Opinion
The English Premier League resumes this weekend after the international break. Here are some of the probable highlights for Week 5.
Liverpool versus Everton: Saturday, 10:30 pm (AEDT)
What a game to welcome us back from the international break. You’ve got league leading Everton hosting the defending champions Liverpool.
Merseyside derby. Can Everton continue their form?
Roberto Firmino, Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane up against Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and James Rodriguez.
There’s not much that needs to be said to know this is going to be the most anticipated game of the weekend.
Man City versus Arsenal: Sunday, 3:30 am (AEDT)
Both teams have a lot to prove heading into this weekend. Manchester City have not looked spectacular since the start of the season and they’ll be looking gain ground back towards the top of the table.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have only lost once to Liverpool while beating Fulham, West Ham and Sheffield Utd. A case could be made that their three victories have come against inferior teams but now they have a great opportunity to showcase where they are at against City.
Dating back to 2016, Arsenal have managed to defeat City in FA Cup contests. However, City have dominated the Gunners in the league for the most part. This should be a highly entertaining game with a lot of goals.
Spurs versus West Ham: Monday, 2:30 am (AEDT)
The long-awaited return of Gareth Bale has been confirmed by Jose Mourinho. Bale has been deemed fit to play his first match in a Spurs shirt since 2013. Spurs fans have been excited about the potential of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Bale front three.
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
However, Tottenham fans may be waiting to see how Kane is holding up after a slight injury concern with England.
On the other hand, West Ham have shocked many fans after defeating Wolves and Leicester for a combined score of 7-0. They’ve been dealt a tough fixture early on and they now have another London derby to tackle.
Jarrod Bowen has been in scintillating form the past two games as well as Michail Antonio. The big shock would have to be defensively. They’ve managed to keep back to back clean sheets after they managed only seven clean sheets all of last season.
It will be interesting to see whether David Moyes can get his team to continue their momentum. Tottenham are tied with Leicester and Everton for most goals scored in the league so far.
Leicester versus Aston Villa: Monday, 5:15 am (AEDT)
In an unexpected top of the table clash, Leicester look to bounce back from a shock defeat against an unbeaten Aston Villa team.
The Foxes were extremely poor against West Ham. Leicester only managed four shots at goal with none on target while having 70 per cent possession. They have played a lot better before this freakish result and don’t expect Jamie Vardy to lay low.
Aston Villa put the league on notice after 7-2 rout of Liverpool. Just a few months ago, they survived relegation by one point but now they are feeling extremely good about themselves. Credit to the board for Villa after they brought in the likes Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Ross Barkley and Matt Cash.
Led by captain Jack Grealish, Villa have scored plenty of goals and have kept two clean sheets although they did play Fulham and Sheffield. This should be a fun match-up to see two teams who will have confidence and belief to take down the other.
Jack Grealish leads Aston Villa in the Premier League this season. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Leeds versus Wolves: Tuesday, 6:00 am (AEDT)
Wolves are hoping to string back to back wins together after they barely beat an ordinary Fulham team. They have not looked like the potent team of the past two seasons. Having lost Diogo Jota, Helder Costa and Matt Doherty may have impacted their squad.
Leeds have been an admirable team to watch. They have showcased that they are not afraid of their opposition and have done well against the likes of Liverpool and Man City. Leeds have shown that they can dig in defensively
If Wolves are not careful however, Leeds could pounce on them and score a number of goals.
It’s mainly a mid-table clash which has the potential to provide high entertainment value based on the style of play with both teams. Expect a lot of counterattacking football and a fast pace during the game.
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