Another international break is on the horizon and Premier League clubs are looking to go into it with momentum on their side. There are a number of high-profile games this weekend so we’ve taken a detailed look at the biggest potential talking points.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
A statement showing for Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur are one of only two unbeaten teams in the Premier League following Manchester City’s 2-1 loss to Wolves last weekend. Victory in the early Saturday kick-off against Luton Town will lift Ange Postecoglou’s men into top spot, at least for one day, but there’s every chance that three points at Kenilworth Road secures their place at the summit for the international break.
Heung-Min Son will be looking to continue his fine form in front of goal having three goals in his last two appearances. He is now on six for the season and is closing in on the haul of 10 he managed last term.
Luton registered their first win of the season last weekend but this game appears to be a formality for Spurs. The Hatters average just 37% possession and have one of the highest Expected Goals Conceded totals in the English top tier with 12.9, so expect it to be one-way traffic. Rob Edwards’ side played on Tuesday evening and fatigue could factor into this.
The Toffees and the Cherries
This is very much a bottom-of-the-table clash. Everton are yet to pick up a single point at home this season having lost 1-0 to Fulham, Wolves, and Arsenal while Luton shocked the Goodison faithful last weekend with their 2-1 win.
Sean Dyche’s men are just outside of the relegation zone on goal difference having racked up just four points from their seven outings. The Toffees do have something to be encouraged by though, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring in three consecutive matches.
They will be hosting Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, one of only two teams to have failed to register a victory in the Premier League this term. Andoni Iraola’s side have impressed in moments but they’ve not been able to put together a complete performance. Without a complete performance, they haven’t been able to convert these situations into all three points.
A big issue for the Cherries is in the final third. Iraola’s men have averaged just 0.7 goals per 90 – the joint-fewest in the Premier League.
In the grand scheme of things, three points for either side could be a massive boost, even if it doesn’t dramatically change the league table.
What version of Brighton will we get?
A win for Brighton on Sunday afternoon will see them leapfrog Liverpool in the Premier League table. Roberto De Zerbi’s men might fancy their chances too, they have an incredibly underrated record against the Reds over recent seasons. The Seagulls have limited the 2019/20 Premier League champions to just one win across the last seven meetings.
However, Liverpool will be fairly confident coming into this particular match-up as well.
Brighton have not kept a clean sheet this season in any competition. Only three teams have conceded more goals than the Seagulls (14) and they just so happen to make up the bottom three in the Premier League – Burnley (16), Bournemouth (15) and Sheffield United (19).
Bizarrely, though, they are also the highest scorers in the English top-flight with 19.
Liverpool’s 17-match unbeaten run came to a controversial end against Spurs last weekend. The Reds are without the suspended Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota while Cody Gakpo is injured meaning Jürgen Klopp’s attacking options are somewhat limited but he is still able to name Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez in his attack. Expect opportunities at both ends.
Using European momentum
Both Newcastle United and West Ham United had positive results in Europe this week. The Magpies ran riot against Paris Saint-Germain at St James’ Park, hitting the Ligue 1 giants for four in a historic 4-1 win. The Hammers claimed a 2-1 win over Freiburg to extend their unbeaten run in Europe to a remarkable 17 matches.
David Moyes’ men are currently one point ahead of Newcastle in the table, so this game could alter the dynamic of the top end of the English top-flight.
Kieran Tripper has created 22 chances this season already – the most in the Premier League. He has been the difference maker for the Magpies and a key reason as to why Newcastle are averaging 2.6 goals per 90, an average only Brighton (2.7) can better.
The Toon Army have the highest Expected Goals total this season with 15.5 and have created more big chances (21) than any other team.
West Ham have impressed too but they’re a little more reliant on individuals. For example, only Erling Haaland (8) and Son (6) have more goals than Jarrod Bowen (5) while Alphonse Areola is the best-performing goalkeeper in the league this term having prevented 4.1 goals. These difference-makers for the Hammers could be key, once again, on Sunday.
Top of the table clash
Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates this weekend knowing a win will see them climb above the treble winners. Depending on Tottenham’s result, all three points could see Mikel Arteta’s side top the table.
But they head into this game on the back of a loss in the Champions League. The Gunners took the lead against Lens but fell to a 2-1 defeat in France. To make matters worse, Bukayo Saka was replaced in the first half with an injury. When asked afterwards, Arteta told TV 2 Sport that it “doesn’t look good.”
If he does miss the game, this would be a huge blow for the Gunners. Saka has the most goals (four), the joint-most assists (two) and is the only Arsenal player with an average FotMob rating of over 7.8 (8.25).
City aren’t in the best form either. Pep Guardiola’s side lost to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup and then were defeated by Wolves in the Premier League. They did beat RB Leipzig in the Champions League to get back on track but they don’t look anywhere near their ominous best. It coincides with Rodri’s suspension too and the defensive midfielder is to miss the game at the Emirates. Interestingly, Haaland has just two goals in his last five appearances with Julián Álvarez stepping up.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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