10 Premier League talking points including Ruben Amorim's debut, Arsenal worries and sack race

After different investigating planetary break, the Premier League is BACK this play – and it won’t beryllium interrupted again until March.

The Nations League is implicit and if you’ve yet calmed down aft England’s historical promotion backmost to Group A, past tin I connection you a sensation of what’s to travel successful the Premier League this weekend? It should beryllium good.

Undoubtedly the biggest storyline volition travel astatine Portman Road connected Sunday day erstwhile Ruben Amorim takes complaint of his archetypal crippled arsenic Manchester United brag against erstwhile United manager Kieran McKenna and his Ipswich side. Erik 10 Hag is gone and Amorim’s appointment promises to crook everything upside down.

Liverpool resume aft 2 weeks disconnected with a five-point spread astatine the apical of the array and look bottommost nine Southampton connected Sunday, portion Arsenal desperately request a effect against in-form Nottingham Forest. Those are conscionable immoderate of the talking points, truthful let Mirror Football to instrumentality you done each crippled that's coming up.

1. Maresca’s return

Leicester vs Chelsea – Saturday, 12.30pm

The build-up to this lucifer volition beryllium dominated by Enzo Maresca’s instrumentality to his erstwhile club. The Italian swapped Leicester for Chelsea successful the summertime aft guiding the Foxes to promotion from the Championship successful his lone run successful charge.

Pep Guardiola ’s erstwhile manager excelled astatine Leicester and volition surely beryllium fixed a lukewarm reception, portion Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall volition beryllium fixed a lukewarm spot connected the substitutes’ bench. The ex-Leicester midfielder has a expansive full of 44 Premier League minutes nether his loop since pursuing Maresca to Stamford Bridge for £30million successful what already looks similar 1 of the astir pointless transfers of the season.

2. Wolves look to footwear on

Fulham vs Wolves – Saturday, 3pm

After a miserable commencement to the season, which contained each sorts of atrocious luck and pugnacious fixture aft pugnacious fixture, Wolves got their archetypal league triumph of the play earlier the break. Having beaten Southampton 2-0, they present look a overmuch much palatable tally of games successful the lead-up to Christmas : Fulham (A), Bournemouth (H), Everton (A), West Ham (A), Ipswich (H) and Leicester (A).

Every pundit has fixed Wolves the classical throwaway ‘they’ll beryllium alright’ reassurance this season, but they present request to beryllium it. Beat a coagulated Fulham broadside astatine Craven Cottage and we tin statesman to hold that Gary O’Neil’s broadside person so been the victims of unfortunate circumstances truthful far.

3. Battle of nonstop styles

Everton vs Brentford – Saturday, 3pm

Those heading to Goodison Park this weekend, expect the shot to beryllium successful the aerial a lot. Everton and Brentford are 2 of the astir nonstop teams successful the Premier League, with Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank mostly shunning the inclination of playing retired from the backmost successful favour of a much way 1 approach.

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has the astir final-third entries of immoderate subordinate successful the league (136) and tons of those are agelong balls aimed astatine striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has won 47 aerial duels – much than immoderate different player. They volition person to ticker retired for Brentford’s accelerated starts, with the Bees connected a superb tally of netting aboriginal goals, often from routines involving agelong balls into the corners.

4. Gunners indispensable amusement grit

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest – Saturday, 3pm

Arsenal person gone 4 consecutive Premier League games without a triumph and could beryllium waving goodbye to their dreams of a archetypal rubric successful 20 years if they suffer to Forest this weekend. The Gunners person welcomed Martin Odegaard backmost from injury, but person had another miserable planetary break with Leandro Trossard picking up an wounded portion playing for Belgium.

They volition anticipation to person Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka acceptable aft they some pulled retired of England duty. If they are to get backmost successful the Premier League rubric contention past they volition request to find a mode to grind retired a triumph (as good arsenic different results to spell their way).

5. Managerial store window

Bournemouth vs Brighton – Saturday, 3pm

When Brighton appointed Fabian Hurzeler arsenic their caller manager successful the summertime determination was a batch of incredulity – however could a 31-year-old with truthful small acquisition header with the Best League successful the World™? Pretty well, arsenic it turns out. He has continued the enterprising enactment the Seagulls person go known for and the 2-1 triumph implicit Man City past clip retired proved them to beryllium superb arsenic good arsenic interesting.

Andoni Iraola has achieved thing akin astatine Bournemouth, turning the Cherries into a supremely hard-working and hard-to-play-against broadside that person each sorts of threats. This promises to beryllium a bully watch, with cleanable sheets unlikely.

6. Watkins with thing to prove

Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace – Saturday, 3pm

Ollie Watkins was the beneficiary of a large telephone by Lee Carsley past week, with the interim England brag benching Harry Kane to play the Villa striker. He responded by scoring wrong 7 minutes against Greece, but helium present needs to person Thomas Tuchel helium is worthy of a spot up of the England captain.

Watkins has 5 goals successful 11 Premier League games this season, which is simply a good return, but determination is inactive a consciousness of unfulfilled promise. He has missed 11 large chances successful the Premier League this play – much than immoderate different player, up of Erling Haaland (10). If Watkins starts banging those chances successful past helium tin springiness Tuchel a headache.

7. Blip oregon crisis?

Manchester City vs Tottenham – Saturday, 5.30pm

They are improbable to get overmuch sympathy, fixed they person won six of the past 7 Premier League titles and are presently defending themselves implicit alleged fiscal just play breaches, but City are successful a rut close now. Pep Guardiola is experiencing his worst tally of results successful his managerial career, having slumped to 4 successive losses crossed each competitions.

Free-flowing, high-scoring but inconsistent Spurs should marque for a bully trial connected Saturday evening’s televised game. City spell into the play 5 points down Liverpool but could trim that spread to 2 points, with Liverpool playing connected Sunday. Given the Reds are playing Southampton, it looks similar a must-win.

8. Martin skating connected bladed ice

Southampton vs Liverpool – Sunday, 2pm

Russell Martin keeps telling america that, contempt sitting bottommost and having taken conscionable 4 points from 11 games, his broadside are playing bully football. They indispensable spot the process and backmost themselves to play their mode retired of trouble. He inactive has the backing of the Saints hierarchy for now, with manager of shot Rasmus Ankersen some a large instrumentality and stubborn successful his convictions.

But if results don’t travel soon past it volition get harder and harder to clasp onto his job. Southampton person already dropped 5 highly costly points astatine location to Ipswich and Leicester and present look a horrible tally of fixtures, with Liverpool followed by Brighton (A), Chelsea (H), Aston Villa (A) and Tottenham (H). If things proceed successful the existent absorption past Martin could go the 2nd Premier League manager sacked aft Ten Hag.

9. Amorim’s debut

Ipswich vs Manchester United – Sunday, 4.30pm

INEOS person made tons of questionable decisions since taking implicit successful February – giving Ten Hag a caller contract, backing him with £180m of caller players, making 250 redundant etc and truthful connected – and they request the latest 1 to beryllium correct. They deliberation Amorim is the champion young manager successful Europe and judge helium tin crook things astir connected the grooming pitch.

The 39-year-old is acceptable to instrumentality by his philosophy, with the 3-4-3 enactment helium utilized astatine Sporting acceptable for a debut astatine Portman Road connected Sunday. United volition request to accommodate beauteous rapidly if they are to crook things astir and ascent the array from 13th.

10. Lopetegui retired to woo fans

West Ham vs Newcastle – Monday, 8pm

Julen Lopetegui is not a fashionable antheral among West Ham supporters. The Europa League-winning manager was furnished with £100m of caller players successful the summertime but is yet to crook them into a coherent free-flowing team. There are suggestions Lopetegui has mislaid the dressing room and helium has already been booed by his ain fans.

In short, helium is successful hopeless request of a morale-boosting connection win. The sojourn of Newcastle connected Monday could beryllium specified an occasion, with rumours already swirling astir West Ham searching for imaginable replacements. Sky’s Monday Night Football has go a level for out-of-work managers to get their names retired there, truthful Lopetegui won’t privation to springiness his employers immoderate ideas.

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