1) Six months a very long time for Mourinho and Spurs
When the mud settles on José Mourinho’s Tottenham tenure – and that may very well be sooner or later quickly – 4 October’s 6-1 win at Manchester United will in all probability be a excessive watermark. It occurred on a day when the Premier League took on a demented high quality. That Sunday additionally featured Liverpool’s 7-2 loss to Aston Villa. Six months on, Spurs asserting themselves as title contenders seems like a dim, surreal reminiscence. United have since regrouped and victory in north London would additional frank their passport into subsequent season’s Champions League. In the meantime, Spurs proceed to scrap on the peripheries of the highest 4 with their supervisor working his playbook of working battles together with his personal gamers. “Identical coach, totally different gamers,” was his clarification at Newcastle for one more concession of a late aim, additionally suggesting his crew “create instability to ourselves”. Again in October at Outdated Trafford, he was “very pleased with the squad that I’ve”. JB
2) Guardiola v Bielsa has potential to be a cracker
Saturday lunchtime kick-offs are maligned for being staid, a development effectively and actually bucked by the deal with served up by West Brom as they went full Huge Samba-boys throughout their astonishing rout of Chelsea final weekend. The onerous job of following that utterly bonkers midday showdown falls to Manchester Metropolis and Leeds and if any two groups can emulate that white-knuckle journey it’s these managed by Pep Guardiola and the person he cites as his largest affect, Marcelo Bielsa. The corresponding slugfest between these two sides at Elland Highway in October was merely terrific, every ending with a simply aim apiece regardless of resembling two drunks swinging haymakers at one another in a pub carpark. Whereas defeat for both aspect can be pretty inconsequential, it has all of the elements to be one other riotously unpredictable basic. BG
3) Leicester should reveal their endurance
West Ham and Leicester are the fantastic gatecrashers preserving richer golf equipment out of the Champions League locations. In the intervening time. On Sunday certainly one of them might inflict a severe blow on the opposite’s hopes of staying within the high 4. West Ham produced a counterattacking masterclass after they received 3-0 on the King Energy in October and since then have added Jesse Lingard, who in simply eight appearances for the Hammers has earned a nomination for signing of the season. On the down aspect, Declan Rice is out and Michail Antonio is a significant doubt. Not that West Ham will count on any sympathy from Leicester, who’ve needed to discover methods of coping with out key gamers all through the marketing campaign. And Brendan Rodgers’ aspect, unusually meek within the defeat by Manchester Metropolis final weekend, shall be intent on reasserting the qualities that have gotten them inside attain of the Champions League. Final season they light in the direction of the end; this season they give the impression of being stronger and Sunday provides an ideal probability to verify their progress. PD
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4) Wolves defence provides alternative for Fulham
Wolves have eight video games remaining, 5 of that are towards bottom-six groups. They created a lot in defeat towards a West Ham aspect that took full benefit of the largesse of a defence that Nuno Espiríto Santo had switched from 5 on the again to 4 in a call presumably influenced by the Covid-induced absence of Willy Boly. “I’m indignant with myself, indignant with the way in which we take care of these conditions,” mentioned Nuno of his aspect’s helplessness within the face of the three targets West Ham scored on the break. “It’s my duty. It’s our errors which we’ll work on. With errors, we assist the participant and provides them the answer.” Beneath the Friday evening lights of Craven Cottage, a Fulham aspect that’s changing into more and more determined for factors can nonetheless pose their opponents some severe issues. BG
5) Liverpool should shake off Madrid malaise
Again to what vaguely resembled their greatest towards an underwhelming Arsenal final weekend, any momentum Liverpool might need been hoping to construct got here to a halt throughout their midweek horror present towards Actual Madrid. Because the flip of the 12 months Jürgen Klopp’s aspect has bagged only one aim and one Premier League level from seven video games at Anfield – a bewildering stoop. On Saturday, they entertain an Aston Villa aspect that walloped them 7-2 at Villa Park in certainly one of this season’s extra extraordinary video games. Given Liverpool’s midweek efficiency one other upset can be no nice shock. Klopp will undoubtedly have no less than one of many eyes behind his new John Lennon spectacles on Actual Madrid subsequent week however is aware of something lower than victory might deal his crew’s possibilities of qualifying for subsequent season’s Champions League a hammer blow. Against this, victory for Villa would convey them to inside two factors of their opponents with a recreation in hand. They harbour notions of their first European foray in 10 years. BG
6) Tierney shall be missed badly by Arteta
Final week’s heavy defeat by Liverpool revealed simply how a lot Arsenal have come to depend on a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old in Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. With out them, Arsenal supplied subsequent to nothing in assault and as a substitute retreated right into a porous shell. There’s reduction that each returned to coaching this week. Kieran Tierney’s absence with a knee harm shall be extra extended and has even brought about concern in Scotland that he would possibly miss the summer season’s Euros. “We don’t have anyone together with his qualities throughout the squad except we begin to transfer numerous items,” lamented Mikel Arteta. Liverpool was a reminder of the low-quality, ill-fitting choices Arteta inherited earlier than he pushed these youthful gamers to the fore. The squad left by Arsène Wenger and rejigged by Unai Emery was unfit for goal, a very good purpose why Arteta deserves time to attempt to regenerate Arsenal because the doubters start to collect. JB
7) Palace gamers could have contracts in thoughts
Not fairly on the 40-point mark however definitely protected from relegation after successful a late level towards Everton, the gamers of Crystal Palace may very well be forgiven for placing their toes up and coasting their option to the tip of the season. Nonetheless, with no fewer than 17 senior gamers out of contract on the finish of this season, 10 of whom made the journey to Goodison Park, there’s each incentive to impress towards Chelsea in a bid to safe the absolute best offers for themselves at Selhurst Park or elsewhere. Whereas Wilfried Zaha is just not a kind of whose contract ends in June, hypothesis is certain to encompass his future, as a result of, effectively, it invariably does. With switch funds in brief provide round Europe, the winger might definitely do himself no finish of fine by reminding potential patrons simply how gifted he’s. With video games towards three of the highest 5 and 6 of the highest 10 groups to come back, Roy Hodgson’s aspect might but have a really important say within the last shake-up of the race for Europe. BG
8) Newcastle should seize their second at Burnley
Most of Newcastle’s remaining matches are towards golf equipment preventing to qualify for the Champions League so, in idea, Sunday’s journey to Turf Moor represents one of many least tough assignments they’ve remaining. In October they beat Burnley 3-1 at residence because of targets by Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson. Saint-Maximin returned from harm final week and brought about Tottenham Hotspur a number of issues in a brief look from the bench, so Steve Bruce shall be hoping the Frenchman can begin towards Burnley’s defenders, who have been uncovered when Danny Ings ran at them final week. If Wilson is match sufficient to function after being absent for over two months, then Newcastle would possibly simply be capable to assault their means out of hassle. PD
9) Robinson has earned an opportunity at West Brom
Callum Robinson works relentlessly and assaults at each alternative, normally with velocity and talent. However apparently managers should not fairly satisfied he has what it takes to pose a daily menace within the Premier League. Chris Wilder let him go away Bramall Lane for West Brom final summer season and invited Ollie Burke to maneuver in the wrong way, an change that few at Sheffield United would now class as shrewd. Not that Robinson has thrived at West Brom: he had been an unused substitute for seven matches in a row till he got here off the bench final weekend to assist encourage the Baggies to a 5-2 win at Chelsea. Nobody might criticise his finish product in that match, as he scored twice and helped create a number of different possibilities. He couldn’t have made a stronger case to Sam Allardyce for beginning towards Southampton on Monday in one other match that West Brom have to win to maintain hopes of springing free from relegation. PD
10) Ancelotti must overturn worrying developments
Everton could also be glad of a visit to East Sussex. Their residence type threatens to derail a push for European soccer. Monday’s disappointing draw with Crystal Palace meant they’d taken solely 4 factors from a potential 18 at residence. Equally troubling for Carlo Ancelotti has been his crew underperforming towards lesser opposition. Because the flip of the 12 months, Everton have misplaced to Newcastle, Fulham and Burnley, doing Brighton few favours in doing so. West Brom, on the tip of Everton’s sole victory in March, would possibly maintain some regrets. Ought to that sequence proceed Ancelotti could have presided over a most Everton of seasons, the place the promise of difficult the highest six is changed by disappointment and recrimination. Had been followers allowed into stadiums, Ancelotti’s expensively assembled assortment of gamers would probably be on the tip of the notorious Goodison groan that greets the newest disappointment of the trustworthy. Graham Potter and Brighton have a chance to amplify these phantom complaints. JB
