Barclays Premier League Matchday 12: Preview & Predictions

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Leicester City: Schmeichel (GK); Pereira, Soyuncu, Evans, Castagne; Ndidi, Soumare; Lookman, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy

Chelsea: Mendy (GK); Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell, Hudson-Odoi, Mount; Havertz

SCORE PREDICTION: Leicester City 1-2 Chelsea

Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

Brighton & Hove Albion: Steele (GK); Veltman, Dunk, Duffy, Cucurella; Bissouma, Lallana; Lamptey, Trossard, March; Maupay

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

KEY MEN: Maxwell Cornet (Burnley) & Conor Gallagher (Palace)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Burnley 1-2 Crystal Palace

Newcastle vs Brentford, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Newcastle United: Dubravka (GK); Manquillo, Clark, Lascelles, Ritchie; Almiron, Hayden, Shelvey, Fraser; Wilson, Saint-Maximin

Brentford: Fernandez (GK); Goode, Pinnock, Jansson; Canos, Janelt, Norgaard, Onyeka, Henry; Toney, Mbeumo

SCORE PREDICTION: Newcastle 2-2 Brentford

Norwich City vs Southampton, 3:00PM

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.

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Norwich: Krul (GK); Aarons, Omobamidele, Gibson, Williams; Normann, Gilmour; Cantwell, Lees-Melou, Rashica; Pukki

Southampton: McCarthy (GK); Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Elyounoussi, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond; A Armstrong, Adams

SCORE PREDICTION: Norwich 1-2 Southampton

Watford vs Manchester United, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Watford: Foster (GK); Femenia, Cathcart, N’Koulou, Rose; Sarr, Cleverley, Sissoko, Dennis; Pedro; King

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Wolves: Sa (GK); Kilman, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Ait-Nouri; Podence, Jimenez, Hee-Chan

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

Arsenal: Ramsdale (GK); Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Saka, Thomas, Lokonga, Smith Rowe; Lacazette; Aubameyang

SCORE PREDICTION: Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

Manchester City vs Everton, Sunday 2:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Manchester City: Ederson (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Bernardo, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling

Everton: Pickford (GK); Coleman, Godfrey, Keane, Digne; Townsend, Allan, Delph, Iwobi; Gray; Richarlison

SCORE PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-1 Everton

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United, Sunday 16:30PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Tottenham: Lloris (GK); Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Reguilon; Son, Kane, Lucas

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Leeds United

The Outstanding Progression of Declan Rice

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. 👏🏻👏🏻
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 31, 2021

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.

110 – Bernardo Silva has amassed 110 progressive carries in the Premier League this season (instances where a playe… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…—
(@OptaJoe) October 31, 2021

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.
— Premier League Panel (@PremLeaguePanel) October 31, 2021

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.

What a player.

Barclays Premier League: Game-week 10 Previews and Predictions

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.

KEY MEN: Youri Tielemans (Leicester) & Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Leicester City 2-2 Arsenal

Burnley vs Brentford, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

Brentford: Fernandez (GK); Jorgensen, Jansson, Ajer; Canos, Onyeka, Norgaard, Jensen, Henry; Toney, Mbuemo

SCORE PREDICTION: Burnley 1-1 Brentford

Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion, 3:00PM

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.

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

Brighton & Hove Albion: Sanchez (GK); Dunk, Duffy, Webster; Lamptey, Lallana, Bissouma, Moder, Cucurella; Trossard, Maupay

SCORE PREDICTION: Liverpool 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace, 3:00PM

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.

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

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Man City 3-1 Crystal Palace

Newcastle United vs Chelsea, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

Chelsea: Mendy (GK); Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Silva; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mount, Hudson-Odoi; Havertz

SCORE PREDICTION: Newcastle United 1-2 Chelsea

Watford vs Southampton, 3:00PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Watford: Foster (GK); Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Masina; Sarr, Kucka, Sissoko, Tufan, Hernandez; King

Southampton: McCarthy (GK); Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud; S Armstrong, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Djenepo; Redmond, Adams

SCORE PREDICTION: Watford 2-1 Southampton

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United, 5:30PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Norwich City: Krul (GK); Kabak, Hanley, Omobamidele; Aarons, Gilmour, Lees-Melou, Williams; Dowell, Pukki, Rashica

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Norwich City 1-2 Leeds United

Aston Villa vs West Ham United, 4:30PM

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)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

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

SCORE PREDICTION: Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham United

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

Christopher Nkunku, RB Leipzig’s shining light

If RB Leipzig can take any solace from their quite below-par start to the season under new boss Jesse Marsch, its the form of their supremely gifted talismanic French midfielder Christopher Nkunku.

The 23-year-old was terribly unlucky that is tremendous hat-trick against Manchester City in their UEFA Champions League group stage curtain raiser came at a disastrous cost as Leipzig were cut to shreds at the other end as City triumphed 6-3 at the Etihad.

While much of the headlines on the night will have been about their shambolic defending against Grealish and co. Christopher Nkunku’s stock rose considerably providing hope for Leipzig in an otherwise dour evening in Manchester.

The 23-year-old took his goals superbly, despite all three of them drawing Leipzig back into the game whilst City ran riot, but all three goals were a true reflection of the remarkable growth he is showing under Jesse Marsch so far this season.

The former Red Bull Salzburg coach has already stated his admiration and joy at working with the Frenchman, “Christopher has no weaknesses. He’s young and still want a lot more. Working with him is a lot of fun as he’s really intelligent and has a lot of potential.”

Indeed, Nkunku is an incredibly intelligent player and that isn’t just reflected in his goals – he’s got 7 goals and 2 assists in eight games at the time of writing – it’s the way he’s setting about scoring them. Getting himself into the right positions to take his chances but also provide the whole team with the onus to go and express themselves in attack.

Against Hertha Berlin at the weekend, Nkunku scored two beautiful goals – a dink over the keeper and a finely taken free-kick right into the top corner – and provided two assists in Leipzig’s 6-0 rout over a very poor Hertha BSC side to become the hallmark of Leipzig’s instant rejuvenation.

In their second Champions League group stage game against Belgian outfit Club Brugge – in yet another European defeat for Jesse Marsch and his side – he bagged his fourth goal in the competition latching onto a through ball to put Leipzig ahead in a 2-1 defeat.

It’s important to note that Nkunku has always provided the admirable and telling consistency in his game that makes him such a uniquely gifted performer for Leipzig. It’s only now, his performances are reaping its rewards.

Last season, he registered the highest combined non-penalty expected goals (npxG) and expected assists (xA) for attacking midfielders/wingers domestically (0.73 per game). How does that rank amongst his peers? Very high in fact. Over the course of the past year, he ranks in the 96th percentile in Europe’s top five leagues and international club competition for the same category (0.64 per game).

NpxG and xA are combined with “shot creation actions”, meaning “the two offensive actions directly leading to a shot, such as passes, dribbles and drawing fouls”, highlighting involvement in Leipzig’s attacks. Once again, his overall contribution was only bettered by a handful of the world’s top midfielders/forwards, including Neymar and Lionel Messi.

However, due to poor finishing by himself and his teammates meant that his extraordinarily positive influence on the team’s attacking output was getting somewhat overlooked because he wasn’t registering the goals and assists that is expected from attacking midfielders.

His Bundesliga npxG of 0.37 and xA of 0.36 per 90 only produced six goals and six assists from 28 games. In fact, his underlying numbers suggest Nkunku should really have notched around 10 goals and 10 assists last season. His end product appeared above-average rather than excellent, unlike his debut campaign where he hit five goals and 13 assists.

Also, his positional versatility proved his undoing under former boss Julian Nagelsmann last year. He was seen as a very useful utility player rather than the technically gifted up-and-coming star he should have been perceived as.

Nkunku performed in a variety roles mostly as one of two narrow attacking midfielders behind a striker or false nine which hampered his understanding of his role and value in the team and also the opportunity to work efficiently and effectively with his fellow attackers such as the equally gifted Dani Olmo.

In Jesse Marsch’s 4-2-3-1 system, by contrast, he’s been utilised as more of a winger.

When Marsch changed his set-up in response to his team’s run of poor results ahead of the Hertha BSC game and reverted to Nagelsmann’s 3-4-3 system, Nkunku was back in the right-sided No 10 role but crucially given licence to make roam and make deeper runs as his abilities warrant.

From there, he’s able to provide his strongest assets: his pace, off-the-ball movement and superb understanding of space in between the opponent’s defence and midfield. Against Hertha, Nkunku clocked an outstanding 35.5 kilometres per hour during the game.

Defensively, Nkunku is just as quick off the mark and without the ball. 8.69 pressures in the final third put him in the 99th percentile in the top five leagues for players in his positions.

The midfielder is so dangerously creative too. Once he gets the ball in the final third, its incredibly hard to stop him expressing himself. He’s always on the move, always willing to receive the ball in the most difficult areas in the half-space but more important he is very competent and consistent in attempting the extraordinary eye-of-the-needle through balls. He’s averaged an incredible 5.27 shot creating actions, 2.41 key passes, 2.22 passes into the final third whilst also averaging the same amount of passes into the 18-yard-box per90 minutes. Again, he is so vital to Jesse Marsch’s team.

Christopher Nkunku is one of the most underrated players in Europe right now. Probably because he already played for a big club and isn't really considered a new kid on the block, but there are very few 23-year-olds with his combination of intelligence and efficiency.
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) September 26, 2021

He is indeed a uniquely gifted performer.

Now, we are finally starting to see Nkunku reap his rewards. He’s always worked hard as the above stats show, he’s always been a willing player both in attack and defence but he hasn’t had the numbers to show for it.

🇫🇷 Christopher Nkunku (23) and @RBLeipzig starting to pep up after a 6-0 win vs. Hertha.

His season so far:

☑️ 8 starts
⚽️ 6 goals
🅰️ 2 assists
🔥 Goal involvement every 82 min pic.twitter.com/2XHCtHW51A
— Football Wonderkids (@fbwonderkids) September 25, 2021

At Leipzig, they’re not surprised at his extraordinary start to the season.

After returning from the summer break with more muscle having worked with a personal trainer on his stability and speed, putting in extra shifts on the training ground in his ball-work, Marsch and his coaching staff were expecting him to be one of the key performers in this campaign and Nkunku has repaid their faith so far.

He is one of the first names on the team-sheet this season, after finding his spot limited under Naglesmann last year.

Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, the same Paris suburb that produced Paul Pogba, Nkunku cut a rather slight if confident figure among fellow Clairefontaine academy students Marcus Thuram (now at Borussia Monchengladbach), Allan Saint-Maximin (now at Newcastle United) and Amine Harit (now at Marseille).

As was often the case of young stars playing in Paris, opportunities were limited for players from the PSG academy. If you need any examples, just ask players like Odsonne Edouard, Tanguy Nianzou, Boubakary Soumaré or Timothy Weah, the list is endless.

Nkunku understood that he needed to find regular game time hence his move to Leipzig in 2019. A club well placed to provide him with the development and learning his game deserved.

Shortly before leaving Paris, Arsenal head of recruitment Sven Mislintat had attempted to bring in the player on loan in the 2018-19 winter transfer window but PSG didn’t approve. He was sold to RB for €13 million and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League in his first season.

“It was the club I needed,” Nkunku explained at the time. “I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of playing. I feel that I’m blossoming on the pitch, that I’m a bit more liberated. The more time goes on, the better I am. Now I can say that it is better to leave your comfort zone to grow taller.”

The 23-year-old has grown considerably since then, his game has matured and his intelligence and understanding of the tactically has soared through the roof, and its a testament to his hard-work and willingness to learn and improve. Nkunku is only going to get better and that’s a scary sight for Leipzig’s opponents this season.

His existing contract runs until 2024 but just like Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, Naby Keita, Timo Werner and Marcel Sabitzer before him, he’ll almost certainly become too good a player to stick around at Leipzig for much longer.

The club will have to enjoy him while they can, because Christopher Nkunku is on to much bigger things in the near future.

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

Leon Bailey fires brief warning shot to the Premier League

As cameos go, it was a pretty thrilling one.

With Aston Villa lacking the required decisiveness in the final third, seeming short of ideas against Everton at Villa Park, coach Dean Smith decided it was the perfect time to throw on their new signing Leon Bailey in the 61st minute, and change the game he did.

The Jamaican international immediately curled in a dangerous free kick, a few minutes later Matty Cash bombed down the right flank to score his first Villa goal.

Soon after, Bailey’s set-piece qualities were evident once again, utilizing that wand of a left-boot to swing in a peach of a cross from a corner which forced Everton left-back Lucas Digne to head into his own net; you simply do not defend those crosses as the French defender found out

Six minutes later, Danny Ings played a devastating cross-field pass in front of Bailey and the Jamaican headed the ball ahead of himself while charging into the penalty area.

For his next touch, he rifled the ball into the roof of the net in front of a delirious Holte End to make it 3-0. It was a finish truly reminiscent of his time at Bayer Leverkusen where he registered 46 Bundesliga goal involvements during his five year spell in Germany.

Ten minutes later he was forced off with a thigh strain apparently picked up from kicking the ball hard for his first goal in English football.

Bailey became only the second Villa player to be subbed on, score, and then be subbed off in a Premier League match, after Julian Joachim against Derby County in September 2000.

The 24-year-old was only on the field for 21 minutes, yet he provided the crucial impact Villa needed. If those 20-odd minutes were any indicator for how his Villa career would look like in the next few years, then Aston Villa really do have a stunning player on their hands.

Bailey joined the club this summer at the peak of Jack Grealish’s transfer saga, which perhaps meant his arrival was not met with the excitement it deserved. But make no mistake, this is one of the most exciting signings at Villa Park for a long time.

If you were indeed to throw a spanner in the works, then Leon Bailey is just as good as Jack Grealish. The fact that Aston Villa secured his signature for a fee of only just £30million is an absolute snip, because the forward on another day may well have been valued double that figure, so in actual fact its a superb bit of business from Dean Smith.

The club’s strategy in recent years have been nothing short of excellent often involved buying up some of the best players in the Championship, like Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash, Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia. Sometimes they have sought out players unhappy at clubs further up the English football pyramid, like Emi Martinez from Arsenal or Tyrone Mings at Bournemouth during Villa’s time in the second tier.

Rather less successfully, the club have shopped in Europe’s lesser leagues such as the signings of Mbwana Samatta and Wesley from Belgian sides.

However, Leon Bailey is a totally different proposition, arguably the most prestigious signing of the lot.

A player with bags of European experience, playing at the top level and Christian Purslow could have been forgiven for jumping for joy when the Jamaican forward chose Villa Park rather than a more elite-level club playing Champions League football, because to put it simply Leon Bailey is indeed a Champions League level footballer.

For donkey-years, the Jamaican international has been linked with a whole host of top level clubs in Europe, and much of that has been down to his superb form for Bayer Leverkusen.

Deployed as a winger, Bailey scored 15 goals in 40 games last season, claiming 11 assists. He was indeed amongst the most accomplished wingers in European football last term, but as a result of Grealish’s move to Manchester City, Villa fans weren’t as excited and optimistic about Bailey’s arrival as they should have been.

Make no mistakes about it, Leon Bailey can play. He’s a devastating winger, a real problem for opposing defences, not just because of his speed and drive but his scintilating trickery, swift change of movement and unbelievable ball-carrying skills.

Last season, Villa were often overly reliant on Grealish and looked severely weakened in his absence. The club are looking this season to keep the ball better, to progress the ball much quicker into the final third areas and most importantly convert most of their chances and with Leon Bailey, Villa now hold the qualities to kill three birds with one stone.

In fact not only do they have Bailey to address those glaring weaknesses but Dean Smith now holds bags of quality at his disposal including Emiliano Buendia, and Danny Ings.

The Villa coach aims to qualify for European football come May and those three players alone possess the ability to both replace Grealish’s influence and creativity in the final third but more importantly, fire this ever-progressive football club to the next phase of their proud development.

Bailey has so often divided opinion in Germany because of his lack of consistency or attitude but despite all his issues, he still managed to contribute considerably to Bayer Leverkusen’s gradual improvements in recent seasons. When he is on-song he is indeed unstoppable as Everton defender Ben Godfrey found out on Saturday despite Bailey only having just 11 touches during his 21 minutes on the pitch.

Certainly, the absence of Jack Grealish will still be felt around the Aston Villa faithful but possessing the qualities of players like Leon Bailey means the fans will indeed begin to heal once the Jamaican starts firing on all cylinders. His performance against Everton was only a pretty brief stint, but its a promising and a very pleasing evidence for Dean Smith and the whole club that they can now be allowed the freedom and room to progress and move forward post-Jack Grealish.

Villa fans now have something to smile and shout about. They have a new superstar in Leon Bailey.

The rest of the Premier League will have to stand up and be warned at the sight of the Jamaican winger.

How Jack Grealish could fit in at Manchester City

Manchester City have completed the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100m in the biggest deal in English football history.

The 25-year-old midfielder joins on a six-year deal after the Premier League champions activated the £100m release clause in his Villa contract on Friday.

The transfer fee also breaks the previous record in English football held by Paul Pogba when he re-joined Manchester United for £93.25m from Juventus in 2016.

It’s a deal which also makes Jack Grealish the most expensive British footballer in football history, surpassing Gareth Bale when he joined Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 for £85million.

Introducing…our new number 🔟

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/yb4fSSnEmg
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 5, 2021

The deal marks a stunning statement of intent from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City as the Premier League champions embark on retaining their crown next season.

Jack Grealish has proved one of the most creative players in the Premier League since Aston Villa’s promotion three years ago, whether through his passing, his unerring dribbling with the ball, and his sheer will and bravery to take opponents on, its no surprise Pep Guardiola feels he is the right man to refresh his star-studded squad.

The Aston Villa faithful will of course, be gutted and disheartened at this move, after all Grealish has achieved with the club, not least his remarkable gifts and talents that have rescued them out of various difficult situations since his emergence in the first team.

….£100million for a player with fewer than 100 Premier League appearances, who has never played in Europe, never scored an international goal and who has missed chunks from two of the last three seasons with injury, is in many respects a truly remarkable deal… #avfc
— matt maher (@mjmarr_star) August 4, 2021

Grealish has indeed become an iconic figure at his boyhood club, but certainly now feels the move to Manchester City, one of the best clubs in Europe and the best in England is one he cannot turn down, especially the lure of playing in Europe’s most prestigious competitions, the UEFA Champions League.

Also, playing under one of football’s most decorated coaches ever in Pep Guardiola is an opportunity many footballers right now would certainly kill for.

At 25 years of age, its an opportunity that doesn’t come around too often, so you’d almost forgive Grealish for making such a huge career decision.

While Aston Villa lick their wounds at the sight of Grealish’s departure, Manchester City and Guardiola will be licking their lips at the sight of possessing one of the best creators in the country and one of the most talented players this great nation has had to offer.

Now, Guardiola will be contemplating with both joy and anguish at how Grealish will fit in at such a talented and world class squad. How do you fit in both Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish in the same XI? How will Guardiola look to improve Jack Grealish? What qualities will Grealish bring, and how will it complement Guardiola’s style?

First and foremost, the 25-year-old will add more of a cutting edge to Manchester City’s play. Guardiola’s side scored 83 goals last season, the most of any team in the division, and possessing someone of Grealish’s ilk will only increase that figure even further.

They do say in a title winning team, that adding more quality to it and improving the following year means even more greatness and sustained success, than just sticking with the same batch of players. The whole squad becomes hungrier, competitive and more vibrant and Guardiola is doing just that with the capture of Jack Grealish.

Aston Villa’s great loss, is Manchester City’s great gain.

Without Jack Grealish last year, Villa only won three of the 12 games he sat out injured. He is a player of great reward, incision, precision, dynamism, cutting thrust and a skill set that proves so unique and masterful in comparison to his fellow English counterparts.

Grealish’s talent is obvious.

In terms of total chances created, chances created from open play and assists, Grealish is right in the midst of the Premier League’s most devastating creators.

81 – @JackGrealish has created 81 chances following ball carries in the Premier League in the last two seasons; this is more than any other player in the competition in this period, as well as the most across the top five European leagues. Game-changer. pic.twitter.com/m76HUmWJx2
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 4, 2021

Grealish created 70 chances from open play last season, second only to Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (77). He also formed 81 opportunities following ball carries in the last two Premier League seasons as shown above. This is all from just 26 Premier League games last year, even. 6 goals and 10 assists from 26 games is mightily impressive.

3.42 key passes, 3.46 final third passes, 6.91 progressive passes, 6.18 shot-creating actions (the two offensive actions leading directly to a shot, through passes, dribbles or drawing fouls) and 12.6 progressive carries per 90minutes all highlight how effective and influential Jack Grealish was to the Aston Villa cause.

All of those stats may increase at Manchester City, which poses such a scary thought for City’s rivals this coming season.

Many of the chances Grealish creates come after he’s dribbled with the ball, and he led the Premier League standings for 2020/21 in that particular field. Only Harry Kane, Hueng-Min Son and Bruno Fernandes had more assists following a carry and only Son, Marcus Rashford and Harvey Barnes scored more following a carry.

Grealish played far fewer minutes than any of those players, apart from Harvey Barnes, which only goes to show how dangerous Grealish is and just how much he runs with the ball. Progressive carries usually occur in the opposition half, are greater than five metres and move the ball at least five metres towards the opposition’s goal.

Grealish is absolutely devastating at performing such roles. Only three players – Adama Traore, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Pablo Hernandez – completed more per 90 than Grealish last season, but none of them were as devastating and as decisive with their carries as Grealish was.

Last season, Grealish carried the ball into the opposition penalty area a staggering 80 times, 3.29 times per 90mins. 18 more than Raheem Sterling, 32 more than Riyad Mahrez and 48 more than Bernardo Silva, already highlighting how much he offers more than Manchester City’s current options. Again, all of these staggering statistics despite Grealish only playing 26 games. He also ranks third in terms of passes into the box per 90 (2.96), behind his future teammate Kevin De Bruyne (3.56).

Grealish compared to City attackers (2020/21)	Grealish	Sterling	Foden	Mahrez	Silva	De Bruyne
Games played	26	31	28	27	26	25
Goals	6	10	9	9	2	6
Assists	10	7	5	6	6	12
Chances created	81	39	36	44	27	80
Dribbles completed	65	66	38	45	41	48
Fouls won	110	41	34	30	18	31

Provided by BBC Sport

Interestingly, Manchester City were the team who performed the most carries into the penalty area last season with 68, more than second-placed Chelsea. When City players get into the box, they are expected to make things happen, effect the game and Grealish, Foden, Sterling, Silva and Mahrez are all in the top 10 for passes attempted and completed inside the opposition’s penalty area last season.

The ability to carry the ball at long distances, evade pressure, beat opponents at will as well as drawing so many fouls is a trait that appeals so much to Guardiola and the City faithful. Manchester City will be getting a player who will vastly improve their football next season. However, there is a caveat to Grealish’s game that Guardiola may look to alter.

Maybe most interesting thing from that perspective is that Grealish is probably the most individualistic player in the league – which makes him so exciting – and he's going into one of the most structured attacks.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) August 4, 2021

As journalist Miguel Delaney so correctly points out, Grealish is allowed so much freedom and warranty at Villa, in that his game is expressed individually, being able to perform so many actions on his own which drives his team and gets them out of difficult situations. That won’t be the case at City, Guardiola calls on a more structured approach to his attacking play, its all about the collective rather than the individual, and that’s something Grealish will have to adapt to.

He may not be able to just get the ball and dribble all he likes – as he did at Villa – he’ll be asked to keep up the tempo in City’s passing, with breaking opposition lines and carving out opportunities in the penalty area. It will certainly be interesting to see how Guardiola may adapt to Grealish’s style or teaching the Villa talisman to adapt and adhere to his own.

Grealish will need to release the ball quicker than he does, and to be more attentive when working with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling. A major part of City’s superb approach was their ability to slow the game down with their subtle, intricate and decisive passing only to then speed it up at particular moments, taking advantages of spaces when they open up.

Defenders will be drawn to Grealish like he was at Villa, which means him winning free-kicks across the park could frustrate City’s build-up, with opposition teams reverting quickly back into a defensive shape. What’s so devastating about Grealish is his huge decisiveness once dribbling with the ball, which means City will only benefit, but they’d benefit even greater if he works on his game releasing the ball much more efficiently and more sooner.

The question on everybody’s lips will certainly be where Jack Grealish could line-up next season. Sources close to Guardiola say that Grealish could be deployed as a creative no.8 alongside Kevin De Bruyne in their customary and fluid 4-3-3 shape. With Raheem Sterling regularly deployed on the left, Grealish’s regular spot will be occupied, but there’s always a chance for rotation and flexibility.

Grealish in more central areas, as we’ve seen before is of course a devastating sight to behold. As soon as he picks up the ball, its incredibly difficult to get him off it – unless fouling him. At City, he may well be given more space to roam, with opposition midfielders occupied with Kevin De Bruyne’s ability to dissect opposition defences at will. If this is the case, Guardiola will be capable of breaching the most combative of defences from not just one area in the half-space, but two.

Both Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne are both destructive in those areas which gives the opposition much more danger than they bargained for.

Of course, Grealish could also expected to be deployed on the left side of City’s attack, his most common position, although with Sterling and Foden already on that side (and given the left-footed Foden finished last campaign on that flank) it is a very competitive area of the pitch for City.

The prospect of a Grealish and Foden partnership will be mouthwatering for any Manchester City fan, and there’s certainly been flashes of the pair when the two are on duty for England. Their superb ability to combine through delicious first touch passes and swift interchanging of movement could really aid City in cutting through opponent’s steep defences.

They would have no problems switching roles temporarily too.

How about Grealish and Sterling together? Southgate has tried that partnership with ruthless aplomb before, if you need any evidence just ask the Czech Republic.

If City don’t get in Harry Kane this summer, and Guardiola opts for a false nine setup, then Grealish could be unleashed in midfield alongside Gundogan with Kevin De Bruyne coming off the front-line. Why not Grealish operating in those false-nine areas too?

The imperious quality at Guardiola’s disposal leaves a lot of room for rotation and flexibility certainly, which means Jack Grealish will be thrust into a much more competitive and much testing dynamic than at Aston Villa.

Some will argue that the grass isn’t always greener, but its a move and challenge that Grealish will relish and be excited by. It will be incredibly intriguing how Guardiola mixes and meshes his various attacking options, especially if they do manage to get in both Jack Grealish and Harry Kane this summer.

Jack Grealish’s move certainly raises as much questions as answers as to how City could line-up next season and how his game could complement the team’s and vice-versa. It’s an exciting headache for Pep Guardiola to have. However, what’s certain is that Jack Grealish will improve City considerably, and on a more personal measure, Grealish’s game may well be taken to a whole new level under Guardiola’s tutelage.

This is a call to Manchester City’s Premier League rivals (not just the red half of Manchester)… be very afraid.

**How City could line-up next season with both Kane and Grealish**

What will Ben White bring to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal?

Arsenal’s pursuit of Brighton’s highly-rated centre back Ben White has caused a bit of a stir amongst the Arsenal faithful.

For a side who surprisingly finished as the Premier League’s third best defence despite their lowly conclusion in eighth place, many are discussing whether the reported £50m fee would be better spent in other areas of the squad.

That is indeed true, but for a player of Ben White’s qualities, potential impact on Arteta’s team and current market value, its an opportunity the club could not afford to pass up on.

For Arteta, like many of the top coaches in the modern era – especially his managerial mentor at his former club Manchester City – a centre-back’s job description isn’t just to defend their own goal, but to be as effective and influential in distributing the ball upfield, and in doing so become the starting point of team’s attacking play.

Arteta regards playing out from the back as a key tenet of his philosophy, but progressing the ball from one end of the pitch to the other has been a persistent problem during his tenure as coach – particularly when without David Luiz, whose departure this summer has left a ball-playing void in the heart of Arsenal’s defence.

Brazilian and former Lille defender Gabriel does indeed have the qualities to perform the role, averaging 2.39 progressive passes per 90, and 3.69 final third passes with a 91% short pass accuracy, which is impressive data from his first campaign in English football, but he will need someone alongside him to add to that dynamic and provide Arsenal with various modes of building from the back.

Many supporters have wanted to see the returning William Saliba given a chance to fill that void, only for the defender to join Marseille on a season-long loan, his third during his spell as an Arsenal player.

Brighton’s Ben White fits the mould perfectly, and is just the player Mikel Arteta needs to provide an added dimension to his possession-based style.

There can be no disputing Ben White’s calibre and propensity to perform such a key role.

Throughout his time at Leeds United and Brighton, and even during his first international cap for England, Ben White has shown he isn’t afraid in taking on new challenges, and a move to the Emirates represents the perfect step up for him.

The 23-year-old took in the demands and rigours of the Sky Bet Championship with much assuredness and maturity under the tutelage Marcelo Bielsa, he acclimatized brilliantly during his first full campaign in the Barclays Premier League, so who’s to say he wouldn’t immediately capture Arsenal hearts this coming season?

Ben White is a tremendous footballer and defender.

He showed it at Brighton last season, starting all but two of their Premier League games under Graham Potter having made a similarly positive impression on Marcelo Bielsa a year earlier.

The Argentinian was desperate to sign him permanently after he played every minute of their promotion-winning Championship campaign, but the club’s offers – worth as much as £25m – were knocked back. White’s value has swiftly doubled ever since.

Potter and Bielsa, like Arteta, are committed to building from the back and the same is true of Gareth Southgate, who fast-tracked White into the England squad ahead of Euro 2020 and is said to regard him as a key figure in the future of the national side, and rightly so.

White’s burgeoning reputation has a lot to do with his outstanding technical ability and versatility.

He is excellent on the ball and boasts a fine range of passing. His composure and confidence in possession are such that Potter and Bielsa have even used him in central midfield. He is also capable of playing at right-back or at wing-back.

Most of all, he is an excellent and efficient ball-progressor, and distributor – elements of which Mikel Arteta value so highly. Last season, he averaged 3.13 final third passes, 3.27 progressive passes from 41 passes per game with a 90% accuracy.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ben White – The art of a ball playing center back (passing) @ben6white pic.twitter.com/a5NpNJdfqV
— ㋡ (@eIastixsz) July 26, 2021

Arsenal previously looked to David Luiz to initiate their attacks from that position, playing through opposition lines and picking out attacking players in dangerous areas. But it will now fall to White to take on that responsibility and he is well equipped for the task.

Ben White is the composite, modern day centre-back. His smooth transition from League Two level football to the Championship and the Premier League has seen him maintain his unique trait of performing so coolly in possession, and its further helped by the fact that Bielsa, Potter and Southgate’s philosophies are hell-bent on progressive play from the centre-backs. He is steadfast in style, which is perhaps why he is such a good fit for such tactics; he is fast-paced and fearless at times, stepping out to open passing lanes, but equally considered and meticulously calculated.

In fact, despite averaging fewer passes per game than his Arsenal counterparts last season, White played a notably higher percentage of his passes forward reflecting his willingness to send his team on to the attack rather than simply recycle possession.

White contributed handsomely to Brighton’s attacking play not just through his passing but his dribbling too. At times last season, you’d find him running with the ball at full throttle trying to disrupt organised midfield shapes in the opposition or to carry his team up the pitch when there are no options in front of him.

He recorded 0.68 successful dribbles for Brighton last season, better than any of Arsenal’s current options with Pablo Mari coming a distant second with just 0.30. He averaged 3.08 progressive carries per 90 (carries that move the ball towards the opposing goal at least 5yards or into the penalty area) and also recorded 1.04 carries into the final third of the pitch.

White’s dribbling is one of his most unique qualities, recording the most dribbles (24) by a central defender in the Premier League last season, and completed the most carries with take-ons (18) than any other centre back.

Ridiculously impressive.

It’s a testament to his admirable bravery, maturity and ball-playing abilities. It doesn’t stop there, Ben White boasted considerable numbers defensively in comparison to his future Arsenal teammates. More interceptions per90 (1.75), and coming a close second in terms of tackles (1.38) to Rob Holding who recording 1.51 tackles per 90.

White’s dribbling is facilitated by his athletic profile as well as his technical skill. The defender is strong in the duel and boasts impressive pace and acceleration. Together with his close control, those attributes help him glide past opponents with ease and assuredness.

The ideal modern day centre-back. Quick, agile, a fantastic reader of the game and hugely adaptable, was superb for Leeds & first Prem campaign at Brighton.

A future England 1st teamer too, he’s combative, assured on the ball and a silent leader. It’s a superb #AFC purchase.
— #AnthonyScouts 🕵🏾‍♂️⚽️🗣 (@antzhumbleent) July 25, 2021

As well as being an astute and capable passer of the ball, he’s a warrior and a rugged defender when he needs to be.

Arteta favours a high line, much like his mentor Pep Guardiola, but a lack of pace among his existing centre-back options leaves Arsenal vulnerable in behind. White’s recovery speed will dramatically improve that.

So too could his ability to read the game. White is relatively inexperienced at 23, but he is always alert to danger – he averaged more interceptions per 90 minutes than any of Arsenal centre-backs last season – and always aware of what’s going on around him. White is also decent aerially, winning 53% of his aerial duels last season.

Ben White may not look the most physically dominant player, but his image is not the whole picture. He is consummate when shepherding out the most physically built players, and standing up to them. His match intelligence is there for all to see when facing up to his opponents, allowing him to position himself well to coax forwards away from threatening positions and make blocks. He times his tackles very well too and a very fine and adept reader of the game.

White’s been dribbled past on average only 0.9 times per game meaning he is so difficult to get past due to his brilliant positional sense and understanding of the differing defensive phases of play.

Brighton finished 16th in the Premier League but defensively they were one of the best sides in the division, keeping 12 clean sheets – the same number as Liverpool and Arsenal – and conceding 46 goals – only two more than second-placed Manchester United. All with White playing more minutes than any other player.

His potential partnership with Gabriel next season looks very enticing as Arteta will possess two capable possession-based, imposing, quick and efficient centre-backs who could potentially be Arsenal’s long-term defensive pairing for a whole number of years to come, and a solid base that Arteta could build for future.

He is ever-so reliable, a silent leader and a consummate professional. At 23-years of age, White already looks somewhere close to the full defensive package. Mikel Arteta will hope his thrilling development continues along the same trajectory at the Emirates Stadium.

£50m in the next few years will look a very worthy investment.

How I Would Like to See Arsenal Line-Up Next Season?

Leicester City vs Chelsea, Saturday 12:30PM

Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion, 3:00PM

Burnley vs Crystal Palace, 3:00PM

Newcastle vs Brentford, 3:00PM

Norwich City vs Southampton, 3:00PM

Watford vs Manchester United, 3:00PM

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United, 3:00PM

Liverpool vs Arsenal, Saturday 5:30PM

Manchester City vs Everton, Sunday 2:00PM

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United, Sunday 16:30PM

Leicester City vs Arsenal, Saturday 12:30PM

Burnley vs Brentford, 3:00PM

Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion, 3:00PM

Manchester City vs Crystal Palace, 3:00PM

Newcastle United vs Chelsea, 3:00PM

Watford vs Southampton, 3:00PM

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United, 5:30PM

Norwich City vs Leeds United, Sunday 2:00PM

Aston Villa vs West Ham United, 4:30PM

Arsenal vs Aston Villa, Friday 8:00PM

Chelsea vs Norwich City, Saturday 12:30PM

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United, 3:00PM

Everton vs Watford, 3:00PM

Leeds United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3:00PM

Southampton vs Burnley, 3:00PM

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

Brentford vs Leicester City, Sunday 2:00PM

West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 2:00PM

Manchester United vs Liverpool, 4:30PM

Watford vs Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm

Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3:00PM

Leicester City vs Manchester United, 3:00PM

Manchester City vs Burnley, 3:00PM

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

Southampton vs Leeds United, 3:00PM

Brentford vs Chelsea, 5:30PM

Everton vs West Ham United, Sunday 14:00PM

Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 4:30PM

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, Monday 8:00PM

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