1) Will Hazard start again?
When José Mourinho beat his chest after Chelsea’s win over Aston Villa last Saturday, it was a message to his players that they need to start showing more heart if they are going to drag themselves out of their slump. Mourinho had been talking about why he put Eden Hazard on the bench against Villa, Chelsea’s most talented player cast aside and left to think about how he can improve the defensive side of his game. It felt like Mourinho was treading on dangerous ground, potentially creating an unnecessary rift with Hazard at a time when he needs the support of his players. However Hazard was back in the side in Tuesday’s goalless draw with Dynamo Kyiv and he went closest to scoring when he bent an early shot against the post. It was a reminder of the Belgian’s quality and rather than ostracising him, Mourinho should start Hazard in this weekend’s awkward fixture away to West Ham United and concentrate on getting the best out of him as an attacking force. They tend to be prosaic when he is missing. JS
- Kyiv charged with racist behaviour of fans during Chelsea draw
- Mourinho ready to risk FA wrath by continuing ‘weak and naive’ mantra
2) Can Sunderland put a smile on Allardyce’s face?
In a feature entitled Ten Things To Look Out For This Weekend it would be remiss of us not to mention the cloud of self-generated smugness that is likely to be seen hovering over Sam Allardyce’s head should his new team record their sixth consecutive win over Newcastle, one of several English football institutions against whom Sunderland’s new manager bears a grudge.
It is a cliche that form goes out the window in local derbies and it is one neutrals will be hoping is borne out considering how almost uniformly awful both these sides have been this season. If ever a local rivalry smacked of two pygmies arguing over which one is the tallest, the biannual Premier League set-to between Sunderland and Newcastle has been it in recent years. Considering the sense of almost total disfunction that seems prevalent at Sunderland – from the highest echelons of the boardroom down – it is quite astonishing that they go into this match looking to make it a straight half-dozen wins over their old foe.
With the hosts having had some time to get to grips with their new managerial regime, while Newcastle remain high on the hog following their extraordinary 6-2 win over Norwich last weekend, both sides and their fans can be expected to approach this game with something approaching confidence.
Following his unhappy spell at Newcastle, whose pay-off funded the purchase of a lavish Spanish holiday home that he subsequently named after their ground, a Mackem win could render Big Sam insufferable, while defeat for Newcastle will ensure any goodwill generated by Steve McClaren last Sunday will quickly evaporate. BG
- Defoe: ‘I didn’t come to Sunderland to sit on the bench’
- McClaren: Newcastle rout of Norwich a reward for ‘staying calm’
3) Sherwood badly needs a win
Villa were quietly impressive for half an hour against Chelsea. Jack Grealish and Carles Gil were pesky and creative on the ball and Stamford Bridge felt restless when Rudy Gestede turned Jordan Ayew’s cross over the bar from close range. Yet Villa ruined all their good work when doziness from Brad Guzan and Joleon Lescott led to Diego Costa giving Chelsea the lead and Tim Sherwood’s side could not muster a response after going behind. They looked sorry for themselves and resigned to their fate – the situation is grim at the moment. Villa have not won since the opening day of the season and their supporters were furious after their previous home match, the drab 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke City. Could Sherwood be on borrowed time if he does not get a positive result against Swansea City? JS
- Sherwood: beating Swansea is vital for Villa confidence
- Swansea may face sanction for big-screen replays of Butland tackle
4) Kane able to rediscover form against Cherries
Harry Kane will be hoping to add to his worryingly low tally of just three goals from 40 shots in his past 17 Premier League appearances against a luckless Bournemouth side ravaged by serious injuries and sliding slowly towards the foot of the table. Even more than Plucky Little Bournemouth, Kane seems to have the public sympathy vote whether he wants it or not, and many will be hoping he bags the hatful required to boost his clearly snake-belly low self-confidence, even if doing so against the Cherries is tantamount to stealing the pennies from a dead man’s eyes. BG
- Chadli ruled out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage
- Furious Pochettino tears into Tottenham after Anderlecht defeat
5) Giroud or Walcott?
- Appearances
- 8
- Goals
- 2
- Shots
- 26
- Shots on target
- 46%
- Offsides
- 8
Olivier Giroud stole the headlines by scoring Arsenal’s opener against Bayern Munich, but Theo Walcott also deserves credit for the way that he softened up Pep Guardiola’s defence in the first half. Could this be the way forward for Arsenal? Giroud also scored when he came off the bench against Watford last weekend. Walcott’s pace disturbed Bayern and although he did not score, that was only down to an absurd save from Manuel Neuer. Walcott has played well since being given a chance to be Arsenal’s central forward at the end of last season and his movement against Bayern, coupled with the part he played in the win over Manchester United, shows that he can trouble good defences and create space for Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil. Wenger should keep faith with him for the visit of Everton. JS
- Bayern beaten as Giroud hands Arsenal Champions League lifeline
- Arsenal defeat of Bayern sent out message, says Walcott
6) Battle of the big transfers at Old Trafford
Much was made of the massive transfer fees paid for Anthony Martial and Kevin De Bruyne by Manchester United and Manchester City respectively in September, with many fans and media commentators getting their smalls in a twist over the combined fee of £91m for two players with a combined age of 45. Such has been the impact of both players that their price tags are no longer an issue, only mentioned in passing to point out that they’re … well, no longer an issue. In a match that looks nigh on impossible to call with anything resembling confidence, it seems inconceivable that either of these versatile, skilful and apparently nerveless players will not have a monumental influence on the outcome of a fixture that last failed to produce a winner 13 fixtures – and almost five years – ago.
It is a testament to how quickly both players have settled in their new environment that neither has given even the slightest indication they’ll cowed by Sunday’s big occasion. If anything, both play with the swagger of stars who feel it is exactly the kind of platform in which men of their talents are born to thrive. A slightly off-piste addendum worth noting is that Mark Clattenburg tends to referee with a similar if not entirely justified swagger and it is to be hoped, in the wake of a display at Selhurst Park last weekend in which he got little wrong but seemed overly fussy, that it is the players rather than the referee who grab the headlines at the final whistle. BG
- Pellegrini hails De Bruyne as ‘perfect’ for Manchester City
- Martial praised by Louis Van Gaal despite ‘stupid’ mistake
7) Norwich look for safety after drubbing
Often after a team concedes six goals, they set out in the next match to prioritise solidity, especially if the manager admits that the heavy defeat was his fault because he got carried away seeking goals. But if Alex Neil takes a cautious approach against West Brom following Sunday’s tonking at Newcastle, then this match will be a stonecold 0-0 because Tony Pulis’s side sure won’t take the attacking initiative. But Neil likely knows that Albion are there for the taking. Salomón Rondón has looked forlorn up front by himself in recent weeks. Albion’s left side, featuring James McClean and Chris Brunt, who is not getting any more comfortable at left-back despite being persistently picked there, suggests that Martin Olsson and Robbie Brady could have a ball. PD
8) An improvement from Shaqiri
Stoke City are on a roll. After starting the season slowly, they have won their past three matches. Marko Arnautovic excelled in the 1-0 win at Villa and Bojan Krkic won and scored the decisive early penalty in the win at Swansea City on Monday, so two members of the creative trio behind the front man are in the mood. Yet there is still more to come from Xherdan Shaqiri. The former Bayern and Internazionale winger had some delightful touches against Swansea but he was a tad anxious at times after his return from injury, rushing a couple of shots. Once he settles down, Stoke will surely reap the benefits. Maybe Shaqiri will find his range against Watford? JS
9) Can Saints stop Klopp’s gegenpressers?
Considering how accomplished Southampton usually are when it comes to going on to win matches in which they’ve scored the opening goal, it’s probably no exaggeration to say that Ronald Koeman was extremely displeased with his players for letting Leicester come from two down to steal a point last weekend. Last season, Saints only lost three out of 20 Premier League matches in which they scored first, but this year they’ve already lost three out of five in which they’ve bagged the first goal. Whether or not this is largely down to the Morgan Schneiderlin-shaped hole that is occasionally apparent in front of their defence is open to debate, but it does seem indicative of a loss of composure, calm and organisation among the ranks of a Southampton team that was so unflappable last season. How they fare against the hustling and harrying of Jürgen Klopp’s all new Liverpool Gegenpressers, particularly if they take the lead, will make for intriguing viewing. BG
- Liverpool’s Coutinho left out of Brazil squad to play Argentina
- Liverpool and Klopp frustrated by draw against 10-man Rubin Kazan
10) Leicester v Palace offers an afternoon of fun
Just over two years ago these clubs met in the Championship. Now they are about to stage one of the most attractive fixtures of the Premier League weekend and the winner could surge back into the top four. Leicester go into the game a place above Palace and with Jamie Vardy in thrilling form, but Palace look to be favourites. For a start, subduing Vardy would be a fine way for Scott Dann to continue trying to attract the attention of Roy Hodgson, who seems to be suffering from a strange blind spot when it comes to the Palace centreback. More pertinently, Alan Pardew’s side are experts at exploiting space on the road and Leicester tend to leave themselves so open that the visitors’ widemen could revel, especially with service from Yohan Cabaye. The toing-and-froing between Yannick Bolasie, Wilfied Zaha or BakarySako on one side and Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton on the other will be well worth watching. To top off a fine afternoon’s entertainment, the atmosphere should be delightful given the jolly fervour of both sets of fans and the result will probably be in doubt until the final seconds. PD
