Manchester City vs Arsenal
Both teams come into this battle having scraped a win last weekend. It is a match featuring the best defence in the league (Arsenal) against the best attack (City).
Phil Foden is back in contention for City and Rodri was called upon last weekend at half time after arriving back late from an extended summer break. He reported to the medical team on his arrival with a couple of niggling injuries and missed the fixtures before the international break. Last week City played with Mateo Kovacic covering Rodri’s position and he performed brilliantly. Guardiola will use the rotation system to keep both players fit. Two important players will be missing, Kevin De Bruyne limped out of the City game in the Champions League match against Inter Milan and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard is still injured.
Guardiola has the luxury of bringing in other players who were doubtful, Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan), Kyle Walker and John Stones all of whom enjoyed playing a part against Brentford as they fight back to full fitness. Savinho should be fit as his leg problem last weekend was cramp. Haaland is simply Haaland, dangerous, scoring two hat-tricks and then a pair and White, Saliba, Magalhaes and Timber will do well to contain him in the Arsenal defence. Jurrien Timber was originally brought in to play at right-back and provide cover and relieve pressure on Ben White. One year on and it is not White but Zinchenko who has made way for the versatile Dutchman.
West ham vs Chelsea
It has been a long time coming but at last Christopher Nkunku is proving why Chelsea paid £53million for him. Nicolas Jackson keeps missing chances to score and Nkunku is the better option at the moment. Noni Madueke is another player suddenly displaying his class, speed, dribbling skills and crossing ability. He is linking perfectly with Cole Palmer and with Moises Caicedo behind him. Chelsea are looking more like the team coach Enzo Maresca promised.
When Chelsea signed Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen it was assumed he would take over from Robert Sanchez in goal however after his spectacular sequence last weekend with five saves from seven inside the area, including a penalty, Maresca raced up and hugged the goalkeeper as the final whistle blew. Sanchez looks safe for now but a harder decision for the coach is: who to play at right back until Reece James is fully fit? Axel Disasi hasn’t looked comfortable in his last two games but Malo Gusto and James haven’t recovered from hamstring injuries. Jadon Sancho has new life injected into his legs and will eventually become the regular choice on the left. He linked up well with Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto could be moved over to the right where he will do battle for a starting place with Noni Madueke who has been in splendid form and was upset that he was subbed against Bournemouth last weekend.
West Ham was a team I picked to do well this season but it is just not happening in the way coach Julen Lopetegui would wish.
West Ham’s problem is that their defence and attack look like two different teams forced to play together without understanding each other or being capable of playing flowing football.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United
At last Marcus Rashford seems to have rediscovered his goal scoring ability having notched up one last weekend against Southampton and two more in midweek in the Carabao Cup. Crystal Palace have only two draws to their credit this season and their home record hasn’t been very impressive with losses against Brentford and West Ham although they did draw away at Chelsea.
United are likely to stick with Joshua Zirkzee upfront with Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo on the wings with Bruno Fernandes playing just behind Zirkzee in the centre. Kobbie Mainoo has done well in midfield and he will be partnered by either Christian Eriksen or Manuel Ugarte who impressed after coming on against Southampton and completed a total of 13 passes and winning back possession on three occasions and was constantly asking for the ball to be played forward and not sideways by the centre backs.
It was only in May that Palace beat United 4-0 with goals from Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell. Mateta and Mitchell are still there but Olise has been replaced by Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah who has impressed and put in plenty of shots including a bicycle kick last weekend against Leicester.
The Palace defence still looks vulnerable despite having Marc Guehi in the centre of a back three. New boy Maxence Lacroix should be better this weekend as he settles in and Nathaniel Clyne can step up to a higher level. They will be severely tested by Rashford, Garnacho and Zirkkzee.
Tottenham vs Brentford
Tottenham’s attractive style of football produces goals and against Arsenal at the weekend they had 63% of the possession but failed to deal with a set-piece. It will not be lost on Brentford coach Thomas Frank that Spurs have conceded 18 times from set-pieces since the start of last season. Coaches have realised that if you defend strongly against the north London club they will provide you with chances. Last season Postecoglou said he was more interested in the way Tottenham played than results. This season however everyone at the club expect goals and a winning mentality. He has been rather short tempered this week when constantly asked why Tottenham are not performing better. At the back Porro, Romero, van de Ven and Udogie are vulnerable to balls sent across and into the box and Keane Lewis -Potter, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo have been practicing all week receiving balls into the penalty area. Brentford’s centre midfielders Christian Norgaard, Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard have been briefed watching video footage of Tottenham struggling to deal with those crosses.
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