Dyche faces an uphill task at Emirates
Sean Dyche may struggle to find reasons for hope before his Verton side travel to the Arsenal. The Toffees captured Mikel Arteta’s reign in the early days of his reign, winning under Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benítez. Dyche enjoyed a 1-0 draw at Goodison in their first meeting with Arsenal boss Verton, but lost the next three matches. Verton have only won on the road this season at Ipswich in October – also scoring away from home last season – while Arteta’s side are on a 14-game unbeaten run at the Emirates. Dyche can be forgiven for having one eye on the January transfer window, saying on Thursday that Friedkin’s proposed takeover of the group “can be seen very clearly … but, until it’s done, it’s not done”. Whatever happens on Saturday, we can look forward to the proposed party. Arsenal have scored a record 20 goals from corners since the start of last season, with 57% of Everton’s goals this term coming from cuts.
Iwobi hopes to join Silva at Anfield
The nine-point lead Liverpool carved out at Anfield by beating Manchester City is down to four, after a 3-3 draw at Newcastle and the postponement of next weekend’s Merseyside derby. Not that Arne Slote’s side shows any signs of aging; Today’s 1-0 win at Girona maintained their 100% record in the Champions League, all but scoring eight goals which will alleviate any concerns about the obstruction. Fulham, unbeaten with three from a 4-1 home win over Wolves, will provide a test on Saturday with Marco Silva hoping Alex Iwobi can continue his excellent form. “It’s incredible for us,” Silva said of the player signed by Verton and then brought to Craven Cottage last year. Iwobi never scored against Liverpool, but he bagged two goals from the new midfield side in the win over Brighton. He was able to flourish in a similar role with Liverpool missing Alexis MacAllister, who served a single suspension at the club Supreme League and Europe this week.
Van Nistelrooy remembers Robson as ‘wonderful’
Ruud van Nistelrooy takes the Leicester team to St James’ Park on Saturday, and the manager will stop by the Bobby Robson statue to pay his respects. He flourished as a striker under Robson’s management at PSV Eindhoven and went on to become the former England manager. I recommend Van Nistelrooy to Manchester United Kingdom. The Dutchman returned the favor by scoring seven goals in six Premier League games against Robson’s Newcastle side, but he has fond memories of his former mentor. “It was a strange man and thinking I was laughing about it,” said Van Nistelrooy, who is still unbeaten as an English football manager. “He’s always talking about getting better and improving … what it’s like to be on the team. Fight and heart and emotion and when you can be the best.” Van Nistelrooy certainly lifted Leicester, who can move in three places with the victory.
The application of science keeps O’Neil safe
Gary O’Neil’s Wolves side lost the match to El Sackico, coming up short at West Ham on Monday night, but the manager was retained and received a vote of confidence from chairman Jeff Shi this week. Writing in these Express and star column, Shi said: “While” [Gary] He knows that it is essential to improve our results quickly, we are united by helping him. Maybe that’s there there is a lack of alternative options – but either way, O’Neil will ensure the six rule on Saturday against Ipswich. Whatever the outcome, Shi vows to keep perspective. “Success in the game is largely a science,” he added in one of the most recent seasons of gathering cheers. “I believe in the power of positivity because negativity does nothing. Just as atoms remain atoms, how we perceive, combine and connect them defines their collective value.
Forest free to excommunicate the return of Europeans
Not even Brian Clough managed to lead Forest to victory at Anfield and Old Trafford at the same time, so little surprise expectations were raised at the City Ground. With relegation feared almost extinct, the debate on Trentside has turned to whether Nuno Espírito Santo’s side can follow Aston Villa’s example and make a long-term return to Europe. Since 1985, the club has enjoyed only one European campaign, and that came in the 1995-96 UEFA Cup. Nuno played things down in the developer’s style, saying only that Forest “has a good platform and ambition to grow and improve … we’re trying to build something nice together.” Still, his side sit fifth, above Saturday Night’s opponents on goal difference, and have a reasonable run of fixtures between now and the return game with Liverpool in mid-January.
Hürzeler becomes the hero of his Derby rival
The A23 derby doesn’t usually offer much entertainment for the midfielders, with six of the last 10 meetings between Brighton and Crystal Palace ending in 1-1 draws. The pendulum has swung on the Mariners’ path recently, with a seven-game winless streak against their rivals ending in March 2023, and they have now turned into a six-match unbeaten streak. Brighton’s 4-1 home win in February marked the start of the end for Roy Hodgson, who was succeeded by Oliver Glasner. The Austrian failed to carry his last season’s form into the new campaign, but Palace are on a four-game unbeaten run and have a notable admirer in Fabian Hürzeler. Brighton’s manager decided to advance with St. Paul by Glasner’s art in Frankfurt, and as his new rival Hürzeler quickly settled in England. The question is whether, unlike Glasner, he can assert that moment for the first time.
Amorim takes on Guardiola in a nerve-wracking derby
Ruben Amorim arrives for the first Manchester derby on Sunday, becoming United’s fifth manager under Pep Guardiola’s City manager. In fact, it’s a meeting that both coaches prefer to push back for several weeks. Amorim’s promising start at Old Trafford was stalled by defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and the main reason at the Etihad is the equally poor form of their opponents. Defeat at Juventus in midweek means League City’s win over Silva is their only win in 10 matches. That run includes a 4-1 defeat to Amorim Luedentis side in the Champions League, where City’s defensive weaknesses were fully exploited. Guardiola’s concerns were significantly eased when he enjoyed a comprehensive derby victory, as he often has in Erik ten Hag at United, but Amorim’s case showed that he has a different perspective. He is also in the rarest of talks for a Manchester United manager – a game where the manager in the opposite dugout is under greater pressure.
Can Brentford’s woes be a short journey away?
Thomas Frank will hope to travel to the land only six miles from home to bring an end to his fear from afar. Brentford have the unusual distinction of being the Premier League’s best home side (22 points out of 24) and worst on the road (one point out of 21). Chelsea, unbeaten in seven league games and just four points off the top spot, are an unlikely opponent for the Bees to break that run. That said, Brentford have won in their last three trips to Stamford Bridge and the team’s torch is returning from this week’s 7,000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan – although Enzo Maresca’s plan to take a youthful squad to face Astana should mitigate that potential damage. Maresca’s side are Leuca’s top scorers with 35 goals; Brentford are tied for second with Tottenham, having netted 31 times. The goals seem to be certain on Sunday night.
Martin and Postecoglou share a struggle
Southampton are eight points adrift of safety, having picked up five from just 15 league games, and Russell Martin admitted ahead of Tottenham’s arrival on Sunday evening that their position was “incredibly damaging and embarrassing”. The manager made it clear that he would not change his approach and repeated the message, urging the players to “maintain the intention of the process”. Martin Ange Postecoglou sees him as a kindred spirit, with the pressure of a bitterly strategic approach put in charge. “I was criticized the same way, stubborn,” said Martin, “but if you believe that something has caught you in a certain life, then deviate further from this madness.” An old saying about the definition of insanity comes to mind: repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.
Battle of the Basques in Bournemouth
When Julen Lopetegui was appointed manager of West Ham, he joined three other Dutch head coaches in the English top flight, all of whom made it as Premier League manager in the shortest time. Along with Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola has been named to lead his team into mid-table after a difficult start. All four men from Gipuzkoa, the smallest province of Spain, which have They have become a hotbed of coaching – but Iraola’s influence played a big part in West Ham’s decision to hire Lopetegui and keep him after early struggles this season. Monday’s win over Wolves eased the manager’s impression, but Iraola could face a further seven days of torture. Having been linked with the West Ham job in recent weeks, Iraola’s in-form Cherries could be the team to dethrone Lopetegui for the Premier League’s hottest seat.