Tag: Liverpool

Barclays Premier League: Matchday 9 Previews & Predictions

Barclays Premier League: Matchday 9 Previews & Predictions

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Arsenal: Ramsdale (GK); Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Smith Rowe; Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang

Aston Villa: Martinez (GK); Konsa, Mings, Hause; Cash, Luiz, Buendia, McGinn, Targett; Watkins, Ings

SCORE PREDICTION: Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa

Chelsea vs Norwich City, Saturday 12:30PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Chelsea: Mendy (GK); Chalobah, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell; Ziyech, Mount; Havertz

Norwich City: Krul (GK); Hanley, Kabak, Gibson; Aarons, Lees-Melou, McLean, Normann, Giannoulis; Pukki, Sargent

SCORE PREDICTION: Chelsea 3-0 Norwich

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Crystal Palace: Guaita (GK); Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Gallagher, Milivojevic, McArthur; Edouard, Benteke, Zaha

Newcastle United: Darlow (GK); Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie; Saint-Maximin, Willock, Hayden, Almiron, Joelinton; Wilson

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.

KEY MEN: Demarai Gray (Everton) & Ismaila Sarr (Watford)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Everton: Pickford (GK); Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Townsend, Allan, Davies, Gordon; Gray, Rondon

Watford: Foster (GK); Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Rose; Kucka, Sissoko; Sarr, Cleverley, Dennis; Hernandez

SCORE PREDICTION: Everton 2-0 Watford

Leeds United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3:00PM

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).

KEY MEN: Raul Jimenez (Wolves) & Raphinha (Leeds United)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Leeds United: Meslier (GK); Llorente, Struijk, Cooper; Klich, Shackleton, Dallas; Raphinha, Roberts, Harrison; Rodrigo

Wolves: Sa (GK); Kilman, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Marcal; Traore, Jimenez, Hwang

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.

KEY MEN: Nathan Redmond (Saints) & Dwight McNeil (Burnley)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Southampton: McCarthy (GK); Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud; Elyounoussi, Romeu, Diallo, S Armstrong; Redmond, Broja

Burnley: Pope (GK); Lowton, Mee, Tarkowski, Taylor; Cornet, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Barnes, Wood

SCORE PREDICTION: Southampton 1-1 Burnley

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UP:

Brighton: Sanchez (GK); Dunk, Duffy, Burn; Veltman, Gross, Bissouma, Lallana, Cucurella; Maupay, Trossard

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Brentford: Raya (GK); Jorgensen, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Onyeka, Janelt, Nørgaard, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney

Leicester City: Schmeichel (GK); Evans, Vestergaard, Soyuncu; Pereira, Tielemans, Soumare, Castagne; Maddison, Daka, Vardy

SCORE PREDICTION: Brentford 2-2 Leicester City

West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 2:00PM

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

Tottenham: Lloris (GK); Emerson, Romero, Dier, Reguillon; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Moura, Ndombele, Son; Kane

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Manchester United 1-2 Liverpool

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

KICK OFF: Monday 27th September 2021, 8PM

PREVIEW:

Selhurst Park plays host to Patrick Vieira’s first M23 derby on Monday evening as Crystal Palace and Brighton lock horns, concluding the latest round of Premier League fixtures.

Graham Potter’s impressive Brighton unit could end the day top of the Barclays Premier League table if they come away with the three points in South London, and Vieira and his men will want to put that ambition to the sword as Palace aim to redeem their fortunes after losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.

After their thrilling 3-0 triumph over 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, the Eagles were quickly brought crashing back down to earth at Anfield, where Liverpool notched up a trio of unanswered goals to temporarily halt Vieira’s momentum.

Palace were starting to build up a head of steam with four points from their London derbies against Tottenham and West Ham United before their humbling at Anfield, and a total of five points from their opening five fixtures sees them occupy 15th place in the Premier League standings before they kick off against rivals Brighton.

However, Vieira’s side have managed to navigate their first two home games unbeaten without conceding a goal, and following their early EFL Cup exit at the hands of Watford, the Eagles – unlike most of their top-flight counterparts – have no midweek fatigue to contend with.

Not since the days of the Ian Holloway have Palace kept three clean sheets in their first three home league games of a domestic season, and that mettle will be extremely tested against Graham Potter’s inspired outfit.

For much of last season, Brighton may not have always garnered the results their performances deserved, but the Seagulls are currently in dreamland after a superb start to the campaign, with 12 points from their opening five games this season.

After claiming a hugely impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City in their last Premier League battle, the Seagulls swooped to sink Swansea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, as Aaron Connolly’s double sealed his side’s progress into the fourth round.

Only Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have taken more points than Brighton so far this term – but they could overtake all those clubs including Manchester City providing they beat their M23 derby rivals – but their tally of seven goals scored is by far the fewest in the top six.

Nevertheless, Brighton have only conceded four goals at the other end of the pitch and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of the first M23 derby of the season, especially seeing as they have a 100% success rate on the road this term with wins over Burnley, Brentford and Cardiff City.

The Seagulls head to the capital winless in four against Palace, though, with Roy Hodgson’s side claiming a 2-1 win during the last meeting at the Amex in February, but the last two meetings between the sides at Selhurst Park have finished 1-1.

With both sides much improved since their last meeting, this game could well be the most enthralling M23 derby in a long while.

PREMIER LEAGUE FORM:

Crystal Palace: LDDWL

Brighton & Hove Albion: WWLWW

TEAM NEWS:

Crystal Palace:

Patrick Vieira has confirmed that Jeffrey Schlupp will be in contention to feature in Monday night’s game, but long-term absentees Nathan Ferguson and Eberechi Eze are still out continuing their road to recovering.

Odsonne Edouard’s quickfire double against Spurs did not earn him a start over Christian Benteke at Anfield, but the former Celtic man will certainly hope to feature from the off here after Benteke’s current poor form.

Fellow new signing Michael Olise has performed some impressive cameos from the bench but is unlikely to feature from the start.

Brighton & Hove Albion:

Brighton, meanwhile, are sweating over the fitness of star midfielder Yves Bissouma and new recruit Enock Mwepu, with the former though to have a stronger chance of featuring from the first whistle.

Alexis Mac Allister should also be okay to feature after a back scare, while Tariq Lamptey got 45 minutes under his belt against Swansea in midweek, but Adam Webster is out until after the international break.

Connolly has put himself into contention for a start with his game-winning brace against Swansea, but neither Neal Maupay nor Leandro Trossard are expected to concede their places after impressive individual performances so far this campaign.

MATCH FACTS:

  • Crystal Palace are unbeaten in the four most recent league meetings (W2, D2), though both victories in this run have come away from home.
  • Brighton have won just one of their previous seven away fixtures against Crystal Palace but they are unbeaten in their last three games at Selhurst Park.
  • Palace’s only victory in their past 12 Premier League matches on a Monday was February’s 2-1 win against Brighton (D3, L8).
  • Brighton could win their opening three away matches in a top-flight season for the first time.
  • Last season it took Brighton 21 matches to record four league wins.
  • Wilfried Zaha has scored seven goals against Brighton, the joint highest figure of his career against any side.
  • Zaha has scored four goals in his last four appearances against the Seagulls at Selhurst Park.

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Crystal Palace:

Brighton & Hove Albion:

SCORE PREDICTION: Crystal Palace 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Premier League: Matchday 8 Preview & Predictions

Premier League: Matchday 8 Preview & Predictions

After a brief two-week pause of international, the Premier League finally returns this weekend offering up yet another cracking group of fixtures to feast our eyes on.

Title contenders Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool will look to strengthen each of the cases for Premier League supremacy as they return to action while fourth-placed Manchester United are looking to return back to winning ways as they head to currently inconsistent Leicester City at the King Power, arguably the weekend’s most intriguing encounter.

Another tasty encounter will be played at the Brentford Community Stadium as newcomers Brentford face another giant test taking on Thomas Tuchel’s European champions Chelsea after their impressive showings against Liverpool and West Ham picking up four points from those two games. Can Thomas Frank’s men write another exciting chapter in their new Premier League adventure?

So, let’s dive in with some predictions and previews for this weekend’s fixtures.

Watford vs Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm

Claudio Ranieri prepares for a baptism of fire in his first game back in the Premier League, with his Watford side welcoming a rampant Liverpool to Vicarage Road on Saturday lunchtime.

The Hornets lost 1-0 to Leeds United during Xisco Munoz’s last game in charge, while Jurgen Klopp’s men played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Anfield.

After Watford’s trigger-happy board relieved Xisco of his duties – a decision that received mixed responses given their respectable start to life back in the Premier League – the Hornets wasted no time in bringing back revered title-winner Ranieri following the end of his Sampdoria spell.

The Italian returns a much improved coach according to sources close to him, after a successful two-year spell at Italian outfit Sampdoria finishing 9th and 15th respectively, steadying a rocky ship. Ranieri takes the reins with Watford lying 15th in the table with seven points taken from a possible 21, and there is a comfortable four-point gap separating them from the relegation zone at this early stage.

His first match? Against Jurgen Klopp’s unstoppable force that is Liverpool, who alongside Bournemouth in the Sky Bet Championship remain the only the team unbeaten in England’s top four divisions.

Klopp must also factor in the midweek Champions League battle with Atletico Madrid as he prepares to navigate another unrelenting fixture schedule, but his side are now unbeaten in 19 competitive fixtures across all tournaments and have scored three goals in each of their last four Premier League games away from home.

However, the Reds will need no reminding how an Ismaila Sarr-inspired Watford stormed to an emphatic 3-0 success in February 2020 to end their 18-game winning run, and with Ranieri boasting four wins from five home league games against Liverpool, the Vicarage Road faithful have every right to dream of a memorable start to the Italian’s reign.

MATCH FACT: Mohammed Salah who has eight goals in six appearances vs Watford, has scored in seven straight matches for Liverpool.

KEY MEN: Mohammed Salah (Liverpool) & Ismaïla Sarr (Watford)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Watford: Foster (GK); Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Rose; Sissoko, Kucka; Sarr, Tufan, Sema; Dennis

Liverpool: Kelleher (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van-Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane

SCORE PREDICTION: Watford 1-3 Liverpool

Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3:00PM

Villa Park plays host to a highly-anticipated West Midlands derby on Saturday lunchtime, as Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers lock horns in the Premier League.

Dean Smith’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur just before the international break, while Wolves marched to a 2-1 win over Newcastle United.

There was little time for Smith and co to bask in the jubilation of beating Manchester United on their own turf last month, as Aston Villa were brought crashing back down to earth with a 2-1 defeat to an out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.

All three of their league defeats have come away from home, with Smith’s side taking seven points from their first three fixtures at Villa Park this term and notching up six goals in that hot streak.

Villa have also shipped just one goal in front of their own fans this season so far and will hope to see the defeat to Tottenham prove to be just a minor blip in their quest for Europe, but their upcoming opponents are starting to find their feet under Bruno Lage.

Filling Nuno Espirito Santo’s shoes at Molineux was going to be a tough task for whoever took the reins, but after a shaky start to life in the West Midlands especially in front of goal, Lage appears to be working his magic to good effect given his side’s recent run of results.

After a heart-warming goal for Raul Jimenez saw Wolves overcome Southampton 1-0 last month, the Molineux outfit made it back-to-back wins with a 2-1 triumphed over Newcastle United, as Jimenez turned provider for a pair of Hwang Hee-chan strikes.

With the RB Leipzig loanee leading the charge alongside reinvigorated talisman Jimenez, Wolves have won three of their last four Premier League games to rise to 12th in the rankings and will temporarily leapfrog their upcoming opponents into the top half with all three points here.

MATCH FACT: Wolves have lost just one of their last seven visits to Villa Park (W2, D4)

KEY MEN: John McGinn (Villa) & Raul Jimenez (Wolves)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Aston Villa: Steer (GK); Cash, Konsa, Tuanzebe, Mings, Targett; Buendia, McGinn, Nakamba; Watkins, Ings

Wolves: Sa (GK); Kilman, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Marcal; Traore, Jimenez, Hwang

SCORE PREDICTION: Aston Villa 1-1 Wolves

Leicester City vs Manchester United, 3:00PM

Arguably the most intriguing tie of the weekend, with two teams struggling for consistency in results and performances. Manchester United may of course be in a better position in the table than their opponents heading into their Saturday afternoon kick-off, but the feeling around the club doesn’t reflect their positioning with much of their performances in recent weeks leaving a lot to be desired.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men face a tough few weeks ahead with significant league encounters coming up against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham as well as crucial UEFA Champions League group stage ties against Serie A outfit Atalanta. These games could indeed be crucial to how United aim to go about their season, amongst the title hopefuls or as unfortunate cast offs.

Recent injuries could indeed derail Solskjaer’s progress too with both Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane out for the next few weeks. Defeat against Aston Villa and the disappointing draw to Everton – both at Old Trafford – have left fans questioning Solskjaer’s pedigree once again, and an impressive win over Rodgers’ stuttering Leicester side could be the catalyst they need heading into a fiery period.

Leicester City on the other hand, have started off the campaign in disappointing fashion, currently lying in 13th place on eight points, six behind their opponents and performing well below expectations.

In fact, Brendan Rodgers’ men have not tasted a Premier League win since late-August, their 2-1 win at Carrow Road. Both teams are in desperate need of the three points, a win for Leicester City could also be their own catalyst to kick on and improve. This game is indeed a perfect six-pointer.

MATCH FACT: Leicester City can record back-to-back Premier League victories over Manchester United for the first time

KEY MEN: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) & Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Leicester City: Schmeichel (GK); Castagne, Soyuncu, Evans, Bertrand; Lookman, Soumare, Tielemans, Barnes; Iheanacho, Vardy

Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Matic, Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo

SCORE PREDICTION: Leicester City 2-1 Manchester United

Manchester City vs Burnley, 3:00PM

Manchester City will aim to make an immediate return to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on Burnley at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

The reigning champions played out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Liverpool last time out, while Sean Dyche’s side could only take a point from their clash with Norwich City.

A 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their most recent European battle means that City head into Saturday’s game aiming to avoid a third game without a win in all competitions, but they remain unbeaten at home this season and have kept four Premier League clean sheets in succession at the Etihad, the most recent of which came in a goalless draw with Southampton.

Only leaders Chelsea have also conceded a league-low three goals so far this season, and not since 2010 have City failed to score in successive home matches in the Premier League – a streak which is highly unlikely to end anytime soon as they come up against Sean Dyche’s warriors.

Their result at Carrow Road was certainly not have been the same engrossing spectacle as Liverpool-City, as neither side could find a way through in a 0-0 draw which extended their winless runs in the top flight.

That result did represent Norwich’s first point of the new season, but Burnley will be aware that they have passed up a golden opportunity to put their first win on the board as they struggle to break away from the other relegation candidates.

Burnley travel to the Etihad having lost their last eight in a row against Man City in all competitions – scoring only once in that miserable streak – and each of the last four fixtures at the Etihad between the two clubs has ended 5-0 to the hosts.

MATCH FACT: Manchester City can be the first team in English football to win five straight home matches against an opposition by 5+ goals.

KEY MEN: Phil Foden (City) & Maxwell Cornet (Burnley)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Manchester City: Steffen (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Foden; Silva, Jesus, Grealish

Burnley: Pope (GK); Lowton, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor; Cornet, Brownhill, Westwood, McNeil; Wood, Vydra

SCORE PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-0 Burnley

Norwich City vs Brighton & Hove Albion, 3:00PM

Brighton & Hove Albion come into this game in tremendous form, unbeaten in their last six Premier League games, although their draw against Arsenal before the international break should really have been a win considering the amount of chances they created on the evening.

Graham Potter will be hoping his side do not revert back to last seasons antics, creating chances but not finding the back of the net. Top scorer Neal Maupay already has four Premier League goals to his name in seven appearances

Potter’s men sit sixth in the table, and could find themselves in the Premier League top four come Saturday evening with a win over strugglers Norwich City who are still yet to record their first win so far this campaign.

Their home draw over Burnley ended a run of six straight defeats, but Daniel Farke’s men would be in a real hole if they do not register points on the board in the coming weeks.

MATCH FACT: Brighton have won both their Premier League meetings against Norwich, with Leandro Trossard involved in all three goals

KEY MEN: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) & Neal Maupay (Brighton)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Norwich: Krul (GK); Kabak, Hanley, Gibson; Aarons, Lees-Melou, Normann, McLean, Giannoulis; Pukki, Sargent

Brighton: Sanchez (GK); Duffy, Dunk, Burn; Veltman, Gross, Lallana, Bissouma, Cucurella; Trossard, Maupay

SCORE PREDICTION: Norwich 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Southampton vs Leeds United, 3:00PM

Leeds United will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon to take on Southampton.

The Whites are currently 16th in the table, having picked up six points from their opening seven matches, while Southampton occupy 17th, two points behind their opponents in this game, and without a single victory to their name so far this campaign.

Southampton’s position of 17th is far from ideal, and their issues in front of goal this season is still a big worry having just score five goals in their seven games. But, there is a lot of football to be played this season, and Hasenhuttl will have been encouraged by certain aspects of his team’s early-season performances.

The Saints have actually lost their last three games against Leeds in all competitions, though, including both Premier League meetings between the two teams last term, and they have not overcome the Whites on home soil since August 2011 in the second tier of English football.

Leeds, meanwhile, finally picked up their first Premier League win of the season before the international break, with Diego Llorente’s first-half effort seeing them record a 1-0 victory over Watford at Elland Road.

Bielsa’s men have won one, drawn three and lost three of their first seven matches of the campaign to collect six points, which has left them in 16th position in the table ahead of the next set of fixtures.

It is not quite the start that Leeds would have had in mind considering their success last term, but they now have a run of winnable matches, facing Southampton, Wolves and Norwich City in their next three.

Leeds remarkably won 10 away games in the Premier League last term, meanwhile, and will certainly believe that their free-flowing football can cause Southampton problems once again, but there has also been a lot of space for teams to operate in against the Whites this term, suggesting that this may well be an entertaining contest.

MATCH FACT: Leeds United have 14 PL wins over Southampton including two last season, their most against any a single opponent.

KEY MEN: Adam Armstrong (Saints) & Raphinha (Leeds)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Southampton: McCarthy (GK); Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Walcott, Romeu, Diallo, Elyounoussi; Armstrong, Redmond

Leeds United: Meslier (GK); Shackleton, Llorente, Cooper, Firpo; Phillips; James, Dallas, Klich, Harrison; Rodrigo

SCORE PREDICTION: Southampton 1-1 Leeds United

Brentford vs Chelsea, 5:30PM

Chelsea will aim to cement their position atop the Premier League rankings but face no easy task in doing so this weekend against a fired-up and an impressive Brentford side in Saturday evening’s London derby.

Thomas Tuchel’s side eased past Southampton before the international break registering a 3-1 win, while the Bees got the better of West Ham United 2-1 at the London Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s men have taken points against Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham, and will be hoping Chelsea will be amongst those prestigious results.

Seeking to establish themselves as Premier League mainstays during the first few weeks of the season, Brentford’s Premier League success story is earning a few more superb chapters, with the Bees following up their pulsating 3-3 draw with Liverpool with a 2-1 win at West Ham before the international break.

Brentford’s stellar start to the season is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and having taken seven points from their last three games, Thomas Frank’s side have risen to seventh in the table – above the likes of Leicester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

The hosts’ only defeat so far this season did come on home soil, though – 1-0 against another surprise package in Brighton & Hove Albion – but having beaten Arsenal and drawn with Liverpool on their own patch, Chelsea can hardly travel across the capital expecting a routine three points.

With Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton all playing out draws in game-week seven, Chelsea’s comfortable 3-1 win over Southampton has seen them surge to the top of the rankings with 16 points taken from a possible 21 so far this term.

Desperate to add a top-flight title to his European crown at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel’s staunch and resolute defence has conceded a joint-low three league goals this term – level with champions Man City – and the German coach has lost just one of his 12 away games in the Premier League since taking over at Chelsea.

Tuchel’s men are strong favourites for the Premier League gong this season after their successful capture and return of Romelu Lukaku, who has three league goals to his name and will be looking to follow that up in the coming weeks.

Not since the 1938-39 season have Brentford prevailed against Chelsea in any competition, with the Blues marching to successive 4-0 FA Cup wins in the 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons, although the victory in the former season came during a replay after an initial 2-2 draw.

MATCH FACT: Chelsea could be the first team in English football to get seven straight London derby away wins.

KEY MEN: Ivan Toney (Brentford) & Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Brentford: Raya (GK); Zanka, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Norgaard, Onyeka, Jensen, Henry; Toney, Mbeumo

Chelsea: Mendy (GK); Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Christensen; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz; Lukaku

SCORE PREDICTION: Brentford 1-3 Chelsea

Everton vs West Ham United, Sunday 14:00PM

Everton will be hoping to continue their impressive start to the season under new manager Rafael Benitez when they welcome West Ham United to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into this weekend’s fixtures, Everton are fifth in the table, only two points off top spot, while the Irons occupy ninth place and are just three points behind Sunday’s opponents.

Appointing Benitez, who was in charge of Everton’s arch-rivals Liverpool from 2004-2010, was always going to be a risky move by the club’s owners, but it appears to have paid off with the Toffees making a strong start to the campaign.

Players like Andros Townsend, Demarai Gray and Abdoulaye Doucouré have undergone a stark rejuvenation under Benitez’ management, and even without the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman have they still managed to pick up impressive points especially against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a game which Everton could well have taken three points on another day.

Home form has been key to Everton’s solid start and they boast a 100 per cent record at Goodison Park this season, beating Burnley, Southampton and Norwich, but they have only managed to keep one clean sheet during this run and that should offer hope to West Ham.

The Hammers are unbeaten on their travels across all competitions this term, winning four times and drawing once, and they have failed to score in only one of those matches. David Moyes and his men will be looking to get back to winning ways after disappointing home defeat to Brentford in injury-time.

Benitez has often been seen as a pragmatic manager, creating a solid base to build from and trying to nick games by the odd goal, but his Everton side have found the back of the net 13 times in seven league matches. Only five teams have scored more.

West Ham are one of them, netting 14 times, but they have also looked fragile in defence and are one of 11 teams already in double figures for goals conceded.

An entertaining and intriguing affair is expected at Goodison Park this Sunday.

MATCH FACT: Everton can win their opening four league matches at Goodison Park for the first time since 1978.

KEY MEN: Andros Townsend (Everton) & Michail Antonio (West Ham)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Everton: Pickford (GK); Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Digne; Townsend, Doucoure, Allan, Gordon; Gray, Rondon

West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio

SCORE PREDICTION: Everton 2-2 West Ham United

Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 4:30PM

Newcastle are set to usher in a new era against Tottenham with this match set to be the first under their respective new owners, however the club remains in the bottom three and without a win in their seven league games so far. Steve Bruce’s immediate future at St James’ Park is currently up in the air, with his sacking a matter of when not if.

If Newcastle fail to pick up three points against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, you’d expect Bruce to be out of the manager’s hotseat Monday morning. One positive for Bruce, has been the performances of his players though, they have indeed battled hard but without gaining wins. Their defeat to Wolves came only through the brilliance of Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-Chan, but its those small margins that is proving Steve Bruce’s undoing right now, and you could argue the Manchester United legend and former captain is lucky to be still in a job.

Looking at their personnel, it’s easy to see why – Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron provide real dynamism in forward areas. Without Callum Wilson, the club have struggled to score consistently to beat teams, whilst still getting goals on the borad

However, defensively, they have struggled, conceding 16 goals in seven matches, which represents the joint-worst record in the division along with bottom club Norwich City.

Tottenham, however come into this game off the back of a much needed, crucial three points against Aston Villa with goals coming Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and a Matt Target own goal. Star man Harry Kane is still without a league so far this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo will need his striker firing on all cylinders if they are to challenge for the top four places once again.

Spurs do have an excellent recent record against the Magpies, losing only one of their last eight Premier League contests. They were last beaten at St James’ Park in 2016, losing 5-1 on the final day of the campaign. It’s been a happy hunting ground since then, and its a game Tottenham will be expected to get all three points in.

MATCH FACT: Spurs have lost just one of their last eight league games against Newcastle, (W5, D2)

KEY MEN: Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) & Harry Kane (Tottenham)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Newcastle: Darlow (GK); Manquillo, Fernandez, Clark, Ritchie; Longstaff; Almiron, Hendrick, Hayden, Saint-Maximin; Joelinton

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris (GK), Emerson, Rodon, Dier, Reguillon; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Lucas, Ndombele, Son; Kane

SCORE PREDICTION: Newcastle United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, Monday 8:00PM

Monday night football marks the return of Arsenal legend and former captain Patrick Vieira to North London as he takes his new and improved Crystal Palace side to the Emirates as Arsenal take on Crystal Palace.

Arsenal could only manage a draw away at Brighton last time out but the way the Seagulls have played in comparison to the Gunners, suggests that it was a decent point for Arteta’s men. They have indeed undergone an upturn in form and performances in recent weeks, and you can argue the international break came at the wrong time for Mikel Arteta and his team.

Despite their improvement the Gunners still have an unhealthy goal difference of -5 and need to add more goals to their game. Arteta’s men are unbeaten in four Premier League games, their last defeat coming in the 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City. The Gunners may well be expected to grab the three points in this game, though they are coming up against resurgent Crystal Palace who have proven very tough to beat under Patrick Vieira so far this campaign.

Before the international break, Crystal Palace claimed a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester and will have been happy with a point having come from two goals down. Olise and Schlupp scored the second-half goals that brought the Eagles back onto level terms and Vieira will have been happy to see his players fight back against such a good team.

His side have been performing brilliantly and resolutely without getting wins on the board with their only victory coming against Tottenham mid-September. The Eagles currently sit in 14th place four points off the drop zone, and will need to be turning good performances into wins, starting at the Emirates against Patrick Vieira’s former side.

MATCH FACT: Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is the only Arsenal player to score on more than one occasion so far this season.

KEY MEN: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) & Wilfried Zaha (Palace)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Arsenal: Ramsdale (GK); Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Lokonga, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe; Aubameyang

Crystal Palace: Guaita (GK); Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; McArthur, Milivojevic, Gallagher; Olise, Edouard, Zaha

SCORE PREDICTION: Arsenal 2-1 Crystal Palace

What do Liverpool need this summer to reclaim their Premier League crown?

What do Liverpool need this summer to reclaim their Premier League crown?

Despite Liverpool’s resurgence at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, securing a Champions League place and winning eight of their last 10 games after a disappointing home defeat to Fulham at the start of March, its safe to conclude that Jurgen Klopp’s side fell well short of their lofty expectations.

They still managed to finish third in the table 17 points behind champions Manchester City, but after winning the title the previous campaign, Liverpool underwent arguably the worst Premier League title defence of any champion of the past. There’s a whole host of excuses for Liverpool’s sudden demise: the amount of injuries suffered especially to key figures such as Virgil Van Dijk & Joe Gomez for much of the campaign. Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Joel Matip also spent spells on the sidelines which didn’t help Klopp’s cause.

Also, the absence of fans at Anfield due to the never-ending coronavirus pandemic causing unnecessary panic towards Liverpool’s ambitions undergoing eight home games without a win between January and April, losing six of in a row – three of them to some of the so called ‘smaller clubs’. Burnley, Brighton and Fulham all tasted unprecedented victories at Anfield further plummeting Liverpool’s season to a sure state of undeniable failure.

Liverpool’s tremendous away form towards the latter part of the campaign certainly got them reaching towards that coveted Champions League spot but while Manchester City comfortably soared towards a third Premier League title in four years, Jurgen Klopp and his side were left licking their salty wounds. By their lofty standards, it was a poor campaign in truth with many of their stars underperforming and faltering at the sheer weight of expectation.

Sadio Mane, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino to name a few, but Jurgen Klopp will certainly be working extra hard this summer in making sure that his side right those wrongs, aiming to get back to the same levels of consistency, intensity and siege mentality that brought them to unparalleled greatness during the 2019/20 campaign.

Now these question will be ringing in Jurgen Klopp’s ears; how will he get his side to those peerless levels again? What does his squad need to match Manchester City for next season? How will he rebuild this squad to reclaim their Premier League crown?

These questions will need addressing, and there’s no doubt that Jurgen Klopp’s squad needs a major overhaul if they are to match Manchester City but also more importantly trump the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Leicester City who will also be looking to strengthen their squads ahead of the new season.

So which areas of the squad do Liverpool need to address?

In goal, Adrian has recently signed a new deal so Klopp will have no worries about his options in goal with number one Alisson in talks to extend his contract at Anfield. Highly-rated young goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher will be sent out on loan to further his development according to various reports.

At centre-back, Liverpool are well stocked after the summer signing of Ibrahima Kounate from RB Leipzig. Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez will be back from the long injury spells, also Joel Matip. Klopp also has Nathaniel Phillips and January signing Ben Davies to call up on too.

So what areas of the squad do Liverpool need to address this summer heading into the forthcoming season?

Adequate cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold?

According to the BBC, Liverpool would reluctantly be willing to sell highly-rated right-back Neco Williams, with a minimum asking price of around £10m which seems a strange decision. Williams is highly thought of at Anfield, and has been earmarked for a big future in the future, and more importantly seems a fair candidate to challenge Trent Alexander-Arnold for a starting spot at right-back.

If this is the case, then Klopp can’t arrive into next season with no cover for Trent AA. So who could he look to?

Max Aarons, Norwich

Despite Norwich’s promotion to the Barclays Premier League once again, its about time their wonderfully gifted full-back Max Aarons tests himself at a much bigger club. According to Sky Sources, Tottenham, Manchester United and Everton have all expressed an interest in signing the right-back and if Liverpool are looking for quality to add to their squad, then they can look no further than putting their name in the ring for the 21-year-old.

Max Aarons is amongst the most gifted young full-backs in the country and an England Under-21 international star. Not only will he boost Liverpool’s homegrown quota, but he’d provide serious competition to Trent Alexander-Arnold. Any sort of dip in form from the England international will allow Aarons to slot right in.

Despite his small frame and build, Aarons is a superb athlete, a real force of nature when he drives forward down the right-flank. A tremendous ball-carrier, pacey, and a player blessed with excellent vision. Aarons has proven a key outlet for Norwich in attack, evidently shown in registering 2 goals and 2 assists last season, and 2 goals and 6 assists during the 2018/19 campaign. It certainly isn’t Trent Alexander-Arnold type statistics but Aarons still offers plenty going forward. His understanding with the now departed Emiliano Buendia was a key weapon in Daniel Farke’s system, and there’s no reason why Aarons can’t have the same impact at a higher level.

Norwich are believed to be holding out for around £30m for the full-back which Liverpool may be unwilling to pay but the potential and abilities Aarons holds means he’ll be worth every single penny. It’s a move that many of the top six clubs would be silly to ignore.

Noussair Mazraoui, Ajax

Ajax full-back Noussair Mazraoui is certainly on his way to becoming a top-level right-back if he isn’t one currently. The 23-year-old is already attracting a lot of interest from a whole host of top clubs around Europe, especially Arsenal.

Mazraoui, 23, has been in excellent form for Ajax ever since he broke into the first team. Still largely young, the Morocco international surpassed 100 appearances for Erik Ten Hag’s side towards the end of the 20-21 campaign. But now, he has entered the last 12 months of his contract. The Moroccan international could represent smart business for any side lacking capable right-backs.

Ajax value Mazraoui at £14.5million, and there is belief that the club could settle for less than that figure which constitutes are bargain for a tremendously gifted footballer.

Mazraoui is an excellent defender, first and foremost. He is quick, switched on and defensively sound. Rather than being an attacking right-back that gets goals and assists, he focuses more on protecting his own goal. But he is still more than adept at getting forward and contributing in the final third. His relatively lean frame means he’s perfectly capable of imposing himself both defensively and offensively and especially in the air defending crosses.

The Moroccan doesn’t record as much goal contributions as Trent AA does but playing with top level forwards like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane will only increase his output. Though, what stands out in his game is his defensive contribution. He’s a very good defender. In the Champions League last season, he recorded 3.2 tackles per game, 2.3 interceptions and 2.5 clearances meaning he is capable of aiding his team to become defensively sound. In the Dutch Eredivisie, he’s averaged 1.8 tackles, and 1.5 interceptions highlighting his ability to triumph in his ground duels.

These are areas in which Trent Alexander-Arnold can improve on. He only averaged 1.4 tackles, and 1.3 interceptions which is still impressive, however, Liverpool suffered greatly in defence last season and Trent’s deficiencies towards his own goal also played a role in their demise. It’s clear Mazroaui will improve Liverpool’s defensive problems, but he’d also look much better sitting alongside Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

Ridle Baku, Wolfsburg

Ever since his move from Mainz last summer, Ridle Baku has progressed superbly under the tutelage of Oliver Glasner at Wolfsburg. The right-sided midfielder, come right-back is an incredibly astute, tactically aware and all-round footballer.

The young right-back was an influential piece in the Germany U21 side that won the European Championship in June and as a result, is already attracting significant interest from clubs around Europe. Baku was named Player of the Match in the final against Portugal and even concluded the tournament with the highest assists (3). In the 38 appearances Baku made for German side Wolfsburg, he recorded an impressive 16 goal involvements, recording 6 goals and 6 assists in the German Bundesliga.

The 1.76m-tall defender, who can even be deployed as a midfielder, leads the ranking for the Bundesliga with 1,061 sprints. Few players have covered a greater distance in the ongoing season than him. He is currently the 10th-best runner with 351 km run on the field.

Baku is highly versatile too having already played in all possible positions on the right-flank for the team. He’d prove a valuable asset for Jurgen Klopp owing to his incredible versatility but also providing his side with the opportunity to be tactically flexible. Wherever, he is deployed Ridle Baku will give his all.

In the 2020/21 campaign, Baku recorded a Goals/Assists ratio of 0.19/0.22 per 90 minutes. Compared to other Premier League full backs, it was pretty impressive.

Liverpool’s Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson’s G/A ratio was 0.06/0.21 and 0.03/0.19. The Wolfsburg full back also recorded superior figures to Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney and Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell. It’s important to remember that Baku is far from the finished article and that’s a good thing.

He still has four years remaining on his current contract so Wolfsburg will command an astronomical fee to release him, however there’s no reason why Liverpool cannot express there interest.

Gini Wijnaldum Replacement?

Liverpool sadly waved goodbye to Dutch midfield maestro Gini Wijnaldum who completed to his move to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. The 30-year-old midfielder will be tough to replace at Anfield after his enthralling, consistent and dominant performances throughout his career for Liverpool.

All good things must come to end though, as did Wijnaldum’s time at Anfield, and it was time he moved onto pastures new, which means Jurgen Klopp may already be scouting the marker for potential replacements if needed. Liverpool are quite stocked in midfield with Fabinho, Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and highly-rated wonderkid Curtis Jones.

Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita’s futures are uncertain as well as the evergreen James Milner who will turn 36 in January, it certainly wouldn’t hurt for Jurgen Klopp to be sounding out potential additions to replace Wijnaldum, but who could they be looking at?

Florian Neuhaus, Borussia Monchengladbach

Liverpool have reportedly scouted German international Florian Neuhaus extensively over the past few months, and rightly so. The midfielder could represent the perfect replacement for Wijnaldum, seeing as he offers the same amount of effort, energy and style as the Dutch captain. Technically excellent, Neuhaus has been a mainstay in the Gladbach side putting in some impressive and consistent performances throughout his time at Borussia Park.

The 24-year-old will certainly need time to adapt to the physical demands of English football, but he’s a very smart and brainy footballer, one who commonly uses his head just as much as his feet. Neuhaus has been commonly referred to as a Klopp-type midfielder because of his tremendous stamina, all-action style, technical excellence and the ability to break into the final third and create chances as well as score goals.

Over the past three seasons, Neuhaus hasn’t missed a single game to injury. During that period he’s made a total of 95 Bundesliga appearances, contributing 13 goals and 19 assists. He’s also got Champions League experience meaning he wouldn’t need too much bedding in especially when playing in Europe.

Neuhaus’ statistics underlines his penchant for progressive carrying of the ball and passing from deep. In Europe’s top-five leagues, only Aston Villa’s John McGinn and Valencia’s Carlos Soler did so more often over the course of last season. Per90, Neuhaus averaged 6.44 progressive carries of the ball driving his team up the pitch in search of goals and 5.81 progressive passes. He’s got tremendous vision, superb range of passing and an outstanding awareness of where his teammates are across the final third. He averaged 4.85 passes into the final third, indicative of his creative abilities.

6 goals and 5 assists from 33 Bundesliga is impressive numbers considering where he is deployed in the team, and could offer the same amount of goal threat at Anfield. He’s a proficient player, rarely loses the ball, ever-reliable and a tough tackler and dueler when he needs to be, averaging 3.30 tackles + interceptions per90. He’s a player built in the Klopp-mould.

Renato Sanches, LOSC Lille

If ever a top-tier side needs an all-action midfielder then they should look no further than Portugal and Lille midfielder Renato Sanches. A superb all-round performer who has risen from the rubble with such tremendous grace and determination.

After a difficult spell at Swansea in the Premier League on-loan from Bayern Munich, Sanches has placed his career on an upward trajectory once again after his move to France in 2019, helping the club to their first French title in 10 years. Renato Sanches was central to Lille’s success last season, showcasing his tactical flexibility and astuteness as well as his superb understanding of the positions he’s been given the responsibility to perform in. Sanches has lined up in central midfield, right-midfield, on the left and as a defensive midfielder owing much to his incredible versatility.

The Portuguese international is very much in the mould of Wijnaldum without the penchant to score goals – he only scored once in Ligue 1 last season but his contributions go beyond his abilities in front of goal. He’s still ridiculously creative, averaging 7.23 final third passes, 6.81 progressive passes and 1.28 key passes. He holds incredible vision, ball control, tenacity, tactical nous and a strength belying his small frame. Sanches thrives under pressure, or in tight areas using his superb technical qualities and swift change of movement to evade markers with such consummate ease.

His performance against France at Euro 2020 is a fine example. He deserves another shot in the English-top flight, and Liverpool need another all-action Klopp-type midfielder and Renato Sanches fits the bill perfectly.

Wildcard: Houssem Aouar, Lyon

(Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Liverpool are gonna need an injection of creativity in midfield due to the loss of Gini Wijnaldum, and there’s potentially no better option out there in Europe than Lyon’s creative maestro Houssem Aouar.

The Frenchman is indeed a wildcard seeing as Liverpool haven’t been interested in his services in the past, but a player of Aouar’s ability and pedigree means any of England’s top clubs cannot afford to pass on the opportunity of recruiting this extremely talented young midfielder. At times last season – even with Gini Wijnaldum in the team, Klopp’s men lacked imagination and that injection of magic needed when breaking down low blocks, especially in their home defeats to Fulham, Brighton and Burnley.

Much of last season, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were below-par and instead they relied on the brilliance of Mohammed Salah to recue them out of trouble. In order to match Manchester City, Liverpool are gonna need creativity from midfield again and Houssem Aouar provides that much needed impetus. A footballer blessed with the ability to work his magic in tight areas and create opportunities in an instant, Aouar is simply stunning to watch when he’s full flow.

Aouar may not be the all-action, Klopp-type midfielder but he’s a luxury player all top clubs should have in their squad. As soon as he’s got the ball in dangerous areas – imagine him picking up a Thiago pass breaking the lines of play – he’ll make something happen, whether its a sublime through ball, a swift change movement to evade pressure or a pearl of a shot into the back of the net, he is a player built to excite and offer highlight reels. Anfield needs that wow-factor again after such a difficult campaign last season.

Seven goals, three assist in what was a bright campaign for Lyon, Aouar certainly holds the capabilities in front of goal. He averaged 1.87 key passes, 4.39 final third passes and 5.10 shot-creating actions per 90 highlighting his ruthless nous in the final third. After a failed move to the Premier League last year, and Lyon’s financial strains this time round, the club would be more than willing to allow Aouar to finally depart the club. Liverpool should throw their name in the ring.

Another Attacker Alongside Mane, Salah and Jota?

Xherdan Shaqiri, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino & Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all likely to be moved on this summer to free-up funds to improve their attacking options. It’s abundantly clear, Liverpool can no longer solely rely on Roberto Firmino to be their only ‘striker’ in the squad. The Brazilian’s influence is on the wane, and hasn’t hit double figures for goals since he notched 12 Premier League goals during the 2018/19 campaign.

While Mane and Jota will be expected to improve their own goal returns next season, Jurgen Klopp won’t be criticized for scouring the market to find another potent goalscorer, who can share the load with Mo Salah. The club haven’t possessed a devastating number 9 for quite a while now, in fact, they haven’t needed one but if Klopp is to take Liverpool’s game to the next level, a out-an-out striker may well be required…

Donyell Malen, PSV Eindhoven

According to various reports, Liverpool have opened talks with PSV Eindhoven over a potential transfer for Dutch international striker Donyell Malen.

A former Arsenal academy player, Malen has forged a super career back in his homeland, swiftly becoming one of the most potent strikers in Europe. PSV signed him back in 2017, and after a year spent developing in the B team, he has richly blossomed in the Eredivisie.

Since his first team debut in 2018, Malen has hit 55 goals in 116 games for the Dutch giants, also providing 24 assists. He regularly features as a centre forward for PSV but can also play on the left-wing in required. Liverpool aren’t the only club on his radar with Borussia Dortmund and ex-club Arsenal also believed to be interested in his talented services.

Malen has proven he has what it takes to perform at the top level, and its probably about time he’s move on to pastures new. The 22-year-old is ruthlessly quick, but more importantly a devastating finishing and fine creator. He hit 19 goals and 8 assists in the Dutch Eredivisie last campaign, and 27 in all competitions.

He’s a very direct, pacey and agile forward mixed with an excellent blend of nimble, electric footwork. He’s a nightmare for most centre-backs because of his almost terrier-like bravery in running at defenders and beating them for pace.

The striker would fit right in in Jurgen Klopp’s because of his searing pace and ruthless ability to play on the counter. A clever player who thrives off playing on the shoulder of the last defender, once he is through goal, goalkeepers have no chance of reading what he’s going to do. The confidence, assuredness and potent edge in front of goal makes him an attractive option for any top club in Europe.

Dusan Vlahovic, Fiorentina

In more ways than some, Dusan Vlahovic’s trajectory over the past year has been the polar opposite of Fiorentina’s. While the club have flat-lined into a complete demise both on the pitch and on the managerial front, the 21-year-old’s credibility and standing amongst the some of the elite young forwards in Europe has risen considerably.

21 goals and 3 assists from 34 Serie A starts for Fiorentina, Vlahović is among the leading marksmen in Serie A for goals, but not only that, his sheer desire and passion when performing is certainly of a unique and hugely promising style.

One of the first striking elements of DuÅ¡an Vlahović’s characteristics is his striking size. At 6’3”, he stands quite literally, head and shoulders above others, especially some defenders who are tasked with taming him during a game. This has all the makings of a familiar fairytale story when it comes to young prodigy’s especially strikers, that their size immediately strikes fear into their opponents.

Like Erling Braut Haaland, Dušan Vlahović is built of a similar ilk.

For most of the campaign, Fiorentina have opted for a 3-5-2 system, with Vlahović and Ribery as the two forwards. It’s a pairing which offers dynamism, flair, creativity and a real clinical edge. Most of Vlahović’s goals this season have stemmed from the Serbian’s superb movement in the box, and finding himself in the right spaces at the right time.

Vlahović is a potent and clinical penalty box presence, a devastating finisher and his 21 goals in Serie A this season showing that at the tender age of just 21, he’s got so much to give in goal scoring situations. 6 of those 21 goals have come from the penalty spot, scoring 6 from 6 in fact, meaning that he is ever-so reliable from the penalty spot.

Good movement, clinical finishing – Vlahović already looks the complete young package. As a bonus, he works hard off the ball too, he is tenacious, and plays the game like his life depends on it. He is not the type of player to be around when you have the ball, he will hustle and bustle until he regains possession, a real terrier-like performer. He averages 2.44 successful pressures per 90 while also recording 0.62 tackles + interceptions which highlights his abilities without the ball.

All these characteristics make him the perfect Jurgen Klopp-striker. Klopp was the mastermind behind Robert Lewandowski and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang’s learning and development in the early years, imagine what he could do with Vlahovic.

A future leading striker for many years to come, Liverpool would be incredibly smart to invest in it.