premier League.
MATCH FACT: Brentford can take Leicester City’s winless run in London to five Premier League matches (D1, L3).
KEY MEN: Ivan Toney (Brentford) & Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur head into Sunday’s London derby with just one point separating the clubs in the Premier League standings.
Despite indifferent starts, the teams sit in seventh and fifth place respectively, one victory away from potentially moving into the top four.
While West Ham have performed at a consistently-high level for over 12 months, some of their supporters will still feel in dreamland given the vast improvements made under David Moyes.
Despite having such a small pool of players to choose from, the former Manchester United and Everton boss is making tremendous use of the options available to him.
Nevertheless, the Hammers head into their latest London derby on a steeper upward trajectory than the likes of Arsenal and their next opponents, and there is widespread belief that there is still more to come.
West Ham have, so far, made light work of their opponents in the Europa League, extending their run to three successive victories in seeing off Genk on Thursday night.
However, it is away wins such as the one at Everton last weekend which highlight their resoluteness, Moyes’s men now having 10 points from four away fixtures, which makes for superb reading.
Heading into Sunday’s fixture, Moyes will recognise that West Ham can carry on their superb progress under his tutelage with another win another against their fierce rivals.
From Nuno Espirito Santo’s perspective, he will be in two minds whether this fixture has come at the right time given the backlash after the Vitesse game.
Nuno, with some justification, rested the 11 players who edged out Newcastle United last weekend, but a second-string side were not at the races as they succumbed to a 1-0 reverse.
With Spurs still sitting in fifth position in the table with 15 points from eight games, there is potential for any criticism to subside with a win at the London Stadium.
That said, a fourth league defeat in nine would inevitably see Nuno come under further fire from the Tottenham fans ahead of next weekend’s crucial home clash with Manchester United.
MATCH FACT: West Ham can go three league matches unbeaten against Spurs for the first time since May 2008.
KEY MEN: Declan Rice (West Ham) & Harry Kane (Spurs)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals, Antonio
SCORE PREDICTION:West Ham United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United vs Liverpool, 4:30PM
Two of the Premier League’s giants collide in a clash of the titans at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, as Manchester United host Liverpool in what is certainly the tie of the weekend.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have been stuttering of late, dropping down to sixth in the table and leaving his immediate future uncertain despite signing a new contract to remain at the helm. Jurgen Klopp’s men however, are in tremendous form, they remain the only unbeaten side in the league and are just a point adrift of leaders Chelsea.
Champions League nights and Cristiano Ronaldo. There is hardly a better combination in football. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner literally rose head and shoulders above the rest to save United’s bacon in a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Atalanta BC in midweek.
However, as memorable as their night at Old Trafford was, United’s journey to the King Power last weekend to face Leicester City was anything but, leaving their decent start to the season in quite some peril, its now two defeats in three outings for Manchester United.
The pressure continues to pile on the shoulders of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is said to retain the faith of the Red Devils board for the time being, but such struggles after welcoming Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to the club have left more questions needing to be answered.
With only one point from the last nine on offer in the Premier League, sixth-placed United are five points adrift of leaders Chelsea and could very well drop further down the rankings depending on what transpires before the Reds pay a visit to the Theatre of Dreams.
Not since October 2019 have Man United gone four games without a win in the top flight, but the Red Devils only have two victories to boast from their last seven top-flight encounters at Old Trafford, where Liverpool will aim to condemn them to a 10th home clash without a clean sheet in the Premier League.
First Manchester City, then Watford, then Atletico Madrid’s defence were powerless to stop Mohamed Salah with the ball glued to his feet, as the Egyptian king continued to stake his claim as the best player in the world with yet another stunning solo effort at the Wanda Metropolitano – although James Milner’s deft touch was a significant help in finding the back of the net.
Before running out 3-2 winners in the Spanish capital, Liverpool gave Claudio Ranieri a harsh welcome back to life in the Premier League with a five-star performance against Watford, as Roberto Firmino took home the match ball while Sadio Mane also grabbed a goal at Vicarage Road.
Still unbeaten in all competitions since the season commenced, second-placed Liverpool are one point behind leaders Chelsea at the time of writing and are the only team in the top flight without a single defeat to show from their opening eight matches.
Liverpool’s 18-game unbeaten league run is currently the longest in the top four English divisions, and their thrilling 4-2 success at Old Trafford last term represented their sixth Premier League game without defeat against United.
Who will come out on top come Sunday evening?
MATCH FACT: Only Wayne Rooney (6) has more Premier League goals for Manchester United against Liverpool than Marcus Rashford (4).
KEY MEN: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) & Mohammed Salah (Liverpool)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Man Utd: De Gea (GK); Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, McTominay; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford, Ronaldo
Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Trent AA, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane
Newcastle United’s new owners finally pulled the trigger and sacked head coach Steve Bruce on Wednesday morning.
Bruce was expected to be replaced after the Saudi Arabian-backed consortium, led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), completed a £305m takeover of Newcastle on October 7.
The 60-year-old remained in charge for the disappointing 3-2 defeat to Tottenham – his 1,000th match as a manager – with non-executive chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and director Amanda Staveley watching on at St James’ Park.
The writing was always on the wall for the former Hull City and Wigan Athletic manager, and with the club languishing second bottom in the Barclays Premier League, and winless after their opening eight games, it was a matter of when and not if Steve Bruce will be relieved of his duties.
Upon the sacking, the club immediately put out a statement saying that the process of recruiting a new head coach is underway, and various reports already have former Roma boss Paulo Fonseca as the early front runners.
Newcastle to hold talks with Paulo Fonseca in next 24 hours with a view to appointing him as new boss. No decision on preferred option yet – but if talks go well Fonseca set to be No 1 target. More on @MailSport
It is understood that Newcastle are currently holding talks with the Portuguese coach in with a view to appointing him as the new boss under the new regime, and the man tasked in leading the club into a new era.
Though Fonseca isn’t the only man being considered for the role, with Newcastle also sounding out for other irons in the fire in replacing Steve Bruce. But who are those options and what will they bring to St James’ Park?
Paulo Fonseca
The bookies favourite to take the managerial hotseat at St James’ Park, Paulo Fonseca has emerged as the front-runner to replace Steve Bruce at St James’ Park and if he does get the job, Newcastle supporters can expect attacking football and plenty of entertainment.
Indeed, it was his devotion to an attack-minded playing style that scuppered a potential move to Tottenham during the summer, the 48-year-old afterwards insisting the club’s managing director Fabio Paratici favoured a more defensive brand of football and as a result appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo instead.
“The best way to defend is to have the ball,” said Fonseca in an interview with the Telegraph. “We have an obligation with supporters to create a spectacle, a good show. I have to be offensive and dominate the games… These are things which will die with me.”
These words will certainly ring sweetly in Newcastle fan’s ears as they’ve had to put up with more conservative, defensive and cautious approaches for much of the past decade.
Fonseca, 48, has been honing his preferred playing style throughout a managerial career which began in 2007. He started out in his native Portugal and, following spells in charge of Pacos Ferreira, Porto and Braga, where he won the Portuguese Cup, he moved to Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk and later Roma.
Paulo Fonseca had over 51% win record at Roma and a 74% win percentage at Shakhtar Donetsk, so he does seem the more plausible target to take Newcastle forward. He did evolve Roma tactically during his time there, and I’m sure that’s the reason #NUFC are after him.
Fonseca spent the last two seasons at Roma, finishing fifth and seventh in Serie A before being replaced by Jose Mourinho last summer, but he was more successful at Shakhtar, winning three consecutive league and cup doubles and enjoying some memorable moments in Europe too.
In December 2017, his Shakhtar side clinched a 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Fonseca has been turning heads in the Premier League ever since then, attracting interest from Everton and West Ham before this summer’s approach by Tottenham, but it may now be at Newcastle that he gets his first chance in England. It’s a proposition which the Newcastle fans could well be potentially excited by.
Lucien Favre
Another leading frontrunner for the Newcastle job is former Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. A man who would take a whole wealth of experience and know-how to St James’ Park.
Much of Favre’s 28-year managerial career has been spent in his native Switzerland and in Germany, save for two seasons in France with Nice, whom he led to their best ever Ligue 1 finish in his first full year in charge in 2016/17 – also managing Newcastle forward Allan Saint-Maximin in which he had difficulties in managing.
He also enjoyed success at FC Zurich, where he won successive Swiss Super League titles in 2006 and 2007, and at Borussia Monchengladbach having twice guided the club to Champions League qualification.
Favre has been unemployed since December 2020, when he was sacked by Borussia Dortmund after a season-and-a-half in charge. During his debut season in charge of the German giants, he became the first ever manager to remain unbeaten in his first 15 Bundesliga matches, including a 4–1 win against RB Leipzig, a 7–0 win against 1. FC Nürnberg, and a 4–0 win against Atlético Madrid.
His Dortmund side were exceptionally free-scoring during his first year in charge, favouring a a dynamic, quick and attacking-minded football where ball possession and change of tempo alternate. He finished his time at Dortmund with a 61% win percentage having also led the club to a German Super Cup triumph in 2019. He was sacked in December 2020, after a poor run of results, including a 5-1 thumping at the hands of VFB Stuttgart.
The Swiss manager was linked with a move to Crystal Palace in the summer but negotiations broke down with the club appointing Patrick Vieira instead.
Eddie Howe
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Eddie Howe is the outsiders favourite for the role, and could be an exciting one at that.
The 43-year-old Englishman worked wonders at Bournemouth, guiding the south-coast club from the brink of relegation from the Football League to the Premier League, with a brief and unsuccessful spell at Burnley in-between. He kept Bournemouth in the Premier League for five seasons.
Howe has been out of work since leaving Bournemouth at the end of the 2019/20 season, when the club was relegated to the Championship.
That factor will be a major sticking point for many Newcastle fans and the new owners who are looking for a coach to guide them away from relegation this season.
He was approached by Celtic in May but turned down the offer.
Like the other four candidates, Howe is reported to be under consideration by Newcastle, and while his tenure at Bournemouth ended with disappointment, he is still viewed as a Premier League-level manager having worked wonders on the south coast with such a small budget.
He also transformed the careers of Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser, current forwards at St James’ Park and is well-known for favouring exciting, progressive and attack-minded football. What Howe could do with such a wealth of funds at his disposal remains to be seen, but if he does get the job, he will indeed not be the finished article in terms of leading the club into a new era.
There will be bumps in his tenure, one which the Newcastle will have to be patient with, but if there is any manager who can build again from the ground up, it is indeed Eddie Howe.
Amanda Staveley in a recent interview after the takeover stated that the Barclays Premier League trophy is a long-term ambition of the new regime, but is Eddie Howe up to that pressured task?
Outside Bets?
Steven Gerrard, Rangers
Another up and coming manager who needs no introduction.
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side won the league last year in remarkable fashion as invincibles. The former Liverpool midfielder is adored over the Scottish border after finally ending Celtic’s long standing domination in the Scottish Premiership, and will certainly be amped in leading the club to a league double this season.
Even prior to the takeover, the 41-year-old was touted to take over at St. James Park after working his way up the managerial ladder.
His current win ratio at Ibrox is a staggering 64.7% but it would be a different dynamic at Newcastle. His lack of top-flight experience would be his undoing as the club aims to remain in the Premier League first and foremost but its certainly a test the Liverpool legend would be excited by.
The Magpies are in desperate need of results to lift them away from the relegation zone, prior to an expected influx of money in January.
Gerrard has already spoken about the takeover tentatively and said it’s an “exciting” time for the Geordies.
Antonio Conte
Appointing Antonio Conte would indeed be a huge statement of intent from Newcastle.
The former Juventus, Italy, and Chelsea manager is available having left Inter Milan shortly after guiding the club to the Serie A title last season.
Conte is regarded as one of the finest managers in world football because of his siege mentality and knack for picking up the prestigious titles after just a season in charge. The Italian is a serial winner, and would command the respect of his players immediately if appointed.
Conte has also been touted as the next Manchester United manager if the club decide to do a U-turn and part ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The 52-year-old Italian has enjoyed success throughout his managerial career, including three successive Scudettos with Juventus and ending Inter’s 11-year wait for an Italian league title. Conte has also proved his pedigree in the Premier League, guiding Chelsea to the title in his first season before collecting the FA Cup in his second and final year.
Newcastle have not tasted cup success for a long while now, and Conte would be the immediate solution to that problem. However, the Italian does come with his baggage. He departed Inter because he wanted reinforcements which the club would not give him due to their financial issues.
If he was to be appointed, he would be blessed with great financial muscle from the Saudi owners and could make the most of rebuilding the club and moulding it in his image. Conte is tactically adept, arguably one of the best in the world but does come with a much more pragmatic and conservative approach rather than the expansive mindset the club is looking for, but his method clearly works and its one Newcastle would do well in considering.
The Italian would no doubt be able to help Newcastle attract top talent to the club, given his own standing in the game, although he does have a habit of falling out with club bosses over transfer targets.
Still, Conte would represent a significant upgrade on the former incumbents.
It was inside 50 minutes, Crystal Palace were 2-0 down against Leicester City – down but probably not out – Patrick Vieira’s men pressing and harrying their opponents but without any real incision or cutting edge in the final third. It had been the story of their season so far, conjuring up fine openings but lacking the ruthlessness when it mattered most.
Vieira knew that, and felt it was the perfect time for a change, for a fresh new impetus, and a significant one it turned out to be.
On came new summer signing and exciting young midfielder Michael Olise in place of the misfiring Jordan Ayew.
As soon as the 19-year-old wonderkid took his position on the pitch, Palace instantly stepped it up a notch and the former Reading man was at the centre of it alongside fellow substitute and goalscorer Jeffrey Schlupp, Odsonne Edouard and Wilfried Zaha.
Every time Olise took possession, he attempted to make things happen, expressing his bravery and courage on the ball, taking on Premier League experienced full-back Ryan Bertrand at every opportunity.
There was a moment soon after Olise came on, picking up the ball with his back to goal, swiveling on the half-turn past his marker before slotting a finely threaded through ball for full-back Joel Ward to rush onto.
It was only a small exhibition, but a true sign of what Michael Olise brings to Palace’s midfield. Not many players in Vieira’s weaponry possess the ability to unlock defences at such an alarming rate as Olise.
This is a uniquely and technically gifted midfielder, a delight to watch with the ball at his feet.
If you saw Olise during his Championship days, you’d know he holds a wand of a left-foot possessing the abilities not just to thread deft incisive through balls, but to cross effectively, make the most of set-piece opportunities and also the unique ability to get by a defender with the swiftness of feet and the most deceptive of movements on the ball.
The midfielder recorded an impressive 7 goals and 12 assists in the Sky Bet Championship last season making him one of the division’s most consummate, effective and influential attacking midfielders.
Under Paunovic at the Madejski stadium, Olise fulfilled a variety of roles in attack; on the left-wing, right-wing, centre-midfield and at no.10 highlighting his incredible versatility, tremendous tactical knowledge and awareness but also the superb knack of becoming an influential cog no matter where he is on the field.
Olise was used in Jordan Ayew’s position when he came on, and immediately changed the whole trajectory for Crystal Palace,. The midfielder got his just rewards scoring a scorching effort inside the box past Kasper Schmeichel just eight minutes after stepping on to the pitch.
It’s fair to say Olise has taken in his new surroundings like a duck to water, and his 30-odd minute cameo against Leicester City will have surely captured the imagination of the Palace faithful. They now know they’ve got a real talent on their hands, and that was made perfectly clear when they jeering on his name soon after scoring.
Within those 30-odd minutes, Olise recorded 28 touches of the ball, 2 key passes, 2 long balls, 2 crosses and won 2 of his aerial duels as well as three shots according to WhoScored.com. His pass percentage read at 82.4% meaning he is not afraid to create something out of nothing. If cameos are anything to go by, Michael Olise’s was very impressive.
As much as its easy to get carried away by Olise’s short stint against Leicester City, Patrick Vieira has correctly warned that Olise is not at his best form yet, and that patience must indeed be handed to the youngster as he acclimatises himself to the Premier League, he said:
“We are all really excited by his talent, but at the same time we have to understand it will take time to be a Premier League player. He is working well and hard at a good club to support him to develop himself. It’s about him keeping working, he’s doing well in training, he can score goals, but we have to support him to develop himself.
“It is a long season, so he will definitely play some games. He’s had a long injury and is not at his best yet, but he is improving and will be a really important player for us.”
Michael Olise of course must be given much time to get used to the rigours of the Premier League, though all of his impressive cameos have come against the league’s big boys in Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Leicester City. Yet another stark reminder that 19-year-old doesn’t under the weight of expectation, pressure or lofty responsibilities.
Olise’s future in a Crystal Palace looks very promising, and his performance against Leicester will have surely given Patrick Vieira something to think about heading into the international break; that he isn’t here to sit on the bench, he’s here to make his mark on the biggest stage in the country and boy, does he possess all the tools necessary to become one of the brightest young players this nation has seen.
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