Premier League Preview: Match Week Four

The Premier League resumes following an international break which paused the young season. Only three matches are in the books but some trendlines are clear. Manchester City continues to dominate as Erling Haaland is scoring goals for fun. Liverpool looks just fine under their new manager Arne Slot. Manchester United’s performance continues to edge Manager Erik ten Hag toward the exit. Chelsea shows flashes but not consistency amid continuing self-imposed drama. Surprises include an undefeated Brighton led by 31-year-old manager Fabian Hurzeler who was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August.

An unpleasant surprise has been how hopeless Everton looks as the prospect of yet another relegation battle beckons for Toffee supporters. Tottenham Hotspur, entering this weekend’s north London derby, is a question mark. Spurs have won one, drawn one and lost one over three matches. The loss was to a stubborn Newcastle side at St. James Park, but the Magpies are a club that Spurs should beat if Europe is the goal. A thumping win over helpless Everton means little. An opening draw with newly promoted Leicester was embarrassing. Son Heung-min needs help up front and injuries to forwards Dominic Solanke and Richarlison have not been helpful towards that end. Reports that Solanke returned to training this week could provide an unexpected derby boost. More certain is that center back Micky van de Ven will make his return for Spurs.

Arsenal, meanwhile, is likely to be without two key players with an injured Martin Odegaard likely to join suspended Declan Rice on the sideline. Odegaard injured his ankle playing for Norway earlier this week and was sporting crutches upon his return to England. Remarkably, however, Arteta refuses to rule his captain out of the rivalry match. If Odegaard plays, it will be a tribute to modern medicine. If he sits or is ineffective, the Gunners, already damaged by the absence of Rice, could be in trouble at the home of their rival.

Manchester United has had its share of injury woes but it should not matter at winless Southampton on Saturday. The Saints look to be in store for a long prayerful season, the full sum of their scoring to date being a 95th minute consolation goal in a 3-1 loss at Brentford.

The Bees will be facing a bit more firepower this weekend when they visit the Etihad to face Manchester City  though that firepower could be diminished if league leading scorer Erling Haaland is absent for compassionate leave, an open question on Friday after Haaland suffered the loss of a close family friend. Brentford, to its credit, has been dangerous in attack despite the loss of striker Ivan Toney. Only five clubs have scored more goals than the Bees’ front-line duo of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. The two will be up against a Manchester City defense which will be missing Nathan Ake who was stretchered off with a hamstring injury during the Netherlands’ draw with Germany on Tuesday.

Mbeumo x Wissa x Dreaming

Modern #Barclaysmen pic.twitter.com/wN8hvqR24w

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 10, 2024

Aston Villa should boost its goal total this weekend when Everton’s porous defense takes to the pitch at Villa Park. Striker Ollie Watkins is yet to find the net this season and will be happy to see the generous defenders from Merseyside who have conceded a league leading 10 goals this season. That Everton has scored only two goals to date is not a surprise after the club scored fewer goals than any surviving club last season. However, the unexpected defensive debacle, so unusual for a Sean Dyche managed club, could spell doom for the Toffees if not corrected.

Wolverhampton is the other returning club which is currently rattling around in the relegation zone. There was some encouragement in capturing a point at Nottingham Forest before the break, but the competitiveness of Manager Gary O’Neil’s squad was diminished by a debilitating transfer window which showed little support for the manager. Wolves will host Newcastle at Molineux Stadium where their last home match was a 6-2 humiliation by Chelsea.

Nottingham Forest was expected to be in the survival fight this season at the bottom of the table. That may still be the case, but Manager Nuno Espiritu Santo has his side off to a surprisingly solid start, unblemished yet by defeat. Unfortunately, the Trees are almost surely going to be chopped down this weekend at Anfield by Liverpool. New Liverpool Manager Arne Slot has won all three of his matches to date with his club yet to concede a goal. A clean sheet against the Trees on Saturday would mark the first time a Premier League manager has posted a clean sheet in his first four league matches. On the other end of the pitch, only Manchester City has scored more goals though three matches than the seven that Liverpool has deposited in opponents’ nets. Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz each have three goals with Diogo Jota having contributed the other Liverpool score.

Salah also has three assists this season, putting him one behind league leading facilitator Cole Palmer. The Chelsea ace and his revolving cadre of high-priced teammates are at Bournemouth this weekend but as is common, most of the talk surrounding the London club this week focuses on its eccentric ownership doings. The current drama revolves around a reported rift between ownership groups. Each side, one led by Todd Boehly and the other headed by Behdad Eghbali, wants to buy the other out. Neither side seems to want to sell though. Chelsea supporters are not happy with any of the owners. Bournemouth enters Week 4 without a defeat after two draws and a rollicking win over Everton which saw the Cherries overcome a two-goal deficit by scoring three late goals after the 86-minute mark.

Chelsea, meanwhile, was stung before the break when a second half goal by Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze saw the Blues drop points in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridger. The Eagles will return home to Selhurst Park on Saturday to host newly promoted Leicester City. The transfer window, which saw the early defection of winger Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, was not nearly as calamitous as feared for Crystal Palace. The club was able to fend off Newcastle’s interest in defender Marc Guehi, striker Eddie Nketiah was added from Arsenal, and Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah joins the Eagles on loan to help replace the departed Joachim Andersen. Crystal Palace Manager Oliver Glasner should now have the pieces to work with to continue the positive trajectory for the Eagles which began with his arrival in Croydon last season. Leicester, meanwhile, remains a prime candidate for demotion, with or without an expected point deduction from the Premier League for financial misdealing. Leicester Manager Steve Cooper is reportedly already feeling his seat become warm as he attempts this weekend to win for just the second time in his last 17 Premier League matches dating to his time at Nottingham Forest. Leicester’s Jordan Ayew will experience a homecoming at Selhurst. The goal starved but hard working Ghanian forward spent six years with Crystal Palace before moving to the Foxes this past window.

Elsewhere in London on Saturday, Fulham will play host to a derby with West Ham. The Cottagers won both contests against the Hammers last season and Fulham Manager Marco Silva has won all six of his matches versus the Hammers. Silva, however, has been less successful facing new West Ham Manager Julen Lopetegui who he hasn’t beaten in their three prior matchups.

Brighton Manager Fabian Hurzeler, fresh off winning the Manager of the Month award, will look to extend his Seagulls’ undefeated run against newly promoted Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys pulled out an encouraging 1-1 draw at Fulham after being rudely greeted back to the Premier League by Liverpool and Manchester City in two opening losses.