Fulham have reasons for optimism as City visit
After two wins in their first 22 games of the season it’s three in six now for Fulham, the fifth best record in the division over that period. Brighton were 10 points away after Fulham’s draw with West Ham last month; now the teams are separated only by goal difference, with Newcastle and Burnley not much more distant. After this match, seven of Fulham’s last nine games are against teams no higher than ninth; their last two home games are against Burnley and Newcastle. In short, there are plenty of reasons for optimism for Scott Parker and his side, and there’s not much Manchester City can do to change that. Fulham will do well to emerge from this game with goal difference still superior to most of their relegation rivals, but are aiming higher. “United beat them, so why can’t we do it?” says Joachim Andersen. The teams’ last six meeting in all competitions add up to an entirely unpromising aggregate score of 18-0 to City.
Pulisic still waiting for his turn under Tuchel
Since Thomas Tuchel was appointed in January, Christian Pulisic has not played more than 45 minutes in a Premier League game. That may be terribly dispiriting for a young forward who at times has been integral to this team, but it might also allow the American to approach the end of the campaign with motivation high and tiredness low. At the same stage last season he was coming to the end of a long absence through injury and lockdown, andreturned for the final nine league games , scoring four goals and creating four more, his best run of form for Chelsea. Whether Tuchel will allow him the chance at a similar burst of form is another matter. “I can say nothing but good things about him,” said Tuchel this week. “It isn’t a lack of trust or quality, it is just that he will have to be patient.”
Derby day will offer measure of Arsenal progress
It wasn’t so long ago that Sam Allardyce took over at West Brom and declared the Baggies would be scrapping with Arsenal in a relegation dogfight. Results for Mikel Arteta’s men have been somewhat mixed since then, but good enough to vault them into the top half. Defeat Spurs and they would draw to within two points of Liverpool, who meet Wolves on Monday, and four behind Tottenham. With fixtures against West Ham and the defending champions also looming, Arteta has a perfect opportunity to demonstrate his claim that the Gunners’ league position belies the progress they are making. José Mourinho’s men have been gathering a momentum of their own just lately and if Gareth Bale’s revival continues, it would be no surprise to see Tottenham’s attacking firepower win the day.
Phillips and Kabak offer Klopp some stability
With Monday’s trip to Molineux a welcome trip away from Liverpool’s historic Anfield hoodoo, Jürgen Klopp will hope for a continuation of the improvements seen in Budapest during the ‘home’ Champions League defeat of RB Leipzig. Nat Phillips received plaudits for his performance in the centre of defence alongside Ozan Kabak, the Schalke loanee far more comfortable against Bundesliga opposition than he has been in the Premier League. Fabinho starting in midfield for the first time in months certainly aided the youthful pair, as well as the overall balance of the team. Phillips was noticeably more decisive and assured than in that latest home defeat to Fulham last Sunday; Wednesday was perhaps the most assured Liverpool have looked defensively since Virgil van Dijk’s injury. After 20 different defensive pairings this season, against a Wolves attack struggling for goals, Klopp is likely to plump for continuity and giving the fledgling partnership a run together.
Three or four at the back for Ancelotti?
Everton have switched between a back three and four this season with varying results, though the four has been Carlo Ancelotti’s more successful and frequent selection. But he has so far started both his games against Sean Dyche’s Burnley with three centre-backs, beginning with his first game as Everton manager in December 2019 and continuing when the teams met last December. On that occasion, however, a first-half injury to left wing-back Fabian Delph forced him to change shape, the team looked much better after their reorganisation (with Alex Iwobi as a makeshift right-back) and they did not change back again for more than two months. Recently Everton have beaten Liverpool and lost to Chelsea with three at the back, while beating Southampton and West Brom with four. It will be interesting to see which way Ancelotti goes here, though the return of Seamus Coleman should at least spare Iwobi further full-back action.
Moyes can walk tall again at Old Trafford
Almost seven years on from his sacking by Manchester United, David Moyes travels back to Old Trafford with his West Ham team in fifth place and his reputation replenished. Moyes has not beaten United since he was Everton’s manager, on the opening weekend of the 2012-13 season. He has faced them seven times since, drawing twice with West Ham; this may be his best chance yet to get a win. In east London, Moyes has shown why he was Sir Alex Ferguson’s chosen successor by producing a hard-working team greater than the sum of its parts. He has aided Declan Rice’s development into one of the best midfielders in the country while Craig Dawson, a 30-year-old centre-back surplus to requirements at West Brom, has reminded of Moyes’ ability to polish unlikely diamonds. Those traumatic nine months at United can never be wiped away but Moyes is again showing there was always a good manager within him.
Newcastle and Villa in Friday night flop?
Newcastle will once again be without Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almirón for the visit of Aston Villa. Particularly worrying given that they were able to call upon all three for their trip to Villa Park in January (though Saint-Maximin started on the bench) yet still only had one shot on target. Almirón’s effort was, according to our match report, “a piffling effort from 20 yards that barely made Martínez move enough to get warm”. Against West Brom, Steve Bruce played Joelinton and Ryan Fraser as a very distant front two, who rarely threatened in a miserable game. If their primary intention then was, perhaps understandably, to avoid defeat, Bruceneeds a significant improvement against a Villa side with their own issues up front – they have scored two in their last five games. Their creator-in-chief Jack Grealish remains injured and has also been battling illness this week, according to Villa manager Dean Smith.
Blades offer test of Leicester’s top-four mettle
While Sheffield United are playing for pride at this stage by Chris Wilder’s own admission, Leicester have plenty to fight for in the league and FA Cup. This is a campaign that could still go either way for Brendan Rodgers’ men: should they exit the Cup in their quarter-final against Manchester United a week on Sunday, soon after departing the Europa League, that would leave only a top-four finish to play for. Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea are breathing down their necks, looking increasingly likely to finish strongly, so the next few weeks will be a test of Rodgers’ managerial skills as well as the character of his injury-hit squad. Another late-season slump in the Premier League would be dispiriting, and in view of the form being shown by Tuchel’s men, West Ham and others, the Foxes cannot realistically afford to pass up the chance of three points against the league’s bottom club.
Brighton will hope for Saints slips in derby
Two south coast clubs, two teams badly out of form. Southampton followed up Saturday’s precious win at rock-bottom Sheffield United with a midweek thrashing at Manchester City. They did not play too badly but every defensive mistake was punished. Only the hapless Blades have picked up fewer points in the last five games than Brighton, and their slide down towards the bottom three owes plenty to individual mistakes. Leicester’s win at the Amex last week came after Robert Sánchez’s goalkeeping error presented Daniel Amartey with a tap-in. That Graham Potter’s team had nothing to show for what had been a decent performance has become one of the most common refrains of this season. There is little doubt that Brighton are now in danger, sitting level on points with Fulham with a game in hand. On Sunday, Potter may have to hope Southampton make more mistakes.
Palace seek Zaha bounce against Baggies
When Crystal Palace and West Brom met in December, Roy Hodgson’s side scored as many goals (five) as they have had shots on target in their last four matches combined. At the end of that game, Wilfried Zaha had scored seven goals in his nine league appearances, and 32% of his shots had gone in. “What he has added to his game this year is goalscoring,” Roy Hodgson said after the game. “If Wilf can keep that up it bodes very well for us.” He has not: there have been two goals in 11 games since, in which time just 9% of his shots have gone in. Still, he remains of fundamental importance to Palace and will surely return to their starting lineup for this game, after coming back from a thigh strain to play the second half of last weekend’s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham.
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