Premier League and Carabao Cup final: 10 things to watch out for this weekend

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The jungle has weapons to destroy Villa

Forest are in trouble, four points above the relegation zone, and their only win in their last five games came against the league’s crisis club West Ham. So a visit to Villa Park is the last thing they need because after a tough couple of weeks the home team bounced back at Fulham last weekend and focused on turning a good season into the Champions League. But Forest know how to play such matches, having won at Newcastle and given Arsenal and Manchester United a scare. They have a ball carrier with good pace and aggression in Morgan Gibbs-White; Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi provide subtle direction and Taiwo Awoniyi is converting his chances at a better rate than any striker in the league. All this means Forest are well placed to take advantage of Villa’s high line, but they can only do so if they can get enough possession while remaining solid at the back; Both of these are much easier said than done. Daniel Harris

Trouble for Everton as Adingra claims

Brighton have not won back-to-back league games since the third week of September – they have little chance of making up for that upset on Saturday; They beat bottom-placed Sheffield United last weekend, followed by the visit of fourth-placed teams. Everton. They will make it difficult for Brighton by defending deep and narrow, but Roberto De Zerbi’s men have one of the in-form players in world football in Simon Adingra; This player’s pace, aggression and creativity are vital to getting past Sean. Well-prepared defense by Dyche. Although Danny Welbeck is currently the preferred centre-forward, it’s not hard to imagine him hitting Evan Ferguson’s front-post runs or cutting balls back to João Pedro and Julio Enciso when they return from injury. With Kaoru Mitoma at the other end, Brighton look like a serious bid going forward; So serious that you fear Everton, who have not won the league since December 16 and are struggling to build any momentum. DH

The story continues

Green light for Glasner era at Selhurst Park

Does a home game against Burnley represent a clear goal for Oliver Glasner’s debut as Premier League manager, or a lose-lose situation as he tries to replace the South London legend? It certainly appears Crystal Palace have been here before and their attempts to move on from Roy Hodgson have not started well: Patrick Vieira has started 2021-22 stuttering, winning just one of his first 10 games in all competitions. . Glasner watched from the stands as Palace produced a much more promising performance to draw 1-1 at Everton on Monday, but inherited a team low on confidence and high on injuries. Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi are doubts for this match, but Glasner is expected to start with a win without them. Dominican Cabin

Chaotic United’s main man Mainoo

That an 18-year-old academy product has become so crucial to their fortunes after just 13 appearances for the club feels emblematic of Manchester United’s current state under Erik ten Hag. Almost everything United have done on the pitch this season, good or bad, has felt accidental and so Ten Hag’s work is on trial. Mason Mount was supposed to be the savior in midfield but barely featured due to injury; Bruno Fernandes continues to blow hot and cold frantically as Casemiro’s form declines at an alarming rate. Kobbie Mainoo could be the man to bring control to a chaotic United team – if their tactical approach allows it. United allow their opponents to set the tempo, dictate the terms, and they react. Almost all of their players, with the exception of Mainoo, seem either unable or unwilling to get their foot on the ball. Mainoo has become a permanent fixture among a million moving parts at Old Trafford. Database

Stones’ comeback causes trouble for others

It’s not going to be easy for City at the moment; They drew with Chelsea, had to fight hard to make it two wins against Brentford and needed 71 minutes to take the lead against Everton. But over the past few weeks, Pep Guardiola has slowly brought John Stones back into the fold; This could be a comeback that could be key to his team’s season. Stepping into the midfield alongside Rodri, whether as a full-back or centre-back, Stones brings a physicality to City that they have not previously had under Guardiola. His presence, along with the presence of defenders who can run quickly, allows them to leave just three men at home, so they can attack with an extra man knowing the two big men are there to help maintain pressure and defend against counters. Stones, on whom this strategy depends, has only played 17 times this season, so City have not been as destructive as before. But now he’s back, which means Bournemouth and everyone else need to be careful. DH

Newcastle should attack Gunners

The last time Newcastle visited the Emirates in January 2023, they used every trick in the defensive manual to frustrate Mikel Arteta’s side, eventually coming away with a deserved goalless draw. Can Eddie Howe get away with the same approach this time? This may seem risky given the Magpies’ recent leaks: they have conceded 19 goals in their last seven top-flight games, and injuries in various departments have hurt Howe’s efforts to find some adjustment. Fabian Schär is the latest defender to take part in the battles, although he should be ready for Saturday night. Good news could come from a sharp end such as the return of Alexander Isak, who has missed Newcastle’s last three games, and perhaps a move to Arsenal would be a more valuable approach than trying to lock the door this time. The home side are in free-scoring form domestically and barely pay attention to Crystal Palace, West Ham or Burnley; Newcastle have the tools to present a tougher test and given the wins needed to spark any European breakthrough, Howe would be best served by attacking. Nick Ames

A different fight for Wild Wolves

Chris Wilder will look for the opportunity to put last week’s bombardment of Brighton behind him against Wolves, who were the first team to be beaten by Sheffield United earlier this season and can compete at home against the Premier League’s underdogs. With the pace of Pedro Neto, Wolves have mastered the counter-attack, as João Gomes’ free second goal against Tottenham showed. But Gary O’Neil’s side need to adapt to their rivals; Wilder is set to implement a strict back five and focus tightly on shackling the dangerous Neto and Hwang Hee-chan to disrupt Wolves’ rhythm. For the home side, this will be a completely different challenge to their recent displays of hacking against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham. Database

Chelsea have the quality to hurt Liverpool

Against an intense sense of duty, Liverpool produced a superb second-half performance that turned a one-goal deficit into a 4-1 victory. However, they cannot create the atmosphere at Wembley that compensates for many of the shortcomings at Anfield, and Chelsea, who are trying to find a rhythm themselves, have a very clear path to victory. In midfield – and if they stay close together – Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher have the legs and intelligence to dominate the ball, especially with Cole Palmer roaming the right wing. On the left, Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling will combine against Conor Bradley – the 20-year-old right-back could be in for a tiring afternoon – while Nicolas Jackson, despite being an unreliable finisher, has the movement to tackle defenders. away, thus creating space for calmer teammates. Of course the most likely outcome would be for Liverpool to win on penalties because that’s how these things usually end, but Chelsea are a live dog. DH

Unquestionable desire drives Klopp’s men apart

The goal of the first trophy of the season looked like a foregone conclusion 23 days ago when Liverpool beat Chelsea. That may still be possible, given the league leader’s increasing desire, momentum, and ability to withstand significant injuries. But Mauricio Pochettino’s side’s impressive response to Liverpool and Wolves, scoring eight goals in five days, has raised hopes of a real challenge at Wembley. Pochettino bemoaned the lack of fundamentals after the Anfield defeat and admitted the final would go the same way if Chelsea were once again unable to match Liverpool’s aggression. Unlike their rivals, Chelsea have a free week to prepare for the final and have no excuses in this regard. Strength of character will determine whether Pochettino wins his first trophy in English football or whether Jürgen Klopp signs at least one more and arguably only Liverpool will win. Andy Hunter

West Ham need Kudus to rebound

Muhammed Kudus has been on the boil since the Africa Cup of Nations. While West Ham were happy to get the striker back quickly following Ghana’s early exit from the tournament, Kudus has been ineffective in recent matches. He won a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, but was below average in defeats against Arsenal, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. West Ham need to return to their best against a bogey-worthy Brentford side that visit the London Stadium on Monday. Kudus excelled before the turn of the year, scoring 10 goals in all competitions, and Brentford saw his threat when he unleashed a stunning strike against them in November. However, Thomas Frank’s side won on the day and made it four consecutive wins in the league against West Ham, who are winless in eight matches in 2024. David Moyes needs to find a way to turn the situation around. Jacob Steinberg