It is perhaps too early to talk about season-defining matches but matchday 11 in the Premier League includes a number of clashes that could have huge ramifications for the rest of the campaign.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Ten Hag under pressure
When previously asked about Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag said the now infamous line: “An era can come to an end”. It was supposed to usher in a new dawn at Old Trafford.
Yet at the time of writing this preview, the Red Devils find themselves eighth in the Premier League table having lost five of their 10 matches. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a weakened Newcastle United side and are struggling in the Champions League having lost heavily to Bayern Munich before losing, at home, to Galatasaray.
United are already 11 points off the pace in the English top-flight and are eight points off fourth-placed Liverpool. Ten Hag takes his side to Fulham on Saturday afternoon needing not only a win but also a dominant showing. Marco Silva’s men aren’t in the best form but a win could see them leapfrog the Red Devils.
It isn’t make or break for the Ten Hag era but we’re getting close to it.
Has the Brighton bubble burst?
Brighton find themselves in seventh position in the Premier League after a positive start to the campaign. However, their recent form isn’t quite as positive.
The Seagulls are without a win in the Premier League since their 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on September 24. The goals have dried up a little too, scoring just five goals in their last four outings in the English top tier. They travel to Goodison Park on Saturday to face an in-form Everton team.
Sean Dyche’s men have won three of their last five to climb to 15th in the table. They are also into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup following a convincing 3-0 win over Burnley on Wednesday evening.
Everton caused a huge upset last season when the faced off against the Seagulls in May, scoring an emphatic 5-1 win over Roberto De Zerbi’s side. A repeat scoreline is unlikely but don’t be surprised if the Toffees take something from this match. After all, they are the form side and they’re playing at home.
A big test for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta takes his team up north to Newcastle for the Saturday evening match. The Gunners are one of only two teams with an unbeaten record in the Premier League this season and they know a win at St James’ Park will take them to the top of the table.
But they are yet to truly build up momentum this term. The 1-0 win over Manchester City was sandwiched between a 2-1 loss to Lens and a 2-2 draw with Chelsea. They then beat Sevilla and Sheffield United before losing 3-1 to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.
The Magpies haven’t exactly been consistent this term either. Yes, they knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup but they have won just one of their last three Premier League matches, drawing with Wolves and West Ham. They also lost 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund at home in the Champions League.
This has the potential to be a fascinating match-up. Their styles align perfectly with Newcastle wanting to play on the break and Arsenal wanting to dominate the ball.
A loss for the hosts could see them end the weekend in ninth, a win keeps them within touching distance of the top four.
A banana skin fixture for Liverpool
Liverpool travel to Luton Town on Sunday afternoon. The Hatters are without a win at home this season and they find themselves in 18th position in the Premier League, just four points off the bottom. Their away win at Goodison is doing a lot of heavy lifting here and keeping them within one victory of escaping the relegation zone.
On paper, this should be a straightforward three points for a rampant Liverpool team. They rank third for goals scored this season (2.3 per 90) and third for Big Chances Created (24).
However, Luton are going to cause an upset this season and this is a perfect opportunity. They’re in front of a packed-out Kenilworth Road with top billing on Sky Sports. The Reds played on Wednesday evening and they have a Europa League clash in France on Thursday to prepare for. Jürgen Klopp always talks about taking one game at a time so he won’t be taking this game for granted, but that doesn’t mean the players might not lose focus.
A Tottenham return for Pochettino
The Mauricio Pochettino era at Chelsea has been a case of one step forward and two steps backwards. The Blues put together an impressive showing when they welcomed Arsenal to Stamford Bridge and though they couldn’t quite hold on to secure all three points, it showcased what was possible when the players bought into what the Argentine tactician was wanting.
They looked organised, well-disciplined and dangerous. The performance was supposed to be the platform to really kick on. In their next outing, however, they lost 2-0 to Brentford.
Chelsea now travel to top-of-the-table Tottenham looking to halt their impressive start to the campaign. Ange Postecoglou’s men are unbeaten and have a two-point advantage at the summit. In Heung-Min Son they have one of the most in-form attackers in the Premier League – he’s netted eight goals already – while James Maddison is enjoying life as the main playmaker for Spurs – chipping in with five assists.
The pressure is on Spurs. But that hasn’t bothered them yet this season, why should it on Monday?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.