10 things to watch out for this weekend

Composite: Action Images/Reuters; PA Images

Hodgson aims for ‘derby’ tonic as carousel spins

Following Steve Cooper’s departure from Forest, there is an intriguing potential candidate for the next vacant Premier League job. Crystal Palace are known fans of Cooper; Roy Hodgson tasted victory once in his last 10 matches, and that was away at Burnley. The positivity of getting a late draw at the Etihad after coming back from two goals down will be a boon for Palace’s manager but he needs to build on that and if he doesn’t want to, a home ‘derby’ is a good place to do that. His job is under threat. Brighton are bad opponents for a team in trouble, but when a crisis comes it makes sense to attack them head on. Victory will eliminate many of Hodgson’s problems, otherwise Cooper’s shadow may begin to loom over him. Won’t be won

The breathing space of the villa brings Emery comfort

Talk of Aston Villa focuses on title credentials, but privately Unai Emery also needs to be comfortable with a nine-point cushion from sixth-placed Newcastle. Last week, perhaps in an attempt to cut down on the noise, Emery said qualifying for the Europa League was still his aim. Villa are five points above fifth-placed Spurs and the visit of Sheffield United presents a golden chance to make it 16 consecutive league wins at Villa Park and create more breathing space. Victory would also put Villa at the top of the table – at least until Liverpool face Arsenal on Saturday – and strengthen their chances of a top-four finish in the second half of the season. On the surface, Chris Wilder’s side represent relatively easy prey compared to Manchester City and Arsenal, but Emery is aware that nothing is a formality. Ben Fisher

Moyes can win against disorganized United

Although Virgil van Dijk did not care much for Erik ten Hag’s side’s over-defensive display in the 0-0 Anfield draw, the job was done for Manchester United at Liverpool last Sunday. For much of this season, United have looked like a rambling page on social media stumbling across an inspirational lifestyle quote. They get the message, apply it in one game, and quickly forget about it in the next game. So, can the Red Devils – who managed to “stay strong when the odds call it most” or some similar meme at Liverpool – muster the same level of recall and determination for an early kick-off away at West Ham? Former Old Trafford manager David Moyes struggled against United. But last season’s 1-0 win over Ten Hag’s side could be a turning point and the Hammers, however poor they were at Liverpool on Wednesday night, have the ability to cash in on any drop in standards from their wildly inconsistent opponents. David Tindall

The story continues

Leno’s form may upset Gunners fans

While Fulham have been rightly praised for their goal-scoring exploits at Craven Cottage in recent weeks, the praise must also be at the other end of the pitch. Scoring 10 goals in back-to-back home wins grabbed the headlines, but keeping both clean sheets gave Fulham’s forwards the freedom to dominate. Only the top four teams in the Premier League have conceded fewer home goals than Fulham’s nine, and the credit goes to Bernd Leno, whose five clean sheets this season have been surpassed by only three other top-flight goalkeepers. His numbers are outstanding in terms of total saves and save percentage, but the German remains overlooked. While Emiliano Martínez’s eye-catching displays for Aston Villa still spark regret among Arsenal fans who insist he should never have been sold, Leno’s performances show the Argentine is not the only former Arsenal centre-back who could bring more stability to the Emirates rearguard. Than David Raya or Aaron Ramsdale. CE

Trippier needs luck to turn the tide

Football is one of the biggest short-term industries; Three draws is a crisis and strikers who fail to score in the fourth mean their careers are over. Kieran Trippier is the latest name to face questions following a series of high-profile errors in recent matches that have sparked widespread criticism. The full-back’s apparent lack of confidence led to further mistakes and led to an unfortunate night at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Eddie Howe’s chances of taking him out of the team on Saturday are limited. This may be to Trippier’s advantage because, like all footballers, he is one good performance away from returning to his old form. For Trippier, a last-ditch tackle, a perfect corner or a free kick from distance could be a turning the page moment and he can’t wait to prove his doubters wrong. WU

Blooming Cherries present Nuno with a tough first test

Nottingham Forest’s new manager faces a tough opening game. Nuno Espírito Santo replaced Nottingham’s most popular man Steve Cooper and his appointment was met with a collective shrug from the fans. The Portuguese enjoyed success with Wolves in the Premier League, but appearances for Spurs and Al-Ittihad took his reputation down a notch or two. He will be desperate to show once again that he is an elite manager but will need the support of those on the ground to step up to his new duties after a desperate run that helped end Cooper’s tenure. Bournemouth are a team on the rise and their aggression is too much for most teams. They won at Manchester United in their last away game and won’t be providing much of a welcome party for Nuno. WU

Fill-in Skipp ready for rare Spurs chance

It has been a frustrating season for Oliver Skipp at Tottenham; He was always included in the match squad but never quite there, making only two starts (failing to complete the full 90 minutes on both occasions) and making 11 appearances as a substitute. Having finished last season strongly, the 23-year-old was hoping for more under Ange Postecoglou. Skipp sees himself as number 6 and is annoyed that his new manager sees him as number 8. Skipp is unlikely to seek a loan in January but his long-term situation at Spurs remains fluid. Skipp will hope to start against Everton, with Yves Bissouma suspended again and Rodrigo Bentancur also on a long injury list. Pierre Emile-Højbjerg is also an option for the number 6 role in Postecoglou. David Hytner

Arsenal’s title bid faces Anfield test

The fight for the No.1 spot at Christmas brings together two teams who share the best defensive records in the Premier League, are quite happy with their current position and questions about whether they have the quality and depth to withstand Manchester City’s supposed recovery over the next five years . months. Roberto De Zerbi says Arsenal are the best team Brighton have faced this season following their 2-0 defeat at the Emirates last Sunday. The central defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba has once again given Mikel Arteta’s leaders a solid footing. They should expect a tough test at Anfield, where Arsenal have not won the league since 2012; but Jürgen Klopp will expect much more from Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz after their ineffective displays in the stalemate with Manchester United. Núñez impressed in West Ham’s Carabao Cup defeat on Wednesday and the two South Americans may need to take on more attacking responsibility from Mohamed Salah if the home side are to achieve a clear-cut result. Andy Hunter

Last minute shopping for points at Molineux

From the moment it was announced in October that Wolves would host Chelsea on Christmas Eve – the first top-flight match since 1995 – there was widespread resignation. The odds of the match being played, which was broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK, were always close to zero. Both teams have long embraced the reality, with Mauricio Pochettino admitting his 31st wedding anniversary will be spent almost entirely in Wolverhampton. Pochettino joked that having his wife Karina join him in the Midlands would be a tough sell. The cold truth is that this represents another strange obstacle for Pochettino. Chelsea are expected to win but have only picked up six points from the 15 available, three of which came against bottom team Sheffield United. Wolves could also get a result that would spark a festive cheer after one win in their last five games. boyfriend

Next stop: 2024

Thank you so much for reading our weekly Premier League preview and Monday review articles this year. I’ve written countless articles, and even if some topics require thousands of words, it’s always fun to try to be concise on them. Whether you’re a supporter or a club press officer, if you’re really bothered by something relatively minor you may not always agree with our writers’ views, but we really appreciate you coming back to this feature again and again. There will be a mini-holiday for everything coming in the 10s, but depending on how your team performs, the New Year’s Day talking points will return with a bang or a whimper. I wish you a very Merry Christmas, see you in 2024. WU