10 things to keep in mind this weekend

Composite: Getty, Reuters

Palace should make Hodgson speak on the pitch

“Spoiled” Crystal Palace fans will receive another glorious gift this weekend with Saturday’s kick-off against Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool. The Eagles’ only win in their previous eight games came at Turf Moor against Burnley and they have since suffered demoralizing defeats to Everton, Luton and Bournemouth. Roy Hodgson was offended when fans booed his team’s dismal efforts against the Cherries on Wednesday. Palace were poor at all times, barely putting a glove on Andoni Iraola’s side, and deserved criticism. Starting a fight with fans is rarely a sensible decision, regardless of a person’s position at the club. Hodgson was never a favorite at Anfield during his dismal brief spell as manager, and his popularity is unlikely to fall to those levels in south London. However, if he wants his fans back on his side, he will need his team to show more fight, regardless of the result. won’t win

Hinshelwood proves Brighton are building to last

Brighton receives a lot of praise for its smart recruitment, signing players from all over the world for a good price. What is sometimes overlooked is the fact that they have a thriving academy as part of an impressive infrastructure on the south coast. With injuries taking their toll on Roberto De Zerbi’s side, Jack Hinshelwood has been given a greater opportunity to show what he can offer in the Premier League. The 18-year-old has started the last three games in all competitions and scored the winning goal against Brentford on Wednesday to grab the headlines. He started the game at right back, showing his versatility after previous appearances in midfield. In the modern game it can pay to be flexible. De Zerbi is the type of coach who will want his players to be able to play numerous roles, as James Milner will attest. The most important thing for Hinshelwood is that he will take advantage of his promising start by getting more minutes on the field. wu

The story continues

Cherries offer proof of America’s resurgence

A brave new world for Manchester United or simply the latest false dawn? Wednesday’s convincing 2-1 home win over Chelsea is quickly followed by the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday as Erik ten Hag’s men look to continue climbing the Premier League table. With Manchester City not playing until Sunday in Luton, United can move level on points with the champions with a win. When asked how they can avoid a costly setback following Chelsea’s victory, Ten Hag urged his players to remain consistent. “Always make sure you are a team [with] Good cooperation, organization, inside and outside of possession,” he said. “We have brilliant players who can make a difference. “We’re not robots, but if you don’t play well you still have to win.” Let’s see if the coach’s players can do what he preaches. Jaime Jackson

The bee hive must work together to find goals

Injuries are wreaking havoc in the Premier League, but Brentford appear particularly affected by the loss of players. The latest to suffer a problem is Bryan Mbeumo, who limped off in their loss to Brighton after scoring a penalty earlier. Thomas Frank’s side are not exactly goalscorers and the absence of their top scorer would be a blow for Bramall Lane. With Ivan Toney unavailable, Kevin Schade injured and Neal Maupay not the most clinical forward, Thomas Frank will need the entire team to help him carry the load because he has limited ways to change things in attack. “We obviously miss him.” [Mbeumo] but it is not an excuse,” Maupay said after the loss to Brighton. “No matter who is on the field, we should be able to create opportunities.” Yoane Wissa would be the obvious replacement for Mbeumo in the starting XI, but he has only scored three goals in 15 appearances this season. It’s a team game and Brentford need everyone pulling in the same direction. wu

Gibbs-White could be the man to lift Cooper in Wolves’ comeback

Fans at the away ground at Molineux may be surprised to see Steve Cooper in the Forest dugout after what looked like a goodbye at Craven Cottage. His players let him down in the 5-0 against Fulham and it is likely that he will make changes again, because few deserve to keep his job. Morgan Gibbs-White was left out of the line-up in west London, to the surprise of many. He is a Cooper player through and through, having played with him on the England Under-17 team and at Swansea, and has full confidence in his coach. The midfielder will be doubly motivated against Wolves, eager to prove something to his former club and help his troubled manager in the process. Whatever happens, Cooper surely won’t last much longer at the City Ground, but he deserves a few fleeting moments of happiness before he leaves. Gibbs-White is the Forest player most likely to provide one on Saturday. wu

Gunners face a test of mettle at Villa Park fortress

A battle of title contenders awaits Saturday night in Birmingham. There is rightly a lot of buzz surrounding Villa after their 1-0 thrashing of Manchester City on Wednesday. Unai Emery’s side were absolutely dominant against mediocre opposition, but the focus will be on Arsenal, who travel to the top of the Midlands table. The Gunners have edged their last three games by a single goal, including late goals against Brentford and Luton. We are told that the mark of champions is being able to win even when they are not at their best, but they will need to reach new heights at Villa Park, where the hosts have won 14 games in a row. If Arsenal can find an upgrade to beat such an in-form team, it will be another huge milestone as they look to secure their first title since 2004. Some might argue that the Premier League has never been harder to win; Getting a result in games like this could be the key for Mikel Arteta’s men. wu

Chelsea’s resources do not give them excuses

Mauricio Pochettino attributed Chelsea’s loss to Manchester United to a lack of preparation time and mentioned (several times) that his team had less time to recover from the weekend’s game than Erik ten Hag’s team. The manager’s excuse was another indication of how far and how quickly Chelsea have fallen since two games in four days were a regular and acceptable requirement of a generously formed team competing in the Champions League. Yes, Chelsea have injuries and a number of young players, so inconsistency is to be expected, but there is also no doubt that a team capable of deploying a £200m-plus central midfield and creative forward line at Old Trafford is having a inferior performance. Pochettino again needed a reaction at Everton, who played a day after Chelsea and has fewer players to rotate, but won their midweek match. andy hunter

Jiménez regains form against goalscorer Fulham

Fulham have gone crazy for the goal. Having initially struggled to fill the void left by the departure of Aleksandar Mitrovic last summer, Marco Silva has finally found new ways to attack. Willian remains an effective outlet on the left and Alex Iwobi, who is developing a good understanding with Andreas Pereira, has been getting better and better since he arrived from Everton. But what really made the difference during Fulham’s 5-0 win over Forest was Raúl Jiménez’s clinical performance up front. The striker hasn’t been the same since he suffered a horrific head injury while at Wolves. However, he is still a smart player and scored two good goals in the midweek win. Fulham’s rise away from danger will continue if the Mexican continues to play well, so Silva hopes Jimenez will be in the mood when West Ham visit Craven Cottage looking for another London derby win. Jacob Steinberg

Rodri needs help in midfield to revive City

Every time Manchester City have lost in the league this season, Rodri has been absent through suspension. He is their key man in midfield, the barrier that protects the defensive unit and instigates attacks with his simple use of the ball and who was sorely missed against Aston Villa. There is no doubt that City need the Spaniard to play as many minutes as possible for the rest of the season if they are to win the title again, but they will still need more support in midfield. Last season, Rodri received his fifth league booking at the end of April, while this time he already has five yellow cards and one red to his name. This suggests he has been more exposed in the position and, after a grueling season chasing the treble, he could well be tired. Rodri and City are still missing the influence of Ilkay Gündogan, with summer signings Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes struggling to fill the void. Pep Guardiola needs to find a way to help Rodri get City back on track. wu

Romero and Tottenham walk a tightrope

Tottenham fans had a bit of fun on social media following their home defeat to Aston Villa. They noticed how Cristian Romero, dressed in civilian clothes while serving a suspension, stared at Matty Cash after the Villa defender had taken out Rodrigo Bentancur. Cash’s teammates escorted him off the pitch at half-time, presumably concerned about an intervention by Romero, while the Spurs support would speculate on which games their centre-back would miss following the red card he receives for resolving Cash’s return in Villa Park. . That plays into Romero’s tough man reputation, however, and he was the first to realize that he let his team down by getting sent off against Chelsea. From 1-0 that night, they fell to a 4-1 defeat and only earned one point in the next three matches while Romero was suspended. His performance against West Ham showed the good and bad sides of him: he put Spurs ahead, but received a late booking out of frustration as his team fell to defeat. He is essential for the Spurs defense, but controlled aggression is required. David Hytner