Premier League: 10 things to watch out for this weekend

Liverpool‘s Darwin Núñez, Luton’s Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris and Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan.Compound: Protective design” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/2povAD6b4AC0EYCXUgi4ew–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/theguardian_763/96155288f4c4c3ce2ab7d17f 15c17338″ data-src= “https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/2povAD6b4AC0EYCXUgi4ew–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/theguardian_763/96155288f4c4c3ce2ab7d17f15c1 7338″/>

The chance to taste the city at its highest point

The good news for Manchester City is that Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal last Sunday and an early kick-off on Saturday have Pep Guardiola’s side with a chance of going top of the Premier League for several years for the first time since September It means it is. at least hour. The bad news for Liverpool and other title hopefuls is that City are at their best with everyone fit and firing. City had 11 wins and 1 draw in the last 12 matches in all cups. Coming to the Etihad from the relegation zone, Sean Dyche and Everton may have a tough 90 minutes. Jamie Jackson

Which Fulham will take to the stage?

Fulham’s form has dipped again. They are winless in the Premier League since the Arsenal spectacular on New Year’s Eve and have faced the deflation of losing both cups last month. The Carabao Cup semi-final heartbreak against Liverpool was a blow and when fans turned their noses up at high ticket prices for the FA Cup tie with Newcastle, the impression was created that a club was in danger of losing its way. But Fulham can still play intelligent, attractive football under Marco Silva. They went 2-0 up against Burnley last week, their management of the game let them down, but they have a chance to improve against Bournemouth. It is still difficult to know which team Fulham will join. Jacob Steinberg

Burnley prepare for Liverpool’s reaction

Liverpool’s performance at Arsenal will bother Jurgen Klopp more than a result that would tip the title race slightly in favor of Manchester City. There can be no repeat of the Burnley team, which is second from last at home and has two away wins all season. To this end, the presence of Darwin Núñez will strengthen Liverpool’s confidence in their immediate response. Criticism of Klopp’s decision to leave Núñez on the bench at the Emirates was strange given that the striker limped away from Anfield four days ago wearing a protective boot. However, the fact that he was not included in the starting 11 in either of Liverpool’s two Premier League defeats this season underlines the importance of the unpredictable but relentless striker. Burnley will be bracing for a response. Andy Hunter

The story continues

Luton seek the dizzying heights of 15th place

Luton have lost one of their last six games and stayed out of the relegation zone, a remarkable achievement. On Saturday, they welcome the bottom team of the league; A win would take them to 23 points, a further 17 points to the traditional survival benchmark of 40 with 15 matches remaining. If all goes well, Rob Edwards’ team could even be in 15th place by the end of the weekend, which would be a fantastic rise. To boost morale while going into a tough match. This is a tight-knit group of players and they are in fantastic form, but their next four games will be against Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City (in the FA Cup) and Aston Villa, meaning a victory is vital to keep their heads above water It’s coming. In what will be a turbulent end to the season with other clubs awaiting point deductions, beating opponents on home soil will be crucial and Luton know this. Won’t be won

Will Son and Richarlison stay in harmony?

Everyone knows how highly Ange Postecoglou rates Son Heung-min. The Tottenham manager never misses an opportunity to praise the player he appointed as captain and is delighted to have him back after the Asian Cup; Son returned to the training ground on Thursday following South Korea’s shocking semi-final defeat against Jordan. Can Postecoglou start the home game against Brighton on Saturday? The best question regarding Son’s return is whether he can pick up where he left off regarding Richarlison. Postecoglou felt his season and Spurs’ career changed when he started at No. 9 against Newcastle in December and moved Son back to the left wing. That was why Richarlison embarked on a run of nine goals in 10 games. Son, who was in good form for Spurs before heading to the Asian Cup, helped ignite Richarlison’s purple patch by scoring the first of his two goals against Newcastle. David Hytner

Hwang returns to support Wolves

As the saying goes, one person’s loss is another person’s gain. For Hwang Hee-chan, the personal disappointment of South Korea’s shock exit at the Asian Cup is making him sick to his stomach, but the Wolves striker will welcome his back with open arms. Hwang returned to England on Wednesday and trained with his Wolves teammates on Thursday. If things aren’t already going well (Wolverhampton are six points behind Manchester United in sixth after the win over Chelsea), the return of Hwang, who has scored 10 goals in the league this season, will only strengthen a resurgent attack. An in-form Wolves side, led by Matheus Cunha, who scored a hat-trick last time out, Pedro Neto and Pablo Sarabia as well as an impressive leader in Gary O’Neil, have another chance to show their teeth against Brentford. Ben Fisher

Forest’s Sels tries to prove a point

The Matz Sels derby will take place on Saturday evening and it was a match that few expected to witness. The Belgian spent two seasons at Newcastle, the second on loan at Anderlecht, but managed just nine appearances during their promotion campaign from the Championship in 2016-17, failing to convince Rafa Benítez that he was better than former Forest goalkeeper Karl Darlow. . Sels has been a consistent performer at Strasbourg since leaving St James’ Park but decided a crack at the Premier League was too good to turn down. Amid the chaos in the Forest goalkeeping department, Sels became an instant No.1 against Bournemouth and looked steady enough compared to the underwhelming Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos. It might help if he makes his home debut against a team that thinks he can’t be their first choice. A little extra encouragement goes a long way in football. WU

Can West Ham fill the creativity void?

West Ham are struggling without Lucas Paquetá. They have not won since December 28, and their offensive performance has decreased as the Brazilian player is unable to play due to a calf injury. They miss Paquetá’s talent and passing ability but David Moyes needs to find a way to cope without his key attacking player. They still have Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, the two strikers who have been damaging Arsenal this season. He could get more use out of Maxwel Cornet and there is a chance Michail Antonio can return from his knee injury for Arsenal’s visit to the London Stadium. Although Paquetá is expected to be out of action for at least another week, all is not lost. J.S.

Crucial match for Villa in the first four races

Even if results don’t go our way on Saturday, it’s a sign of the company Unai Emery’s side keep that Aston Villa hope Manchester City and Liverpool slip away quietly. This time last year Villa were mid-table and went unbeaten in the league in January, saving them from relegation trouble. Despite all the rumors that Villa will be title contenders in the run-up to the new year, the truth is that a place in the Champions League would represent a remarkable achievement in itself. That’s why Villa’s home game against Manchester United is important. A win would open an 11-point lead over United, a healthy buffer despite 14 games to play. Defeat and United, one of their biggest rivals in the top four, will be five points behind them. boyfriend

Hodgson and Pochettino face off

The top two teams meet at Selhurst Park on Monday night, but not in terms of their league position but rather on the bookies’ odds on the next Premier League manager getting a boot. This is not a pretty race and a win won’t solve all the problems facing Roy Hodgson (first) or Mauricio Pochettino (second). Despite rumors that Palace are looking for a suitable replacement for Hodgson, Palace are unbeaten in their last three home games and have won two, while Chelsea have lost five of their last six away games. Michael Olise’s absence will make things even more difficult for Palace but there is still hope that their manager can make a statement with a win and allow Pochettino to rise to the top of the sack race. WU