1. Reunions aplenty as Man United take on Everton
EVERTON COULD HARDLY have picked a worse time to face Man United at Old Trafford.
After the club were comprehensively beaten by Atalanta in the Europa League on Thursday, Ronald Koeman has admitted to holding a crisis meeting with senior players on account of the Toffees’ disappointing start to the season, which has seen them pick up only four points from four games.
Two of the footballers in question, Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin, come up against their former employers this weekend.
After being signed in the summer, Rooney has enjoyed a decent start to life with the Toffees, scoring two Premier League goals so far.
However, both the 31-year-old and Everton in general will be under big pressure to improve on Thursday night’s dire showing — fans will be expecting the ex-England international to deliver regularly on account of his reportedly excessive wages.
Another player set for a reunion this weekend is Romelu Lukaku. The 24-year-old has begun the season in hugely impressive fashion, registering 10 goals in eight appearances in all competitions.
Since joining United, he has failed to score in just one competitive game — the 2-0 victory over Leicester — and he will be expected to continue his prolific record against an out-of-sorts Everton on Sunday.
2. Another big test for Arsenal
With Arsenal, each season feels like Groundhog Day.
After a couple of disappointing results, supporter unrest becomes more fervent and the debate on whether Arsene Wenger should stay or go grows more impassioned.
Ultimately, Wenger and the Gunners always seem to do just about enough to placate the angry mob for a period without ever completely silencing their critics.
An FA Cup triumph last season was mere consolation for the disappointment of the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since Wenger took charge.
To make matters worse, an underwhelming start to the new campaign has only exacerbated people’s reservations about the decision last season to award the Frenchman a new contract.
Arsenal have been here numerous times before. They may get convincingly beaten by Chelsea, as they did last season, or they may secure an unlikely victory over the Blues, as they also did last season.
But even if they earn a favourable result, any suggestions that the Gunners have ‘turned a corner’ will seem unconvincing at best. The North London side have proven time and again that they simply cannot be relied upon to consistently threaten the big teams over the course of a season.
3. Some perspective needed on Harry Kane’s exploits
It was not so long ago that much was being made of Harry Kane’s goal drought and the ‘August curse’ he was supposedly afflicted by, owing to his continual struggles to score goals in the season’s opening month.
Since the turn of September, however, Kane has firmly put any issues behind him, claiming an impressive six goals in his last four games in all competitions.
The reactionary nature of the media has meant that the Spurs striker has gone from zero to hero.
After a couple of good games, he is suddenly being compared with Cristiano Ronaldo, linked with the Ballon d’Or and talked of as a potential £300 million signing for Real Madrid.
Kane is an extremely talented player with frightening potential at 24, but has a long way to go before he can justify comparisons to players of Gabriel Batistuta’s calibre.
To truly be considered an elite player and an all-time great, Kane must win some silverware, despite Mauricio Pochettino’s recent suggestion to the contrary.
4. Can Man City maintain impressive start against overachieving Watford?
Not many people will be surprised to see Man City sitting second in the table at this early stage of the season.
Pep Guardiola has arguably the best squad in the Premier League at his disposal, and their talent was highlighted amid last week’s emphatic 5-0 defeat of Liverpool at the Etihad.
A number of City’s players have been in exceptional form of late. Kevin De Bruyne has flourished in a central role — since the Belgian international made his Premier League debut for the side, only Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen has managed as many assists (29).
In addition, with 10 goals in 12 Premier League starts, Gabriel Jesus has adapted seamlessly to English football, while City have never lost with the 20-year-old in the team.
They face a test this weekend, however, as they meet fourth-place Watford at Vicarage Road, with the Hornets having already taken points off Liverpool this season.
It is early days of course, but on the basis of the first few games, Marco Silva — who managed to enhance his reputation last year despite failing to prevent Hull’s relegation — looks a wise managerial appointment.
5. Can Coutinho silence the critics?
Philippe Coutinho’s obvious desire to join Barcelona won’t exactly have endeared him to Liverpool’s supporters.
However, as the Luis Suarez saga proved before him, fans will forgive a player for almost anything provided he performs well on the pitch.
That said, if the Brazilian midfielder struggles to show his best form, the criticism will be all the more harsh and the pressure increasingly intense.
Moreover, with Liverpool’s attack thriving in his absence, the 25-year-old won’t necessarily walk back into the starting line-up, though he should at least feature this weekend, with Sadio Mane absent through suspension
Manager Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, is confident that Coutinho can regain the type of form that attracted Barca’s interest in the first place.
“You can get minutes when you start. He should be ready,” Klopp told reporters this week, when asked about his star man.
“It was really nice how the crowd welcomed him (against Sevilla). Nobody was 100% sure about this — I think for him it was good. He was outstanding in training in the few sessions we’ve had so far.
“The game was not perfect, but that’s how it is after the long break. However, it helped him and it helped us.”
Upcoming Premier League fixtures (all games kick off at 3pm unless stated otherwise)
Friday
Bournemouth v Brighton (8pm)
Saturday
Crystal Palace v Southampton (12.30pm)
Huddersfield v Leicester City
Liverpool v Burnley
Newcastle v Stoke
Watford v Man City
West Brom v West Ham
Tottenham v Swansea (5.30pm)
Sunday
Chelsea v Arsenal (1.30pm)
Man United v Everton (4pm)
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