10 things to watch out for this weekend

Composite: Action footage/Reuters; PA images

Hodgson turns to ‘derby’ tonic as the carousel spins

Following the departure of Steve Cooper from Forest, there is an interesting potential candidate available for the next vacant Premier League job. Crystal Palace are known admirers of Cooper, while Roy Hodgson has tasted victory once in the last ten games – and that was away at Burnley. The positivity of securing a late draw against Etihad after coming back from two goals down will be a boon for the Palace manager but this needs to be built on and a home derby is a good place to do that if he doesn’t want to . his job is in jeopardy. Brighton is a poor opponent for a team in trouble, but when a crisis arises it would be wise to attack it head-on. The win will eliminate many of Hodgson’s problems, otherwise Cooper’s shadow will loom over him. Will win

Villa’s breathing space brings Emery comfort

The talk surrounding Aston Villa revolves around their title credentials, but privately Unai Emery must also take solace in the nine-point buffer against sixth-placed Newcastle. Last week, perhaps in an attempt to quiet the noise, Emery said qualification for the Europa League was still his goal. Villa are five points above fifth-placed Spurs and the visit of Sheffield United offers a golden opportunity to make it 16 consecutive league wins at Villa Park, and a chance to create even more breathing space. A win would also lift Villa to the top of the pile – at least until Liverpool meet Arsenal on Saturday – and boost their chances of securing a place in the top four in the second half of the season. On the face of it, Chris Wilder’s side are relatively easy prey compared to Manchester City and Arsenal, but Emery knows nothing is a formality. Ben Visser

Moyes can make a profit against unkempt United

Last Sunday, the job was done for Manchester United at Liverpool, even though Virgil van Dijk cared little for the overly defensive performance of Erik ten Hag’s side in the 0-0 draw at Anfield. For much of this season, United have resembled flaky social media scrollers stumbling across an inspirational lifestyle quote. They absorb the message, act it out for one game and immediately forget it for the next. After “staying strong when adversity beckons most” or some such meme at Liverpool, will the Red Devils be able to muster the same level of memory and tenacity for an early kick-off at West Ham? Former Old Trafford manager David Moyes had struggled while playing against United. But last season’s 1-0 win over Ten Hag’s side could be a turning point and the Hammers have the class to capitalize on any drop in the standard of their wildly inconsistent opponents, no matter how poor they were at Liverpool on Wednesday night. David Tindal

The story continues

Leno’s form could make Gunners fans wistful

While Fulham have rightly been praised for their goals at Craven Cottage in recent weeks, it is at the other end of the pitch where praise can also be heard. Scoring ten goals in back-to-back home wins grabbed the headlines, but in both matches Fulham’s attackers were given the freedom to excel. Only the top four in the Premier League have conceded fewer home goals than Fulham’s nine, and the honor goes to Bernd Leno, whose five clean sheets this season is only bettered by three other top goalkeepers. In terms of total saves and save percentage, his numbers are excellent, and yet the German still flies under the radar. While Emiliano Martínez’s standout performances for Aston Villa continue to cause regret among Arsenal fans who insisted he should never have been sold, Leno’s performances suggest the Argentine is not the only former Arsenal stopper who could bring greater stability in Emirates’ rearguard. then David Raya or Aaron Ramsdale. D.T

Trippier needs a chance to turn the tide

Football is one of the great short-term industries; Three draws is a crisis and if strikers don’t score in four draws it means their career is over. Kieran Trippier is the latest to face questions after a number of high-profile mistakes in recent matches have sparked widespread criticism. The full-back is clearly lacking in confidence, which has led to further mistakes, creating an unfortunate evening at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. There is little chance that Eddie Howe will take him out of the team on Saturday. That could work in Trippier’s favor as, like all footballers, he is one good performance away from returning to form. For Trippier, a last-ditch tackle, the perfect corner or a free-kick from distance can all be the moment to turn the page, and he will be eager to prove his doubters wrong. WU

Blooming Cherries offer Nuno a solid first test

The new manager of Nottingham Forest has a difficult opening match. Nuno Espírito Santo has replaced the most popular man in Nottingham, Steve Cooper, and his appointment was met with a collective shrug from supporters. The Portuguese has had success in the Premier League with Wolves, but his spells at Spurs and Al-Ittihad have taken his reputation down a notch. He will be desperate to show he is an elite-level manager again but will need the support of those in the field to help spur his new attackers on after a desperate scramble that helped see Cooper end the time he was in charge. Bournemouth are a team on the rise and their aggression has proven to be too much for many teams. They won in their last away match at Manchester United and will not really provide a welcome party for Nuno. WU

Substitute Skipp ready for rare Spurs chance

It has been a frustrating season for Oliver Skipp at Tottenham. He is always present in the squad on matchday and yet never completely present. He made just two starts (both times failing to complete the 90 minutes) and eleven times as a substitute. After finishing strongly last season, the 23-year-old had hoped for more under Ange Postecoglou. Skipp sees himself as a No. 6 and must be annoyed that his new manager seems to view him as a No. 8. There is no chance Skipp will apply for a loan before January, but his longer-term situation at Spurs is fluid. More immediately, with Yves Bissouma suspended again and Rodrigo Bentancur on a lengthy injury list, Skipp will be hoping to start against Everton. Postecoglou also has Pierre Emile-Højbjerg as an option for the role of number 6. David Hytner

Arsenal’s title aspirations are being put to the test at Anfield

The battle for the number 1 spot before Christmas brings together two teams who share the best defensive performances in the Premier League, quiet satisfaction with their current positions and questions whether they have the quality and depth to fuel Manchester City’s supposed recovery in to endure over the next five years. months. Roberto De Zerbi said Arsenal were the best team Brighton had faced this season after their 2-0 defeat at the Emirates last Sunday, where Gabriel and William Saliba’s central defensive partnership once again provided Mikel Arteta’s leaders with a solid foundation gave. They should expect a tough test at Anfield, where Arsenal have not won in the league since 2012, although Jürgen Klopp will expect much more from Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz after their ineffective performances in the stalemate with Manchester United. Núñez impressed in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham and the two South Americans may have to shoulder more attacking responsibility from Mohamed Salah before the hosts can produce a statement result. Andy Hunter

Last minute shopping for points at Molineux

From the moment in October when the Premier League confirmed that Wolves would host Chelsea on Christmas Eve – the first top-flight match played on that day since 1995 – there was widespread resignation. The chances that the game, which was broadcast in Britain on Sky Sports, would be moved were always slim to none. Both teams have long embraced reality. Mauricio Pochettino accepted that his 31st wedding anniversary will soon be spent in Wolverhampton. Pochettino joked that it would be difficult for his wife Karina to join him in the Midlands. The cold reality is that it poses another difficult hurdle for Pochettino. Chelsea are expected to win but have taken just six points from the last available 15, three of which came against bottom club Sheffield United. Wolves could also do with a result to generate some festive cheer after one win in their last five games. B.F

Next stop: 2024

Thank you for your readership of our weekly Premier League Preview and Monday Review columns this year. I’ve written countless articles and it’s always nice to try to be concise about these things, even though some topics could be written in thousands of words. You may not always agree with the views of our writers, whether you are a fan or a club press officer who gets really annoyed about something relatively minor, but we really appreciate that you click on this article again and again comes back. There will be a little celebratory pause for all the things to come in ten seconds, but the topics of conversation will return with a bang or a whimper on New Year’s Day, depending on how your team did. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and see you in 2024. WU