Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg celebrates after scoring his team's equalizer against Chelsea. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
English Premier League: Three things to watch for on Matchday 6
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are the table toppers in the Premier League at the moment. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
The Premier League is about to complete a month in the 2022-23 season and there have already been a few ups and downs.
Arsenal sit atop the table with a perfect five wins from five games followed by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester United and Liverpool have also showed resurgence and are climbing up the table.
On that note, we take a look at three key things to watch out for during Matchday 6 of the Premier League.
Manchester United, Arsenal lock horns in mouth-watering clash
Manchester United and Arsenal enjoyed a great rivalry in the early part of this century. They face each other at Old Trafford on Sunday in what promises to be a great showdown.
Arsenal have won five matches on the trot to top the table, while Manchester United have succeeded in winning their last three after a jittery start to the campaign.
More importantly, United have been able to maintain a clean sheet in each of their last three wins. However, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Casemiro will have their task cut out against the lethal attack of the Gunners that has scored 13 goals thus far.
How well United’s defense manages to cope with the threat of Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka is probably going to decide the match.
Premier League derbies galore on Saturday
This Saturday is a “Derby Day” with three derbies lined up. First, Everton meet Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby while Chelsea and Tottenham face London-based rivals West Ham and Fulham, respectively.
Liverpool are going to start as the strong favorites in their visit to Everton, who are languishing in 17th place.
Similarly, Tottenham are expected to win their match against visiting Fulham, though Chelsea’s home clash against West Ham should be an interesting one. The Hammers held Tottenham to a draw last time out, while the Blues could be inspired by yet another new signing – Pierre Emerick Aubameyang though the Gabonese striker is unavailable as he is dealing with a broken jaw.
Acid test for a few managers
A few managers are set to go through stern tests this weekend.
First up is former Chelsea great Frank Lampard, whose Everton side will have the unenviable task of handling Liverpool. Everton are yet to win this season and the chances of ending the drought on Saturday are bleak.
Lampard’s former England teammate, Steven Gerrard, will manage Aston Villa against Manchester City, who have scored a whopping 19 goals in their five matches. Aston Villa are in 19th place in the league table and their standing is unlikely to improve after Saturday’s match.
The scenario is gravest for Brendan Rodgers, the Leicester City manager, whose team is now bottom of the table. To make matters worse, they are going to face high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion, who are in 4th at the moment. It will be interesting to see how the 2015-16 champions face the challenge.
