1<\/p>\n
Gloves off in Leeds\u2019 relegation fight<\/p>\n
Daniel Farke is understood to have wanted a new goalkeeper during the January transfer window<\/a> but the Leeds board failed to oblige. Might that decision ultimately cost the club their Premier League status? It will be interesting to see whether Farke recalls the recently dropped former Lyon goalkeeper, Lucas Perri, or keeps faith with Karl Darlow against Nottingham Forest at Elland Road on Friday night. Darlow, formerly second choice at Newcastle, struggled with crosses when Arsenal won 4-0 in West Yorkshire last Saturday<\/a> and may approach a quintessential relegation six-pointer against Forest with dented confidence. What about Illan Meslier<\/a>? Previously a star under Marcelo Bielsa, a keeper once hyped as France\u2019s future No 1 has been demoted to third choice and has been discussing a potential move to Besiktas before Friday\u2019s transfer deadline in Turkey. Talks only began after Leeds rejected a bid for Perri from Besiktas last week. Time will tell if that was that the right decision. Louise Taylor<\/p>\n Leeds v Nottingham Forest<\/a>, Friday 8pm (all times GMT)<\/p>\n Karl Darlow endured a torrid time from crosses in defeat by Arsenal. Photograph: Lee Smith\/Action Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n United revival offers stern test for Spurs<\/p>\n Manchester United are unbeaten in three games under Michael Carrick and Tottenham are unbeaten in four under Thomas Frank. While Carrick has overseen three victories, Spurs have two Premier League draws alongside Champions League wins. After Sunday\u2019s last-gasp 3-2 win against Fulham<\/a> at Old Trafford, Carrick was asked if his Midas touch could continue for his remaining 14 Premier League matches. In the interim manager\u2019s calm way he smiled and said, in essence, there are no guarantees. But factor in a reinvigorated and re-engaged home crowd and even a draw for Spurs looks like a tough ask. Jamie Jackson<\/p>\n Manchester United v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Arsenal will need home fans again<\/p>\n The euphoria after Arsenal\u2019s victory over Chelsea<\/a> that booked their place at Wembley in next month\u2019s Carabao Cup final showed how desperate their supporters are for success, and Mikel Arteta felt they deserved praise for sticking with his side during a nervous second half at the Emirates. \u201cThey brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments,\u201d he said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t easy because it was a late kick-off, windy, rainy, cold and they responded. The energy was very good from the beginning. I sensed it was different and they are on board.\u201d Arsenal\u2019s players will need the fans again when they face Sunderland on Saturday having experienced the power of a passionate home crowd in November\u2019s 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light<\/a>. R\u00e9gis Le Bris\u2019s side are the only Premier League team still unbeaten at home this season and remain a threat, even if they have won only twice on the road. Ed Aarons<\/p>\n Arsenal v Sunderland<\/a>, Saturday 3pm<\/p>\n Arsenal fans get behind their side during the League Cup victory over Chelsea on Tuesday. Photograph: John Walton\/PA<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Villa seek attacking boost at Vitality<\/p>\n Given they sit just a point behind Manchester City, Aston Villa cannot be considered out of the title race. But having lost two of their last three league games, at home to Everton<\/a> and 10-man Brentford<\/a>, they are now looking down not up, with the clubs below them \u2013 Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool \u2013 all improving. When out of form and under pressure, there are many fixtures preferable to Bournemouth away: Andoni Iraola\u2019s men are, er, \u201cin a good moment\u201d and will ask searching physical questions of players who have appeared tired in recent weeks. Of the sides in the top seven, Villa have scored the fewest goals, so it was no surprise they used the transfer window to bring in two attackers. With the hamstrung Ollie Watkins only a maybe for Saturday\u2019s game, they\u2019ll be hoping Tammy Abraham and the returning loanee Leon Bailey can quickly integrate into Unai Emery\u2019s system, sparking the required attacking improvement. Daniel Harris<\/p>\n Bournemouth v Aston Villa<\/a>, Saturday 3pm<\/p>\n Tammy Abraham attempts a shot against Brentford. Photograph: Clive Mason\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n Hammers eye fresh blow for Burnley<\/p>\n If you had told Scott Parker that, come the start of February, Burnley would still be involved in the relegation battle, he would probably have accepted that. The problem, though, is that his side are as good as down and their participation in the struggle is because of their upcoming opponents: West Ham on Saturday, then Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. At the start of the year, West Ham also looked doomed, but then they appointed Paco J\u00e9mez as first-team coach and the improvement was instant, impressive wins over Spurs<\/a> and Sunderland<\/a> followed by stoppage-time heartbreak at Chelsea<\/a>. J\u00e9mez made his name turning Rayo Vallecano into an attacking force but, at West Ham, his principal influence has been defensive, coaxing improved performances from individuals and the back-four unit as a whole. If they can sustain that progress, given their forwards \u2013 Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos and Crysencio Summerville \u2013 are in decent form, they will expect to take three points from a match they must surely win in order to stay up. Daniel Harris<\/p>\n Burnley v West Ham, Saturday 3pm<\/p>\n Jarrod Bowen (centre) is among the West Ham attackers who may have found form at the right time in the fight against the drop. Photograph: Mark Greenwood\/IPS\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Wilson\u2019s admirers brace for close look<\/p>\n Harry Wilson is one of the most improved players in the top flight this season. He has always been useful for Fulham, but has been a squad player for much of his time at Craven Cottage. The Wales winger often made an impact from the bench, chipping in with important goals. Now, though, Wilson is in the running to make the team of the season. He has eight goals in all competitions for Fulham and has scored in each of his past four home games. Everton<\/a> will be keeping a close eye on Wilson, having tried to sign him during the winter transfer window. Wilson, out of contract at the end of the season, will be hoping to impress against one of his many admirers. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n Fulham v Everton, Saturday 3pm<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Rosenior deserves better than derision<\/p>\n Liam Rosenior is the youngest of seven British managers in the Premier League \u2013 and yet despite establishing a fine reputation as a coach, there is an apparent thirst to dismiss his credentials at every opportunity. He has seen the online comparisons to Will from the Inbetweeners and David Brent. His tactics were widely denounced after Chelsea were knocked out of the Carabao Cup<\/a> at Arsenal on Tuesday. Some, presumably, will have even taken delight in the 41-year-old\u2019s clunky touch at the Emirates Stadium going viral. It is not the first time an English coach has been derided and is unlikely to be the last. This week Rosenior was asked about facing another British coach in Wolves\u2019s Rob Edwards, flying in the face of that age-old question about homegrown managers getting opportunities. But when they get them, why is there a desperation to drag them down? Ben Fisher<\/p>\n Wolves v Chelsea<\/a>, Saturday 3pm<\/p>\n Why do British coaches like Liam Rosenior seem to attract derision online? Photograph: Harriet Lander\/Chelsea FC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Howe needs forward pair to flourish<\/p>\n Given that a fatigued Newcastle have won only one of their past seven games in all competitions and are fresh from Carabao Cup semi-final defeat<\/a> by Manchester City, they could do with undoing Brentford. Not that it will necessarily be easy for Eddie Howe\u2019s team. Memories of their 3-1 loss to Keith Andrews\u2019s side<\/a> in west London in November remain fresh on Tyneside, where home supporters can only hope that Yoane Wissa decides to remind his former club precisely what they have lost. The home fans are likely to relish jeering Jordan Henderson but the former Sunderland midfielder could yet enjoy himself in a department where Newcastle will again be without Joelinton, and possibly Bruno Guimar\u00e3es and Lewis Miley too. Much may hinge on Sandro Tonali\u2019s central midfield performance, while the hitherto underachieving winger Anthony Elanga will hope to build on a promising cameo against City. With tricky trips to Tottenham, Aston Villa, Qarabag and City, again, coming up, Howe needs that pair to be at their best. LT<\/p>\n Newcastle v Brentford<\/a>, Saturday 5.30pm<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n H\u00fcrzeler to take on his mentor Glasner<\/p>\n Sunday\u2019s meeting of Brighton (one win in nine league games) and Crystal Palace (no wins in nine) doesn\u2019t promise to be a thriller but the \u201cM23 derby\u201d rarely is. An awful 0-0 draw in November<\/a> hinted at both teams\u2019 deficiencies but Fabian H\u00fcrzeler will be eager to notch his first win in four attempts against their bitter rivals, after Oliver Glasner did the double over them last season \u2013 the first for Palace since 1932-33. Brighton\u2019s last derby win was a 4-1 thrashing at the Amex in February 2024<\/a> that brought an end to Roy Hodgson\u2019s second spell at Palace and ushered in the Glasner era<\/a> at Selhurst Park. H\u00fcrzeler has described his Austrian counterpart as a mentor and still regularly speaks to Glasner on the phone. Beating him and Palace in their final showdown in this fixture could begin to persuade some doubting Brighton fans he is the right man for the job. EA<\/p>\n Brighton v Crystal Palace<\/a>, Sunday 2pm<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n Wirtz coming into best form for Slot<\/p>\n Recent evidence suggests Liverpool should be a different proposition on Sunday to the team Manchester City encountered at the Etihad in November and Florian Wirtz most certainly will be. The potential \u00a3116m signing was still without a Premier League goal or assist when the sides last met and ineffectual during Liverpool\u2019s 3-0 defeat<\/a>. He was not alone in that regard. Wirtz\u2019s influence and impact is rising, however, and an improved understanding between the Germany international and Hugo Ekitik\u00e9 has contributed to Arne Slot\u2019s side scoring 10 goals in their last two home games. \u201cI think he did not improve that much on the ball because from the start he was special,\u201d the Liverpool head coach said. \u201cBut off the ball I see the biggest improvement. The Premier League is about both.\u201d Had last summer worked out differently, Wirtz could have been lining up for City against a Liverpool defence containing Marc Gu\u00e9hi. The champions need their playmaker to remind Pep Guardiola of what might have been. Andy Hunter<\/p>\n