5️⃣ big questions ahead of the Premier League weekend | OneFootball

With just 12 games to go, the Premier League is truly entering its most crucial stage of the season.

With that in mind, let's look at the five biggest questions ahead of a vital weekend.

Are Manchester City entering their unstoppable phase?

The biggest game of the weekend comes from the Etihad as Manchester City take on their near neighbours in a game that, on paper anyway, looks like it can only go one way.

Manchester United travel across the city to face a Citizens side that are flying right now.

City's 6-2 win over Luton in midweek was notable for the connection between Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, with the Belgian wizard assisting all five of the Norwegian's goals.

That telepathy will surely come into play on Sunday with Haaland scoring more goals against United (five) than against any other Premier League side.

The last game between these two back in October, was about as comfortable a stroll as derby's get with Pep Guardiola's side winning 3-0 thanks to a Haaland double and one late on from Phil Foden.

Can United, having been embarrassed at home to Fulham last time out in the league, bounce back with an unlikely victory here?

Don't count on it.

Are Brentford stealth relegation candidates?

"Stop messing with our lives."

That was Brentford midfielder Christian Nørgaard's plea to the Premier League after it was revealed this week that Everton's points deduction would be reduced from 10 to six.

With four extra points the Toffees are now level on points with the west London outfit but ahead on goal difference.

Although the situation surrounding Everton's punishment has clearly been absurd, perhaps Nørgaard's plea should be levelled more towards his team mates than the fat cats in Premier League HQ.

The Bees are now just five points off of the relegation places having won one of their last six games.

Chelsea travel the few miles to the Gtech Stadium this weekend in a huge game for Thomas Frank and his men.

Will David Moyes condemn Everton on Goodison return?

The Moysiah returns to Goodison Park this weekend on a mission to condemn Everton to relegation trouble and save his own skin at West Ham.

It seems like a remarkable turn of events for the Scottish tactician who last season won a European trophy with the Hammers and this term has taken the east London club to eighth in the Premier League.

Still rumours abound that Moyes could leave West Ham with fans unhappy about his style of play after a net spend of €270m over four years.

The 60-year-old heads back to Merseyside ready to take on a Toffees outfit he managed for 11 years between 2002 and 2013.

Despite reclaiming four points from their points deduction appeal, Everton are still only five away from relegation and could be dragged back into trouble with a defeat this weekend.

Is Gary O'Neil the manager of the season?

There are plenty of candidates for the Premier League Manager of the Year award this season, but it's easy to argue that the man who has done the best job in 2023/24 is Wolves' Gary O'Neil.

O'Neil came in just before the campaign started after previous boss Julen Lopetegui had fallen out so spectacularly with the board that he resigned at the start of August.

To come into a club having had no pre-season and to have guided them ninth in the table is, frankly, astonishing.

Wolves are now above Newcastle and their Saudi billions, above Chelsea and their moneyballification of the Premier League.

The Black Country club are consistently beating sides above them in the table and now travel to St James' Park this weekend with their eye on three points that could take them up to seventh.

Can Klopp's kids do it again?

Manchester United had their Busby Babes, Celtic had their Lisbon Lions and now Liverpool have Klopp's Kids.

A group of homegrown talents, coming through the ranks together and starring for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

What a week it's been for those youngsters at Anfield, winning a first-ever career trophy against Chelsea last weekend and then backing it up in the FA Cup fifth round with a 3-0 win over Southampton.

The Anfield outfit are currently without 13 first team players through injury and now travel to Nottingham Forest in what could prove to be a crucial game at the top of the Premier League.

With City just one point behind Liverpool in second place, any dropped points could be cataclysmic in the Reds' search for Klopp's ultimate goodbye as manager.

No pressure then lads!