The big news all week has been the possible punishments that will be inflicted upon Manchester City for their wrongdoings, it’s definitely been a slow news week with barely any games. After this weekend the European competitions restart and all the talk will be on the pitch. BT Sport starts the TV coverage Saturday lunchtime with a historically feisty London derby:

West Ham v Chelsea

Both clubs have started to build a mini unbeaten run, defeat for either of them will intensify all the doubts regarding the team and manager futures. The win is priceless as bragging rights for the fans equals happy campers and going forward you can see either club push on to improve their league position.

PL Fixture Icons

Trevor Morley – The inaugural Premier League encounter at Upton Park was a very tight affair with the home side coming out one nil winners. Morley was the match winner scoring a deflected twenty yard effort, he enjoyed his best goal per game ratio while at West Ham, one ever three while over the course of his career it was one in four. Since quitting football life has seen him face a few scandals but currently he lives a settled life in Norway.

Mark Stein – It didn’t take long for Chelsea to earn victory at Upton Park in the Premier League, the second meeting in Feb 1995 saw the away side win 2-1 and former Luton man Stein grabbing the all important decider with a absolute humdinger! From 1991 till 1994 he scored 63 goals in 112 games, that was as good as it got, either side of those years he barely hit double figures each season.

Game Narrative

Graham Potter has so many players who can score goals and needs a couple of them to step up for him. Chelsea are creative outside the box but hit the panic button when taking the shot on. David Moyes despite being at home will park the bus in essence, ideally focusing on having at least six men behind the ball at all times. The Fulham game showed that Chelsea the longer games go on shrink further into their shell. If this happens Bowen or Benrahma have the skill to punish their big spending rivals.

The One to Watch – Angelo Ogbonno

The experienced Italian has to perform admirably at both ends of the pitch if his team are going to win. Defensively he will have to stay alert and not be drawn out of position when Chelsea switch the ball from side to side while from offensive corners he will be the main target.

Arsenal v Brentford

This fledging top flight fixture possess a underbelly of needle, strangely enough it’s not on the terraces but among the players and back room staffs. A throw away social media comment by Ivan Toney after Brentford’s first ever Premier League game when beating Arsenal has been used as a motivational tool since by Mikael Arteta and quoted after subsequent victories by his players. The stage is set for a fascinating game this Saturday, the hosts having lost last weekend to Everton and the visitors unbeaten since November.

Game Narrative

Last weekend Arsenal never found their rhythm at Goodison Park which stemmed from the home side suffocating possession at its source. Brentford also look to play that way generally but pulling off that tactic will be be harder at the Emirates with the wider field and home support. Mikael Arteta will look to capitalise on Josh DaSilvas defensive weaknesses in the heart of midfield. Norgaard & Jensen will battle Partey & Odergaard but it will be Xhaka who will look to get in behind the former Arsenal academy player. The Swiss international is playing well beyond any previous seasons form, especially in attack.

The One to Watch – Bryan Mbuemo

Against Southampton last weekend the Cameroonian played his best game of the season and will look to take that form to the Emirates. He tends to perform at a high level within short runs of matches so Oleksandar Zinchenko best be wary.

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion

So often over the years Palace have been the favourites in this M23 derby but the tables have been turned this year, Brighton are flying high and widely considered the better club all round. The Seagulls have always been known to struggle in front of goal but as a collective they are finding the net this term, same cannot be said for the Eagles. Both clubs have the same average goal conceded rate (1.4) but it’s average goals for which tells why their fortunes differ, 1.9 for Brighton and 0.9 for Palace.

PL Fixture Icons

Wilfred Zaha – Four goals for Crystal Palace makes him the top scorer for his club in this fixture and he has time to add to the tally, well in this game at least as his future at Selhurst Park is in doubt.

Glenn Murray – One hundred & three goals for Brighton and fifty four for Palace shows his best form of his career was playing for these two rivals. During the initial four PL matches he scored three times for Brighton, with the team grabbing two wins and a draw.

Game Narrative

Confidence will setup how this game will flow, Brighton are full of it and Palace are running off vapours. The home crowd will as always fulfil their side of the bargain but it will not help their players with football fundamentals like tackling and passing. When your low those basic skills are hindered, it only takes a few errors Saturday and the visitors playing their vibrant game to kill off Patrick Vierras men.

The One to Watch – Alexis MacAllister

The World Cup winner has always been a integral member of the Brighton squad but over the last year has grown in stature and now oozes class in the blue and white stripes for club and country. It may come down to a World class player settling this battle, why not the Argentinian?

Fulham v Nottingham Forest

Forest started last summer trying to replicate Fulham’s 2018/19 transfer splurge but within a few weeks propelling their activity to a whole different level and even in January didn’t remain shy. Thirty new players have arrived this season. So far Steve Coopers men are faring better than the Fulham attempt four years ago but time will tell as it’s obvious only a few arrivals have offered something and their key player still played for them last season, youth product Brennan Johnson. Fulham are massively over performing this term but show you can up-coach players and organisational buy in goes a long way.

Game Narrative

Tim Ream has been the beneficiary of numerous plaudits this season but he will remain the target for opposition forwards who view him as the weak link within the Fulham defence. Serge Aurier will need to distribute the ball from defence swiftly in between left back Robinson and his captain so Johnson can capitalise on Reams lack of speed. Since they played Chelsea at Craven Cottage Marco Silvas team have not scored in the league, this may see players like Wilson or Solomon starting Saturday to offer new creativity for Mitrovic. What they provide in attack will be lost defensively compared to what de Cordova-Reid or Willian offer.

The One to Watch – Jonjo Shelvey

Still lacking match fitness the former Newcastle man may well enter the pitch as a substitute but his guile and experience could be game changing. His range of passing is unlimited plus definitely not afraid to shoot from any range or angle.

Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur

It feels like both teams are very similar personnel wise with the key difference the men who lead them, Antonio Conte enters matches aiming not to lose while Brendan Rodgers looks to attack first. The win loss records show why the Italian is a elite coach, it’s not pretty for the fans but he has confidence the game changers can spark moments.

PL Fixture Icons

Julian Joachim – Growing up in the nineties Joachim was heralded as the next big English superstar forward, he never though fulfilled the hype. During the first PL showdown at Filbert Street in 1994 his goals in the 45th and 90th minutes led his team to a 3-1 victory.

Darren Anderson – It took till 2000 for Spurs to win at Leicester and it took a last minute Anderton goal for the points to go back to White Hart Lane. A calming influence on the right hand side for club and country, his skillsets were simple combining workrate, technical proficiency and a eye for goal.

Game Narrative

Leicester will find it very hard to penetrate the Tottenham back five despite fielding Barnes, Tielemens and Maddison. The away sides midfield shield the defence as well as any team in the division who in turn are no mugs if their territory is invaded. With the fact Spurs come on stronger as the match goes on this seems like a matchup hell for the home side. The width for Leicester like most weeks will be their go to play but it’s hard to see where they will get joy once the ball comes back inside.

The One to Watch – Rodrigo Bentancur

The Uruguayan is the key midfielder for Tottenham, he affects the game each week, quietly going about with his business. He will enjoy taking on James Maddison, physically he equals the England international and should nullify his creativity while looking to impose his final third prowess.

Southampton v Wolverhampton Wanderers

This surely will be the final outing for Nathan Jones as Saints manager if his side lose. His media comments over the last week verge on the deluded and performances in four of his last five games in the league are outrageously woeful. Lopetegui will feel this is the time to earn two victories on the trot for the first time under his leadership.

PL Fixture Icons

James Beattie – Unplayable on his day with one of those occasions being at St Mary’s in 2003 when the clubs kicked off their Premier League rivalry, the home side winning two nil and the former Blackburn youth player notching both. A seventeen year career only produced 443 games and 131 goals, he always struggled to maintain fitness, ankle injuries held him back.

Raul Jimenez – Three years ago Wolves won for the first time at St Mary’s 3-2 and the Mexican scored twice. Those goals made him Wanderers top scorer ever in the Premier League. Eleven months later he suffered his horrific head injury at Arsenal and understandably has never been the same since. Battering defenders non stop physically along with tremendous technical ability set him apart, now he is a shadow of his former self, almost going through the motions when on the pitch.

Game Narrative

Wolves will rely on their midfield to dominate possession, they will not push hard for goals as they will not want to leave their backline exposed but they will be fully aware if they can turn the home support against their players mistakes and gaps will appear. This has the feel of a match which will be killed off slowly and surely by the away team, think of a MMA bout when the two men are looking for the take down.

The One to Watch – Craig Dawson

He grabbed a goal on debut versus Liverpool last weekend and it would not be a surprise if he notches another on Saturday. His signing may well become one of the most astute this January, in the short term his importance to his new club could be the greatest of of all new arrivals in the league.

Bournemouth v Newcastle United

Welcome home Eddie Howe, he led Bournemouth to the promised land eight years ago but their will be no party on Saturday night his former employers will be all business, survival is on the line. With two weeks till the Carabao Cup Final I am intrigued who will be selected and the mindset of the players knowing a cup final is so close.

PL Fixture Icons

Dan Gosling – Shockingly the Cherries have never beaten their North East rivals at the Vitality, they managed a 2 all draw in 2018 with Gosling scoring in the 89th minute. I will always remember him for scoring the winner in the 118th minute for Everton in a FA Cup tie versus Liverpool live on ITV. I don’t know what the goal was like as the tv footage cut off, returning for the audience to see the celebrations.

Ayoze Perez – The Geordies won the first encounter at Bournemouth in 2015 one nil, the Spaniard being the match winner with a first half strike, their first serious attack of the game. The late Cheick Tiote was booked late on in the game, it would be one of his last matches for Newcastle and two years later suddenly died while playing in China.

Game Narrative

Competing in midfield is not a option for the home side, feeding the ball forward from deep constantly to the imposing Kieffer Moore with the sprinters Anthony & Ouattara dining off his flicks will be the main form of attack. Newcastles defence are as solid as they come but they do not face non stop bombardments from the sky, Gary O’Neill needs to test their minerals. If Newcastle can control the ball for long periods they will look to their wingers to provide match winning moments of skill, couple with the knowledge their strikers are better than the home side.

The One to Watch – Allan Saint Maximin

For so long the Frenchman was key to any Newcastle success, now due to his injuries, new arrivals and the formation set out by Eddie Howe he’s a squad player. No doubt he has the ability to force his way back into a starting role but he will have to improve his work rate by supporting his fullback when they do not have the ball. If he makes it on the pitch Saturday night his matchup against Adam Smith falls heavily into his favour.

Leeds United v Manchester United

Only days after their first meeting of the season they go again and even though lessons have been learnt from Wednesday night I fully expect a similar tone and tempo. The major concern for Leeds fans will be the lack of movement and direction in regards to their head coach search. Two top targets Androni Iraola and Arne Slot have either been denied permission to speak to Leeds or ruled themselves out. This double header has been a free hit but with games away to Everton and home to Southampton looming, Jesse Marschs replacement has to be in place.

PL Fixture Icons

Brian Deane – The distinction of the scoring the first goal in the Premier League is Deane’s, which was against Manchester United. He also was on the scoresheet when Leeds beat United 2-1 at the third attempt at Elland Road in September 1994.

Ryan Giggs – The Welsh wizard contributed with goals twice in different games, firstly in 1994 when his side won 2-0 and 2002 within a 4-3 victory.

Game Narrative

From Manchester United’s point of view they will be seeking to stop Wilfried Gnonto impacting the game, if Aaron Wan-Bissaka is fit this may well occur, one on one defending is his main strength. It’s in the centre of the field where Leeds will feel they are stronger than their opponents who are missing their usual starters Eriksen, Casemiro and McTominay. If they can prevent the ball reaching Rashford and Fernandes they have a chance but also it could be down to one of them to step up with a goal.

The One to Watch – Tyler Adams

His tackling and energy has made him a fan favourite at Elland Road but now is the time the American captain offers more on the field, passing needs to be more constructive and goals need to be scored.

Manchester City v Aston Villa

For the second weekend on the trot City know what the gap is between themselves and Arsenal, failing to win this time is not a option! The Arsenal result Saturday is irrelevant but the fact they meet on Wednesday is. Unai Emery will be disappointed his side lost last weekend to Leicester but the changes he has made are taking shape, playing the underdog has always suited his teams, their is no doubt City will need to be at their best to nab the three points.

PL Fixture Icons

Gary Flitcroft – The youth product grabbed the equaliser when these sides met for the first time at Maine Road in December 1992. His box to box play made him very popular with the fans, shockingly he was sold in 1996 to Blackburn Rovers.

Lee Hendrie – Another youth product who became a goal scoring hero in this fixture was Hendrie, notching one of the goals when Villa won for the first time at City, final score 3-1. He played when England was jam packed with talent like Beckham, Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard. Without them guys around he could of played more for his country.

Game Narrative

Erling Haaland has been a shadow of himself lately, you feel he will bounce back soon, his matchup with Mings and Konsa is very favourable. Both Villa defenders will look to engage in a battle of strength with the Norwegian but both are very clumsy/error prone. Like most away teams the counter attack is their main hope, Jacob Ramsey will be key in driving those moves.

The One to Watch – Ederson

The Brazilian has been sub standard this season, even his core strength of distribution from his feet has not kickstarted forward moves like he normally can. It’s time for him to rediscover his form, not conceding from the few shots he faces and propelling his team into attack swiftly by either playing between the defensive line or channel balls.

Liverpool v Everton

The hipster pick this weekend is that Everton will win at Anfield on Monday night, history argues against that through. Their is no doubt they can score against this Liverpool defence but that’s more of a criticism of the home side than praising Dyches forward players. Soon enough Mo Salah will find the form which earned him the massive contract he signed last summer. When this happens the wins for Liverpool in the league will follow.

PL Fixture Icons

Ronnie Rosenthal – Most 90’s football observers remember the Israeli for missing a open goal at Villa Park but he also was the first scorer in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in 1993, the home side winning one nil with the vital goal coming in the 89th minute.

Andrei Kanchelskis – The Toffees have only won three times at Anfield, the first time being in 1995 when the speedy Russian scored both goals as they came out on top 2-1. He was one of the first victims of Alex Fergusons reenergising of his team, over the years many more so called key players were sold as they started to get too big for their boots, no one player was bigger than the club.

Game Narrative

Everton will look to take the blueprint from the Arsenal win into this match but with Calvert Lewin a major doubt the success of that tactic seems low as Neal Maupay likes to press defenders on the ground rather than win knockdowns. Liverpools midfield will need to move the ball quickly as Everton’s midpark are full of strength and energy. A early goal seems unlikely while both sets of players look to impose themselves while taking few risks, but the team who does score first surely will win this one.

The One to Watch – Trent Alexander-Arnold

Every player in the league lining up on the left wing will feel they can expose the Liverpool man. Defensively he is not going to improve any time soon but what he can do is make sure his attacking output is at the high standards set over the last few years. Jordan Pickford is suspect when facing long range shots so rather than Trent crossing towards Everton’s giant centre backs he will be encouraged by his manager to test his England teammate from all angles and distances.

Arsenal v Manchester City

This game was originally due to be played in September but postponed due to the Queens death, it would have been a major matchup then, it’s now even bigger. This without a doubt the biggest game Amazon has hosted since they bought Premier League rights. It’s not a title decider but certainly will set the tone going forward for both teams. Bakary Saka was very quiet in the FA Cup match, Starboy needs to perform as when he plays the rest of the team reacts to his level. Nathan Ake is their for the taking and has to be made to play like a fullback rather than a centre back out wide. Pep lately has been answering questions about the complicated financial charges and City’s future punishment if guilty. When selecting his line up on Wednesday night he needs not overcomplicate it, send out the big boys and make Arsenal beat your A Team.

Premier League Player Power Rankings

Marcus Rashford maintains his top spot with two other United players in the top five. No new entries this week but players like Ben Mee, Brennan Johnson and Ruben Neves are pushing hard to be included in the top ten, all of them are the standout performers for their clubs and turning heads every weekend with their consistent performances: