- Premier League weekend action is here with us after a round of European competition.
- We look at the major talking points of the Premier League.
Premier League weekend action is here with us after a round of European competition.
We look at the major talking points of the Premier League.
Will Tottenham survive the injuries?
Tottenham face several suspensions and injuries. Photo/The Athletic
Due to Ange Postecoglou’s influence at Tottenham, his team has been mentioned as possible title contenders; nevertheless, with his schedule nearing capacity, the Australian now confronts a formidable task.
In Spurs’ crazy match against Chelsea on Monday, only three of their outfield players—Heung-min Son, Yves Bissouma, and Pedro Porro—started and finished the match; the other seven were all replaced or sent off.
The nine-man North Londoners gave up late in the game and lost 4-1; Postecoglou now has little choice but to get his squad ready to fight back. Spurs are without a center defender with Micky van de Ven expected to miss a significant amount of time due to a hamstring injury, especially after Cristian Romero received a red card last week.
Spurs will be missing three of their starting back four when they play Wolves this weekend because of Destiny Udogie’s red card. Emerson Royal and Eric Dier finished the game in an improvised center-back combination.
Spurs are thin all across the field with James Maddison, Richarlison, Manor Solomon, Ryan Sessegnon, and Ivan Perisic either out or questionable for the weekend.
United must win against Luton
Rasmus Hojlund. Photo/ United In Focus.
Erik ten Hag is aware that Manchester United has to defeat Luton this Saturday. Even with the conditions, Ten Hag’s loss in Copenhagen has put the Red Devils in an almost unsupportable situation, as they are on the verge of dropping out of the Champions League following nine losses in 17 games across all competitions.
Given the investment made since Ten Hag’s arrival, the board won’t want to start again, but things need to get better quickly. This Saturday, Luton, who recently drew fiercely with Liverpool, will be seen as the perfect opponent for United to turn things around.
Having just managed one victory this season, Luton have the second-highest expected goals against (xGA) number (27.87) in the Premier League. Although the Danish striker has already tied for the most goals in Europe this season—five—and scored twice in the middle of the week, Rasmus Hojlund is yet to score in the Premier League.
The Red Devils, who want to avoid losing three straight games at Old Trafford for the first time in 61 years, will need to provide the striker with the necessary attention.
No love lost for Wilson
Callum Wilson used to play for Bournemouth. Photo/Sky Sports
After missing both of Newcastle’s games last season, Callum Wilson may play in a Premier League match for the first time since leaving the Cherries this coming weekend. Wilson was formerly a player for Bournemouth.
The 31-year-old, who has made 10 appearances this season and 45 goals in 84 league outings, has been a great signing for the Magpies. If Wilson scores this weekend, he would tie Peter Beardsley and trail just Alan Shearer in the club’s Premier League goals total.
Wilson was recalled to the England team this week, so it would be an incredible accomplishment considering the caliber of center-forwards who have represented Newcastle.
Wilson is also the highest-scoring player in the Premier League who hasn’t joined the “100 Club” yet. He is almost at a century of Premier League goals, having scored 86 goals for Newcastle and Bournemouth.
Dominant City faces Chelsea
In the 2021 Champions League final, Chelsea defeated Manchester City, marking the west Londoners’ third consecutive victory over the Citizens. The Manchester team has been dominating this match ever since the Blues from the capital looked to have the upper hand over their rivals.
The last time Chelsea broke through the City goal was Kai Havertz’s winner in the Champions League final. City has won all six of their previous meetings with the squad and has not let up a goal.
Chelsea is still a squad in transition, but they defeated Spurs with nine men in a wild encounter last week. Nicolas Jackson displayed both his strengths and weaknesses as he missed a ton of opportunities before netting the easiest Premier League hat-trick in living memory.
Cole Palmer, a 21-year-old playing his debut game against his previous side, might be crucial for Chelsea. Palmer has been a fantastic signing for Chelsea after leaving Manchester City last summer in pursuit of consistent playing time. He is eager to make a statement against the team that is prepared to release him.
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