Premier League: 10 things to watch this weekend

Dewsbury-Hall back on familiar ground

After masterminding Leicester’s return to the Premier League, Enzo Maresca has jumped ship for Chelsea. The Italian had little faith that he would stay at the King Power, despite his success despite the problems in the background and the attraction of London. Maresca did, however, make sure to take one thing with him in the form of central midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a leading figure in the Foxes’ promotion run. While Maresca has impressed at Stamford Bridge, Dewsbury-Hall are yet to find their feet and have been limited to a cup playing role. Of his 10 appearances for Chelsea, only three have been in the league and none since the start. Maybe it’s time to show him some confidence and there’s no better place to do it than his old house. Dewsbury-Hall has risen through the ranks at Leicester and his £30million transfer fee this summer has been very beneficial to their accounts after financial problems. Leicester fans will welcome Maresca and Dewsbury-Hall with open arms, the embrace the latter may need to revive his Chelsea career. Will lose

O’Riley can be crucial for Brighton

Matt O’Riley endured a difficult start to his Brighton career when he suffered an ankle injury caused by a poor challenge nine minutes into his career in the Carabao Cup against Crawley. The midfielder missed the next three months but showed his worth on his return to help transform the match against Manchester City and score the winner. Fabian Hürzeler and Brighton have named O’Riley as the man needed in midfield to sit alongside Carlos Baleba, who has a knee problem, and they could be paired up from the start at Bournemouth. Brighton didn’t miss O’Riley much, starting the weekend in sixth. Baleba is 20 and O’Riley is 24, meaning they could be a long-term partnership. That’s not often the case at Brighton, but if they perform as hoped, the pair could lay the foundations for a new push for European football while increasing their value. WU

Can Forest repeat the Anfield heist?

Arsenal have picked up two points from 12 available in the last four games and find themselves in a tricky situation. The prospect of facing the team right below them, who has yet to lose all season, is daunting. Nottingham Forest are the only team to have beaten Liverpool this season, proving they have the guile and quality to topple title contenders. At Anfield, Forest’s success came by filling the midfield and preventing Liverpool from playing fluidly. It looks like Nuno could do the same to stop Martin Ødegaard from pulling the strings. The Forest manager has proven his intelligence when it comes to stifling opponents, while also possessing a potent attacking threat. After losing to Newcastle, Nuno will want a reaction from his players. If he can make it look like the Anfield performance, he could be leading a top-four team by Saturday night. WU

Will Villa’s miserable month continue?

A month without a win – including four consecutive defeats – has taken the breath away from Aston Villa. Such patterns are not unknown to Unai Emery; its teams can blow hot and cold. The grim journey betrayed the fatigue of getting here so quickly and suggested that opposition leaders might be able to crack Villa’s code. Emery’s high-risk football, when it falters, can often look one-dimensional, as Villa did in successive defeats to Tottenham and Liverpool. With Ollie Watkins making an international breakthrough and Morgan Rogers earning his first cap, Emery is hoping for a morale boost. Oliver Glasner, who has fewer resources at Crystal Palace than Emery, has faced similar problems, having enjoyed so much success last season. It’s always a surprise to see Palace in the bottom three. Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton regaining fitness could be key for the Austrian manager. John Brewin

Everton need to freshen up their game

This could be the last home game of the dreaded Farhad Moshiri era for Everton, with the Friedkin Group hoping Premier League approval of their proposed takeover is near. A fresh start awaits us – hopefully, because the club desperately needs one – and the same goes for Sean Dyche’s approach. He made the team difficult to beat but increasingly difficult to guard; Everton are goalless in their last two matches. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not scored in his last seven starts but continues to keep Beto on the bench despite the Guinea-Bissau international providing the team with a rare goal threat as a substitute. Calvert-Lewin could, in all honesty, point to a desperate lack of quality service. Changes are needed, whether at centre-forward or in the backline, and although Brentford have lost all five of their away league matches this season, it should be noted that these defeats have come at Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United and two stoppage-time goals at Fulham. Andy Hunter

Berge helps fill Fulham void at Palhinha

It wouldn’t have been a surprise if Fulham had given up after selling João Palhinha to Bayern Munich. But it must be recognized that they managed to absorb the loss of the Portuguese midfielder. Sasa Lukic, the Serbian international, attracted attention at the start of the season and Sander Berge has been doing well since breaking into the starting XI last month. Berge was a wise purchase. The Norwegian joined Sheffield United for £22million in 2020 and was relegated 18 months later. He was influential in the Championship, won promotion, joined Burnley and was relegated again last season. Fulham could give the 26-year-old stability. Berge will be hoping to make his sixth consecutive start when Marco Silva’s high-flying side host Wolves. Jacob Steinberg

Pep stays but City must improve

When does a feel-good atmosphere persist in a club despite a dismal four-game losing streak? Answer: When Manchester City and their all-time great manager, Pep Guardiola, have just agreed a new one-year contract. City are looking to halt their slide against Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou’s spontaneous attacking unit will suit City. A team nicknamed “Doctor Tottenham” – the joke being that they provide the cure for a team in need – has the pace to get behind the champions’ high line and damage them too. A fifth consecutive loss would put the champions in crisis and cause some (misguided) fans to question the prudence of Guardiola’s extension. Jamie Jackson

Bottom meets top on the south coast

There is already a 24-point gap between bottom and top as Southampton prepare to face Liverpool. Trying to find hope for Russell Martin’s team heading into this game is tricky. At Wolves, they failed to get a shot on target despite having 72% possession and they will not dominate the ball in the same way on Sunday. Southampton’s style is all about passing and patience and Martin is unlikely to ever change, even if the club’s Premier League status and his job are under threat. All teams need an element of surprise, whether they are first or last, to keep their opponents guessing, but Southampton’s predictability is their downfall and explains why they are last. Reacting when something isn’t working is the sign of a good coach. If Martin can be more direct with the speed of his wingers and attackers, they could cause a well-deserved upset. WU

Højlund to fill the role of Gyökeres for Amorim?

Amid all the fanfare around Rúben Amorim, the key question is whether he will implement his preferred 3-4-3 formation and what personnel he might use to do so. At Sporting, Amorim relied heavily on the quality of Viktor Gyökeres as their sole striker and will almost certainly hand that role to Rasmus Højlund on Sunday as the only suitable player in the team. The Denmark international showed his potential in flashes at United but needs to become more consistent. Højlund needs help to get there, but he has similar characteristics to Gyökeres. The Swede wasn’t yet finished when he left Coventry for Sporting, but he is now one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, thanks in part to Amorim’s support. Fast and strong, Højlund has a similar profile but two goals in 12 appearances this season are not enough to keep him in the starting XI in the long term. Amorim could be the perfect man to help her. WU

Lopetegui is on the brink of the abyss

Could this be Julen Lopetegui’s last fight? The embattled West Ham manager could probably do without facing an improving Newcastle side, fresh from a warm-weather training camp in Saudi Arabia. England’s Jarrod Bowen is hoping to impress in the North East and is high on Eddie Howe’s January shopping list. The number of future visits West Ham might make to St James’ Park is currently a sensitive issue; While most Newcastle supporters have indicated their preference for the club to remain at the stadium, the club’s Saudi owners are currently exploring the idea of ​​building an entirely new ground, perhaps four miles from the city center, near Gosforth Park Racecourse. A decision is expected to be announced early in the new year. Who knows where Lopetegui, or West Ham, will be by then. Louise Taylor