Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Burnley’s Kyle Walker and Quilindschy Hartman, Q to his friends, have been one of the finest full-back pairings in the Premier League this season. They are defensively disciplined but also have the ability to push forward and cause problems. Everyone expected as much from Walker, who has been one of the best right-backs in world football over the past decade, but it could have been difficult for Hartman, coming from the Eredivisie, to settle into a newly promoted team and face some of the best wingers in the world. The Dutchman has stuck to his defensive tasks supremely well but the task of marshalling Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze will be a true test. Regular assists are also making Hartman a real asset to Burnley. Two crosses produced Zian Flemming’s goals against Wolves, making it four assists in nine Premier League appearances. Arsenal should be wary. Will Unwin

Burnley v Arsenal, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)

Taiwo Awoniyi has had a strange season at Nottingham Forest, ignored by Nuno Espírito Santo and Ange Postecoglou until the Australian head coach started the striker in his final match in charge against Chelsea. He had played zero minutes until then. It is easy to forget Chelsea were once interested in signing Awoniyi when he was valued at around £50m. After struggling for fitness and form last season, the Nigerian became a forgotten man, someone Forest were happy to sell, although no suitable offers arrived. Awoniyi has now overtaken the summer signing Arnaud Kalimuendo in the pecking order and, if Sean Dyche can get the 28-year-old up to speed, he should be an asset, providing the energy and determination the Forest head coach likes to see in his players. WU

Nottingham Forest v Manchester United, Saturday 3pm

While a frustrated Fabian Hürzeler is searching for answers again after two straight defeats, the performances of Charalampos Kostoulas against Manchester United and Arsenal should have given the Brighton manager reason to feel more optimistic. The 18-year-old came off the bench at Old Trafford to score his first goal since moving for an initial £30m from Olympiakos in the summer and was a bustling presence that unsettled Arsenal’s second-string defence at the Emirates before being taken off at half-time. Nicknamed Babis – a shortened version of “Babistuta” that is a nod to the legendary Argentina striker – he appears ready to make more of an impact in the Premier League, even if the Brighton manager seems reluctant to hand Kostoulas a first start against Leeds on Saturday. “He played very well. It was a physical reason why we took him out,” explained Hürzeler after his side succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in the second half against Arsenal. “He runs a lot. He needs time to adapt to the intensity of the Premier League, he needs to adapt to the demands.” Ed Aarons

Brighton v Leeds, Saturday 3pm

It has been a tricky start for Fulham. They have not been playing badly but little has gone their way. They have been on the wrong end of some poor refereeing calls and are struggling with injuries before a vital home game against Wolves. Joachim Andersen, Harry Wilson and Raúl Jiménez are doubts and Samuel Chukwueze, Rodrigo Muniz, Antonee Robinson and Emile Smith Rowe are key absentees. Marco Silva’s resources are stretched. Though Fulham, who are three points and one spot above the bottom three, also need to look at themselves. They were slow to do business last summer and did not add enough depth to their squad. Their inertia leaves them at risk of losing Silva at the end of the season, if not before. Jacob Steinberg

Fulham v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

Eddie Nketiah can’t seem to catch a break. Finally handed his first start of the season in his favoured central striker’s role after missing the first few weeks with a hamstring injury, the 26-year-old did not emerge for the second half of Crystal Palace’s win over Liverpool after another hamstring problem. Nketiah appears likely to at least miss Saturday’s game against Brentford, placing even more responsibility on Jean-Philippe Mateta’s broad shoulders. The Frenchman has already made 18 appearances for club and country this season and has another big week ahead with Palace needing to get their Conference League campaign back on course against AZ on Thursday before meeting their rivals Brighton next weekend. Christantus Uche, primarily an attacking midfielder who has made only six substitute appearances since joining from Getafe, may be asked to help lighten the load if Nketiah’s absence becomes long term. EA

Crystal Palace v Brentford, Saturday 3pm

Jamie Gittens scored his first Chelsea goal at the 11th time of asking on Wednesday at Wolves, but did so in style. The winger joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer for a fee that could surpass £50m, another indication of Chelsea’s desire to plan for the long term by signing numerous players in Gittens’ age range. The former Manchester City youngster was a shining light at Molineux from early on, eager to push Wolves back, and created the opener for Andrey Santos within five minutes to get Chelsea off and running towards a Carabao Cup quarter-final spot. Gittens did not come back to England to be a cup player and his performance against Wolves could be enough to show Enzo Maresca he is ready to make a difference at Tottenham. WU

Tottenham v Chelsea, Saturday 5.30pm

Arne Slot has liberally employed a version of “it’s not an excuse but … ” throughout Liverpool’s worst domestic run in 72 years and there were several more examples as he defended his makeshift lineup for the Carabao Cup defeat by Crystal Palace. Slot also appeared to be getting one in early for the visit of Aston Villa when explaining Liverpool’s senior players had to be rested: “Again, we face a team that has rested in the week to play us.” However, the same could be said for Liverpool, with the majority of their squad given the night off on Wednesday to spend more time preparing to face a Villa team with six wins in their past seven outings. Slot’s prioritising of a league game over progress in the Carabao Cup stirred memories of Brendan Rodgers’ far more consequential decision to rest Steven Gerrard, Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling against Real Madrid in 2014 to save their legs for Chelsea on the Saturday. Liverpool then lost 2-1 at home and the pressure their manager had invited duly intensified. Slot must avoid a repeat. There are no excuses. Andy Hunter

Liverpool v Aston Villa, Saturday 8pm

Anthony Gordon is not exactly having a poor season. The winger has scored four goals in three Champions League games and has impressed in recent outings for England. The best is still to come, though. Gordon was sent off for a reckless challenge against Liverpool in August and is yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League. That is not good enough for a player of Gordon’s ability. Eddie Howe needs far more from the 24-year-old. There is competition from Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes on the flanks for Newcastle. Gordon needs to be more incisive when Newcastle visit struggling West Ham on Sunday. JS

West Ham v Newcastle, Sunday 2pm

“We are still alive in the title race,” said Pep Guardiola after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa. He is right, but for how much longer? If Arsenal keep winning and Manchester City allow the deficit to worsen beyond six points the quest for a seventh title under Guardiola will surely falter before the cold weather arrives. The loss at Villa Park was a third in nine league games. Extrapolate City’s rate of being defeated for a third of their matches for the rest of the season and at least 12 will be lost: not exactly championship-claiming form. Guardiola can point to 17 goals scored and seven conceded as evidence of a rebuild but more proof is required against second-placed Bournemouth. Jamie Jackson

Manchester City v Bournemouth, Sunday 4.30pm

In May 2017 David Moyes resigned as Sunderland’s manager following the team’s relegation from the Premier League. A month later Jordan Pickford left the club he still adores for Everton. On Monday night the pair will be back on Wearside – no prizes for guessing that Pickford is likely to receive a considerably warmer welcome than Moyes before the pair endeavour to undo Régis Le Bris’s ascendant side. The England goalkeeper was a jubilant face in the Sunderland crowd as they edged Coventry out of last season’s Championship playoff semi-final. Pickford even contemplated risking Moyes’s wrath by travelling to Wembley to cheer on the club he grew up supporting, and whose academy he joined at the age of eight, against Sheffield United in the final. Eventually, with Everton playing at Newcastle the next day, he reluctantly thought better of it. “I can’t wait to go up there and play at the Stadium of Light again,” he says. “It’s going to be a great moment for me.” Louise Taylor

Sunderland v Everton, Monday 8pm