Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Antonee Robinson has been 1 of the champion full-backs successful the league this season. He flies up and down the near flank, defends good and whips successful crosses. However, the Fulham defender was not astatine his sharpest during his side’s defeat to Aston Villa last weekend. He recovered it hard to incorporate Morgan Rogers and his crossing was not up to its accustomed precocious standards. The interest is whether Robinson, who had missed Fulham’s erstwhile game, is successful highest carnal condition. It has been a agelong run but Marco Silva needs the USA planetary to beryllium acceptable to spell erstwhile Everton sojourn Craven Cottage connected Saturday. Robinson’s raids are a cardinal portion of Fulham’s attacking set-up. Jacob Steinberg

In precocious November, the Premier League website ran a communicative asking wherefore immoderate teams were truthful overmuch amended astatine home. Brentford were the focus; Thomas Frank’s broadside were apical of the location signifier array with 16 points retired of 18 but lone Southampton had picked up less points connected the road. Brentford added 2 much location wins earlier decision to Nottingham Forest sparked a tally of 8 without triumph successful beforehand of their location fans. They adjacent mislaid an FA Cup necktie to Plymouth there. But accelerated guardant to present and, remarkably, Brentford are the champion distant squad successful the apical flight. They’ve picked up 19 points successful their past 8 distant games – 3 much than anyone other implicit the aforesaid play – and volition beryllium heavy fancied to adhd to that grounds astatine relegated Ipswich. If Frank tin someway articulation the 2 affirmative streaks together, could Brentford beryllium top-six contenders adjacent season? David Tindall

As a consciousness of familiarity returns to Manchester City’s results – it’s present 7 wins and a gully successful their past 8 games – the mid-season madness seems hard to comprehend. Pep Guardiola’s broadside mislaid 9 times successful 12 matches, including a streak of 5 successful a row, betwixt October and December. They suffered different tally of 5 defeats successful 9 outings crossed February and March. And yet a triumph implicit rock-bottom Southampton this play on with an Arsenal decision astatine Liverpool and City volition beryllium level with Mikel Arteta’s broadside connected 67 points. City adjacent with games against Bournemouth (h) and Fulham (a) portion Arsenal big Newcastle and question to Southampton. It’s present a chiseled anticipation that the past books volition amusement City arsenic the 2024-25 runners-up, the end-of-a-dynasty communicative looking absurdly premature. DT

Reports of Manchester City’s demise person been greatly exaggerated. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

With Wolves striking up an awesome bushed nether Vítor Pereira, endurance comfortably boxed off, present the situation is to usage a beardown extremity to the play arsenic a level for the next. Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi were signed successful January to summation the team’s physicality but, portion Pereira has been an overwhelming success, his assignment has not worked for everyone. Neither Tommy Doyle nor Hwang Hee-chan person started a league crippled since January portion Pablo Sarabia has been astir exclusively utilized arsenic a substitute. Sam Johnstone, a £10m signing past summer, past started a league crippled successful December and has been relegated to the relation of third-choice goalkeeper. Matheus Cunha has a £62.5m merchandise clause and the captain, Nélson Semedo, is retired of declaration adjacent month. Rayan Aït-Nouri has admirers but Wolves are hopeful of rewarding him with a caller deal, portion the Brazil midfielders André and João Gomes are tied to semipermanent contracts. Beyond the talismanic Cunha, expect different off-season of alteration astatine Molineux. Ben Fisher

Two of the season’s astir watchable sides collide connected the southbound seashore with European places inactive up for grabs, albeit Bournemouth’s hopes are babelike connected permutations elsewhere. Both they and Villa volition beryllium relieved to person rediscovered winning habits past play successful victories that demonstrated each side’s resilience arsenic overmuch arsenic their flair. The spotlight connected Andoni Iraola’s attacking doctrine and talents specified arsenic Evanilson and Antoine Semenyo has overshadowed Bournemouth’s antiaircraft improvements this term, with Dean Huijsen 1 of their astir important acquisitions past summer. That antiaircraft mettle volition get a afloat trial against Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and co, but Villa person looked a spot weary successful caller weeks and request to measurement up successful what is astir apt Saturday’s astir enticing top-flight fixture. Tom Davies

When Newcastle mislaid 2-1 astatine Stamford Bridge past October, Eddie Howe’s squad seemed poised for mid-table irrelevance. It was their 5th league crippled without triumph and Alexander Isak’s consolation extremity was their archetypal from unfastened play for much than 7 hours. The pursuing period Howe switched Sandro Tonali from the No 8 relation to the No 6 position, moving Bruno Guimarães successful the other direction, and everything changed. With Tonali dictating the tempo, Newcastle morphed into a formidable force, not simply winning the Carabao Cup – beating Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea on the mode – but placing themselves wrong touching region of a 2nd Champions League qualification successful 3 years. After Newcastle’s tally of 20 wins successful their past 27 matches Howe has confounded those who questioned his presumption past autumn. And to deliberation helium lone secured the occupation aft archetypal Rafael Benítez and past Unai Emery rejected it. Maresca has infinitely much to suffer from this high-noon, high-stakes duel, with its subplot of an attacking quality contention involving Isak and Cole Palmer. Louise Taylor

Will Alexander Isak proceed his blistery streak against Chelsea? Photograph: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United/Getty Images

You’ve got to recognition Manchester United and West Ham – not words often written but carnivore with maine – for their singular dedication to exploring conscionable however severely a affluent nine tin execute without fearing relegation. In 35 league games, these lavishly appointed squads person each mislaid 16 times, scoring 42 and 40 goals respectively; the past clip United bushed a broadside different than the relegated 3 was connected 26 January, portion West Ham person not done truthful since 22 February. Which is to accidental that some teams remain, contempt changing managers mid-season, successful perfectly despicable form, and arsenic specified this brushwood threatens to rival United’s November crippled against Chelsea for ineptitude per lb spent. There might, though, beryllium a redeeming feature: with the Europa League last imminent, Ruben Amorim volition presumably play immoderate younger players, possibly granting a debut to Bendito Mantato, a promising right-wing-back who signed his archetypal nonrecreational declaration this week. He, and they, could scarcely bash immoderate worse. Daniel Harris

Nottingham Forest won’t person a amended accidental of getting their spluttering Champions League propulsion backmost connected way than against their eastbound Midlands rivals. One imaginable snag is that Nuno Espiríto Santo’s side, astatine location to relegated and demoralised opposition, are apt to person plentifulness of the ball, which tends not to suit possibly the champion counterattacking broadside successful the country. The lucifer successful which Forest person had the astir possession this play – against Brentford astatine the City Ground past week – led to 1 of their astir deflating performances and results, a 0-2 loss. The injured Callum Hudson-Odoi has besides been missed. Leicester don’t person Brentford’s nous and should beryllium seen off. However, buoyed up by a uncommon triumph successful past weekend’s “El Crapico” against Southampton and with the evergreen Jamie Vardy hunting a 200th extremity for the club, Leicester volition not beryllium without motivation. TD

Tottenham are successful the mediate of a league play dreadful beyond each prediction and conception. Ange Postecoglou is successful superior information of losing his occupation adjacent if his squad triumph the Europa League, but capturing that trophy feels similar the lone mode helium tin perchance prevention himself, truthful everything helium does betwixt present and past volition beryllium with that successful mind. Spurs person suffered severely with injuries this play – Postecoglou mightiness person mentioned it erstwhile oregon doubly – and the equilibrium helium indispensable find is betwixt preserving those upon whom helium intends to trust successful Bilbao, and having them get successful Spain nicely grooved. A crippled against Palace, themselves preparing for a final, mightiness conscionable beryllium the champion mode of satisfying some aspects. DH

Ange Postecoglou has a delicate equilibrium to strike. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Trent Alexander-Arnold announced helium was leaving Liverpool with 3 matches of the play remaining to debar accusations of sneaking done the backmost doorway erstwhile his long-anticipated determination to Real Madrid is yet confirmed. A courageous step, though 1 that makes the last weeks of the boyhood fan’s Liverpool vocation much awkward than they would person been otherwise. Anfield volition present its archetypal effect to the quality against Arsenal, who necessitate a absorption of their ain to Champions League misery successful Paris with 2nd spot successful the Premier League acold from secure. While determination whitethorn beryllium choler successful the stands astatine losing Alexander-Arnold connected a escaped transfer, Arne Slot’s attraction of the full-back volition beryllium much cold-eyed. Slot has known of Alexander-Arnold’s intentions since precocious March but has started the defender successful Liverpool’s past 2 games. Now his exit is confirmed, however, it is clip to deliberation lone of the aboriginal and commencement Conor Bradley, providing the Northern Ireland planetary is fit. Andy Hunter