In a crucial weekend in the Premier League, Manchester United confront their former adversary Vincent Kompany at Burnley, desperately seeking a much-needed win. Meanwhile, Arsenal plays host to an in-form.
Tottenham in an enticing north London derby. Additionally, struggling Chelsea faces Unai Emery's Aston Villa, while the revamped Liverpool aims for a fifth consecutive victory against West Ham. Here are three key talking points in anticipation of the English top-flight matches.
Normally, a visit to newly promoted Burnley wouldn't instill fear in the hearts of Manchester United – they've only suffered two defeats against the Clarets since 1968.
However, Erik ten Hag's team is currently grappling with defensive lapses, a struggle to find the net, and a palpable lack of confidence.
The Red Devils, currently in 13th place, have now experienced 18 losses in their last 35 away matches across all competitions. The preseason optimism has dissipated, with the club facing a series of challenges both on and off the pitch.
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Lying in wait on Saturday are Kompany’s Burnley, who are yet to win in the top flight since their promotion.
The former Manchester City captain will be desperate to pile on the pain for the Old Trafford club.
A frustrated Ten Hag, speaking after this week’s 4-3 defeat at Bayern Munich, said his team “have to look in the mirror” after costly defensive errors.
“You have to suffer sacrifices in such situations and to give everything and to stop it,” said the Dutchman. “And only when we get that in, will we win games.”
Tottenham are thriving under new boss Ange Postecoglou – sitting second in the Premier League table, two places above bitter rivals Arsenal on goal difference.
Spurs laboured to an eighth-place finish last season after an underwhelming campaign during which they parted ways with Antonio Conte, but Postecoglou has transformed the mood.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min is eager to right the wrongs after Arsenal completed a first league double in the fixture last season since 2014 and he feels the Gunners will be wary of his team.
“It’s going to be a really difficult game but they won’t want to face us at this time,” said the South Korean forward.
“We just have to give it everything we have and it will be a difficult game for both sides, but we’re looking forward to this game because it’s the right time to play against them. We’ll have a good game.”
Arsenal have not yet recaptured the fluency that fired their ultimately unsuccessful title tilt last season.
But they are just two points behind leaders and defending champions Manchester City and will make the short journey to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium lifted by a sparkling 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek.
The spotlight on the crisis at Manchester United has helped take the heat off Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino but the Blues are languishing in 14th spot in the Premier League table.
The Stamford Bridge side are once again struggling to find the net – they have failed to score in their past two matches and have won just twice in the league since March.
For all their eye-wateringly expensive recruitment, six of their substitutes for last week’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth had no Premier League experience.
“We know what we need to do, we are strong in our belief,” Pochettino said after the stalemate. “We have 12 injured and today we had three or four young guys and two keepers on the bench.”
However, the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager is acutely aware that Chelsea is not known for its patience. As he readies his team to take on seventh-placed Villa, he understands the high expectations.
Last season, Thomas Tuchel was dismissed in the early stages, and Graham Potter met a similar fate in April when the club was positioned 11th in the table.
