1. Must-win game for Rodgers
IT’S AN INDICATION of the level of pressure on a modern-day manager that after just six games amid what is undoubtedly a transitional phase, there is already much talk of Brendan Rodgers being sacked by Liverpool.
And as if life wasn’t difficult enough already, Christian Benteke, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Dejan Lovren are all set to miss to The Reds’ clash at home to Aston Villa this weekend through injury.
Brendan Rodgers, as is often the case, has attempted to put a favourable outlook on the situation, claiming the pressure currently on him amounts to “positive fear”.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to escape the feeling that Liverpool’s players are affected by all the speculation surrounding the future of their boss, with the dismal mid-week performance against Carlisle indicating as much.
2. Can Martial continue fantastic start?
Teenage striker Anthony Martial has surpassed expectations since joining Man United, despite the pressure surrounding his big-money move from Monaco.
Martial scored against Ipswich during the week to make it four goals in four appearances since joining the club.
Provided the youngster starts on Saturday, he should have some more opportunities to add to his impressive tally.
Sunderland have statistically the worst defence in the Premier League, having conceded 13 goals in six games. Consequently, it’s hardly a surprise that not many people expect the Premier League’s bottom side to get anything out of tomorrow’s game at Old Trafford.
3. Key test for Leicester
Many people tipped Leicester to struggle after the controversial decision to replace Nigel Pearson with Claudio Ranieri during the summer.
However, the very opposite has occurred, and the Foxes have consistently punched above their weight so far in the campaign, and currently sit fourth in the table as it stands.
Nonetheless, despite their positive start, the majority of observers suspect the club are currently in a false position, and that they can hope for mid-table mediocrity at best come the end of the season.
A win over Arsenal, however, who have not had the best of starts by their standards, would surely go some way towards silencing the critics.
4. Battle of the tight defences at White Hart Lane
After a slow start, Tottenham’s Premier League form has picked up in recent times, with wins over Crystal Palace and Sunderland.
Spurs’ defence, in particular, has impressed, with Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld taking little time to form an impressive partnership.
Having conceded just four goals, Tottenham have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League. However, this weekend, they came up against the only side with a statistically superior back four — Man City.
Indeed, the Eastlands outfit have yet to concede a goal away from home in the current campaign, and so Tottenham will likely have to work very hard to break the league leaders down.
5. Mourinho set to face bogey team
There are not many Premier League teams that Jose Mourinho has a poor record against, but Newcastle are an anomaly in that regard.
Chelsea have lost on their last three trips to St James’ Park, and so won’t go there feeling especially confident this weekend.
However, against Arsenal, while they were boosted by some highly questionable refereeing decisions, Chelsea still looked to be regaining somewhere near their best form.
Moreover, with the Magpies enduring an especially torrid start to the campaign, picking up just two points so far, now looks a better time than ever for Mourinho to break his St James’ Park hoodoo.
