Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, is in dire need of a turnaround 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.
Three Premier League events to watch this weekend are highlighted by AFP Sport.
Man Utd struggles against Flying Villa
Jhon Duran led Aston Villa to a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, mirroring the outcome of the 1982 European Cup final, and reliving their best-ever night.
In contrast, United is currently experiencing yet another dismal slump in their 11-year run since winning the English championship.
Ten Hag’s future is once again under scrutiny as the Red Devils are currently ranked 13th in the league after winning only two of their first six league games.
The Dutchman made it via an internal evaluation despite United finishing ninth last season—its lowest result in the Premier League era.
United has been thoroughly embarrassed at home by Tottenham and Liverpool, so any expectations that an FA Cup victory and another big spending spree would bring about better times have so far proven misguided.
Harry Maguire’s goal in injury time on Thursday was all Ten Hag needed to win a 3-3 Europa League tie against Porto.
In November 2022, Villa’s comeback under Unai Emery got underway with a 3-1 victory over United in the Spaniard’s debut game as manager.
Ten Hag is in no position to afford a repetition, giving his supervisors two weeks to consider whether an Old Trafford leadership change is warranted.
The stutter of West Ham
Another team that hasn’t revealed any outcomes from a vigorous hiring spree during the summer transfer window is West Ham.
The Hammers added Crysencio Summerville, the Championship player of the previous season, German international striker Niclas Fuellkrug, and seasoned Premier League defenders Max Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
However, they have dropped their first three league home games of the season for the first time ever, which puts pressure on Lopetegui only months into his leadership.
The three teams to win at the London Stadium this season are Villa, Manchester City, and Chelsea. The Spaniard has, to be honest, had a difficult run of games.
However, such justifications will end on Saturday when newly promoted Ipswich visits, hoping to turn strong play into a first Premier League victory in 22 years.
After suffering heartbreaking losses to City and Liverpool, Kieran McKenna’s team has drew their last four games.
The top three established the standard.
Up until the closing weeks of the previous season, Liverpool and Arsenal were in a three-way contest for the title, but things fell apart, denying Jurgen Klopp a magnificent send-off at Anfield.
After the German left, Arne Slot took over as manager of Liverpool, and he won eight of his first nine games in charge, proving that there was no hangover.
In addition to leading the Premier League, the Reds are also unbeaten in the League Cup and the Champions League.
“It speaks volumes about how Jurgen left this team, the team I took over, the level of effort the players put in, and the extent to which my staff members support me in achieving these outcomes,” the Dutchman stated.
But once more, I want to accomplish more noteworthy goals than just go down as the guy who won eight of the first nine games.
When Liverpool plays their midday kickoff on Saturday at Crystal Palace, they have the opportunity to take a four-point lead at the top—at least for a couple of hours.
City and Arsenal start the weekend just one point behind each other.
The Gunners are overwhelming favorites to upset Southampton at the Emirates, but Fulham, who are in sixth place following just one loss in their first six games, will present a difficult challenge for City.
Sat. (1400 GMT, unless otherwise noted)
Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace (1130), Southampton vs. Arsenal, Brentford vs. Wolves, Leicester vs. Bournemouth, Man City vs. Fulham, Ipswich vs. West Ham, and Newcastle vs. Everton (1630)
Sunday
Fixtures: Brighton vs. Tottenham (1530), Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest (1300), and Aston Villa vs. Manchester United.
ALSO READ:
