Both Forest and Blades started the season with a narrow loss, but the atmosphere surrounding the two teams was quite different. Forest played away against Arsenal and had an early opportunity to take the lead, but ultimately conceded a counter-attacking goal. This gave their more renowned opponents a late scare. On the other hand, Blades lost at home to Crystal Palace, a game they needed to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation. Therefore, Blades will be desperate to earn points and put on a strong performance this time around. They have improved their chances by adding Tom Davies and Gus Hamer to their squad in the past week. Both players, aged 25 and 26, are at their peak and bring valuable qualities to Blades’ midfield. Davies provides leadership, energy, and composure, while Hamer adds guile, imagination, and risk-taking. This sudden improvement in Blades’ midfield will provide their strikers with better service, although it remains to be seen who will score goals for them.
Spurs face a challenging match against Manchester United in Ange Postecoglou’s first competitive home game as manager. After United’s rusty performance on Monday, Postecoglou may relish the opportunity to outperform them. Spurs themselves faced difficulties in their match against Brentford last weekend, but there were moments when Yves Bissouma and James Maddison’s midfield runs resembled those of Wolves, who caused problems for United. The key challenge for Spurs will be converting chances, as they only have Richarlison as their senior striker, who scored just one Premier League goal last season. Son Heung-min, the new club captain, also looked uncomfortable playing off the left in the previous match. While the goals against Brentford came from defenders, it remains uncertain if Cristian Romero will be available due to concussion protocols. Postecoglou has earned praise for his handling of Harry Kane’s departure and his emphasis on creative football. A victory in this match would make a strong statement for Spurs.
Liverpool’s rebuilding is not limited to the new Anfield Road stand. Jürgen Klopp is close to signing Wataru Endo, a defensive midfielder from Stuttgart and captain of the Japanese national team. Endo’s performance in Stuttgart and for Japan in the World Cup has been impressive, and his versatility in also being able to play as a center-back adds value to Liverpool’s squad. However, the transfer also raises questions about Liverpool’s strategy, as Endo is 30 years old and will be the oldest player Liverpool has signed for a transfer fee in seven years. Furthermore, Liverpool has faced setbacks in their pursuit of younger players, with Chelsea securing signings of two promising talents, Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia. This sudden shift towards an older player with no Premier League experience suggests that Liverpool is scrambling to complete their squad despite the new season already underway.
Newcastle may find an opportunity in Manchester City’s absences. Ilkay Gündogan, Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva are all unavailable, which was evident in City’s lackluster 1-1 draw with Sevilla. Newcastle should be encouraged by this, but they must remain cautious as Pep Guardiola has a knack for conjuring the right performance at the right time. Guardiola will hope that Silva, who is expected to sign a new contract, will be available for the match. Newcastle will need to exploit City’s weaknesses while also being aware of Guardiola’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges.
After an impressive performance against Manchester United, Wolves will be looking to secure their first points against Brighton. Despite not scoring in many Premier League games since the start of the 2020-21 season, Wolves displayed an attacking mentality at Old Trafford. Matheus Cunha, in particular, was outstanding but manager Gary O’Neil will have to consider the best strategy to hurt Brighton. With options like Fabio Silva, Hwang Hee-chan, and Sasa Kalajdzic, Wolves have the potential to make life difficult for their opponents. Cunha’s all-rounded display deserves recognition, but O’Neil has other alternatives to lead the line.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has transformed from a potential departure to Manchester United’s first-choice right-back. He has worked hard to improve his game, addressing weaknesses such as his doziness at the back post and enhancing his movement and ball-carrying skills. However, Wan-Bissaka’s battle is far from over, as opponents like Wolves target him as a pressing trigger and attempt to channel United’s attacks down his flank. To retain his spot, Wan-Bissaka must now focus on improving his passing ability, especially with manager Erik ten Hag’s emphasis on playing out from the back. This will be crucial as United face teams that press intensely.
Marco Silva faces challenging circumstances at Fulham, with several key players injured or potentially leaving the club. His most influential midfielder, João Palhinha, sustained a dislocated shoulder, and Aleksandar Mitrovic is nearing a move to the Saudi Pro League. Fulham managed to secure a win against Everton, but Silva will need the team to continue showing commitment against Brentford. With Mitrovic’s future uncertain, Fulham will heavily rely on Raúl Jiménez to step up in the attack.
The midfield battle will take the spotlight in the match between West Ham and Chelsea at the London Stadium. West Ham may be without Declan Rice, who they are trying to move on from, but they could introduce new signings James Ward-Prowse and Edson Álvarez. Chelsea, on the other hand, broke the British transfer record to acquire Moisés Caicedo, and their need for the Ecuadorian was evident in their draw against Liverpool. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will have identified gaps in midfield that need to be filled and will need to decide whether to include Caicedo right away. West Ham, who have resisted Manchester City’s attempts to sign Lucas Paquetá, pose a threat on the counterattack.
Tyrone Mings’ anterior cruciate ligament injury opens the door for Pau Torres or Diego Carlos to step in for Aston Villa against Everton. Mings’ absence for the rest of the season is a blow for Villa, but it presents an opportunity for one of their new signings. Torres, bought for £35m from Villarreal, or Carlos, a £26m signing from Sevilla, will have a chance to make an impact and prove their worth in this match. Carlos will particularly be eager to perform after enduring a severe injury in last year’s fixture against Everton. Villa will look to Raul Jiménez to provide the attacking spark, especially with Mitrovic’s potential departure from Fulham.
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