Manchester wey dey face wahala for dem clubs go clash for Premier League as City go host United on Sunday while Newcastle boss Eddie Howe dey need win well well against Leicester for St James’ Park. Leaders Liverpool, wey dey play Fulham for Anfield, go expect to increase dem lead for top of the table one day before Chelsea wey dey second go face Brentford. AFP Sport dey look the major talking points before the weekend action.
Derby day for struggling Manchester clubs
Manchester City don get only one win for 10 games for all competitions, na im be unprecedented slump for di English champions under Pep Guardiola. Guardiola don talk say e dey question himself after di club latest defeat — 2-0 loss for Juventus — don put dem for danger to miss Champions League knockout stages. Among di plenty eye-catching statistics, City don concede more goals for all competitions than any other team from Europe big five leagues (21 for nine games) since di start of November. But, even with di horrible run, di blue side of Manchester still dey eight points clear of United wey don fall to 13th for di table.
New United boss Ruben Amorim don win just one of im four Premier League games since e take charge for Old Trafford, but e get recent experience to beat Guardiola men, as e lead Sporting Lisbon to 4-1 Champions League victory for im last home match with di Portuguese champions. But, City fit no dey shake — misfiring United get embarrassing recent record for di Etihad, don concede 13 goals for dem past three Premier League matches during three heavy defeats.
Slot dey demand no dip from Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot don demand more from im side after dem grind out 1-0 victory against Girona to keep dem perfect record for di Champions League. Di Reds don draw 3-3 with Newcastle for dem most recent Premier League outing, with last weekend Merseyside derby for Everton wey dem cancel because of high winds. Slot wan make dem return to di intensity wey im men show for wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City for home. “I no dey pleased about di performance,” di Dutchman talk, dey complain about im side lack of control against Girona for midweek. In-form Chelsea don take advantage of Liverpool inactivity last weekend to move four points behind di leaders. Di Blues get di most potent attack for di division and go expect to extend Brentford miserable away record when di sides meet for Stamford Bridge. Arsenal, wey dey host Everton, dey two points back.
Howe dey under scrutiny
Without win for four games, Newcastle dey suffer for 12th place for di Premier League table. Hopes say di Magpies lack of European football dis season go free dem for another challenge for top-four finish, wey dem achieve for di 2022/23 season, don prove over-optimistic so far. Inconsistency don dey central to di struggles of Eddie Howe men. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham don drop points for Tyneside but home defeats to Brighton and West Ham, plus just two wins for road, don put pressure on Howe. Di Englishman dey vulnerable after changes for di club hierarchy, with key allies don waka. Sporting director Dan Ashworth don leave early dis year — and don since come and go from Old Trafford — while former co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi don sell dem minority stake for di club for July. “Howe no fit escape scrutiny,” former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer tell The Athletic. “Ultimately, e dey responsible for results and performances and neither look great.”
Fixtures
Saturday (1500 GMT unless stated)
Arsenal v Everton, Liverpool v Fulham, Newcastle v Leicester, Wolves v Ipswich, Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa (1730)
Sunday
Brighton v Crystal Palace (1400), Manchester City v Manchester United (1630), Chelsea v Brentford, Southampton v Tottenham (both 1900)
Monday
Bournemouth v West Ham (2000)
AFP
