1. Adebayo key to Luton’s last-ditch fight
Friday night’s clash between deeply imperilled Luton and newly safe Everton ought to mean contrasting moods among the two sets of supporters at Kenilworth Road. Still, off-field alarms at Everton are likely to dampen the mood in the away end despite the impressive three straight wins that have delivered safety for Sean Dyche’s side. Luton’s much-admired campaign against the drop, by contrast, looks as if it is running out of road yet this well-run club have less to fear from relegation than many around them. There are hopeful portents for Rob Edwards’s team too: the Hatters’ first Premier League win of the season was secured at Goodison in September. The return of Elijah Adebayo, who came on for the final 12 minutes of last Saturday’s loss at Wolves after two months out, can also give their attack extra verve against an Everton side whose thoughts might just be beach-bound after recent exertions. Victory would lift Luton out of the bottom three and give Nottingham Forest more than conspiracy theories to worry about.
- Luton v Everton, Friday 8pm (all times BST)
2. Iraola poses threat to old friend Arteta
Last season, amid scenes of wild celebration at the Emirates, Arsenal beat Bournemouth through a remarkable turnaround from two goals down and it felt like the springboard to something special. They could not get over the line then but are far closer to it as the Cherries visit again on Saturday. Mikel Arteta’s side know another win would put fresh pressure on Manchester City’s evening clash with Wolves. Presumably Bournemouth will not score after nine seconds this time around, but the away side are in excellent form and it is not impossible Andoni Iraola could inflict a grievous blow upon his childhood teammate, Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are getting used to picking up results when it matters, a habit that has taken years to rediscover, and may need to dig deep once again. If Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, both excellent in the north London derby, are kept quiet, who might be this year’s Reiss Nelson and provide the winning moment?
- Arsenal v Bournemouth, Saturday 12.30pm
3. Brentford seek step up with safety secured
Brentford v Fulham has always felt the most symmetrical of the west London rivalries. The sides have met 44 times in the past 50 years, far more than either have faced QPR or Chelsea, with results fairly evenly split – though Fulham’s Covid-year playoff final win is the standout in recent times. Those fabled bragging rights are pretty much all that are at stake on Saturday, with Thomas Frank’s side safe after recent wins over Sheffield United and Luton. Brentford have not beaten a side above them in the table since winning at Wolves in early February. That ought to provide extra motivation for the Bees, who deserved more from last month’s draws with Manchester United and Aston Villa. The recent form of Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbuemo and the always threatening presence of Ivan Toney – even if he has not fully found his range yet since returning from his ban – should inspire Brentford to put on some kind of show against rivals who have had a smoother season than them.
- Brentford v Fulham, Saturday 3pm
4. Elite finisher Isak to strike again?
Eddie Howe answered his own question last week. “Would I swap [Alexander Isak] with anybody else? No, I wouldn’t.” Which isn’t quite the same as claiming that Isak is the world’s best out-and-out No 9, but it’s not far off. It would be hard to argue against Harry Kane (although Isak’s age probably makes him more expensive) and Erling Haaland (although it would be interesting to see Isak’s numbers at City), but the Swede’s skill-set is increasingly rare: 6’ 4” but lightning quick, intelligent, strong, composed, composed with either foot. With 19 league goals (and seven in his last six games), there is no doubt that Isak is elite, and he has an excellent chance to further his golden boot chances at Burnley.
- Burnley v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm
5. Arblaster has a chance to up the bids
Only 40 miles separate Bramall Lane from the City Ground but Nottingham Forest travel to South Yorkshire hoping to occupy a parallel football universe to Sheffield United next season. While Chris Wilder’s team are already Championship-bound, Nuno Espírito Santo’s Forest have 10 more points and real hope of winning the relegation race against Burnley and Luton. Much may hinge on a midfield contest expected to showcase the potential of Sheffield United’s Oliver Arblaster. The homegrown 20-year-old spent the first part of this season on loan at Port Vale in League One but has offered a rare reason for optimism since returning to Bramall Lane and has been named captain by Wilder for the team’s last two games. Aston Villa and West Ham currently head the queue of clubs considering summer time bids for Arblaster but with a contract until 2028, he will not be cheap. In any case, be better off continuing to develop in the second tier where Wilder wants to rebuild his side around him.
- Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm
6. Wolves must be wary of Rodri
For the neutral, the hope is that Arsenal beat Bournemouth in the early kick-off so that when the champions face Wolves five hours later they will be four points behind (with two games in hand) and the jeopardy of a thrilling title race remains. Gary O’Neil’s team may arrive nine places and 33 points below their hosts but they can look to September’s reverse fixture, which they won 2-1, to inspire them. But before they get their hopes up too much, it is worth remembering Manchester City were without the suspended Rodri then and he will surely be in Saturday’s lineup
. While he has been a touch off his absolute finest recently, with him in the starting XI Pep Guardiola’s side are often unstoppable.
- Manchester City v Wolves, Saturday 5.30pm
7. De Zerbi desperate for a strong finish
How much more damage will Roberto De Zerbi’s personal brand sustain before the end of the season? More pertinently, perhaps, how much reputational harm can he soak up before the clubs he has been linked with look elsewhere for a new manager? Brighton truly are “spending a tough moment”, as the Italian said after last weekend’s capitulation against Bournemouth, and their injury list is debilitating. But De Zerbi’s downbeat demeanour in media dealings is not helping; for the past several weeks he’s resembled a man who ordered penne pomodoro but got alphabetti spaghetti instead. Unai Emery was recruited by Sunday’s opponents, Aston Villa, a month after De Zerbi arrived on the south coast, and the Villans’ current trajectory looked possible for the Seagulls not so long ago. De Zerbi says the fans deserve more but for his own sake he needs to demonstrate he can survive, and even thrive, in a crisis.
- Brighton v Aston Villa, Sunday 2pm
8. Paquetá under pressure to perform
Lucas Paquetá was a contender for West Ham’s player of the season award not so long ago. The Brazilian’s creativity was key to David Moyes’s side challenging for European qualification, but doubts over his focus have risen before this weekend’s trip to Stamford Bridge. Paquetá’s only had himself to blame after a petulant early booking against Bayer Leverkusen last month ruled him out of the second leg of West Ham’s Europa League quarter-final against the German champions. A silly challenge hinted at a frustration with the team’s pragmatic style under Moyes, but there is no excuse for his recent performances in the league. Paquetá, who will be a target for Manchester City this summer, was poor against Liverpool, Fulham and Crystal Palace. He may want out but he still needs to give more to his current employers, starting against a Chelsea side now above West Ham in the table.
- Chelsea v West Ham, Sunday 2pm
9. Postecoglou misfires in attack on ‘dark arts’
It doesn’t exactly help the image of Tottenham having a soft underbelly for the club’s manager to whinge about their rivals having the temerity to employ the dreaded dark arts. For someone that famously tries to sell himself as a man of the people, it wasn’t very Sunday League of Ange Postecoglou to have a go at Ben White for distracting Guglielmo Vicario with a pinch on the arm in last Sunday’s north London derby. “If I saw my players do it, I’d be saying: ‘Mate, seriously?’”, the Australian said in a botched attempt to grab a moral victory. Nobody is suggesting dark arts should be lauded, but all the great teams have street smarts and know when to be savvy. If Spurs show the same naivety at Anfield as they did against Arsenal and Chelsea, Postecoglou will be on the end of another defeat.
- Liverpool v Tottenham, Sunday 4.30pm
10. Wharton rivals Olise and Eze for promise
Since being tormented by the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne at Selhurst Park a month ago, Crystal Palace have hit some exceptional form. Wins against Liverpool, West Ham and Newcastle were followed by last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Fulham that felt more like a victory, secured as it was by Jeffrey Schlupp’s goal-of-the-month contender. It was no surprise to see the dangerous Michael Olise involved in the buildup but the quality of Adam Wharton’s final pass to the goalscorer was of the highest class. If Eberechi Eze returns from the knee knock that sidelined him last weekend, the potential for slapstick comedy will be particularly high when the Eagles’ talented youngsters go up against Manchester United’s accommodating midfield. Olise and Eze may grab headlines again, but the 20-year-old Wharton is swiftly establishing himself as one of the most talented young players in the Premier League
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