10 things to watch out for this weekend

Composite: Getty, Reuters

Palace should make Hodgson’s on-field speech

Crystal Palace’s “spoiled” fans will be in for another treat this weekend, with kick-off against Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool kicking off early on Saturday. The Eagles’ only win in their previous eight games came against Burnley at Turf Moor and they have since suffered demoralizing defeats against Everton, Luton and Bournemouth. Roy Hodgson was angered after fans booed his side’s dismal effort against the Cherries on Wednesday. The palace was poor throughout, barely accommodating Andoni Iraola, and deserved criticism. Getting into fights with fans is rarely a sensible move, regardless of one’s position at the club. Hodgson was never favored at Anfield during his dismal brief spell as manager and his popularity is unlikely to drop to those levels in south London. If he wants to attract fans back to his side, his team will need to show more fight, regardless of the result. Won’t be won

Hinshelwood shows Brighton will have longevity

Brighton are receiving plenty of praise for their smart recruitment, signing players from around the world for a good price. What is sometimes overlooked is the fact that they have a thriving academy as part of the impressive infrastructure on the south coast. While injuries have taken their toll on Roberto De Zerbi’s squad, Jack Hinshelwood has been given more opportunities to show what he can offer in the Premier League. The 18-year-old has started the last three matches in all competitions and made headlines by scoring the winner against Brentford on Wednesday. He started the game as a right-back and showed his versatility after previous appearances in midfield. In the modern game, being flexible can pay off. As James Milner would put it, De Zerbi is the kind of coach who would want his players to play many roles. The most important thing for Hinshelwood is that he builds on his promising start with more time on the pitch. WU

The story continues

Cherries test United’s resurgence

A brave new world for Manchester United or just the last false dawn? Wednesday’s convincing 2-1 home win against Chelsea is followed by the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday as Erik ten Hag’s men look to continue climbing the Premier League table. With Manchester City not playing at Luton until Sunday, United could move level on points with the champions with a win. Asked how they could avoid a costly step back following the Chelsea victory, Ten Hag urged his players to maintain consistency. “Always make sure you’re a team [with] “There is good cooperation and organization inside and outside,” he said. “We have great players who can make a difference. We are not robots, but even if you don’t play well, you still have to win.” Let’s see if the manager’s players can keep their promise. Jamie Jackson

The beehive must work together to find targets

Injuries are wreaking havoc in the Premier League but Brentford appear to have been particularly badly hit by the loss of players. The last man to have trouble was Bryan Mbeumo, who limped off after scoring a penalty earlier in the defeat against Brighton. Thomas Frank’s side aren’t exactly scoring freely and the absence of their top scorer would be a blow to Bramall Lane. The entire team will need help with the load as Thomas Frank is limited in ways he can turn things around offensively, with Ivan Toney out, Kevin Schade injured and Neal Maupay not being a very composed forward. “Obviously we miss him [Mbeumo] But that’s no excuse,” Maupay said after the defeat to Brighton. “We have to be able to create opportunities, no matter who is on the field.” Yoane Wissa will replace Mbeumo in the starting 11, but he has only scored three goals in 15 games this season. It’s a team game and Brentford need everyone going in the same direction. WU

Gibbs-White could be the man to land Cooper on Wolves’ return

Molineux’s away fans may be surprised to see Steve Cooper in his woodland retreat after what appeared to be a farewell moment at Craven Cottage. His players let him down in the 5-0 thrashing against Fulham and he is likely to make another change because few deserve to keep their places. Morgan Gibbs-White has been left out of the West London squad, to the surprise of many. He is a Cooper player through and through, having played under him for England under-17s and Swansea, and he trusts his manager wholeheartedly. The midfielder will be doubly motivated against Wolves, keen to earn a point for his former club and help his troubled manager in the process. Regardless, Cooper won’t last long at the City Ground but he deserves a brief moment of happiness before he leaves. Gibbs-White is the Forest player most likely to make the offer on Saturday. WU

Gunners face test of courage at goal Villa Park

The championship candidates are expected to compete in Birmingham on Saturday night. There is rightly a lot of excitement around Villa after their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday. Unai Emery’s side have been hugely dominant against below-par opposition, but the focus will be on Arsenal heading to the top of the Midlands. The Gunners have gone by a single goal in their last three games, including recent wins against Brentford and Luton. The mark of being champions, we are told, is being able to win even when you are not at your best, but they will need to reach new heights at Villa Park, where the home side have won 14 games in a row. If Arsenal can find an improvement to surpass such an in-form team, it would be another big mark as they look to secure their first title since 2004. Some might argue that winning the Premier League has never been this difficult; Getting results in games like this could be key for Mikel Arteta’s men. WU

Chelsea sources offer no excuses for them

Mauricio Pochettino cited a lack of preparation time as the reason for Chelsea’s defeat at Manchester United, stating (several times) that his team had less time to recover after the weekend game than Erik ten Hag. The manager’s excuse was yet another indication of how far and how quickly Chelsea have fallen since the time when two games in four days was a normal and acceptable demand from a generous squad competing in the Champions League. Yes, Chelsea have injuries and plenty of young players, so inconsistency is to be expected, but there is no doubt that a team at Old Trafford that can deploy a midfield worth over £200m and a creative forward line is underperforming. Pochettino again found himself needing a response from Everton, who played a day after Chelsea and had fewer players in the rotation but won the midweek game. Andy Hunter

Jiménez finding form at free-scoring Fulham

Fulham went goal crazy. Marco Silva, who initially struggled to fill the void left by Aleksandar Mitrovic’s departure last summer, eventually found new ways to attack. Willian continues to be an effective starting point on the left flank and Alex Iwobi, who has developed a good understanding with Andreas Pereira, has been increasingly excellent since joining from Everton. But it was Raul Jiménez’s clinical performance up front that made the real difference in Fulham’s 5-0 victory over Forest. The striker has not been the same since his horrific head injury at Wolves. However, he remains a smart player and scored two fine goals in the midweek win. Fulham’s move away from danger will continue if the Mexican continues to play well, so Silva hopes Jiménez will be in the mood when West Ham visit Craven Cottage in search of another London derby win. Jacob Steinberg

Rodri needs help in midfield to revitalize City

Every time Manchester City lost in the league this season, Rodri could not play because he was suspended. He is their key man in midfield, the barrier that protects the defensive unit and provokes attacks with simple ball handling, and he was sorely missed against Aston Villa. There is no doubt that City need the Spaniard to play as many minutes as possible for the rest of the season if they are to win the title once again, but he will still need more support in midfield. Last season Rodri received his fifth league suspension in late April, this time he already has five yellow cards and one red card. This suggests he is becoming more exposed in his position and – after a difficult season chasing the Treble – could well be tired. While Rodri and City still lack the influence of Ilkay Gundogan, summer signings Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes are trying to fill that void. Pep Guardiola needs to find a way to help Rodri get City back on track. WU

Romero and Tottenham are walking a tightrope

Tottenham fans had some fun on social media following their home defeat against Aston Villa. They noticed how Cristian Romero, who is serving a suspension, gave Matty Cash a death glare after taking out Villa defender Rodrigo Bentancur. While Cash’s team-mates escorted him off the pitch at half-time, possibly concerned about Romero’s interference, the Spurs support would speculate about which games the centre-half would miss after the red card Cash received to sort out his return to Villa Park. . This tarnishes Romero’s tough guy reputation, but he was the first to realize he had let his team down by being sent off against Chelsea. They went 1-0 up that night but lost 4-1, and with Romero suspended, they could only get one point from the next three games. His performance against West Ham showed his good and bad sides: he led Spurs in front but received a late yellow card for frustration as his team drifted to defeat. It is essential for Spurs’ defence, but controlled aggression is also necessary. David Hytner