10 things to look out for this weekend | Premier League

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend | Premier League

1. Postecoglou returns to north London

Ange Postecoglou never won a north London derby while in charge at Tottenham, drawing one and losing three, so starting life in the Nottingham Forest dugout away to Arsenal might not be the ideal situation. It has been a whirlwind week for the 60-year-old who has replaced Nuno Espírito Santo and it will be fascinating to see what changes are made to the team’s style. Nuno is a cautious coach and would have plotted a counterattacking approach at the Emirates Stadium, but there are no guarantees with Postecoglou. Pragmatism is a word rarely associated with the Australian but he needs to get his players onside quickly after the unfortunate departure of his predecessor, who was not dismissed for footballing reasons. It might make more sense to tweak what has already been constructed on strong foundations, especially considering he will have little time with the squad after international duty and before a Saturday lunchtime kick-off. Being able to adapt is a sign of strength in a coach and Postecoglou needs to show he has learned from errors made at Tottenham when he refused to change. Will Unwin

The Ange Postecoglou era begins at Nottingham Forest with a trip to the Emirates Stadium. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

2. Senesi offers Petrovic welcome stability

Djordje Petrovic was on the other end of England’s excellence during the international break, watching five goals go past him in Belgrade. But Serbia’s No 1 will return to a more stable defence on Saturday, with Bournemouth aiming for their third clean sheet in a row. It’s tidy work from a side that had their backline gutted in the transfer window, with European giants swooping in for Milos Kerkez (Liverpool), Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid) and Illia Zabarnyi (Paris Saint-Germain). Petrovic has replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga, while the other new arrivals Bafodé Diakité and Adrien Truffert have slotted in at centre-half and left-back respectively. But a more familiar name has also shone. A quad injury derailed Marcos Senesi for much of last season but he has begun brightly this time round, a shutout in the win over Tottenham also including the key pass for Evanilson’s goal. According to Opta, Senesi is second in the league for interceptions and clearances. The Argentinian’s task now is to help turn around a poor head-to-head record: Bournemouth have lost five of their past six against Brighton. Taha Hashim

3. Guéhi’s next steps in the spotlight

It felt like goodbye. Marc Guéhi scored in what was expected to be his final Crystal Palace appearance, a whipping strike in the 3-0 victory at Villa Park. Then came the drama of deadline day and the collapse of Guéhi’s move to Liverpool, with Oliver Glasner keeping hold of his captain for the time being. Since then he’s been with England, adding a first international goal to his record and strengthening his case to be a World Cup starter. Guéhi has garnered plenty of praise for remaining committed on the field while awaiting a prospective transfer, to which there should be a Roy Keane-style rebuttal: well, that is his job. The 25-year-old begins another stage of his career against a Sunderland side who would gladly take a repeat of their last trip to Selhurst Park: they were 4-0 victors there in February 2017 thanks to a Jermain Defoe double. TH

4. Emery must steer Martínez back on track

It was a fun deadline day for Unai Emery and Aston Villa. Victor Lindelöf, Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott all moved to Villa Park but another important bit of business was carried out. Emiliano Martínez will be staying at the club despite batting his eyelids at potential suitors. The job for Emery now is to reintegrate him into the side, because he is an elite performer and the best goalkeeper available to him, but others may be uncertain about his attitude. Martínez does his best work on the pitch and a show of faith from Emery – as well as the chance to shine after missing two out of Villa’s three opening fixtures – could get the relationship back on track. WU

Emiliano Martínez (right) applauds the Aston Villa fans after their defeat at Brentford. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

5. Silva should be patient with new wing wizards

Marco Silva did not see significant reinforcements arrive until the final day of the transfer window. It was a slow summer for Fulham but they acted before the deadline, signing Samuel Chukwueze and Kevin. Silva wanted wide players; now he has two new ones to compete with Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe, Adama Traoré and Alex Iwobi. Kevin has joined from Shakhtar Donetsk and Chukwueze, once a target for Chelsea, has come from Milan on loan. They should both add quality to Silva’s squad, although it would be a surprise if they start against Leeds at Craven Cottage. Silva has a settled dressing room and he will probably want to give the two newcomers time to adjust to the Premier League. Jacob Steinberg

6. Will Howe reshape his attacking setup?

Two strikers do not fit into Eddie Howe’s preferred 4-3-3 system so, unless Newcastle’s manager switches formation, one of his new attacking signings may need to begin on the bench. The £55m DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa could begin life in the No 9 shirt as a substitute after a late return from international duty in Africa. A feasible alternative could be to switch to a 4-2-3-1 setup and deploy fellow new arrival Nick Woltemade as a No 10, while fielding Joelinton as the left-sided attacker. That, though, would mean sacrificing a winger. Much here may hinge on whether Jørgen Strand Larsen features in the Wolves starting XI. Howe tried to bring in the Norway striker before turning his attentions to Woltemade and will doubtless be hoping Strand Larsen fails to recover from a minor achilles injury in time to show him precisely what he missed out on. After the collection of only two points from their opening three matches, Newcastle could do with a restorative win before Thursday’s Champions League opener against Barcelona. Louise Taylor

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Nick Woltemade started for Germany in their World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland. Photograph: Dénes Erdős/AP

7. Wilson key after latest Füllkrug setback

Niclas Füllkrug is injured again. An unsurprising development. The striker was unavailable for most of last season and is facing another spell on the sidelines after leaving the Germany camp early because of a calf problem. West Ham were foolish to sign him. Füllkrug’s fitness record is unreliable and he is a doubt to face Tottenham. There could be an opportunity for Callum Wilson instead, although he might have started anyway given that he impressed after coming on for Füllkrug and scoring during West Ham’s win over Nottingham Forest last month. Wilson has also had injury problems before leaving Newcastle but he is an experienced Premier League player and looked sharp, strong and dangerous against Forest. His nous around the penalty box could come in handy against Spurs. JS

8. Garnacho may be shiniest Chelsea teacup

There is a new kid on the block at Stamford Bridge in the form of Alejandro Garnacho. He was eager to get out of Manchester United this summer and find a club that more suited his needs. Like many members of “bomb squads” waiting on moves away, the Argentinian needs to catch up on fitness after zero pre-season games. There is also a healthy competition for places, so he will not walk into the Chelsea team. Enzo Maresca hoards wingers like others do teacups sent by distant relatives but the head coach also knows that Garnacho, given the right training and discipline, could be the best in the cupboard. It will be a fine balancing act when it comes to giving him the right opportunities, but Garnacho will be desperate to prove himself after a tumultuous year and Brentford is a good place to start. WU

Alejandro Garnacho and friends watch Chelsea’s win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Paul Phelan/ProSports/Shutterstock

9. Isak needs time to bed in at Liverpool

After missing pre-season through protest, Alexander Isak got his way and made the move to Liverpool. The Premier League champions paid a record sum to acquire the striker but it might take time for him to get up to speed. The Sweden international did not feature against Slovenia for his national team, spending the match as an unused substitute, but he did come on in the 2-0 loss to Kosovo, making it an underwhelming start to the season for Isak. Liverpool have plenty of matches to ease Isak into his new surroundings and are helped by being the only team with a perfect start to the campaign, with three wins in as many games. Starting at Turf Moor looks unlikely for Isak but coming off the bench is almost a certainty. Patience may be required before Liverpool see the same effectiveness he brought to Newcastle, however. WU

10. Injuries hit both sides before tense derby

Manchester City will definitely be without Rayan Cherki, and almost certainly Omar Marmoush, for Sunday’s derby. Savinho and Phil Foden are doubts too, so Pep Guardiola’s forward line may struggle for potency. One question, then, for the manager at Friday’s media conference is whether he regrets Jack Grealish’s loan to Everton. Another is why Manchester City are pointless since the 4-0 opening weekend win at Wolves. From the red side of town, the ever beleaguered Ruben Amorim will arrive at the Etihad Stadium with his Manchester United side a point better off than their neighbours. Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount are injury concerns for United, who for all the obvious reasons will begin this 197th derby as underdogs. If it is not a draw, expect inquests to start up instantly at the final whistle into the losing manager and his team. Jamie Jackson