Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Daniel Farke is understood to have wanted a new goalkeeper during the January transfer window but the Leeds board failed to oblige. Might that decision ultimately cost the club their Premier League status? It will be interesting to see whether Farke recalls the recently dropped former Lyon goalkeeper, Lucas Perri, or keeps faith with Karl Darlow against Nottingham Forest at Elland Road on Friday night. Darlow, formerly second choice at Newcastle, struggled with crosses when Arsenal won 4-0 in West Yorkshire last Saturday and may approach a quintessential relegation six-pointer against Forest with dented confidence. What about Illan Meslier? Previously a star under Marcelo Bielsa, a keeper once hyped as France’s future No 1 has been demoted to third choice and has been discussing a potential move to Besiktas before Friday’s transfer deadline in Turkey. Talks only began after Leeds rejected a bid for Perri from Besiktas last week. Time will tell if that was that the right decision. Louise Taylor

Leeds v Nottingham Forest, Friday 8pm (all times GMT)

Manchester United are unbeaten in three games under Michael Carrick and Tottenham are unbeaten in four under Thomas Frank. While Carrick has overseen three victories, Spurs have two Premier League draws alongside Champions League wins. After Sunday’s last-gasp 3-2 win against Fulham at Old Trafford, Carrick was asked if his Midas touch could continue for his remaining 14 Premier League matches. In the interim manager’s calm way he smiled and said, in essence, there are no guarantees. But factor in a reinvigorated and re-engaged home crowd and even a draw for Spurs looks like a tough ask. Jamie Jackson

Manchester United v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm

The euphoria after Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea that booked their place at Wembley in next month’s Carabao Cup final showed how desperate their supporters are for success, and Mikel Arteta felt they deserved praise for sticking with his side during a nervous second half at the Emirates. “They brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments,” he said. “It wasn’t easy because it was a late kick-off, windy, rainy, cold and they responded. The energy was very good from the beginning. I sensed it was different and they are on board.” Arsenal’s players will need the fans again when they face Sunderland on Saturday having experienced the power of a passionate home crowd in November’s 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light. Régis Le Bris’s side are the only Premier League team still unbeaten at home this season and remain a threat, even if they have won only twice on the road. Ed Aarons

Arsenal v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Given they sit just a point behind Manchester City, Aston Villa cannot be considered out of the title race. But having lost two of their last three league games, at home to Everton and 10-man Brentford, they are now looking down not up, with the clubs below them – Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool – all improving. When out of form and under pressure, there are many fixtures preferable to Bournemouth away: Andoni Iraola’s men are, er, “in a good moment” and will ask searching physical questions of players who have appeared tired in recent weeks. Of the sides in the top seven, Villa have scored the fewest goals, so it was no surprise they used the transfer window to bring in two attackers. With the hamstrung Ollie Watkins only a maybe for Saturday’s game, they’ll be hoping Tammy Abraham and the returning loanee Leon Bailey can quickly integrate into Unai Emery’s system, sparking the required attacking improvement. Daniel Harris

Bournemouth v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm

If you had told Scott Parker that, come the start of February, Burnley would still be involved in the relegation battle, he would probably have accepted that. The problem, though, is that his side are as good as down and their participation in the struggle is because of their upcoming opponents: West Ham on Saturday, then Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. At the start of the year, West Ham also looked doomed, but then they appointed Paco Jémez as first-team coach and the improvement was instant, impressive wins over Spurs and Sunderland followed by stoppage-time heartbreak at Chelsea. Jémez made his name turning Rayo Vallecano into an attacking force but, at West Ham, his principal influence has been defensive, coaxing improved performances from individuals and the back-four unit as a whole. If they can sustain that progress, given their forwards – Jarrod Bowen, Taty Castellanos and Crysencio Summerville – are in decent form, they will expect to take three points from a match they must surely win in order to stay up. Daniel Harris

Burnley v West Ham, Saturday 3pm

Harry Wilson is one of the most improved players in the top flight this season. He has always been useful for Fulham, but has been a squad player for much of his time at Craven Cottage. The Wales winger often made an impact from the bench, chipping in with important goals. Now, though, Wilson is in the running to make the team of the season. He has eight goals in all competitions for Fulham and has scored in each of his past four home games. Everton will be keeping a close eye on Wilson, having tried to sign him during the winter transfer window. Wilson, out of contract at the end of the season, will be hoping to impress against one of his many admirers. Jacob Steinberg

Fulham v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Liam Rosenior is the youngest of seven British managers in the Premier League – and yet despite establishing a fine reputation as a coach, there is an apparent thirst to dismiss his credentials at every opportunity. He has seen the online comparisons to Will from the Inbetweeners and David Brent. His tactics were widely denounced after Chelsea were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at Arsenal on Tuesday. Some, presumably, will have even taken delight in the 41-year-old’s clunky touch at the Emirates Stadium going viral. It is not the first time an English coach has been derided and is unlikely to be the last. This week Rosenior was asked about facing another British coach in Wolves’s Rob Edwards, flying in the face of that age-old question about homegrown managers getting opportunities. But when they get them, why is there a desperation to drag them down? Ben Fisher

Wolves v Chelsea, Saturday 3pm

Given that a fatigued Newcastle have won only one of their past seven games in all competitions and are fresh from Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City, they could do with undoing Brentford. Not that it will necessarily be easy for Eddie Howe’s team. Memories of their 3-1 loss to Keith Andrews’s side in west London in November remain fresh on Tyneside, where home supporters can only hope that Yoane Wissa decides to remind his former club precisely what they have lost. The home fans are likely to relish jeering Jordan Henderson but the former Sunderland midfielder could yet enjoy himself in a department where Newcastle will again be without Joelinton, and possibly Bruno Guimarães and Lewis Miley too. Much may hinge on Sandro Tonali’s central midfield performance, while the hitherto underachieving winger Anthony Elanga will hope to build on a promising cameo against City. With tricky trips to Tottenham, Aston Villa, Qarabag and City, again, coming up, Howe needs that pair to be at their best. LT

Newcastle v Brentford, Saturday 5.30pm

Sunday’s meeting of Brighton (one win in nine league games) and Crystal Palace (no wins in nine) doesn’t promise to be a thriller but the “M23 derby” rarely is. An awful 0-0 draw in November hinted at both teams’ deficiencies but Fabian Hürzeler will be eager to notch his first win in four attempts against their bitter rivals, after Oliver Glasner did the double over them last season – the first for Palace since 1932-33. Brighton’s last derby win was a 4-1 thrashing at the Amex in February 2024 that brought an end to Roy Hodgson’s second spell at Palace and ushered in the Glasner era at Selhurst Park. Hürzeler has described his Austrian counterpart as a mentor and still regularly speaks to Glasner on the phone. Beating him and Palace in their final showdown in this fixture could begin to persuade some doubting Brighton fans he is the right man for the job. EA

Brighton v Crystal Palace, Sunday 2pm

Recent evidence suggests Liverpool should be a different proposition on Sunday to the team Manchester City encountered at the Etihad in November and Florian Wirtz most certainly will be. The potential £116m signing was still without a Premier League goal or assist when the sides last met and ineffectual during Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat. He was not alone in that regard. Wirtz’s influence and impact is rising, however, and an improved understanding between the Germany international and Hugo Ekitiké has contributed to Arne Slot’s side scoring 10 goals in their last two home games. “I think he did not improve that much on the ball because from the start he was special,” the Liverpool head coach said. “But off the ball I see the biggest improvement. The Premier League is about both.” Had last summer worked out differently, Wirtz could have been lining up for City against a Liverpool defence containing Marc Guéhi. The champions need their playmaker to remind Pep Guardiola of what might have been. Andy Hunter

Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday 4.30pm