Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Flawed City defence meets hapless Newcastle attack, Leicester can end Silva’s service https://www.w88thais.com/w88-entrance-latest-updates-for-mobile-pc/ and only a miracle can save Emery. Newcastle United’s Andy Carroll (left) beats Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo in the air, Aston Villa’s Wesley celebrates after scoring against Norwich City, Watford’s Will Hughes comes on as a substitute to replace Tom Cleverley and Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter.
1) Flaky defence meets toothless attack at St James’ Park

Steve Bruce said Newcastle were too passive during Monday’s sorry defeat at Aston Villa. One thing he can actively do about that is drop Jonjo Shelvey, who was irrelevant in midfield at Villa Park. With Sean Longstaff available again after suspension, and Matty Longstaff in line for a return to the starting lineup, Shelvey should be parked on the bench. Bruce probably wishes he could also make changes up front to try to exploit City’s defensive flakiness. There is not often a good case for starting Andy Carroll but this time there are two: 



City’s fragility and Joelinton’s haplessness. At least Allan Saint-Maximin shows signs of menace, even if his finishing so far has been down there with that of the bewildering Miguel Almirón. Mind you, Gabriel Jesus has not been looking sharp recently for City. So even though injury deprives both clubs of their best centre-backs (Jamaal Lascelles and Aymeric Laporte respectively), this match has the potential to end in a ridiculous 0-0 if midfielders do not step up to score ww88

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2) Diop’s absence gives Pellegrini unwelcome defensive options
Manuel Pellegrini has spent the season vacillating between Fabián Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna in his search for the centre-back he dislikes the least as Issa Diop’s partner. Pellegrini picked them both five times last season – the only league matches Diop didn’t start – of which West Ham lost four and drew one. Last weekend, when Diop was taken off with just under half an hour to play, Pellegrini was so loth to play them both he brought Carlos Sánchez on and shifted Declan Rice into the back line. 

At Stamford Bridge, with Diop suspended, he must choose either to pair them both or start Rice in defence for the first time since the end of the 2017-18 season. With the 33-year-old David Martin expected to make his top-flight debut in goal in place of the underperforming Roberto, the fourth-worst Premier League team will head to the division’s fourth-best side with a reshaped and under-strength backline, in which not even the manager has confidence. SB

According to Graham Potter it was “a little bit strange” to be awarded a new six-year contract at Brighton because “we haven’t done anything”. Potter’s modesty is not an affectation and it is true that, six months into his tenure, Brighton have not quite stopped the world turning on its axis. But there are still times in football when slow and steady can win the race, and Potter’s reconfiguration of the Seagulls’ approach – adopting a progressive, modern style while sitting comfortably in mid-table – has gone exactly as Tony Bloom would have wanted. There have been fluctuations along the way but when Brighton lose they usually do so creditably, with Pep Guardiola making a point of praising Potter’s methods after Manchester City defeated them in August. They will undoubtedly set up to ask questions of Liverpool too. Brighton are in the middle of what, on paper, is a tough run of fixtures but their long-term commitment to the blueprint Potter has put in place gives them considerable cause for comfort. NA

• Liverpool v Brighton (3pm, Saturday) w88 mobile

Everton are not the only club that might feel shamed by the quality of work done by Brendan Rodgers within nine months of his arrival at Leicester, but a comparison with the last time these two sides met at the King Power Stadium highlights their wildly divergent directions of travel since. In October 2018, with Marco Silva still getting his feet under the table, Everton produced an exhilarating away performance, winning 2-1 and threatening more. 

“This is our image,” Silva said afterwards. “It will be so in the future and more.” Saturday’s rematch would be an apposite occasion for Silva to prove he can keep his promises, then, given that anything bar a rapid upturn in form and performance is likely to spell the end of his tenure. It is difficult to know what to make of Silva as a manager: there was always the sense that his talents were overhyped somewhat after he made an admittedly respectable fist of keeping Hull in the top flight two and a half years ago and he has shown little to suggest any extraordinary talent since then. Time is running out for him to change that opinion but a repeat of last season’s showing against opponents in irresistible form should buy him a little bit more. NA