Premier League: 10 Things To Look Out For This Weekend

Acheampong tin measurement successful for Colwill

Enzo Maresca’s petition for Chelsea to switch nan injured Levi Colwill pinch a caller centre-back remains unanswered. The club’s position is straightforward: location are nary suitable defenders connected nan marketplace and, successful immoderate case, it is up to Maresca to find soul solutions. The Italian tin telephone upon Josh Acheampong, who performed good against Crystal Palace connected nan opening weekend. The 19-year-old started pinch Colwill’s semipermanent absence analyzable by Tosin Adarabioyo’s insignificant injury. Adarabioyo whitethorn return for Friday nighttime astatine West Ham but location is simply a lawsuit to springiness Acheampong different chance adjacent to Trevoh Chalobah. Acheampong, who counts Manchester City arsenic 1 of his galore suitors, stood up to Jean-Phillipe Mateta successful nan goalless tie pinch Palace. It is worthy having different look astatine whether he tin header arsenic nan cardinal centre-back erstwhile Chelsea morph into a backmost 3 successful possession. Replacing Colwill’s line-breaking passes will not beryllium easy but Maresca has options. Jacob Steinberg

• West Ham v Chelsea, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Spurs must put Eze down them

Eberechi Eze yet preferred Arsenal complete Tottenham. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Tottenham thrust into nan Etihad Stadium successful nan aftermath of nan Eberechi Eze farrago. Perhaps Thomas Frank tin usage nan crimson embarrassment of Arsenal gazumping his nine for nan Crystal Palace forward’s signature to animate his men. Last November, nether Ange Postecoglou, Spurs trounced Pep Guardiola’s champions 4-0. A repetition whitethorn look improbable fixed Eze’s morale-sapping prime positive Manchester City’s 4-0 opening-day triumph astatine Wolves. However, Frank and his players’ occupation is to beryllium capable to show conflict and tone and tenacity precisely erstwhile it is difficult. So astatine lunchtime connected Saturday, we will find retired really overmuch of these qualities they possess. Jamie Jackson

• Manchester City v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm

Brentford look to Damsgaard for inspiration

Things started appallingly for Keith Andrews successful his caller life arsenic Brentford caput coach. In nan first 45 minutes of his elder managerial career, nan Bees showed nary personality to make life easy for Nottingham Forest. Clearly, nan deficiency of Yoane Wissa and nan nonaccomplishment to switch Bryan Mbeumo will origin problems but a cardinal absence successful nan East Midlands was Mikkel Damsgaard, missing aft his woman gave birth. Andrews said of his value to nan team; unsurprising because he won of nan players’ and fans’ subordinate of nan twelvemonth grant past season. The Dane’s return to nan midfield will beryllium imperative because Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White dominated proceedings, unthreatened by thing akin to pressing. Alongside Damsgaard, Jordan Henderson whitethorn commencement aft coming disconnected nan chair for his debut connected Sunday. Experience will beryllium adjuvant to Andrews, because he lacks it arsenic a coach. Brentford were surely amended successful nan 2nd half astatine Forest and nan greater assurance of Damsgaard and Henderson tin thief their colleagues settee and hide that mediocre start. Will Unwin

• Brentford v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm

Burnley request a extremity threat

This feels for illustration a crippled Burnley request to triumph already. The Clarets conceded almost a 3rd of nan full tally of their goals-against file past play at Tottenham past weekend. Burnley were ever going to beryllium much porous astatine nan backmost by nan quality of stepping into nan Premier League but connected that basis, they request to find goals astatine nan different end. Last season’s apical scorer Josh Brownhill has departed and replacing his threat will beryllium difficult. Lyle Foster started arsenic nan main striker astatine Spurs that was a struggle for Burnley, manageing conscionable 4 shots connected target. Armando Broja is waiting successful nan wings but needs to activity connected his beingness information earlier he tin beryllium considered for selection, understandable aft his history of wounded problems. A batch of unit is placed connected nan Albania striker’s shoulders successful nan mean to agelong word but location is an contiguous rumor this weekend. If Scott Parker does not find goals, it could group nan reside for what is to come. WU

• Burnley v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Cherries moving beyond summertime exodus

Bournemouth’s play is ne'er going to hinge connected results astatine nan champion teams successful nan section but an opening-day conclusion astatine Anfield offered plentifulness of positives. A typically buccaneering capacity by Andoni Iraola’s broadside suggested a summertime of alteration has not been arsenic damaging arsenic possibly feared. Adrien Truffert, nan left-back signed from Rennes, was peculiarly awesome and they person since augmented their squad pinch summation of Amine Adli, who was portion of Xabi Alonso’s double-winning Bayer Leverkusen broadside successful 2023-24. Ben Gannon Doak – who wishes to bespeak some of his parents’ names – is different breathtaking presence earlier hosting Wolves. Last week Dango Ouattara became nan latest subordinate to exit, for Brentford, successful a woody worthy up to £42.5m. A buzz does not breed guarantees but Bournemouth look to person taken nan summertime exodus successful their stride. Ben Fisher

• Bournemouth v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

Adrien Truffert impressed against nan defending champions successful Bournemouth’s opening crippled of nan season. Photograph: Robin Jones/AFC Bournemouth/Getty Images

Merino group for emergency role

Amid each nan excitement astir Eberechi Eze’s impending presence astatine Arsenal, spare a thought for Mikel Merino. The Spain midfielder’s prospects successful his favoured position already looked bleak aft nan signing of compatriot Martín Zubimendi meant he started nan play connected nan chair aft spending nan 2nd half of nan erstwhile run filling successful arsenic a makeshift No 9. The knee wounded suffered by Kai Havertz intends Merino could find himself backmost successful that position complete nan adjacent fewer weeks fixed that he is nan only different subordinate successful Mikel Arteta’s squad tin of replacing Viktor Gyökeres done nan middle. Eze is expected to compete pinch Gabriel Martinelli connected nan left-hand broadside of Arsenal’s onslaught but tin besides play successful midfield. The caller man is improbable to beryllium disposable to look Merino could person an important domiciled to play. Ed Aarons

• Arsenal v Leeds, Saturday 5.30pm

New home, acquainted Everton problems

It is nan dawn of a caller era for Everton arsenic nan £800m Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts its first competitory crippled and 52,769 fans accommodate to plush modern surroundings. There will beryllium pre-match events to people nan occasion, a typical version programme priced £10 and wide-eyed astonishment astatine nan complete deficiency of obstructed views. It is simply a momentous time for nan nine and nan metropolis but Everton will beryllium trying to tread a good statement betwixt celebrating their caller location while ensuring nan attraction remains on, and nan fervour behind, David Moyes’s team. Monday’s capacity astatine Leeds was chastening for those Evertonians who had approached nan caller run pinch different optimism. Perhaps not for nan Everton head who has spent each summertime calling for much improvements to his squad. Everton were fortunate to suffer their opening location crippled of past play 3-0 against Brighton, specified was nan 2nd half power of Fabian Hürzeler’s side, and soon mislaid nan affirmative momentum they had built up successful nan last weeks of nan erstwhile campaign. Everton require a caller commencement each round. Andy Hunter

• Everton v Brighton, Sunday 2pm

Glasner short connected unit for Palace

We are only a week into nan caller play but Oliver Glasner already has concerns astir a deficiency of squad extent astatine Crystal Palace. The expected departure of Eberechi Eze intends Palace must enactment quickly to find a replacement, pinch Leicester’s Bilal El Khannouss and Tyler Dibling of Southampton among those considered. In nan meantime, a knee wounded to Daichi Kamada – who often played further guardant nether Glasner astatine Eintracht Frankfurt – could norm him retired of nan grudge lucifer pinch Nottingham Forest connected Sunday, meaning that Palace whitethorn move to Community Shield punishment shootout hero Justin Devenny. The 21-year-old Northern Irishman signed from Airdrieonians successful 2023, conscionable 4 Premier League starts past play has very large boots to fill. EA

• Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest, Sunday 2pm

Crystal Palace whitethorn beryllium forced to move to Justin Devenny this weekend. Photograph: Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Nigel French/Apl/Sportsphoto

Mount aliases Sesko is Amorim’s choice

Flashes of positivity for Manchester United during their defeat by Arsenal are each good and bully but Ruben Amorim could do pinch improved results. United must besides amended successful some boxes. Will Amorim tweaks his onslaught connected Sunday. Does Mason Mount proceed arsenic a mendacious No 9 aliases is Benjamin Sesko fresh to lead nan statement from nan start? There was a emotion United were not rather arsenic effective aft Mount went disconnected against Arsenal. He has endured a wretched fewer years but is simply a useful, influential squad subordinate erstwhile connected shape pinch nan expertise to create abstraction for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Still, Sesko has not been signed to beryllium connected nan bench. The gargantuan Slovenian is simply a fistful for anyone while a squad who person struggled for goals nether Amorim could do pinch a finisher successful nan starting XI. JS

Fulham v Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm

Isak wrangle will stoke fires astatine St James’

Matches involving Newcastle and Liverpool often incorporate a spot of an separator but this rerun of last season’s Carabao Cup final will surely return things to a different level. Eddie Howe’s squad won that showpiece yet 1 of their heroes of nan hour, Alexander Isak, is astatine warfare pinch Newcastle arsenic he endeavours to, presently alternatively forlornly, technologist a move to Anfield. With nan Sweden striker training unsocial nan only certainty is that Isak will not beryllium astatine St James’ Park wherever geordie anger astatine Liverpool’s perceived strategies successful unsettling Tyneside’s fallen idol should guarantee already febrile emotions tally high. Howe is expected to section nan erstwhile Everton winger, and boyhood Liverpool fan, Anthony Gordon retired of position astatine centre-forward. Gordon, on pinch Isak and Fabian Schär, scored successful past December’s fabulous 3-3 Premier League tie betwixt these teams. Back past Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scored doubly successful nan people of a awesome performance. The Egyptian’s duel pinch Howe’s apt left-back, Tino Livramento, could beryllium pivotal. Louise Taylor

• Newcastle v Liverpool, Monday 8pm