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The Guardian - UK

Sport

Paul Doyle and Nick Miller

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

1) Humdinger in store at Anfield

You could argue that Liverpool have nothing to play for other than the need to shake off that embarrassing ‘the New Spurs’ tag. Meanwhile, the Improved Spurs, the one managed by Mauricio Pochettino, are chasing the title and victory at Anfield would fuel belief that they can achieve it. The visitors will be heartened by the fact that, contrary to some expectations, their high-energy style has shown no sign of dwindling as the season has progressed, whereas Jürgen Klopp’s team looked jaded and disjointed as they collapsed to defeat in the second half at Southampton two weeks ago. They also looked chaotic in defence, which augurs well for an in-form Harry Kane and Dele Alli. Liverpool, however, can still unleash devastating attacking bursts, so have the capacity to ruin Tottenham’s title aspirations, especially if Toby Alderweireld has not fully recovered from the illness that kept him out of international action this week. A repeat of October’s 0-0 between these sides at White Hart Lane looks unlikely. Humdinger ahoy! Paul Doyle

Tottenham Hotspur confident before the match against Liverpool

2) Could England help Leicester and Vardy?

Top of the table by five points and with a rather favourable title run-in, Leicester probably don’t need much by way of a boost at the moment. However, every little helps and while the international break is usually naught but a pain for club managers, this one might actually provide a boost to Claudio Ranieri for the galvanising impact it might have on Jamie Vardy. While the forward clearly had a brilliant first half of the season, his post-Christmas form hasn’t been quite as hot, scoring four times in the last 15 league games and not at all in the last five. So could Vardy’s excellent performances and two goals in England’s friendlies against Germany and Holland help spark his goalscoring again? Quite possibly, and since Leicester have won their last three games 1-0, they won’t say no to a few more goals. Nick Miller

3) City face a scrap to even make the top four

A few weeks ago there was a vaguely depressing sense that, after one of the most unpredictable title races in decades, someone grimly inevitable would get their collective act together and lumber in to take the title. Someone such as Manchester City, for example. However, now City are 15 points behind Leicester and out of the running for the top prize, and there’s even a pretty strong likelihood they will drop out of the top four. They have a cushion of just a single point over Manchester United and West Ham, both teams primed to take advantage of City’s ennui, and have Pep Guardiola poring over the fine print of his contract to check for a Europa League clause. This season is turning into a relative shambles at City. The decision to announce Manuel Pellegrini’s departure way ahead of time has seemingly backfired with some gusto, a factor that, along with a wide selection of injuries and some old-fashioned, plain terrible performances, has contributed to their current state. Attention will inevitably be on the Champions League tie against Paris St-Germain on Wednesday but City can’t afford to let their game against Bournemouth slip, lest they find themselves out of the top four and heading only one way. NM

Manchester City’s Demichelis charged over alleged betting offences

4) Newcastle’s season rests in inexperienced hands

If it was possible for things to get worse at Newcastle United, the international break brought yet more bad news for Rafa Benítez’s side, with the injury to Rob Elliot while playing for Republic of Ireland that will leave him on the sidelines for the remainder of the season. With Tim Krul also crocked, that leaves Karl Darlow, last seen enduring a harrowing Premier League debut at the back end of December when his performance against West Brom may as well have been soundtracked by a swanee whistle and the honking of clown horns. Unfortunately the rules on emergency loans do not make allowances for available goalkeepers being potentially a bit useless, so Benítez will have to make do with either Darlow or Freddie Woodman, who celebrated his 19th birthday a few weeks ago and who has 11 senior appearances to his name. Those were all on loan at Crawley Town this season, and while Woodman is seemingly quite highly rated, he conceded 18 goals, four to both Mansfield and Notts County, while at the League Two club. Elliot has been perhaps the closest thing to a positive from this grimmest of seasons at St James’ Park, in which relegation would perhaps not look inevitable but would be very close should they lose Saturday’s six-pointer against Norwich City. That result would put them six points from safety with seven games remaining. They do have a game in hand – but that game is against Manchester City, who have their own problems but who beat Newcastle 6-1 in October. Having hired one of the most experienced pair of managerial hands possible to get them out of the fine mess Steve McClaren left them in, Newcastle’s safety could rest in the Premier League’s least experienced goalkeeping hands. NM

Newcastle’s Elliot in tears after knee injury rules him out of Euro 2016

Rob Elliot injured a cruciate knee ligament while playing for Republic of Ireland. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP/Getty Images

5) Tales of the unacceptable still to be told at Aston Villa and Chelsea

Not long after Rémi Garde departed Aston Villa by mutual grievance, Jack Grealish tweeted that he was “so happy to be back in training”. This may simply have been a young player expressing his joy at returning to action after several weeks out through injury but some Villa supporters apparently interpreted it as evidence that the midfielder welcomed the sacking of the manager. And what if he did? If Grealish, or any other Villa player, is pleased that Garde is gone, then the only criticism of them at this point should be that they have not explained why. If they think Garde aggravated the problems at Villa – on top of failing to solve the ones he inherited – then tell the people how. Yaya Touré gave a a splendid example of the frankness we’re looking for here when, following the dismissal of Laszlo Boloni as Monaco manager in October 2006, the Ivorian declared: “Boloni’s departure gives me great satisfaction … I was more than fed up with him. What was happening was unacceptable. I didn’t understand the criticisms of me. Now I am going to play in my right position.” Similar ventilation now might help cleanse the atmosphere around Villa Park by persuading supporters that performances are about to improve. On the other hand, it could reveal that some Villa players are deluded about their own ability and/or not willing to take responsibility for their own underachievement. If you want to say it is fitting that they are facing Chelsea on Saturday, then, well, we can talk about that … PD

6) Managers on tenterhooks at Old Trafford

Romelu Lukaku seems to be growing frustrated by Everton’s lack of progress this season and no one can blame him for that. The utterances from the Belgian’s camp during the international break suggest he yearns for a move to a Champions League club. Everton had a chance to achieve that status this season but have botched it, and Roberto Martínez’s apparent defensive blindspot does not inspire confidence that they will make big improvements in that regard next season. So maybe Everton fans will just have to enjoy Lukaku while he’s around and hope that the striker uses this weekend’s trip to Old Trafford to continue showing his worth, ideally with support from Gerard Deulofeu. If Lukaku fires Everton to victory, there will be at least a week’s respite for Martínez – and fresh derision for Louis van Gaal and probably even for Sir Alex Ferguson following this week’s declaration of support by the Scot for the Dutchman. On the other hand, if United do what they have failed to do for most of the season by following up one big victory with another, then Martínez will find himself giving another of his outlandishly positive post-match appraisals. PD

7) Gomes gives Gunners ammunition

If Arsenal do not produce a properly furious performance this weekend, then they really can be laughed out of the title reckoning. As things stand they are 11 points behind Leicester with a game in hand and need to treat Saturday’s visit of Watford as a last chance to stay in the title hunt and a valued opportunity to avenge the FA Cup defeat inflicted by Quique Sánchez Flores’s team at the Emirates two weeks ago. Heurelho Gomes even did Arsène Wenger the kindness of composing his team-talk for this weekend, with the Frenchman simply having to read out the words spoken by the Watford goalkeeper to Brazilian TV after that FA Cup match (in which Gomes did not play). “When you see Arsenal playing against big teams, they look like a small team. They don’t look like winning a title soon. We knew once we had the ball we’d be able to pass it around since Arsenal gives you too much space. They are not strong defensively.” PD

8) Calm heads needed at Sunderland – and a solid right-back

So much for Emmanuel Eboué riding to the rescue. The Ivorian had been hoping to make his debut for Sunderland against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday but a year-long Fifa ban for withholding money from an agent has put paid to that. That may mean that the task of containing West Bromwich Albion’s left-winger could fall to DeAndre Yedlin, who will have to improve on his showing against Newcastle. Otherwise stewards at the Stadium of Light may have to distribute blindfolds to any Sunderland supporter not stable enough to tolerate the sight of James McClean celebrating a win again. PD

Eboué’s contract terminated by Sunderland amid 12-month Fifa ban

9) Where Eagles dare not lose

It is not just that the French midfielder who has lit up this season for one of London’s lesser lights has been Dimitri Payet rather than Yohan Cabaye, what will really make Crystal Palace fans envious this weekend is the array of strikers that West Ham have assembled compared to their own and, perhaps, the fact Palace’s two most eye-catching players, Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha, have been unable to find the consistent effectiveness this season of West Ham’s Michail Antonio. On current form there is no Palace player who would get into the West Ham team and, for that reason, it is difficult to foresee this weekend’s visitors to Upton Park stopping West Ham’s top-four bid and their own slide down the league. PD

Michail Antonio has been in fine scoring form for West Ham in recent games. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

10) Cracking season for the Potters

It’s starting to feel a little like 1975 in Stoke, and that doesn’t mean the Bay City Rollers are in town. Forty-one years ago Tony Waddington’s side were on course for their highest ever finish – challenging for the title, indeed – until they were afflicted by a cruel spate of injuries. This season Mark Hughes’ men have shown signs of achieving their best finish of the Premier League era and returning to Europe, but casualties just keep piling up. Jack Butland’s unfortunate ankle injury deprives Stoke of one of their most influential players of the campaign and removes a precious safeguard from behind a defence already shorn of its best component, Ryan Shawcross, as well as Glen Johnson, Erik Pieters and Marc Wilson. Further forward Stoke look set to be without Xherdan Shaqiri and Jonathan Walters. Swansea are not exactly a freescoring side but they have hit five goals in their last three away matches and will probably view Stoke’s woes as a chance to confirm their survival. Bearing all that in mind, and the difficult fixtures still to come, it would be a marvellous feat for Stoke to finish in the European places. PD

Butland to miss Euro 2016 with fractured ankle

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