Five talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend, featuring the impact of AFCON and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s revival at Leeds United.
Newcastle need to close Champions League gap
Newcastle, currently 12th in the Premier League, are only six points away from a Champions League spot. The league table is tight this season, so a few wins can change the dynamics quickly. However, Newcastle has struggled to find form, having only won consecutive league matches once so far. They enter this weekend’s important match against Chelsea after a disappointing derby loss to Sunderland. Missing players in defense has added to their troubles, and another loss could widen the gap to nine points from Champions League positions before Christmas.
Can Sunderland survive AFCON absences
The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off this weekend, impacting many Premier League teams, especially Sunderland, who will lose six players to the tournament. Noah Sadiki, who has played 99% of the minutes this season, is a major absence. Reinildo and Chemsdine Talbi will also miss out, alongside Arthur Masuaku, Habib Diarra, and Bertrand Traore.
Despite this, Sunderland has performed well since their promotion, sitting eighth after last week’s derby victory over Newcastle. However, with matches against Brighton, Leeds, Manchester City, Tottenham, Brentford, and Crystal Palace before the tournament ends, head coach Régis Le Bris faces a tough challenge.
Will Slot unleash frontline of summer signings?
Arne Slot will face a selection challenge this weekend as Mohamed Salah departs for AFCON and Dominik Szoboszlai might also be absent, leaving Liverpool without key players in attack. Salah and Szoboszlai had been important in previous matches, and Slot may need to reshuffle the lineup against Tottenham. Federico Chiesa, despite struggling for trust from the coach, could step in, but Slot may opt for a return to the duo of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, which showed promise in a recent win against Inter Milan.
Foden form will have Arsenal worried
Arsenal leads the Premier League, but Manchester City is just two points behind, partly due to the strong performance of Phil Foden. After a rough previous season, Foden is regaining his form and has scored in four consecutive league games, totaling six goals this season. His creativity adds a new threat to City’s attack alongside Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki. In contrast, Arsenal managed a narrow win against Wolves, relying on two own goals without the standout players that City possesses.
Daniel Farke believes Dominic Calvert-Lewin has a chance of making the England squad for next summer’s World Cup after his impressive return to form at Leeds. The 28-year-old, who transferred to Leeds after a frustrating time at Everton, has already scored five goals since joining, compared to just three last season.
Farke stated, “For me, he is definitely one of the best English strikers in the Premier League, and for him, there is no limit.” Calvert-Lewin has been instrumental for Leeds, scoring in four consecutive Premier League matches and helping the team distance themselves from the relegation zone. The recent formation change with Lukas Nmecha as a partner in attack has visibly benefited him.
Although Calvert-Lewin hasn’t played for England since 2021, he has outscored many options currently under scrutiny, with only Phil Foden and Danny Welbeck matching his tally among English players this season.
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