Questions asked of Solskjær, Barkley is Tuchel’s latest success, and why did City sign Grealish not Kane? “The short answer is yes,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjær. “We’ve got loads to work on and we need to improve. We know that and I know that but I do believe in this group of players and the coaching staff. I’m very confident that we will get the best out of this squad.” Thus far, despite unconvincing performances, the evidence is that Manchester United’s board share that confidence: they gave him a new three-year contract in July. But, externally at least, questions are being asked of Solskjær. He faces a defining period – against Leicester, Atalanta, Liverpool, Tottenham, Atalanta again and Manchester City...
The south coast club, who host Leicester on Sunday, have made a flying start but have had a favourable fixture listxG is not a perfect tool. Models vary. They have flaws. But still, it is striking that most xG – expected goals – models for last season had Brighton finishing not 16th, as they actually did, but fifth or sixth. Imagine that had happened. Imagine Brighton, with the 15th-highest wage bill in the division, had qualified for the Europa League. It would have been an extraordinary achievement. Graham Potter might not have been named coach of the year ahead of Thomas Tuchel, but he would surely have nudged Marcelo Bielsa out of second.More than that, Potter would have been a...
Romelu Lukaku returns for Chelsea, Raphaël Varane set for United bow and Burnley test Virgil van Dijk’s aerial mettleArsenal beat Chelsea twice last season, including a victory at StamfordBridge three months ago. Since then they have spent heavily on transfers including a £50m centre-back. Their fans must be super-confident as they prepare for Sunday’s Emirates clash, especially those who have blanked out last week’s fiasco at Brentford. But Thomas Tuchel is sure to bear that match in mind as he prepares his strategy for Sunday, and his pre-match pep talk is likely to begin with a good old-fashioned “get into ’em”. Ben White performed no worse than many teammates last week but the expectation on him is higher following his...
Fabinho the key to Liverpool’s improvement, Pereira parades his talent and Saints regain their cutting edgeThe post-match talk was of Trent Alexander-Arnold ramming it down the throat of Gareth Southgate. But Liverpool’s performance also spelled out why the full-back has struggled to the extent of being considered expendable by England. For Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to have maximum attacking impact they require a balanced midfield to create space and time to burn forward. Fabinho has spent most of the season either in central defence, standing in for Virgil van Dijk, or on the absentee list. His restoration to midfield and Liverpool’s improvement either side of the international break is little coincidence. The Brazilian’s assurance and simplicity make those around him...
With Sheffield United and West Brom cut adrift, our writers look at the three teams in the greatest danger of finishing 18thReasons to be cheerful Crucial wins against Southampton and Newcastle before the international break have eased the pressure on Graham Potter significantly after a disastrous run that yielded one point from five matches. The 3-0 thumping of Newcastle – only Brighton’s fourth victory at the Amex since December 2019 – was particularly important given it has helped establish a six-point cushion with nine games to go and showed that this team can have a cutting edge. Related: Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend Related: Which Premier League clubs have the hardest and easiest run-ins? Related:...