Liverpool crave easy win in Merseyside derby as Arsenal seek Manchester City hat-trick
Manchester United look to kickstart their season with a win over Chelsea at Old Trafford
[LONDON] English Premier League (EPL) leaders Liverpool will aim to cut out the late drama against their city rivals Everton on Saturday (Sep 20), while Arsenal seek to prove they are genuine title challengers when they face Manchester City.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool have made a habit of scoring late this season on their way to winning all four of their league matches so far.
Their two main challengers, Arsenal and Manchester City, clash at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, while troubled Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Here are three key talking points ahead of this weekend’s action:
Liverpool’s late-goal heroics
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson wants the defending champions to get back to “winning a bit simpler” after yet another dramatic late twist in their victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this week.
Virgil van Dijk’s bullet header deep in stoppage-time on Wednesday earned the Reds a heart-stopping 3-2 victory.
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The Reds have now scored a winning goal in the 83rd minute or later in all five games they have played this season.
“We need to get back to winning a bit simpler and easier,” said Robertson. “When Virgil scored, the assistant manager turned to me and said he’s getting too old for this, so I can’t imagine what the fans are (going through).”
Next up for Liverpool are their Merseyside rivals Everton (Saturday 7.30 pm kickoff, Singapore time), who have made a bright start to the season under manager David Moyes.
The Toffees face a stiff task to get any sort of positive result at Anfield, where they have won just once in their last 28 games in all competitions.
Arsenal’s title test
On the day of Arsenal’s home match against Liverpool last month, the club issued a social media post urging the team to “make a statement”.
They failed to do so, allowing Liverpool to strike a psychological blow early in the title race with a 1-0 win, sparking criticism of Gunners manager Mikel Arteta for his conservative game-plan.
Arsenal have another chance to show this could be their year on Sunday (11.30 pm kickoff), when they host an in-form Manchester City.
Arsenal have been runners-up in the EPL for three seasons in a row, finishing behind City on two of those occasions. For eight long years, the Gunners failed to beat City home or away in England’s top division, but they are now eyeing a third straight win against Pep Guardiola’s men at the Emirates.
City have not beaten Arsenal since April 2023 and a victory in London would be a significant boost to Guardiola, who is in the midst of a major rebuild after last season’s disappointing third-place finish.
Guardiola will be relying on his star striker Erling Haaland to continue his rich vein of form. The Norwegian scored five goals against Moldova earlier this month, followed that up with two goals against Manchester United last weekend, and netted against Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday.
Chelsea can heap pressure on Amorim
How much more time will Manchester United give their struggling manager Ruben Amorim before they decide on his future?
Since his first match in charge, no ever-present EPL team have performed worse than the Red Devils, who have earned a measly 31 points from 31 games.
United host Chelsea on Sunday (12.30 am kickoff) after last week’s dismal 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, and could find themselves in the relegation zone after the weekend is over if other results go against them.
The Red Devils have shown little improvement this season despite spending over £200 million ($347.5 million) on new signings over the summer. Their horrible start to the campaign included a shock League Cup second-round exit at the hands of fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
Former United captain and record goalscorer Wayne Rooney believes his former team have “gotten worse” since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag last November. The Portuguese manager, however, appears to retain the backing of United’s hierarchy, who are desperate to avoid yet another reset in the middle of a season, but the reality is that their patience is not limitless.
United can take heart from the fact they have not lost to Chelsea in the EPL at Old Trafford since 2013, when Alex Ferguson was still in charge.
Chelsea have made a steady start to the season and have been tipped by some bookmakers as potential contenders to challenge for the EPL trophy.
After Chelsea, United are due to face Brentford and Sunderland, with a difficult trip to Liverpool looming following the next international break. At this stage, no game looks easy for the beleaguered Amorim.
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