Eight talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend | OneFootball

Eight talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend, featuring Arsenal’s need to tighten up and Chelsea’s potential future captain.

Arsenal need to rediscover defensive strength

Arsenal’s title challenges over the last two seasons have been built on the division’s best defensive record. Mikel Arteta has been billed as a Pep Guardiola disciple, but the Spaniard has evolved Arsenal into a formidable defensive unit.

Their goal has been breached more often of late, however, with the Gunners without a clean sheet in five Premier League games. They’ve conceded nine goals in those fixtures, more than in their previous 19 games (8). Absences have been felt, though William Saliba is free to return from suspension this weekend. Arsenal face a nervous wait over Gabriel and Jurrien Timber, however, and Newcastle will be smelling blood if Arteta is forced into another rearguard reshuffle.

Mounting Manchester City issues will offer Bournemouth encouragement

Manchester City’s injury issues increased this week after Savinho and Manuel Akanji became the latest to join the casualty list in midweek. Pep Guardiola has admitted his team are in ‘trouble’ with only ’13 outfield players’ at his disposal ahead of this weekend’s trip to Bournemouth.

The Citizens moved to the top of the Premier League table last weekend but their options will be stretched on the south coast. Bournemouth have never beaten Manchester City and have lost all 14 previous Premier League encounters, but the absences of the champions and recent results offer encouragement.

After stunning Arsenal with a 2-0 win at the Vitality Stadium last month, Bournemouth battled to snatch a point at high-flying Aston Villa last time out. A positive result this weekend would top even those successes.

Can Leicester put another dagger into promoted opposition?

Perhaps predictably given their achievements over the past decade, Leicester have made the strongest start of the promoted teams. The Foxes bounced back at the first attempt from a shock relegation and have settled back into the top tier despite a change of manager in the summer.

Leicester travel to face an Ipswich Town side still searching for their first win this weekend, with the Tractor Boys struggling after promotion back into the Premier League for the first time in over two decades. Just two weeks ago, Leicester staged a second-half turnaround to beat Southampton at St Mary’s, a result that felt significant to the hopes of both teams. Another win against a fellow promoted team this weekend would put clear daylight between Leicester and the bottom three, while plunging Ipswich deeper into trouble.

Forest proving possession can be overrated

Nottingham Forest are defying expectations this season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have made a mockery of pre-season predictions for the drop, losing just one of their opening nine games to sit two points outside the Champions League places.

In an era where ball dominance and high-intensity pressing are the trend of top teams, Forest are a side succeeding while bucking that trend. The Tricky Trees have the second-lowest average possession in the division (40.1%) and the second-lowest pass accuracy (78%). Southampton, in contrast, sit sixth and second on those metrics but are bottom of the division without a win.

Nuno has built a side that is tough to beat, with Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo an excellent centre-back pairing and Matsz Sels overperforming in goal. Only three teams boast a better Expected Goals Against (xGA) figure and only Liverpool have made less errors leading to shots. Forest are brilliantly coached defensively and thriving this season.

Season starts now for Wolves

Gary O’Neil has survived a torrid start to the season at Wolves, but the grace period is now over. Wolves are winless after nine games, though the brutality of the fixture list has handed O’Neil some slack. In their first nine games, Wolves have faced eight of the current top nine and Newcastle.

The fixtures turn for O’Neil’s side this weekend, ahead of a home clash with Crystal Palace. Palace only recorded their first win of the season last weekend and sit just outside the relegation places. Southampton (H), Fulham (A), Bournemouth (H), Everton (A), West Ham (A), Ipswich (H) and Leicester (A) follow in successive weeks, a run that Wolves will be targeting a healthy points total from. Wolves showed enough quality in last weekend’s draw with Brighton to suggest they’re capable of turning things around.

Pressure on Postecoglou despite cup win

Ange Postecoglou sent a message to his critics with a Carabao Cup elimination of Manchester City in midweek, as the Australian’s promise of second-season silverware moved a step closer.

There is concern, however, regarding Tottenham’s league form. Defeat at Crystal Palace last time out leaves Spurs eighth in the table and five points adrift of the Champions League places. This weekend will see fourth-placed Aston Villa arrive in North London, a fixture that already appears a must-not-lose for Spurs.

Unai Emery’s team are back in the mix for another top-four finish and a win this weekend would see Villa open up an eight-point advantage over a Spurs side with Champions League hopes of their own. Villa have won three of the last four Premier League meetings between the teams.

Ugarte can benefit from Amorim arrival

Perhaps few players will be as excited about Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Manchester United as Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan made his name as the deep-lying destructor of Amorim’s Sporting side and will hope the change in coach can improve his fortunes at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old has struggled since his summer switch to the Premier League, though there were encouraging signs during the midweek win over Leicester. This weekend offers a real challenge for Ugarte, who could be tasked with shackling Cole Palmer as Chelsea arrive in Manchester.

Amorim’s imminent appointment could be the change Ugarte needs to find his feet. In his final season at Sporting, he led the Primeira Liga for tackles won and pass accuracy, and ranked second for interceptions and ball recoveries. A familiar system could bring out the best in him.

Caicedo turnaround staking Chelsea captaincy claim?

In a week where a defensive midfielder earned football’s biggest individual honour, another continues to impress at the heart of the Chelsea side. Moisés Caicedo endured a tough first season following his record-breaking move to West London but has looked like the player Chelsea hoped he would become of late.

He leads Europe’s top five leagues for dribblers tackled and ranks among the Premier League leaders for tackles won, blocks and interceptions this season. Against Newcastle last weekend, the Ecuadorian made seven interceptions – the most on record by a Chelsea player since N’Golo Kante in 2018.

Caicedo will celebrate his 23rd birthday this weekend and has shone as one of the best ball-winners in English football again this season. Given Enzo Maresca’s reservations about Reece James as captain, could Caicedo stake a claim for the armband? He’s certainly leading by example.

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See more – Five Sporting stars Ruben Amorim could take to Man United

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