Tag: Tottenham

Barclays Premier League: Game-week 10 Previews and Predictions

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.

Liverpool remain second in the table – one point behind leaders Chelsea – and Klopp’s side have scored at least two goals in 13 of their last 14 top-flight encounters during that remarkable run.

All in all, Liverpool’s stunning rate of scoring at least two goals per game has now stretched to 11 successive matches in all competitions, but only eight of their 27 league strikes this term have come at Anfield, where Brighton have pleasant memories of last season’s battle.

However, the Seagulls can take solace in the fact that their unbeaten away run in the 2021-22 Premier League is still intact – taking eight points from their four road fixtures so far – and they have only conceded twice on the road in that solid streak.

A Steven Alzate winner saw Brighton march to a memorable 1-0 win at Anfield in the Premier League last term, and they also held the Reds to a 1-1 draw at the Amex last November in a game that was remembered more for Klopp’s post-match rant at BT Sport’s Des Kelly.

MATCH FACT: The Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah has scored in a club-record 10 consecutive games in all competitions.

KEY MEN: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) & Adam Lallana (Brighton)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Firmino, Mane

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.

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Crystal Palace were not involved in midweek EFL Cup action following their August defeat at the hands of Watford, which has given Patrick Vieira ample time to figure out a way to end his side’s run of stalemates in the Premier League.

After sharing the spolis with Brighton, Leicester City and Arsenal, the Palace faithful harboured hopes of a much needed win when Christian Benteke put them ahead against Newcastle United, but some piece of individual brilliance from Callum Wilson halted their ambitions.

Palace’s failure to convert one point into three has bewildered them in the past few weeks, and Vieira’s side currently sit 15th in the Premier League as a result but are five points clear of the dotted line, despite claiming just one win so far this season.

Finding the back of the net is not the problem for Vieira’s crop – who have scored in six of their last seven Premier League games – but failure to shut up shop at the other end has seen them concede 10 goals away from home already this season – not a good record for them with Manchester City lying in wait.

Palace did prevail at the Etihad as recently as December 2018 – thanks in no small part to Andros Townsend’s thunderbolt – but City won both fixtures in the 2020-21 season by an aggregate score of 6-0, including a 4-0 success on home soil.

MATCH FACTS: This is City boss Pep Guardiola’s 200th Premier League game in charge. He has won 146 of 199, more than any other PL manager to reach that milestone.

KEY MEN: Phil Foden (Man City) & Christian Benteke (Palace)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

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

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

Defining campaign for Manchester United; so what does Solskjaer need to maintain a strong title push?

Defining campaign for Manchester United; so what does Solskjaer need to maintain a strong title push?

According to The Telegraph, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has signalled his intention shift to a more forward-thinking and attack-minded approach for his team in the forthcoming season. A move which could disband the McTominay and Fred midfield pivot that has served the Norwegian well during his time as United boss.

Solskjaer has told those players who have returned to pre-season training that he is eager to implement a more adventurous 4-3-3 formation next term as he bids to end the club’s eight-year title drought.

Solskjaer favoured a double defensive midfield pivot of Fred and McTominay last season and invited criticism at times for being too cautious and defensive. Despite the success of such a setup, United fans will of course be expecting a change of formula next season, hence Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reported shift in formation and mentality.

The Norwegian’s thinking of a more mobile, dynamic and energetic duo of ‘McFred’ could well have been influenced in part by United’s 6-1 hammering by Tottenham in early October, when a midfield trio of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic were easily bypassed as Spurs ran riot at Old Trafford, and a desire to afford his central defenders more protection against pace.

However, Solskjaer and his staff are understood to have discussed playing two more forward-thinking midfielders ahead of a single defensive midfielder next season and have raised that possibility with the players this summer.

With the arrival of Jadon Sancho, and hopeful signing of Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane adds pedigree, and additions which are of high quality and perfectionists in their individual roles. For too long United have been made to fill round pegs in square holes, which has hampered their pursuit of the Premier League title, a trophy that has eluded them since 2013.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been excellent in fixing those issues, but there is indeed more work to be done on a squad that is progressively improving and is also steadily on its way to ideally fitting the Manchester United DNA.

It remains to be seen how adventurous Solskjaer proves to be but he is eager for United to play on the front foot more at home especially, with Old Trafford expected to welcome back capacity crowds next season.

To do that, United do of course need a quality, assured, dynamic and dominant defensive midfielder who is also very good on the ball – similar in the mould of Michael Carrick or Paul Scholes – and is able to progress the ball expertly too, whilst also perfectly fulfilling his screening and shielding duties in front of the back four.

The club have been linked with West Ham captain and England international Declan Rice, however, West Ham continually insist he is not for sale, even a potential swap deal for Jesse Lingard will not be entertained. United also retain an interest in Rennes’ exciting teenage wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga, though his preference is to remain in France, or play in Spain for Real Madrid.

Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay have indeed served the club well, but its time for United to go out an address a serious need in that defensive midfield role. All three unfortunately don’t possess the ability or nous to fulfil such a role.

Whether Manchester United have the funds to sign a quality defensive midfielder is unclear, but there is no doubt Solskjaer realizes that in order for his team to progress further this coming season, they must acquire an elite one.

So which players could potentially fit the mould at Old Trafford?

Teun Koopmeiners, AZ Alkmaar

Unquestionably, one of the most exciting and talented young midfielders in Europe right now, Teun Koopmeiners has been one of the hot topic of transfer rumours over the past few months.

Linked with a whole host of top clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool, AS Roma, Atalanta, Leeds United, Inter Milan, Everton and AS Monaco, the man who joined AZ Alkmaar at 11 appears destined to leave his beloved club. AZ are reportedly resigned to losing him this summer, even for a relatively low fee of around £20million which is pretty much a snip for a player of his stunning qualities.

Having gained so much experience in Europe and domestically over his 150 appearances, there’s no doubting he’s now ready to make the step up to one of the top five European leagues.

First and foremost, Koopmeiners is a leader, a talker and an impressive authoritative figure on the pitch for AZ, and those are the type of players Manchester United need, especially where they are in their evolution under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 23-year-ol will bring an assured and dominant presence in front of the back, giving Solskjaer a very very strong spine in his starting line-up. As well as his measured and sturdy characteristics on the pitch, its his qualities on the pitch that makes him the complete package.

Adaptable and familiar with a range of systems, the 23-year-old’s primarily deployed as a central midfielder, but is perfectly capable of dropping back to act as a central defender, where his quality on the ball helps massively during AZ Alkmaar’s build up play.

United require a player who can effortlessly progress the ball and break the lines of play, and Koopmeiners is amongst the best midfielders in Europe in doing just that.

Koopmeiners is a true metronome on the ball, controlling possession, dictating the tempo of games and providing his team with the rhythm they need to breach opposing defences. He also hit an impeccable 17 goals and 7 assists last season with 7 of them from the penalty spot owing to his admirable versatility, technical excellence and a cool head when needed.

So comfortable and composed in possession, his exceptional distribution ensures he’s proficient at dictating passing passages and breathing life into attacks. Such an expert at helping his team beat the press with his penetrative line breaking passing, this means he can remove multiple opponents with a single pass. Not only is he a superb passer of the ball and is hugely reliable off it too.

Combative in the tackle, and a really strong presence when standing up to attackers, averaging 2.7 tackles per game.

How Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes would love to play with such a player behind them.

Koopmeiners is a low-risk, low-fee acquisition and is a perfect candidate to fulfil that gaping hole in defensive midfield. He provides security, composure, assuredness and a self-belief that few players in his age bracket could match. He’ll be a very sensible addition for Manchester United, a no-brainer.

Aurelien Tchouameni, AS Monaco

Arguably Ligue 1’s breakout star of the 2020/21 campaign, Monaco’s French under-21 international Aurelien Tchouameni is on his way to worldwide acclaim. He’s been recently talked up by club teammate and Arsenal legend Cesc Fabregas, who said on Twitter that Tchouameni: “has the potential to become the complete midfielder.”

Indeed he is, Tchouameni is an unstoppable force both on and off the ball, and proved a key figure in Monaco’s tremendous first campaign under Niko Kovac where they finished third five points off new champions LOSC Lille.

Tchouameni ranked second in Ligue 1 last season for successful tackles (142), and ranked fourth for interceptions (64). Per 90 minutes, the French wonderkid registered an astonishing 6.06 tackles + interceptions highlighting his dominant and combative defensive contributions. He is an elegant but also a sturdy midfield destroyer, also averaging a tremendous 7.06 successful pressures per 90.

Manchester United need a destroyer, Fred and McTominay have succeeded as a pair performing that demanding role, but none of them can fulfil that role on their own. Tchouameni holds the ability, energy, defensive positioning, and understanding required for the role, despite his tender age of just 21. He would be incredibly much cheaper than main target Declan Rice and will provide Solskjaer with the reliable solid base needed in front of United’s back four.

Not only is he a imposing figure defensively, he’s also a fine progressor of the ball both in his dribbling and in his passing. Capable of breaking lines, to evade pressure and drive his team up the pitch. He averaged 4.06 progressive passes, 4.44 progressive carries, 1.38 carries into the final third and 4.53 final third passes. His key passes is relatively low in comparison to his counterparts (0.50) but that is not a weakness, but is a result of the position he takes up on the pitch, sitting deep and dictating play as well as breaking it up. He does however, contribute much in the attacking sense, recording two goals and 4 assists in Ligue 1 last season.

He would likely cost around £40 million and at the age of 21 he is a prospect worth pursuing, seeing as he’s also reportedly a target for Chelsea. Tchouameni is a future world star, and would represent a quality addition, especially if Manchester United don’t acquire his international teammate Eduardo Camavinga.

Ruben Neves, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Ruben Neves, has reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal over the past few weeks of the window, but now according to TalksSPORT, Manchester United have reportedly stolen a march on the Portuguese midfielder, with international teammate Bruno Fernandes pushing for the club to sign him this summer.

The Portuguese midfielder is Premier League proven, and sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves. A few United fans could well state their reservations over signing Neves, which doesn’t make sense. The midfielder is simply good enough to be playing for a top six Premier League club.

Ruben Neves has become a serial leader and a key figure since his move to Wolves in 2017 and he’d be a tremendous capture for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Superb long-raking passes, vision, technical qualities, good positional awareness, tactical understanding and a desire that so few midfielders can match.

Rather than signing a player with no Premier League experience, Neves will provide a ready-made Premier League quality acquisition and a reliable presence in the face of the demands of the English top-flight.

The 25-year-old ranked fifth across the Premier League for tackles won (66) in 2020/21 and also averaged a stunning 6.84 passes into the final third. He would be a welcome upgrade in central midfield for Solskjaer. A player capable of the unimaginative long-raking and eye of the needle passes as well as his scorching efforts from outside the box.

Ruben Neves is certainly ready for that next step in his impressive career.

Yves Bissouma, Brighton

Yves Bissouma has quickly transformed into one of the Premier League’s most destructive midfielders, and any of the top six clubs would do incredibly well in recruiting his services in the near future.

If Solskjaer wasn’t impressed by Bissouma’s performance against his side at Old Trafford earlier this year, then what did he take from that game in April? Yves Bissouma was absolutely tremendous despite Brighton’s close-run defeat, completing six interceptions and winning three tackles.

However, that performance is a reflection of his growth, maturity and dominance all throughout last season. Bissouma is unquestionably one of the best defensive midfielders in the English top-flight. The Malian international made the 2nd most tackles (114), won the 2nd most tackles (74), the seventh most interceptions (60) and committed the fourth most fouls (54) in the Premier League.

You don’t need to read into that too much to understand his important and decisive defensive contributions. He is simply outstanding. He is, like the other players on this list, so good on the ball as well as he is off it. Bissouma averaged 3.55 final third passes, 3.29 progressive passes, completing 88.7% of his distributions. Bissouma is also a unstoppable freight train when moving with the ball at his feet, evading opposition pressure and providing a much needed outlet for Brighton’s build-up play, averaging 4.54 progressive carries, whilst also recording 1.45 successful dribbles.

Bissouma has swiftly morphed into the complete midfield package in the Premier League, and its equally impressive considering how he started out in the English game. How Manchester United could do with his destructive presence in midfield. The 24-year-old looks primed for a big move and passing up on him could be a mistake.

Boubacar Kamara, Olympique de Marseille

The Red Devils’ search for a quality number six has been well documented, and Marseille’s talented 21-year-old defensive midfielder Boubacar Kamara could provide the ideal solution to the McFred pivot problem. He betters both this season in terms of goal-creating actions (seven), press success rate (35%), progressive dribbles (128) and aerial duel win rate (63%). 

Of course, team style and its influence on player outputs must be accounted for, but given he is younger than both and currently statistically outperforming them, the potential long-term value in this signing is huge. It also is valuable that he clocked considerably more minutes than both, as player availability is key currently, and avoiding injuries/burnout in a congested season speaks volumes about the resilience of a player.

United’s problem this season just gone was certainly keeping goals out – Spurs (45) were the only of the super league clubs to conceded more than Solskjaer’s side (44), and they ranked in the bottom six Premier League sides for tackles and pressures in the midfield third, an area where Kamara thrives. StatsBomb data also has United as the third most dispossessed side in the league last season, so the Frenchman could offer some much needed security in-possession.

A superb ball-winner in multiple forms – a presser, dueler and interceptor – but also as comfortable against the press as he is when pressing himself. The 21-year-old is typically Marseille’s deepest midfielder in-possession, comfortable in drawing opponents in through ball retention, then bypassing them through silky footwork or combinations with teammates.

He’s certainly the most risky, outside bet on this list of potential solutions for Manchester United’s lack of a capable defensive midfielder, but he’s a player worth looking at to fill the void. He’d be very cost-effective too, considering his remarkable potential and room to become one of the best in Europe in his position.

Wimar Barrios, Zenit St Petersburg

Every top club in Europe needs a defensive midfielder who just loves to screen and protect, to do the dirty work, to be destructible. Manchester United have not possessed a player of that ilk since the legendary Paul Scholes or even Roy Keane.

It was the hallmark of Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams, to have that perfect balance between defence and attack, someone who can destroy in the middle of the park, and then allow his more forward thinking teammates to run amok in attack. What was it that Sir Alex famously said back then? “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is indeed looking to address that lack in his squad for next season, with the pursuit of Raphael Varane, and a quality, elite defensive midfielder will do to, and that brings us to Zenit St Petersburg’s tremendous Columbian destroyer Wilmar Barrios. The 27-year-old is the archetypal midfield destroyer and more.

Barrios has arguably been Columbia’s most important player since his international debut in 2017 and has been a dominant and destructive presence in Zenit’s team, one which has triumphed in the Russian division for three seasons in a row. Much of that has been down to Barrios’ consistency, leadership, and complete performances in front of his back four. It’s a shame, his high levels of consistency has somewhat gone under the radar for too long, and its only right he is placed on this list as a man who could solve United’s deficiencies in the middle of the park.

Barrios is a player with such unerring, wiry strength, great recovery pace and a pure destroyer in midfield. He is indeed a modern day Roy Keane. According to Wyscout, Barrios averages an astonishing 13.4 successful defensive actions per90, whether its a tackle (2.3 per game), an interception (1.8 per game), a pressure or an aerial duel, also he only gets dribbled past 0.6 times per game meaning he is incredibly difficult to get past when attacking. He is a defensive machine.

He also wins 66% of his defensive duels, which is second amongst any defensive midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues. Barrios, as well as his defensive contributions, is also a good ball-progressor too either with his passing or his line-breaking runs evading pressure and operating in tight areas, he is unstoppable when performing these actions making him a perfect Premier League defensive midfielder.

At 27, he’s entering his prime years but also has such prestige experience and history in his career already, winning titles with Boca Juniors and Zenit St Petersburg throughout his impressive career. He’s the perfect candidate, at the perfect age to drive United forward once again.

Wilmar Barrios is a must-have.