Premier League: 10 things to watch out for this weekend

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United must link ambition to commitment

Bruno Fernandes lamented that last week’s Manchester derby defeat was down to “individual quality of City’s players”. Hard to argue with, but the most frustrating part of United’s defeat was their inability to commit for the full 90 minutes. At 2-1, even some seniors had their heads down and seemed to show a lack of effort in the last 15 minutes. Let alone individual quality, which in itself is unforgivable. And that attitude only drives future opponents further. Jordan Pickford has said he is confident Everton will beat Erik ten Hag’s side on Saturday. “For me, I guess [with] the intensity and work rate that the boys exude, the running stats. I think we can come after them. We will be able to go through them all.” Yara El Shaboury

Luton are keen to undermine Palace’s expectations

Until they were outdone by the unlikely figure of Timo Werner at Tottenham last week, the optimism surrounding Oliver Glasner’s opening win over Burnley had Crystal Palace fans dreaming of reaching Premier League safety with plenty to spare. “A great job of 60-70 minutes,” said the manager. Collapsing to a 3-1 defeat to Spurs, especially given Burnley’s poor form, saw expectations scaled back for Palace. Beating Luton could restore some confidence and pull the rope away from Rob Edwards’ team, whose confidence may be fading. Losing to Aston Villa last week, having fallen two goals lower, could ultimately serve as a microcosm of Luton’s spirit in setbacks falling short. Beating Palace in November, a first home league win at Kenilworth Road, was a vital part of Luton’s recovery. It will have to be repeated if Glasner’s team and others can get into trouble again. John Brewin

Hughes will be a big loss for Bournemouth

A big story broke at Bournemouth this week, with confirmation that their technical director, Richard Hughes, will move on at the end of the season. Apart from Eddie Howe, perhaps no individual has been as influential in shaping the club’s top-flight status as Hughes, the former midfielder who played under and subsequently worked closely with Howe. It was Hughes who spearheaded the appointment of Andoni Iraola, who impressed after a rocky start, and is the architect behind their recruitment, including the high-profile arrival of exciting talents such as Alex Scott, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi. Hughes, who is highly respected throughout the game, will hand over the baton to Simon Francis, another former player, who has worked as his assistant for the past three years. Such collective thinking has been scarce at bottom club Sheffield United for some time. Ben Visser

The story continues

Small team damaging Wolves’ big dreams

After three wins on the spin, Wolves suffered a hiccup at Newcastle last time out with a shock 3-0 defeat. It was the kind of match where almost everything that could go wrong did, with José Sá and Pedro Neto having to retire due to injury. The good news for Gary O’Neil is that these substitutions were precautionary, but the bad is that he still doesn’t have a bona fide striker. Nathan Fraser, a 19-year-old academy forward, is their only recognized number 9, while Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan could be sidelined until May due to hamstring problems. So light on numbers are they, Wolves named 15-year-old defender Wesley Okoduwa on the bench at St James’ Park. Wolves are targeting a European berth that looked out of their reach at the start of the season, but ultimately their thin squad could sabotage those plans. B.F

Havertz is thriving in Arsenal’s push for the top

Kai Havertz seems to have finally found his place at Arsenal and adapted to the rhythm of the Premier League. Doubts arose about his abilities after a generally disappointing spell at Chelsea, and poor performances at the start of the season did not help. But Mikel Arteta’s confidence never wavered and he is finally reaping the rewards. In Arsenal’s last three Premier League matches – big wins against Burnley, Newcastle and Sheffield United – Havertz has been involved in goals five times, equaling the number in the previous 32. The German is flourishing and he appears, along with the team, to be hunters rather than the hunted. This time last year, top-of-the-table Arsenal were starting to crack. They finally have another chance to come out on top and this time they can’t let the pressure build. With Liverpool and Manchester City playing each other on Sunday, Arsenal can surpass the pair with a win over Brentford. YES

A big battle in the race for the Champions League

When the team news dropped 75 minutes before kick-off at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday, it provided an important indication of Unai Emery’s mindset and how important he views Tottenham’s visit to Villa Park on Sunday. John McGinn, the captain, in-form forward Leon Bailey and full-backs Matty Cash and Alex Moreno started the match on the bench, with 20-year-old midfielder Tim Iroegbunam getting his second start, almost two years after making his full debut. Spurs are five points behind Villa in fourth place but have a game in hand, so a home win would provide a welcome cushion between them and their nearest challengers for a place in the Champions League. Villa won the reverse fixture in November thanks to goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins and a repeat would be invaluable. B.F

New faces await in the West Ham wings

West Ham have some talented youngsters and it was a shame David Moyes didn’t bring one off the bench in his side’s recent win over Brentford. After 69 minutes it was 4-1 and George Earthy, Ollie Scarles and Divin Mubama were waiting in reserve. However, Moyes was cautious. Needing a win after a poor run of results, the closing stages turned nervous after Brentford pulled a goal back. However, it would be good to see Moyes give his young players a taste of first-team action if West Ham are in a similarly dominant position against Burnley on Sunday. Jacob Steinberg

Will Clattenburg be in the spotlight again?

Whether Mark Clattenburg enters the Amex Stadium mixed zone, conveniently located next to the dressing rooms and press conference facilities, may depend on whether Nottingham Forest feel they are getting a fair signal from the referee’s whistle in Brighton. Following last week’s concession to Liverpool in the 99th minute, the Gladiators’ TV star’s appearance in the mixed zone of the City Ground raised the eyebrows of even the most seasoned reporters. A role as Forest’s ‘referee analyst’, appointed by the owner, Evangelos Marinakis, after a friendship developed when the Durham card-wielder worked as the Greek Super League’s referee chief, appears to be the latest – and not necessarily welcome – development in the modern football determination to referee every match. That Clattenburg and other former officials have such colorful post-season careers and increasingly lead public lives is another dimension in the expanded universe of the Premier League. Add all that to the growing pile of unforeseen circumstances that the introduction of VAR has brought into the game. JB

Will City banish their Anfield demons?

Anfield knows how to get Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, and Anfield knows it. The all-conquering City manager has won just one of his eight visits since taking charge at the Etihad in 2016 and that 4-1 defeat, while a key moment in Liverpool’s 2021 title regain, was played against the backdrop of an empty stadium due to the pandemic. In a packed, frenzied arena, as will be the case on Sunday, Guardiola’s record at Liverpool is: lost, lost, lost, draw, lost, draw, lost. It is a place where Liverpool pressure, referee decisions, missed penalties and periods of unrewarded dominance have broken Guardiola’s temperament and cemented his reputation for needless fiddling. The City manager has spoken of the need for his champions to focus only on what they can control as they chase an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title. A cold-eyed approach in the white heat of Anfield, where Jurgen Klopp’s leaders are unbeaten in 29 games in all competitions, would not only tilt the title race in City’s favor but also mean an exit for them. Andy Hunter

Newcastle’s leaky defense is being severely tested

Newcastle’s previous visit to London did not go well. A 4-1 thrashing of Arsenal exposed a host of shortcomings and left Eddie Howe open to questions about his future. But the response was decent. Newcastle reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup by beating Blackburn on penalties and they will hope that last weekend’s emphatic 3-0 win over Wolves is a sign of things to come. To secure European qualification for a second season in a row, the consistency of yesteryear must return. Newcastleare are still conceding too many goals. They have kept just three clean sheets since the turn of the year and will be without Kieran Trippier against Chelsea, who remain dangerous in attack despite weaknesses in other areas. JS