There’s a lot going on in the Premier League this weekend.
By Sam McGuire
There’s a top of the table clash while the reigning champions take on the team currently joint-bottom of the table. On top of that, four teams are still looking to record their first wins of the season. With that in mind, here are four things to look out for ahead of Matchday nine.
Momentum matters
There’s a Friday night game this week.
Leicester City welcome Nottingham Forest to the King Power Stadium in what is set to be an intriguing match-up.
Forest have been one of the surprise packages of the season. Nuno Espírito Santo has his side in eighth position. They’re level on points with Spurs, a point ahead of Newcastle and just a single point behind Chelsea.
They’re the only team to take points off Premier League leaders Liverpool so far this term.
A win here would see them move up to fifth in the table, at least for 24 hours.
Forest are up against their former manager this week. Steve Cooper will be looking to get one over on his former employers. And Leicester do find themselves in good form right now having won back-to-back games in the English top-flight.
If the Foxes make it three wins on the spin, they’ll leapfrog Manchester United in the Premier League table.
Leicester and Forest were tipped to be in a relegation battle this season but they’ve started well. Both will be desperate for the win to keep their momentum going.
A perfect opportunity for Erling Haaland
Haaland is currently without a goal in the Premier League in his last three appearances. His longest drought for Manchester City in the English top-flight is four. He isn’t going to want to match that record and he’d got the perfect opportunity this weekend to bring his barren run to an end as City host Southampton.
Despite the good performances, the Saints are winless this term.
As detailed in a feature this week (read that here!), Russell Martin’s side have done enough to earn seven points. They’re currently on one.
They’re struggling to score while giving up high value chances. It should be a routine win for Manchester City and it would lift them back to the top of the table. More importantly, however, it should be a game in which Haaland finds the back of the net.
Over recent weeks, Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled to get the No. 9 into the game. He’s barely involved in the final third and the chances he has had have been limited.
Things need to change. Expect it to happen this weekend. He netted twice in the Champions League in midweek. The two-time Golden Boot winner will be full of confidence.
Bouncebackability
Chelsea’s impressive unbeaten run came to an end last weekend as they travelled to Anfield and lost 2-1. It was their first defeat since the opening day loss to Manchester City.
It will be interesting to see how Enzo Maresca’s men react to the loss. They have a good opportunity to respond as they host Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.
The Magpies are without a win in the Premier League in over a month. Since their 2-1 win over Wolves in mid-September, Eddie Howe’s side have lost to Fulham and Brighton while drawing with Everton and Manchester City.
Despite this sketchy form, they’re still only a point behind their hosts. A win at Stamford Bridge could kickstart their season. A win for Chelsea would show they’re serious this term.
Title contenders or title pretenders?
The final game of the weekend sees Premier League leaders Liverpool make the trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.
The Reds have seven wins from eight in the English top-flight this term. They’ve kept five clean sheets and have conceded just three goals. Defensively, they’re rock solid. In attack, they’re ruthless.
But some people are still querying how legitimate they are having been handed a favourable fixture list. A positive result against title rivals Arsenal would change how they’re viewed by the masses.
The Gunners are looking to bounce back from defeat against Bournemouth last weekend. Mikel Arteta‘s side can’t really afford to drop points here. Not at home. They’re already four points off the pace. Going seven points behind after just nine games would heap pressure on a team tipped by many to be title favourites. Their response to the pressure and the injury issues will be telling.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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