Manchester is carrying the heaviest mood of the weekend. Michael Carrick remains in post at Manchester United, with the club maintaining its support after a damaging run, but Bournemouth’s visit to Old Trafford on Sunday has become a defining afternoon for the English coach.
The news from the club
United have won only twice in 11 matches across all competitions, and the 4-1 Champions League defeat away to Cesc Fàbregas’s Como has sharpened the internal unease. Bruno Fernandes’s criticism, suggesting Carrick’s approach had been wrong, added to the pressure around the dressing room.
Carrick has set out the standards he expects before facing Bournemouth. “We have to play with energy, intensity and passion,” he said. “It is my responsibility to put out a side that represents this club and its supporters, one they can be proud of because of the identity it shows.”
The visitors arrive with momentum of their own after a 3-0 Europa League win over Milan.
A weekend around England
The eighth round begins on Friday night with Ipswich Town against Nottingham Forest, before a demanding set of fixtures stretches from Birmingham to north London and Merseyside.
Aston Villa welcome Manchester City at a lively Villa Park after recovering from a slow domestic opening. Unai Emery’s rebuilt squad took just one point from its first four league fixtures, yet have since found their footing and have won each of their first three Champions League games. With Jackson providing goals, Villa face a City side still setting the pace at the top of the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca’s team have Haaland available again and can become only the third side in English top-flight history to start a league campaign with eight successive victories.
Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium against Everton without Bukayo Saka, whose muscle injury was the one setback from an encouraging display in Munich. Mikel Arteta’s side stood up well to Bayern and could have taken the match, with the manager highlighting the collective response.
“The team’s spirit in Munich stood out,” Arteta said. “It was among our strongest performances.”
Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and the young Dowman offer options in the wide areas, although both senior alternatives need a longer run of matches. Arteta may also consider changes against David Moyes’s stubborn, defensively organised Everton.
Stamford Bridge stages a London derby with an unwelcome record hanging over Tottenham. Spurs have lost their past six meetings with Chelsea and, since their April 2018 win in west London, have collected only two points there. After securing a first Premier League victory, Roberto De Zerbi wants to halt that sequence. He can again call on Dejan Kulusevski and is seeking greater calm and balance from his side.
“If we all fight together, we will win plenty of matches,” De Zerbi said.
At Anfield, Liverpool meet a Brighton side travelling with confidence and considerable variety in attack. Fabien Hürzeler’s team are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions, have recorded six straight wins, scored 23 goals and kept six clean sheets.
Liverpool, still settling under Andoni Iraola, come into the contest after a 4-3 victory against Villarreal. Rio Ngumoha has brought pace and directness to their forward play, while Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have shown clearer improvement as the attacking partnership begins to take shape.
