To say the international break was interesting would be a bit of an understatement. England crashed to defeat against Greece at Wembley before bouncing back to beat Finland. The Three Lions then named Thomas Tuchel as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor. The former Chelsea boss, if all goes to plan, will lead England into the 2026 World Cup.
By Sam McGuire
But the focus now returns to the Premier League. So here’s what to look out for this weekend.
The Brennan Johnson show
Brennan Johnson is in the form of his life for Tottenham Hotspur.
With his goal against Brighton before the international break, the 23-year-old joined an exclusive group of only seven players to score in six consecutive competitive games for Spurs.
His current run of form has seen him match a feat achieved by greats such as Teddy Sheringham and Harry Kane.
The former Nottingham Forest also scored for Wales in their 2-2 draw with Iceland. This is one serious hot streak and Ange Postecoglou is going to want to continue to capitalise on this. The Spurs boss isn’t under pressure. Prior to their loss to Brighton, Tottenham had won five on the bounce across all competitions, but with just three wins in seven Premier League outings, the one-time Celtic boss is under the microscope.
Spurs host West Ham on Saturday afternoon and a win for the struggling Hammers would see them leapfrog Postecoglou’s men. It isn’t a must win for Tottenham but it is a must not lose.
Key to ensuring that is going to be Johnson.
A sting in the tale for the Red Devils?
Manchester United welcome Brentford to Old Trafford this weekend. Erik Ten Hag‘s side are winless in the Premier League in over a month. Their last victory in the English top-flight was against Southampton on September 14th. Since then, the Red Devils have drawn four and lost one of their last five outings across all competitions.
With Tuchel now taking over as England manager and Southgate ruling himself out of management for at least a year, Manchester United’s pool of potential successors is dwindling. And this eases the pressure on Ten Hag. However, if they continue to struggle, there’s only so long United will persist with him.
Sooner or later, they’re going to have to start winning.
Brentford are tricky opposition. They have scored in their last seven outings across all competitions and Erling Haaland (10) is the only player to have scored more goals than Bryan Mbeumo (six) in the Premier League this season.
If the Bees are firing on Saturday, they could cause an upset at Old Trafford to really heap the pressure on Ten Hag.
Anfield expects
Up until now, Liverpool have had some favourable fixtures in the Premier League. Arne Slot is keen to remind everyone of this whenever he’s interviewed.
The Reds sit top of the English top-flight having won six of their opening seven matches. They have some of the best attacking numbers in the league as well as the best defensive numbers.
Welcoming Chelsea to Anfield this Sunday could be Liverpool’s first real test under Slot.
The Blues are six unbeaten in the Premier League and appear to be fairly consistent under new boss Enzo Maresca. They’re putting teams to the sword and rank first for Expected Goals. They are second in the Expected Points table too, so the results are matching up with their performances.
However, they’re coming up against the team ranked first for Expected Points while the Reds also have the lowest Expected Goals Against total. They’re also winless against Liverpool in their last nine meetings.
This game really does seem two of the most in form teams face off. It is an opportunity for both managers to record their first big statement win of their new respective eras.
Will Wolves be mauled?
Wolves are one of four winless teams in the Premier League. They are joint-bottom on one point, along with Southampton. Their performances, however, have been worthy of five points when looking at the underlying numbers. Gary O’Neil‘s side just haven’t been able to turn performances into wins.
They have the worst defensive numbers in the league having conceded 21 goals in seven matches at an average of three per game. They’re up against the reigning champions this weekend with Manchester City travelling to Molineux.
Erling Haaland will be licking his lips in anticipation. The powerhouse No.9 has 10 Premier League goals to his name already this term but he’s failed to score in his last two outings in the English top-flight. He’ll want to get back to goalscoring ways and a match against Wolves presents him with the perfect opportunity.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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