Premier League: 10 things to watch this weekend

1) Will Rashford expose City’s superior defensive line?

Manchester United was reborn Defeated 6-3 against Manchester City October’s reverse fixture helps set up the 189th derby as one of the most fascinating in recent years. Pep Guardiola’s champions have dropped four points from the last 12, while Erik ten Haag’s ever-improving side have claimed 23 points from the last 30. Guardiola has recent form for questionable calls: he didn’t start Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. Carabao Cup defeat at Southampton Wednesday and when it was left until late to change Illustrated with Everton last month In Marcus Rashford – 15 goals in all competitions – United have the type of pacey forward who can expose City’s high line but City have a better record of responding to mid-campaign dips. In true sat-on-the-fence fashion, the scene here is incredibly difficult to call a local joust. Jamie Jackson

2) Son needs to reassert his big-game credentials

All eyes will be on Harry Kane. Score two goals against Arsenal on Sunday and he will become Tottenham’s all-time record scorer, overtaking Jimmy Greaves. He will likely end up on the winning team as well. However the derby is set up equally well for his strike partner Son Heung-min, albeit for different reasons. It has been a frustrating time for the South Korean, who won the Premier League’s Golden Boot last season but has managed just four goals in the competition this time around. At the World Cup, where he wore a mask to protect a broken eye socket against Marseille on 1 November, there was a feeling among some of his teammates that he was not fully fit; He couldn’t challenge for aerial balls, which meant they needed to change the way they played. Son continues to wear the mask for Spurs and is playing oddly on the fringes. What will be the time for him to assume the position of Kendra? David Hytner

3) Coutinho rushes towards the Villa exit

Philippe Coutinho, who made his first start under Unai Emery against Stevenage last weekend, had a poor start, getting hooked after 66 minutes and having to watch from the bench. Aston Villa were embarrassed by their visitors from League Two. With him unlikely to start against Leeds this weekend, a year after his arrival, his future at Villa looks uncertain at best. In late December, the Brazilian took to social media to rage against what he described as a “lie”, saying he was unhappy at Villa and asked to leave in January. Given how little he has delivered for the club over the past 12 months, despite a stunning debut against Manchester United, it’s hard to imagine many fans are mourning him and his chances of making an impact are quickly fading. If he really wants to stay at Villa Park, now would be a good time to prove it with actions on the pitch rather than Instagram tantrums. BG

4) Win or bust for Lampard

The importance of this game for both Everton and Southampton cannot be overstated. Everton manager Frank Lampard got a good tame A vote of confidence from Farhad Mosiri Wednesday followed a run of nine defeats in 12 games, which would have prompted the P45, during the previous erratic owner’s tenure. A bottom-of-the-table team and a Premier League visit without a manager appeared an ideal opportunity for recovery to his name, but that was before Southampton clicked and impressively under Nathan Jones. Beat Manchester City In the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. Southampton’s intensity on the counter-attack, if repeated, could fall victim to what could be a worrying Goodison Park. Everton fans plan to salute the team’s coach en masse before kick-off, a feature of last season’s relegation escape, but also stage a sit-in protest against a board saying Moshiri is doing well. Caught in the middle, Lampard really need a win. Andy Hunter

5) A mature Mitrovic back on Tyneside

Something has to give at St James’ Park. Will it be the best defensive record in the Premier League? After all, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have conceded just 11 times in the league this season. Or could it be Nick Pope’s extraordinary run of clean sheets? Howe’s England goalkeeper has not conceded a goal in his last seven club appearances. Aleksandar Mitrovic, fresh from recovering from an ankle injury and missing Fulham’s win Chelsea Through suspension, spent three years on Tyneside but eventually left Fulham after proving too undisciplined for Rafael Benitez. Despite this week’s suspension, Mitrovic is much more disciplined – and quite a bit leaner – these days. His 11 goals in 15 league games for Fulham this season shows that he has matured into an extremely dangerous Premier League striker. His potential clash with Newcastle’s star centre-half Sven Boatman promises to prove a fascinating sub-plot. Louis Taylor

6) Brighton tough test for sick Liverpool

Roberto de Gerby’s first game in charge of Brighton was a hugely entertaining contest with Liverpool and the Italian now welcomes Jurgen Klopp and his team to the Amex Stadium. That match ended in a 3-3 draw and Brighton’s progress under the Italian manager should come as no great shock if they play well. Brighton go into the game on the back of impressive demolitions at Middlesbrough and Everton, while Liverpool have failed to win their last two matches. An error-strewn first half performance cost them all three points Brentford And Klopp will be keen to avoid a repeat performance – it was his side’s sluggishness out of the net that allowed Brighton to race into a two-goal lead at Anfield. In what promises to be a stern test of both teams’ mid-season metal, a victory for the Seagulls takes them within a point of their visitors and casts further doubt on Liverpool’s top four credentials. BG

7) Palace look for spark to deepen Chelsea’s woes

A third straight London derby at Selhurst Park in the top flight would be lucky Crystal Palace? They conceded seven without reply against Fulham and Spurs over the holiday period and if Chelsea are beset by problems of their own, the alarm bells will ring even louder if goals are easy to come by. To make matters worse, Southampton left south London after winning the FA Cup last weekend, with rumblings of discontent. Palace can strengthen at both ends, as Patrick Vieira well knows, but perspective is also important. They are in 12th place and are unlikely to be dragged into any kind of relegation scrap. Last season they finished 14th so maybe this is progress. But there is a difference; Palace made their home a fortress last season, losing just four times, and burst into life in front of their loyal fans when the big chances came. Whether or not they deepen Chelsea’s woes, Vieira should be seen to inject some spark and energy early on if the cloud is to be lifted. Nick Ames

8) Possible touchline fireworks at Molineux

Just a few wet weekends into the job and Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is already developing a reputation as a serial thrower of touchline tizzies and post-match moans. In David Moyes he will come up against one of the best in the business when it comes to railing against perceived or real injustice. With both sides in relegation scraps, any controversial decisions made by the officiating at Molineux or from behind the squinting windows of the Stokeley Park VAR bunker will be met with righteous fury. While Lopetegui has just got his feet under the table at Wolves, his West Ham counterpart could quickly clear the contents of his desk. Patience is wearing thin among West Ham fans and after one league point from the last 18 available, defeat against the relegation rivals at Molineux could mark the end of the Moyes era. BG

9) Leicester may lack cutting-edge areas for deciduous forests

Separated by just 30 miles of the M1 motorway on the map and goal difference in the league table, Nottingham Forest Leicester are more than entitled to a stake at the City Ground. While neither side is in the relegation zone, their Premier League safety is far from assured but it is Forest on the way up. Leicester have lost their last three league games, a slump compounded by James Maddison’s absence. With Maddison, the standout player among the core group of men in the physio room, almost certain to miss the game and with Patterson Daka and Jamie Vardy both out of form, it’s hard to see where Leicester’s goals will come from. Against Gillingham last weekend, Kelechi Iheanacho added another one to his impressive FA Cup CV to double his tally. Whether he can step up against opposition tougher than the worst side in the Football League remains to be seen but Brendan Rodgers desperately needs someone to start firing with frequency in Maddison’s continued absence. BG

10) Brentford can still climb higher

Can Brentford make a run for Europe? Thomas Frank was keen to play down that idea after his last league game, Liverpool lost 3-1But the ninth-placed Bees are in excellent form. A win at home against Bournemouth would be their fourth win in five and their unbeaten run at six points. They have lost just four times, fewer than anyone outside the Champions League spots, and look surprisingly comfortable in their own skin. Opportunity strikes. The visit of Gary O’Neill’s side is the first of five inviting home assignments between now and mid-March, with Fulham the only top-half opponents among them. This is a good opportunity to add their credentials. Brentford, as Frank points out, are only a couple of major injuries away from problems but look to be as tightly drilled as anyone in the league. Their manager is doing remarkably well to avoid any semblance of second-season syndrome and the best is yet to come. NA