Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, is in dire need of a comeback in his team’s Premier League results against Aston Villa on Sunday, who are riding high after defeating Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The top three from the previous season will once again set the pace, and Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City will all be certain of three points going into the international break.
All three promoted teams, meanwhile, are still without a victory at the bottom. Ipswich hopes to increase the pressure on newly appointed West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui.
AFP Sport picks out three things to look out for this weekend in the Premier League.
Flying Villa meet struggling Man Utd
Aston Villa relived their greatest-ever night on Wednesday as Jhon Duran fired them to a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich — a repeat of the result in the 1982 European Cup final.
By contrast, United are going through another severe slump in their 11-year spiral since last becoming English champions.
The Red Devils sit 13th, having won just two of their opening six league games of the season, to put Ten Hag’s future firmly in the spotlight once again.
The Dutchman survived an internal review after an eighth-placed finish last season –- United’s lowest in the Premier League era.
Hopes that an FA Cup win and another transfer splurge would lead to better things have so far proved misplaced as United have been schooled at home by Liverpool and Tottenham.
On Thursday, Ten Hag needed an injury-time goal from Harry Maguire to salvage a 3-3 draw with Porto in the Europa League.
Villa’s resurgence under Unai Emery began with a 3-1 win over United in the Spaniard’s first match in charge in November 2022.
Ten Hag can ill afford a repeat, which would leave his superiors with two weeks to stew over whether the time has come for a managerial change at Old Trafford.
West Ham’s wobble
West Ham are another club yet to show results from a heavy recruitment drive during the summer transfer window.
The Hammers brought in German international striker Niclas Fuellkrug, last season’s Championship player of the year Crysencio Summerville and experienced Premier League defenders Max Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka
But they have lost their opening three home league games of the season for the first time in the club’s history, putting Lopetegui under pressure just months into his reign.
The Spaniard has admittedly had a tough run of fixtures, with Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea the three sides to win at the London Stadium this season.
But those excuses end on Saturday when newly promoted Ipswich are the visitors, looking to turn positive performances into a first Premier League win for 22 years.
Since losing to Liverpool and City in a baptism of fire, Kieran McKenna’s men have drawn four games.
Top three set the pace
Liverpool pushed City and Arsenal in a three-way title race until the final weeks of last season when the wheels came off, denying Jurgen Klopp a glorious Anfield send-off.
There has been no hangover after the German’s departure, with Arne Slot becoming the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his first nine games in charge.
The Reds are top of the Premier League and off to a perfect start in the Champions League and League Cup.
“It says a lot about how Jurgen left this club, the squad I inherited, how much work-rate the players put in and how much my staff members are helping me to get these results,” said the Dutchman.
But again, I am hoping to do more special things than only be remembered for eight wins out of the first nine.”
Liverpool can open up a four-point lead at the top, for a few hours at least, when they travel to winless Crystal Palace for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.
Arsenal and City begin the weekend just one point back.
The Gunners are strong favourites to beat winless Southampton at the Emirates, but City face a tough test against Fulham, who sit sixth after just one defeat in their opening six games.
Fixtures
Saturday (1400 GMT unless stated)
Crystal Palace v Liverpool (1130), Arsenal v Southampton, Brentford v Wolves, Leicester v Bournemouth, Man City v Fulham, West Ham v Ipswich, Everton v Newcastle (1630)
Sunday
Aston Villa v Man Utd, Chelsea v Nottingham Forest (1300), Brighton v Tottenham (1530)
