There’s never a dull round of matches in the Premier League. There is a blockbuster final fixtures to finish off Matchday 10 but there are also a number of fascinating match-ups this weekend to keep an eye on.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Can Spurs continue their march?
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Crystal Palace for Friday night’s match knowing a win can take them five points clear at the summit. Ange Postecoglou’s men have taken 23 points from a possible 27 this term and their new-look side has clicked following the departure of Harry Kane.
James Maddison has three goals and five assists while only Erling Haaland (nine) can better Heung-Min Son’s return of seven goals in the Premier League this term. A win against Roy Hodgson’s side wouldn’t exactly be a statement victory given their struggles but it would point towards Spurs being able to handle the pressure at the top of the table, at least for now.
Palace find themselves in 11th position in the English top-flight and have won just three games. Their issues come from their inability to put the ball into the back of the net. They have scored just seven goals across their nine outings this season. Remarkably, only six teams have allowed fewer goals (11). Defensively, they are resilient, but offensively, they are blunt.
A win might be a big ask for the Eagles here but they certainly have a defensive unit capable of limiting a rampant Spurs side.
Can Chelsea prolong their impressive form?
The Mauricio Pochettino era at Chelsea started off slowly. However, the Blues are now unbeaten in four across all competitions and held title hopefuls Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
They make the trip to Brentford on Saturday afternoon for the lunchtime kick-off and will fancy their chances of making it five unbeaten. The Bees have lacked a sting recently. They may be 14th in the table and just two points behind the team they host this weekend but Thomas Frank’s side have been struggling.
Their win over Burnley on matchday nine was their first three points since August. It was also the first time they had scored two or more goals in a game since the first week of September.
In scoring against Vincent Kompany’s side, Yoana Wissa ended his goal drought. The centre-forward tasked with filling in for the suspended Ivan Toney started the season well with two in two but then went eight games without finding the back of the net. He needs to use that goal as a catalyst for more and the Bees need to make the most of their home form if they are to avoid a relegation battle.
Into the Wolves den
Wolves find themselves on a three-match unbeaten run the Premier League. Gary O’Neil’s side have beaten Manchester City and Bournemouth in October while also managing to take a point off of an in-form Aston Villa side.
This run has seen them climb up to 12th in the table. They welcome Newcastle United to Molineux on Saturday afternoon. The Magpies are the top scorers (24) in the Premier League and they are unbeaten in the English top-flight since the 3-1 loss to Brighton in early September.
On paper, Newcastle should come away with all three points but Wolves have shown they’re capable of a surprise result and this could be the perfect storm for them.
Eddie Howe’s side lost at home to Borussia Dortmund during their mid-week Champions League game and will now be without the suspended Sandro Tonali until next August. The Magpies are also set to be without Alexander Isak, Sven Botman and Harvey Barnes for the trip.
A sticky situation for the Toffees
Everton had momentum on their side heading into the Merseyside derby. They had finally started converting their chances and were climbing up the table after wins over Brentford and Bournemouth.
The loss to Liverpool halted all of that. The Toffees failed to really trouble the Reds, conceded two goals and lost Ashley Young to a red card. Sean Dyche is now without his experienced full-back for the trip to West Ham on Sunday afternoon.
The Hammers aren’t in the greatest form either. Their last Premier League win arrived in September, they were dismantled by Aston Villa last weekend in a 4-1 loss and their impressive European record came to an end this week when they lost 2-1 to Olympiacos.
Only five teams have conceded more goals than David Moyes’ men (16) in the Premier League this season and they are going to have to tighten things up to take anything from this match.
The Manchester derby
Over recent years, City have been firm favourites heading into the Manchester derby and it has been a case of how many they are going to win by. Many still expect them to take all three points home following their trip to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, but it might not be as straightforward as some people believe.
The reigning champions have been in patchy form over recent weeks, winning just three of their last five outings in the Premier League. They have relinquished their grip on top-spot and could be five points off the pace come kick-off. Pep Guardiola’s men do have the best defensive record in the top-flight having conceded just seven goals but, surprisingly, five teams have scored more goals than them. They aren’t as rampant as they usually are.
United head into this game having won their last three matches by the odd goal. Unlikely heroes are emerging with Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay proving to be match-winners. Another one could well emerge this weekend if they score in a derby.
Erik Ten Hag’s side are finding goals hard to come by having scored just 11 across their nine Premier League outings. Interestingly, both teams are yet to draw a Premier League match this term. Could this be the first?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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