Frank Lampard will receive a warm welcome when he returns to Goodison Park on Friday at 8:00 PM GMT to face his former side, Everton, now as the manager of Coventry City. His previous tenure at Everton, which began after fans spray-painted “Pereira out, Lampard in” to protest the board’s initial selection, was marked by a genuine connection with the supporters that helped the club avoid relegation in 2022. Nothing better encapsulates the dysfunction that was Everton under Farhad Moshiri than the idea that an unknown vandal with a can of spray paint could influence the club’s managerial direction. “Pereira out, Lampard in” they daubed on a wall at Goodison Park when it appeared Vítor Pereira was in line to replace Rafael Benítez in 2022. The Everton board opted instead for Frank Lampard and, while his tenure ended 12 months later with the club immersed in another relegation battle, there will be appreciation for the Coventry manager when he makes a first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday, alarmed by fan protests. The connection between Lampard and Evertonians was genuine and a factor in keeping the club up in 2022. Both parties will be glad to see the other emerging stronger from those troubled times.
Leeds United, currently winless in five Premier League matches with only two goals scored since their 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle in September, will look to stabilize their form against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday at 12:30 PM. Manager Daniel Farke remains focused on reaching the 40-point threshold while acknowledging that his squad currently lacks the top-tier individual quality of the league’s leaders. Farke keeps it real as Leeds aim to stop slide. When Leeds thrashed Newcastle 4-1 at Elland Road, talk of European qualification filled the West Yorkshire airwaves, back in September. Optimism is turning to pessimism, given that their final pass has persistently let them down. The German – who could probably do without facing Roberto De Zerbi’s improving Tottenham on Saturday – is confident his side are improving but knows they cannot expect to run before properly mastering the art of walking. “We don’t have the individual quality [of the Premier League’s leading teams],” conceded Farke on Thursday. “We have to compensate by being tactically spot on and good at winning second balls. The dream of Europe is allowed but we know our main aim is to reach 40 points as quickly as possible. Glasner next guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory but was openly critical of the squad’s imbalance and quality in four separate outbursts and departed in 2023. You can probably guess where this is going.
At Arsenal, midfielder Martín Zubimendi is fighting to reclaim his spot after falling down the hierarchy following the club’s signing of Bruno Guimarães and the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly. The 27-year-old, who arrived from Real Sociedad for approximately £55 million 15 months ago, aims to prove his value against Hull City on Saturday following a rare start against Slavia Prague. The emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly as an alternative in the No 6 position at the end of last season has had an impact on Zubimendi after he had been a regular starter for most of his debut campaign in the Premier League. The 27-year-old signed from Real Sociedad for around £55m 15 months ago and Mikel Arteta has insisted he remains an integral part of his plans. He led Wolfsburg from mid-table to the Champions League but fell out with the club hierarchy and left in 2021. Nketiah is now 27 and won his solitary senior cap for England in 2023 after becoming the record scorer for the under-21s while he was still at Arsenal. Nketiah ready to step back into limelight.
Elsewhere, Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa has successfully steered his side toward a run of seven points from three matches after being on the brink of dismissal a month ago. Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest prepares for a challenging encounter with Manchester City, with the Austrian coach hoping his history of outspoken criticism regarding squad balance does not overshadow the team’s efforts. Fulham reap rewards of sticking with Arbeloa. But the 38-year-old could take inspiration from how Arbeloa has given himself breathing space at Fulham. Will Glasner’s risky words inspire Forest. After Saturday’s defeat by Brentford left Forest 19th, Glasner was typically abrasive: “If the players buy in [to my methods], I think we can have a turnaround. If Forest’s woeful form continues, Glasner may either walk or get his marching orders from trigger-happy owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Crystal Palace striker Eddie Nketiah faces pressure to live up to manager Pierre Sage’s expectations, as the club continues to seek greater output from the forward following his recent winning goal in the EFL Cup against Fulham. The team prepares to host Liverpool on Sunday at 2:00 PM. Jaissle, hired as Eddie Howe’s replacement in the summer, is already under pressure. His chances of adding to that look unlikely these days having been relegated to third-choice striker at Selhurst Park behind Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jørgen Strand Larsen.
Brighton, having recently endured a demanding schedule of five consecutive away games following their dominant 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, continues to eye European qualification. Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, who scored 13 goals last season, remains a key figure for his side despite recent injuries; he is considered a top prospect with reported interest from elite clubs including Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain. It has been three weeks since Brighton’s fans were savouring a famous 5-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Crystal Palace at the Amex.
Chelsea heads to the Stadium of Light to face a Sunderland squad that has undergone significant changes since beating them 2-1 six months ago to secure a seventh-place finish.
In the final match of the weekend, Manchester United faces Aston Villa on Sunday at 4:30 PM.
Manager Michael Carrick faces uncertainty regarding his future, as the side looks to build on a chaotic midweek victory over Roma despite the threat of an eighth loss in 15 matches.
David Moyes confirmed that while Jack Grealish will miss the Everton fixture due to a disciplinary breach, the club expects to work with the player again soon.
