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Palmer is not West Ham’s only concern
Cole Palmer was quiet during Chelsea’s win over Bournemouth last weekend. Bournemouth tracked the playmaker’s movements closely and when they couldn’t stop him by legal means they weren’t afraid to foul him. But the fact Chelsea found a way to win suggests they may not be Cole Palmer FC anymore. Enzo Maresca has a number of options in attack and it was encouraging that two of his substitutes combined to score the south coast’s only goal; Christopher Nkunku turned and finished well after intercepting Jadon Sancho’s pass. “If we want to help Cole we don’t have to think that all the pressure has to be on his shoulders,” Maresca said last week and the message has been internalised. Others are stepping into action and West Ham are worrying that stopping Palmer may not be enough to stop Chelsea. Jacob Steinberg
It is not The Midlands derby, but nothing less than a Midlands derby, and Wolves’ trip to Aston Villa promises to be an exciting one. Villa have made a strong start to the season and have so far taken the hype of the Champions League in their stride, while Wolves are in desperate need of a boost after picking up just one point from their first four games. Wolves’ visit to Villa Park is particularly exciting for Halesowen-born Morgan Rogers, who was educated at arch-rivals West Brom, and Jacob Ramsey, a Villa fan since childhood who grew up in Great Barr. “I played for West Brom as a kid and Wolves were not a team I was a fan of,” Rogers said diplomatically after Villa’s 3-0 triumph at Young Boys on Tuesday. “It’s no different now. I want to beat them as much as anyone. With me and Jacob coming from the area, it’s a big game for us. We need to pick ourselves up and try again.” Ben Fischer
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Smith Rowe wants to make a breakthrough at Fulham
Fulham did well to sign Emile Smith Rowe in the summer. The midfielder had a miserable couple of years at Arsenal, with injury problems hampering his development, but he’s back to his usual self at Craven Cottage. Playing regularly helps, as does knowing Marco Silva is giving him the freedom to develop. Silva is an attacking coach and he wants Smith Rowe to succeed. It’s early days, but the early signs are positive. Nicknamed Croydon De Bruyne, the 24-year-old scored against Leicester last month and provided an assist for Raúl Jiménez in last week’s draw with West Ham. He will be looking to continue against Newcastle. Silva believes Smith Rowe will get better and more consistent as he develops more sharpness. JS
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This should be an easy task for Everton
In mid-August, the experts at Opta did some math and found that of all 20 Premier League teams, Everton have had the easiest 10 games to start the season (Wolves have had the hardest, in case you were wondering). Yet after four games, Everton are bottom of the table, having lost all four of their games against Brighton, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Villa. After their worst start to a season since 1958/59, Saturday’s away game at Leicester already feels like a crucial game in the battle against relegation, which remains a disastrous prospect financially and is the worst possible farewell to Goodison Park. Everton face all three promoted teams in their next six games and need to start picking up points before the more difficult games begin. Michael Butler
5
A chance for Núñez to find his rhythm?
Losing to Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League match was a disappointment for Arne Slot and his team as Liverpool simply weren’t good enough on the day. They bounced back in Milan after making a few changes from their last three games, bringing in Kostas Tsimikas and Cody Gakpo. Slot seems keen to play with his strongest XI as often as possible, but is quickly realising that the pace of English football and the demands of the calendar limit the ability to stick with his preferred option. Darwin Núñez made his fourth substitute appearance of the season in Italy but will be keen to show Slot he can start at No.9 and could play two games in a week when West Ham visit in the Carabao Cup next Wednesday. The Uruguayan is the type of player who needs regular playing time rather than constantly coming off the bench. He is at his best when his game has a rhythm and finding that could be a win-win for Slot. Will Unwin
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Harwood-Bellis has new confidence
Few memories were brought back at Goodison Park on Tuesday night as Southampton stumbled their way into the next round of the Carabao Cup on penalties. Russell Martin made ten changes to the team that lost to Manchester United three days earlier in an attempt to appease the majority of a bloated squad. Taylor Harwood-Bellis was given the captain’s armband and repaid the faith with an equaliser and a successful penalty in the shootout. The centre-back has impressed in the Championship over the past few years and making his move from Manchester City permanent this summer seemed an ideal option for clubs and players. Harwood-Bellis started the first three defeats but was substituted after 56 minutes at Brentford and did not play on Saturday. Despite the blow to his confidence, he played the Everton game against Beto with ease. It’s natural for a player to be nervous when they finally reach the Premier League and Harwood-Bellis’ efforts at Goodison Park should enable him to replace the suspended Jack Stephens this weekend. WU
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Spurs may have to look for new recruits
Many Tottenham players who toiled and struggled in the fortunate Carabao Cup win over Coventry City were not exactly in the starting XI for Saturday’s match against Brentford. And while Ange Postecoglou will be grateful to the more established names who came off the bench to save the game for Tottenham, there were two players who made an impression on their first start for Tottenham: teenagers Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. “They were both very, very good,” said Postecoglou. “They will play a big role in our season.” Performances elsewhere could see the duo back in the Australians’ starting XI sooner than expected, as Spurs face an excellent and efficient Brentford side who caused Manchester City all sorts of problems away from home last weekend. MB
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Palace pins hopes on Nketiah
It’s only 134 days since Manchester United’s last visit to south London but for Crystal Palace fans it already feels like an eternity. The famous 4-0 win at Selhurst Park in the first week of May was a culmination of Palace’s winning streak at the end of last season, which also saw them beat Liverpool and Aston Villa. With Oliver Glasner’s side now without the inspirational Michael Olise and still waiting for their first league win of the new season, Palace may not be the same opponents this weekend as their summer signings continue to settle in. A first goal for Eddie Nketiah in the midweek Carabao Cup win over QPR capped a promising start to his Palace career after being used in a deeper role than usual at Arsenal. Glasner will be hoping he can provide the momentum needed when United return to town on Saturday. Ed Aarons
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Hudson-Odoi and Elanga want to be in the starting eleven
Unbeaten Nottingham Forest were superb in their win over Liverpool at Anfield, keeping the game extremely close before making game-winning substitutions. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga were influential as Nuno Espírito Santo added width in the second half to stretch the game. It was very similar to rugby where a coach has starters and finishers, with the wingers in this case the expert substitutes. It’s a strategy that worked last weekend but how long the talented Hudson-Odoi and Elanga can be convinced that it’s best for the team if they wait their turn is unknown. At Brighton they will both want to be in the starting line-up. Nuno is a smart coach and makes his players extremely hungry for success but it might be too much to resist the sight of the two wingers starting from the start. WU
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Foden is ready to move up again
Phil Foden could succeed Kevin De Bruyne as Manchester City’s top creative player against Arsenal if the latter is ruled out with a groin injury sustained in Wednesday’s draw with Inter. There are flashbacks to last season when Foden flourished after De Bruyne suffered a serious hamstring injury in the opening game against Burnley. Once again we see the frightening depth of the City squad: if the footballer who deserves the title of the Premier League’s best attacking midfielder of all time is ruled out, Pep Guardiola’s solution is to sign the current PFA Player of the Year. Jamie Jackson
