1) Time for Guardiola to keep things simple
Pep Guardiola may be a tactical genius, but as the Spinal Tap guitarist once said, “It’s a fine line between stupid and smart.” The Manchester City coach has already proved this with his tendency to complicate things in big games. Few know this better than Jürgen Klopp, whose Liverpool team has more than once benefited from Guardiola’s unnecessarily intricate game plans. There is no call for such complexity on Sunday. City go to Anfield with 13 consecutive wins in all competitions, while the opponent has won three out of the last 10, lost two in the recovery at home and kept a clean score this year. Anfield fans, who in recent years have fueled the first blitzkriegs against City, will be absent. Guardiola’s main task may be more psychological than tactical: getting his players onto the pitch with the same freedom as in the past two months. Or, to put it in simple terms, to avoid messing with a winning formula. AH
2) Maitland-Niles has a chance to reshape his career
Hiring Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan was something of a blow to West Brom, as Leicester and Southampton were among the other interested clubs. The Arsenal academy graduate does not need an invitation to play at Spurs on Sunday and expects the benefits to be doubled. Survival seems like a big request for Sam Allardyce’s team, who are 10 points from safety, but the presence of an England international who was instrumental in the victory of his parent club in the FA Cup should not harm them. It is a great opportunity for Maitland-Niles as well. At 23, he has the chance to become a leading man in a first division team in the midfield he has always preferred. Versatility is a gift of football, but in some cases it can make the career pass to the player’s side; the stage is set for Maitland-Niles to shape his own future, helping West Brom to pursue what would be one of the biggest getaways. N / D
3) Lingard has qualities to shine at West Ham
Jesse Lingard is a funny football player to imagine. Very few players can do what he does when he is at the top of his game, but he struggles to reach that standard regularly … but he is good enough to find him on the biggest stages. One thing we know is that Lingard is not scared, so it was no surprise to see him react to the pressure of his West Ham debut with a beautiful debut one-two. Although David Moyes has a reputation for being obstinate, reality is more nuanced. The West Ham coach likes his compact, hard-working and hard-to-win team, but he also respects talent, even if he’s not sure how to manage it. Well, this is Lingard’s department now, and since West Ham is in good shape, but it needs a little more imagination, unpredictability and speed, the situation is perfect for him to succeed. DH
4) Pereira could take the Foxes to the finish line
Leicester may be third in the league, but their position is misleading: they are arguably better than at least one of the teams above them. While none of the division’s heavyweights can convincingly claim to be exceeding the sum of its parts this season, Brendan Rodgers’ team is doing just that – and the parts themselves are about to improve, too. Exuberant right-back Ricardo Pereira, his best player in the previous two seasons, debuted in the league on Wednesday and was denied goal only by an offside teammate. Talismanists Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy may be back in the fray to face Wolves on Sunday, while Harvey Barnes seems to improve with every match, and with goals to prove it. The Foxes’ last season was defined by a sharp decline midway through. This time, there is every chance that they will improve. AH
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5) Hudson-Odoi key to rebuild Tuchel’s Chelsea
Despite a grim draw against Wolves, Thomas Tuchel had an excellent start to his stint at Chelsea. The boldness of his choice for that game showed a man with clear opinions about how he wants his team to play and who he wants to play with, but the period of refinement has already begun. It seems unlikely that he will omit Mason Mount again, while the best of Timo Werner is better than that of Tammy Abraham or Olivier Giroud. But Tuchel’s most telling contribution adjustment was to include Callum Hudson-Odoi, who added momentum, candor and variety to a team that looked lost in the future. In addition, his side position will allow Hakim Ziyech – Chelsea’s top playmaker – to move to the middle, where he will necessarily have more ball possession and more influence. Sheffield United has improved in recent games, but will have another difficult night. DH
6) Martínez shows Arsenal what’s missing
You wouldn’t laugh out of town for suggesting that Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez was the Premier League’s best goalkeeper this season. Bernd Leno was in good shape until his loss to Wolves on Tuesday when he was sent off to play handball outside the area. It was an atypical blood race for the Arsenal goalkeeper, and now Mikel Arteta needs to call a competent deputy. That’s exactly what Martinez proved to be for Arsenal at the end of last season, but on Saturday the choice will be between Mat Ryan and Alex Runarsson. Ryan may not be fit in time and has barely trained since being loaned by Brighton, while Runarsson has not yet started in the Premier League after having a disastrous night against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. , who were flying until the turn of the game in Molineux, can take the heat from a last unknown line of defense. N / D
7) Mateta must break the curse of Selhurst’s attackers
What does the Crystal Palace shirt do for attackers? Only three times in the club’s 11 Premier League seasons has the Palace striker reached double digits. Kevin Phillips, Stephen Dobbie, Yaya Sanogo, Patrick Bamford, Kevin Doyle, Alexander Sørloth and Loïc Rémy came and went without a red and blue first division goal between them. From the current crop, Christian Benteke has three league goals this season, Jordan Ayew has one, and Michy Batshuayi has scored more goals for Belgium than Palace this season. All of this may not bode well for Jean-Philippe Mateta, Mainz’s 23-year loan, but it also means that it should be placed in a straight line. He already has 10 goals scored this season – more than any of his new teammates. Besides, let’s face it, it can’t do any worse. AH
8) Hasenhüttl has to resurrect the saints
Losing 9-0 once is unfortunate; losing 9-0 twice is … you understand, but it seems difficult that Southampton and Ralph Hasenhüttl have suffered such a terrible fate twice in just over 15 months, given the usual pattern of their work. The last time this happened, they had to wait patiently to get back on track, losing their next two league games before impressing in the draw with Arsenal and turning the tables on from there. On this occasion, they visit Newcastle and it is not unfair to suggest that the Magpies have, in recent years, been perfect opponents for teams that need an urgent refreshment. The Saints’ uncomfortable concern is that they have now lost three consecutive matches, with injuries – and now two suspensions – biting violently before even considering the ramifications of a hideout. Trust needs to be rebuilt quickly so they don’t fall to the bottom middle table; Hasenhüttl avoided this once, but taking them to new heights a second time may be his greatest achievement so far. N / D
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9) Shaw shows signs of improvement under Solskjær
Luke Shaw emerges as a player who reached the Premier League thanks to the purity of his talent, rather than the intensity of his focus – much to the exasperation of his previous coaches. But Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s patient and caring approach persuaded him to consistent excellence that is also changing the dynamics of his team. Previously, the coach had struggled to balance the side attackers who wanted to enter with the side by offering little offensive threat, leaving their midfield – already busy protecting a dubious defense – to bear the full creative load. But thanks to improvements by Shaw and side-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United are starting to advance as a team, using the full width of the field. They will need that dimension against an agitated Everton team after a beautiful midweek victory. If United do not win and Manchester City beat Liverpool, their “title shot” will end almost as soon as it has started. DH
10) Potter lifts seagulls adhering to his principles
Where did Brighton’s magnificent victories against Spurs and Liverpool come from? This particular scribe may not be in a better position to respond after despairing of his organized but unproductive efforts against Fulham nine days ago. For much of the season, Brighton failed to keep his opponents at bay, but his performance levels between the boxes were remarkably consistent. This is largely due to the training of Graham Potter, whose team is well trained and encouraged to operate fluently in attack, so it is encouraging to see his work bear fruit. Potter remained calm and refused to deviate from the way he believed Brighton should operate, and the club kept him. In that sense, there may be a resemblance to Sean Dyche, although you may not believe it if you attend their respective press conferences. Burnley would give himself a considerable cushion over the last three with a win; they will relish the chance to check their opponents’ overconfidence, but that no longer feels like the tense six-point point that had previously been scored. N / D