1<\/p>\n
Maresca faces an awkward customer<\/p>\n
This season Chelsea have held Arsenal after going down to 10 men and have beaten Barcelona, Liverpool and Tottenham. They have also dropped points against Atalanta, Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Leeds, Qarabag and Sunderland. It is clear that winning against smaller sides remains a problem for Enzo Maresca. Chelsea rise to the big occasion but inconsistency flares when they are expected to win. They do not like playing against deep defences \u2013 Maresca has often reacted with dismay when opponents switch to a back five to counter his carefully formulated plans \u2013 and can be forgiven if they are edgy about hosting Everton on Saturday. David Moyes\u2019s side have just recorded clean sheets at Bournemouth and Manchester United<\/a>. They will back themselves to neutralise Chelsea\u2019s attacking talents. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Is this really the end for Salah at Anfield?<\/p>\n So, is this really it? After 250 goals in 420 appearances, Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Club World Cup titles, plus numerous individual awards and records, is this the day Mohamed Salah says goodbye to Liverpool? Will he even get the opportunity? Arne Slot\u2019s side are unbeaten in the four games since Salah was dropped. In his now infamous interview at Elland Road,<\/a> Salah claimed he had asked his parents to join him at Anfield on Saturday when he will bid farewell to Liverpool fans before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations. He did not specify at the time whether it would be a permanent or a pre-tournament farewell, but battle lines in this unedifying episode have been drawn since then. On both sides. Liverpool consider his removal from first-team selection temporary and in the best interests of all concerned. Salah, judging by his lonely training ground selfie posted on the day of Liverpool\u2019s important Champions League win at Inter<\/a>, sees it as another snub. This is no way for a legendary Liverpool career to end but a reconciliation looks far off. Perhaps another game out of the Liverpool spotlight and a month in Morocco will give Salah time to reconsider his stance. Andy Hunter<\/p>\n Will Mohamed Salah wave goodbye to Anfield on Saturday? Photograph: Peter Byrne\/PA<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Broja deserves chance for goal-shy Clarets<\/p>\n Armando Broja\u2019s career has been stalled by injuries and unsuccessful loans, holding back a clearly talented striker. One of those forgotten spells was at Fulham, where eight Premier League appearances brought no goals. He finally left Chelsea permanently in the summer but is yet to get up to speed, featuring nine times off the bench for Scott Parker\u2019s Burnley without scoring. The Albanian\u2019s teammates aren\u2019t doing much better, especially at home where the Clarets have netted five times in seven league games, losing four times in the process. Parker is a conservative manager, relying on a strong defence as the foundation for victory. Burnley are not nicking the desired goals, and were easily brushed aside by Crystal Palace<\/a> last time out. The manager has told his players to be brave but maybe he is the one who needs to show more courage and start Broja, who has the potential to find the net regularly. Will Unwin<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Jesus hoping for Christmas cheer<\/p>\n Gabriel Jesus is confident he can recapture his best form after recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for almost a year. The Brazil striker came on as a substitute in Arsenal\u2019s 3-0 win at Club Brugge<\/a> on Wednesday night and will be hoping for more minutes when Mikel Arteta\u2019s side face rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday. \u201cOne hundred per cent,\u201d said the 28-year-old when asked whether the best is still to come from him. \u201cI\u2019m a different guy when I have a smile on my face. I\u2019m 100% sure, and then obviously now I\u2019m more experienced, now I had 11 months of doubting, of stepping back and watching everything around me, that has helped me a lot. I know if I have the chance I am going to go there and do my best to help the team, like everyone else here.\u201d Ed Aarons<\/p>\n Gabriel Jesus is looking to force his way back into Mikel Arteta\u2019s plans. Photograph: David Price\/Arsenal FC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n Clyne has big shoes to fill<\/p>\n The news that Daniel Mu\u00f1oz requires knee surgery could not have come at a worse time for Crystal Palace, given they are in the middle of a month featuring eight matches in three competitions. The Colombia defender is so integral to Oliver Glasner\u2019s system that he hadn\u2019t missed a game until last weekend\u2019s win against Fulham<\/a> when the veteran Nathaniel Clyne \u2013 who made his first appearance for Palace way back in 2008 \u2013 stood in. The 34-year-old may not have the same energy as Mu\u00f1oz but does provide a solid defensive base and that could be crucial for Sunday\u2019s meeting with Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has never lost at Selhurst Park but will be wary of Palace\u2019s threat after a thrilling 2-2 draw last season<\/a> even without Mu\u00f1oz, who opened the scoring almost exactly a year ago. EA<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Howe tasked with tricky derby puzzle<\/p>\n Will R\u00e9gis Le Bris\u2019s midfield trio of Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le F\u00e9e outshine Eddie Howe\u2019s first-choice three of Bruno Guimar\u00e3es, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton at the Stadium of Light on Sunday? It will be the first Wear-Tyne derby for nearly two years \u2013 Newcastle won 3-0<\/a> in the FA Cup third round in January 2024 \u2013 and the first in the league for almost a decade. If Le Bris\u2019s team pretty much picks itself, Howe has dilemmas after Wednesday night\u2019s 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayer Leverkusen<\/a>. Does he replace Aaron Ramsdale with a potentially fit again Nick Pope in goal? Does he drop Malick Thiaw \u2013 who struggled in Germany until injury forced Patrik Schick\u2019s half-time removal \u2013 and recall Fabian Sch\u00e4r? And should he rest the exhausted-looking Tonali and offer the 19-year-old Lewis Miley a start in midfield? If Joelinton fails to recover from injury in time Miley may play anyway but, regardless of personnel, Newcastle will need to improve at defending set pieces or Le F\u00e9e\u2019s deliveries could undo them. Louise Taylor<\/p>\n Eddie Howe has some conundrums to solve this weekend. Photograph: James Marsh\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Gibbs-White can fire up Forest\u2019s season<\/p>\n For a long time last summer, it looked as if Morgan Gibbs-White was heading to Tottenham for \u00a360m before Nottingham Forest complained about tapping up and convinced their playmaker to sign a new contract. Gibbs-White was the man who led Forest to seventh last season but his powers have been somewhat stifled in a struggling team. He has three goals and only one league assist to his name, which came on the opening weekend against Brentford<\/a>, and will be desperate to add to that as Forest look to move up the table from 17th. Gibbs-White has to embrace the fact he rejected a Champions League team to stay with the club that helped ignite his career and, if he does that on Sunday, it could do the same for Forest\u2019s season. In this fixture a year ago<\/a>, Gibbs-White created the winner for Anthony Elanga and the majority inside the City Ground will be hoping for a repeat. WU<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Hammers need Summerville on top form<\/p>\n Producing a better end product has to be the aim for Crysencio Summerville. The Dutch winger gives West Ham a different dimension when he is fit \u2013 which has not been often since his move from Leeds last year \u2013 but he has to do more in the final third. Summerville missed chances during last week\u2019s draw with Brighton<\/a>, has not scored this season and has not registered an assist since West Ham\u2019s win over Nottingham Forest<\/a> in August. There is no doubt, though, that he is a dangerous player. Summerville worries full-backs with his pace and trickery. He will give Matty Cash a good test when Aston Villa visit the London Stadium on Sunday, but West Ham need the 24-year-old to do more. JS<\/p>\n Crysencio Summerville has shown glimpses of excellence for West Ham, but must improve his finishing. Photograph: Ashley Western\/Colorsport\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Leeds ready to sting the Bees<\/p>\n Brentford have won five of their first seven league games at home, dropping points only to Chelsea, in a 2-2 draw<\/a>, and in a narrow defeat to Manchester City<\/a>, but have been victorious away on only one occasion, at West Ham. The Gtech Community Stadium is the difference between Keith Andrews\u2019s side being comfortably above the relegation zone and part of the battle at the bottom. Leeds arrive in west London off the back of a positive week after beating Chelsea and securing a dramatic late draw against Liverpool<\/a>. Daniel Farke has built a towering side and they will be ideally equipped to deal with the constant threat of set-piece deliveries from the hosts, meaning Brentford may need to implement plans B and C too. Now Leeds prefer a back five, the ability of Dango Ouattara to find the spaces in between defenders could be crucial. WU<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n United improving but still lopsided<\/p>\n