Online Reporter
A heavyweight Manchester derby, growing scrutiny on Spurs, a landmark day for Oli McBurnie and another chance for Nicolas Jackson to justify Aston Villa’s faith headline a fascinating weekend of Premier League action. Several clubs already find themselves at important early-season crossroads.
Rival managers take centre stage in Manchester derby
Manchester derby No 199 presents a compelling clash between two young managers operating at the highest level of the game. Michael Carrick, 45, is seeking to steer Manchester United to an 82nd victory in the fixture, while Enzo Maresca, 46, aims to secure Manchester City’s 63rd.
As the successor to Pep Guardiola, the visiting Italian will be encouraged by his side’s flawless record since the Community Shield defeat, winning all four matches under his stewardship. Carrick, however, will feel his side should have made a stronger start to the campaign. Defeat at Hull and a draw at Everton have tempered the optimism generated by a convincing 5-2 home victory over Ipswich.
Off the pitch, United supporters are set to stage a protest against the club’s approach to tackling ticket touting, adding further edge to what promises to be a vibrant and highly charged occasion.
McBurnie targets landmark in Chelsea test
With 10 Premier League goal contributions between them in just three games, Chelsea’s attacking trio of Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Cole Palmer have set the early benchmark for the league’s most fluid and potent forward line.
Yet, on the occasion of his 100th Premier League appearance, Oli McBurnie will hope to grab the spotlight as Hull seek a first-ever top-flight victory over Chelsea. The striker may still be searching for his first goal of the season, but his tireless running, physical presence and selfless work rate have been key features of Hull’s impressive start.
His performances have also cast doubt on Steve Clarke’s decision to leave him out of Scotland’s World Cup squad. McBurnie should provide a stern test for a Chelsea defence that has looked vulnerable, and a goal would be a fitting way to celebrate a century of Premier League appearances.
Chelsea have failed to win any of their last four league fixtures against promoted sides and, given Hull’s blistering start, victory on Saturday is far from guaranteed.
Jackson settling quickly into life at Villa
A summer of significant change at Aston Villa inevitably generated plenty of discussion, but many of the club’s new arrivals had long been on Unai Emery’s radar, none more so than Nicolas Jackson.
Emery played a pivotal role in launching Jackson’s career at Villarreal and the reunion is already bearing fruit. The Senegal striker opened his account for Villa in Tuesday’s victory at Club Brugge following his £47.5 million move.
Jackson has been brought in to fill the sizeable void left by Ollie Watkins, who provided a consistent stream of goals across six consecutive top-flight campaigns. Early signs suggest Villa have every reason to be encouraged.
“I had a couple of fights with him when he was at Chelsea so when he first came in I thought:
‘What’s he going to be like?’ but he’s a brilliant guy,” said the Villa captain, John McGinn. “There’s a lot of expectation with the transfer fee but he’s going to be a huge player for us.”
Pressure builds on Spurs ahead of Everton visit
Only the most pessimistic Tottenham supporters will be feeling anything close to the tension that surrounded Everton’s visit on the final day of last season. Nevertheless, the return of David Moyes’ side so early in the campaign is unlikely to ease nerves.
With just one point and no goals from their opening three league matches, scrutiny is already beginning to intensify around Roberto De Zerbi and the substantial investment made in the squad.
Many still expect Tottenham to find their rhythm sooner rather than later, but patience can quickly wear thin in north London.
Everton arrive with an awful recent record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having fared worse there than any other current top-flight side. Should Spurs fail to beat a team that has collected just seven points from the last 51 available away to them, discontent among the home support is likely to become impossible to ignore.
Familiar faces add narrative at Stadium of Light
Old acquaintances will renew rivalries at the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening.
While Sunderland captain and midfield lynchpin Granit Xhaka needs no introduction to Arsenal supporters, centre-half Dan Ballard also has deep ties with the north London club, having captained their youth side after joining the academy at the age of eight.
Then there is Bruno Guimarães. Newcastle’s former captain is certain to receive a hostile reception as his new club look to extend an impressive run of five consecutive victories in all competitions, including the Community Shield.
“Arsenal are flying, they’re one of the best teams in Europe,” says Régis Le Bris, Sunderland’s manager. “It will be challenging but I’m very excited to experience this situation again.”
Le Bris masterminded a 2-2 Premier League draw against Mikel Arteta’s side on Wearside last November, with Ballard and Brian Brobbey on target. “When you face a strong opponent you can become a bit shy but the most important thing is to be ourselves,” says Le Bris. “Arsenal are so adaptive they will find solutions, so we must be flexible.” — Guardian Football.
