2<\/p>\n
New-look Villa host Maresca\u2019s defiant City<\/p>\n
It was five months ago but it feels a lot longer. When these two sides met in May to finish the season, the contest doubled as Pep Guardiola\u2019s leaving party after 10 years in the job and twice as many trophies, an era now laden with asterisks. It must be surreal for Aston Villa supporters, too. Their 2-1 victory<\/a> at the Etihad Stadium, inspired by two goals from Ollie Watkins to complete a league double over City, came only four days after their Europa League triumph<\/a> in Istanbul, where Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Emi Buend\u00eda were the scorers. Buend\u00eda is the only one left in claret and blue as Unai Emery builds a new side, one that has picked up in form after a single point from their first four league games. City, meanwhile, are thriving on the pitch: victory would make them just the third side to win their first eight games of a Premier League season. Taha Hashim<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Saka injury may benefit Dowman<\/p>\n Max Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history with his dazzling solo strike against Everton<\/a> at the Emirates in March. But the supremely talented 16-year-old has found opportunities limited this season. Dowman has played only nine minutes in the Premier League despite scoring twice against Ipswich<\/a> in the Carabao Cup last month as Arsenal have tried to protect their rising star. Yet the suspected quad muscle injury<\/a> suffered by Bukayo Saka in Wednesday\u2019s 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich<\/a> means Mikel Arteta is short of attacking options. With David Moyes\u2019s side back in north London, it could be the perfect chance for Dowman to step up in his favoured position on the right flank. Ed Aarons<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Lampard wants Coventry to toughen up<\/p>\n Coventry and Fulham have only met twice in the English top flight \u2013 back in 1967-68, when the promoted Sky Blues took a single point from two meetings, but stayed up by a point while Fulham went down. It is too early to call Saturday\u2019s game a six-pointer in the relegation battle, but the two teams sit either side of the dreaded dotted line after shaky starts. Coventry have shown glimpses of their Championship swagger, particularly in the 4-1 rout of Newcastle<\/a>, but Frank Lampard wants his players to start thinking like a Premier League team. \u201cI can\u2019t keep applauding the players, believing they deserve to be here,\u201d the Coventry manager said. \u201cNow we have to get over that. We can\u2019t be too soft.\u201d Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Ipswich all visit the CBS Arena in the coming weeks, so there is an opportunity to consolidate. Fulham were linked with Lampard in the summer, and questions remain over whether \u00c1lvaro Arbeloa is pragmatic or flexible enough to succeed. Will these sides meet in the Premier League again next season? The jury is out. NM<\/p>\n \u00c1lvaro Arbeloa: still under pressure despite Fulham\u2019s win over Hull. Photograph: Javier Garc\u00eda\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n De Zerbi needs balance for Chelsea challenge<\/p>\n Tottenham\u2019s recent record against Chelsea is miserable. They are on a six-match losing streak against their London rivals and have collected a paltry two points at Stamford Bridge since last winning there in April 2018<\/a>. Tottenham finally have a league win \u2013 they beat Coventry 3-1<\/a> on Monday \u2013 but remain unconvincing. Roberto De Zerbi used a 3-4-2-1 system against Coventry. He had problems in midfield but now has to work out whether to change a winning team. Does he stick with James Maddison after the No 10\u2019s excellent goal against his boyhood club? Spurs still looked short of energy at times. There is an argument to bring back Conor Gallagher\u2019s dynamism, but would that hurt the side\u2019s quality on the ball? Mateus Fernandes is another option but is yet to establish himself since joining from West Ham. Spurs\u2019 approach remains hard to decipher. De Zerbi likes possession, but Chelsea want teams to open up as the Blues have searing pace on the break. Given their history in this fixture it seems Spurs should focus on tightening up. Equally they can\u2019t be passive and need a threat on the break. De Zerbi will be searching for the right balance. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Iraola waiting for Anfield breakthrough<\/p>\n Talk of Brighton achieving Champions League qualification for the first time will gain more credence, even at this early stage, should Fabian H\u00fcrzeler\u2019s confident side extend their unbeaten run to nine matches in all competitions. There have been six clean sheets and 23 goals scored in sequence that featured six wins in a row and the Premier League\u2019s highest scorers will take encouragement from Liverpool\u2019s defensive problems in the comeback against Villarreal<\/a>, which were not limited to Virgil van Dijk\u2019s early lapses. Andoni Iraola is yet to savour a first home league win as Liverpool head coach \u2013 Anfield has seen only four home wins in 13 league games this year \u2013 and he will be wary of Brighton\u2019s various threats. But with Rio Ngumoha electric in the Champions League win, Florian Wirtz improving and Alexander Isak increasingly decisive, the ingredients are in place for another enthralling spectacle. Andy Hunter<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter |Every weekday<\/p>\n Sign up to Football Daily<\/p>\n Kick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of football<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Who can rouse Carrick\u2019s rabble?<\/p>\n Who can or will lift Manchester United after the latest dismal\/embarrassing week? Bruno Fernandes\u2019s abdication of captaincy duties<\/a> \u2013 accusing his manager of being tactically inept \u2013 showed what a rabble the team has become under Michael Carrick; and beyond the double footballer of the year, is there another star act who can win a game? Bournemouth will hope to take advantage, register only a second league win of the season, and deepen the misery for their hosts and fans. If his side goes down to the Cherries, Carrick will surely follow: the latest victim of the United circus. Jamie Jackson<\/p>\n Bournemouth are coming off a 3-0 win against Milan on Thursday. Photograph: MB Media\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Disasi must make amends at Palace<\/p>\n It\u2019s been six months since Crystal Palace recorded a clean sheet in the Premier League at Selhurst Park and the pressure will be on Pierre Sage against Newcastle on Sunday. Palace have conceded eight goals in four home league games this season, although they welcome back Axel Disasi from suspension after his reckless red card against Ipswich<\/a>. The French defender was brought in on loan from Chelsea to add experience but cost Palace in the defeat by the newly-promoted side and had to watch from the sidelines as the Eagles were humiliated against Brighton<\/a> last weekend. Disasi owes Sage a favour and he will be desperate to make up for his poor start to life in south London. EA<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Hull and Brentford thrive off the ball<\/p>\n Something unusual will happen at the MKM Stadium on Sunday; either Hull City or Brentford will register more than 50% possession. In seven league games, Brentford only had more of the ball in their 1-1 draw at Leeds<\/a>. The hosts, meanwhile, are comfortably the most possession-averse team in the top flight so far this season, at an average of just over 30%. Both teams have been effective on the break and successful at set-pieces, with three goals apiece from dead balls. This may prove to be a match for the purists, where one clinical moment makes the difference. The Bees head coach, Keith Andrews, will hope it comes from Igor Thiago, yet to recapture the prolific form of last season. \u201cThiago at the moment is a very marked man, but we\u2019ve got goalscorers throughout the team,\u201d Andrews said of the Brazilian forward, who has scored one goal in seven this season. \u201cThiago being Thiago wants to score more goals, and he\u2019s certainly not far away.\u201d NM<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n Mukiele issues war cry to Sunderland<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792742772_623_500.jpg\")
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