Solskjaer competes against Ancelotti in one of five key Premier League battles this weekend

At the end of a week in which the battle between blue and red has dominated the headlines, let’s look ahead to the key clashes in the Premier League. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a fight to save his reputation, while the winner of Manchester City’s game against Liverpool could depend on which side cedes ground.

Solskjaer spoilt for choice as he faces Ancelotti’s depleted squad

Everton’s fantastic start to the campaign is officially over. Having picked up just one point from their last three matches, they return home to Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime to welcome Manchester United. Carlo Ancelotti will be unable to call upon the suspended Richarlison, without whom he is yet to taste a league victory since his arrival on Merseyside.

Alex Iwobi and Anthony Gordon are the likely candidates to come in for the Brazilian, though both lack an impressive goal return. The problem is that neither Bernard nor Gylfi Sigurdsson have lived up to their promise, either. At least two of this quartet are likely to start on Saturday unless James Rodríguez is deemed fit to feature. The good news, though, is that Lucas Digne is back following a harsh red card against Southampton.

Solskjaer, meanwhile, faces a very different problem. Bar Alex Telles, who is currently self-isolating, the Norwegian has a full squad at his disposal; however, in recent weeks his attempts to strike a balance between midfield and attack have yielded mixed results. Following a 2-1 win over PSG, Solskjaer changed his system for the stalemate against Chelsea, but found that the formation that brought victory over RB Leipzig could only stutter to defeat against Arsenal. While it was not difficult to pinpoint the source of Istanbul Basaksehir’s opening goal on Wednesday, its very existence is a worry to say the least.

Both meetings between these sides last term ended 1-1, with the Toffees taking the lead on each occasion. Furthermore, Solskjaer is yet to win at Goodison Park, having suffered a 4-0 defeat in April last year. Will either manager find the line-up to secure three much-needed points?

Can Manchester City or Liverpool cope without dominance?

What can we expect from a game between two sides who are usually so dominant? The stats this season, while unsurprising, certainly paint a clear picture. On average, Liverpool have taken more shots per game (17.6) than any other side; City are second in the rankings with 16. However, Pep Guardiola’s side lead the division in average possession (60.1) and accurate short passes (543.5). The Reds rank second in both metrics with 59.8 and 542 respectively.

Each side recorded a convincing victory over the other last term. Interestingly, though, on each occasion it was the side that saw less of the ball that triumphed. City lost 3-1 at Anfield despite 55% possession, 18 shots to the hosts’ 12 and over 100 more accurate passes. When they met again in July at the Etihad, they defeated the champions elect with just 47% possession and 412 accurate passes to their opponents’ 475.

As witnessed in City’s 5-2 defeat by Leicester in September and the Reds’ jawdropping defeat at Aston Villa a week later, both sides can be hurt when they try to play on the front foot. They have kept just one clean sheet apiece so far in this Premier League campaign, while only West Brom have conceded more times than Jürgen Klopp’s side. Will either manager decide to let go of the ball?

As always, Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming international matches has stirred up plenty of controversy. While fans of “big six” sides argued that their team’s English representatives deserved a chance, one of the players who can count himself unlucky is Callum Wilson. Of the strikers available to Southgate, so far this term only Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored more Premier League goals than the Newcastle striker. Wilson’s brace against Calvert-Lewin’s Everton last Sunday took him to six goals for the campaign, just two shy of his tally in 2019/20. Granted, Magpies fans must be wary; he netted five times in his first seven games for Bournemouth last season, only to go 15 further appearances without a goal.

A further case for Wilson’s inclusion in the England squad is the absence of Southampton’s Danny Ings. Of course, Ings’ injury has robbed us of the chance to see the two strikers go head to head when the Saints host Newcastle on Friday night, though in recent weeks his skipper has emerged as a goal threat. James Ward-Prowse found the net from open play against Everton and followed that goal with two free kicks last Sunday at Villa Park. Unlike Wilson, he has been included in the national set-up.

In a Three Lions squad whose attacking players favour the left-hand side, Ward-Prowse offers a forward-thinking option on the right of midfield should it be needed. Given England’s recent performances in which they have managed just three goals in four Nations League matches, it is a surprise that Wilson has not been granted a similar opportunity. Friday’s clash at St. Mary’s offers both players the chance to remind Southgate of their skills.

England’s top two managers do battle

Frank Lampard and Chris Wilder were the two English managers to finish highest in the country’s football pyramid last season. The former kept Chelsea in the top four despite a lack of summer signings, although the Blues’ defence was the most generous of any top-ten side. Wilder, meanwhile, guided newly-promoted Sheffield United to an impressive ninth-placed finish.

Only the league’s top three sides conceded fewer goals than the Blades and, had it not been for Liverpool’s incredible campaign, the Yorkshireman would surely have been named Manager of the Season. His side also picked up four points against Chelsea, with the 3-0 win in July arguably the highlight of the club’s campaign.

Things look very different now. United are without a win this season and have scored just three goals in seven games to boot. Fulham’s result on Monday means they are already four points adrift of safety. In contrast, it’s all starting to click for Chelsea. After a chaotic start to the season, the London side have kept five consecutive clean sheets. New goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has played in all of those matches, as have defensive duo Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma. The signs point to another shutout when Sheffield United visit Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Martínez out to prove point against former training partner

In the end, Mikel Arteta could only pick one.

Arsenal fans held their heads in their hands when Bernd Leno was stretchered off against Brighton in June. Besides Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the club’s number one had probably been his side’s player of the season. What next?

Having spent nine years at Arsenal during which time he made just 14 appearances, Emiliano Martínez had been upgraded to second-choice following Petr Cech’s exit in 2019. This was, at last, his opportunity, and he made sure to take it. The man who arrived aged 17 did not put a foot (or hand) wrong following Leno’s injury and went on to lift the FA Cup in just his 37th game for the Gunners.

Nonetheless, the German was always going to return eventually, and both shot-stoppers wanted first-team football. The decision for Arteta was a tough one; after all, Martínez was at the club when the Spaniard arrived as a player in 2011. He was, many would argue, the sentimental option. However, the manager placed his faith in the club’s initial first choice, and so the Argentinian departed for Aston Villa. His story was still a fairy tale, just a shorter one than he maybe would have liked.

Many Gunners fans who disagreed with this resolution claimed vindication when Villa started the new season with two consecutive clean sheets. After four games, Martínez had shipped just two goals, both to Mo Salah, and saved a penalty on his debut. However, the Villans’ heavy defeats to Leeds and Southampton mean that the team to have conceded the fewest Premier League goals in 2020/21 is now Arsenal, with Leno between the sticks.

Who will be busier when Villa visit the Emirates on Sunday? The stats suggest the German. Villa average 14.8 shots per game this season (third only to Liverpool and City) while in contrast Arsenal’s rate of 8.6 is the fourth lowest in the division. Both keepers will be under the spotlight in what would have otherwise been an unremarkable fixture. Whatever the result, though, their respective situations will not change.

*Stats via WhoScored