Premier League: 10 things to watch

Premier League: 10 things to watch

Toby Moses and Michael Butler: Stoke are kept grounded, John Stones is rock solid and Liverpool aim for a straight eight

• Grassroots football in further crisis
• Martínez puts his house on a rebuild at Everton
• Spurs consider re-signing Caulker 

  

  Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

  Mark Hughes keeps Stoke grounded, John Stones is rock solid for Everton and Liverpool aim for a straight eight
  

  Clockwise from right: David Moyes needs a result; Newcastle will miss Loïc Rémy; Bacary Sagna faces Man City; and John Stones has impressed for Everton. Photo: Lee Smith/Action, Nick Potts/PA, Ian Horrocks/Getty, Phil Noble/Reuters

  1) Hughes brings Stoke down to earth

  What to make of Mark Hughes's first season at Stoke City? There's certainly been no radical revolution, rather a gradual evolution away from the hoof-ball Tony Pulis served up to such great effect. "It will take time," Hughes said in August. "On occasions we'll make mistakes but if we want to play in a certain way that's what we have to do." And there have been hiccups along the way, but the players have adjusted and are on course for the club's best ever Premier League finish – something the Welshman should be rightfully proud of. Not only is the style of play benefiting from the manager's methods – but the team are also scoring more goals. They already have 36, two more than last season's total, and 10 behind their highest under Pulis in 2010-11. It's an impressive feat given the relative modesty of Hughes's additions to the squad. There's likely to be more money to spend in the summer, and with Premier League survival all but assured the manager can focus on building for next season, with Ivica Olic already in his sights. The veteran Croatian striker is enjoying a strong season at Wolfsburg, and has revealed that he's tempted by a move to English football. "When I was talking with Hughes, I told him; 'My neck will hurt with your long balls, who on earth is going to catch them all'. He said to me: 'We don't play like that any more, we want to play a European style of football'. That's OK for me but so far I have not yet decided." A strong finish and the continued development of that continental style will not only please the fans, but it will go a long way to convincing better players, like Olic, to join the club in the summer – a virtuous circle of tactics and transfers that can lift Stoke into the top half next season. TM
  

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  2) Rolling Stones rock solid for Everton

  Since Phil Jagielka suffered a small tear in his hamstring, John Stones has played every minute of Everton's four consecutive league victories this month, and while the likes of Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku have earned much of the praise for the recent performances, the 19-year-old centre-back, who can also play at right-back, has looked composed and technically assured in Jagielka's absence. Stones has never lacked confidence, but has now grown into his 6ft 2in frame and against Newcastle on Tuesday, played for much of the game with a bandage around his head, after a brave header left him with a deep cut that required 10 stitches – threaded, of course, in Everton blue. Jagielka is expected to be fit for a return at Fulham on Sunday, but with Stones in this form, it is not a foregone conclusion that Roberto Martínez will opt for the 31-year-old. If Stones can keep his place, and put on a similar showing for the rest of the season, who is to say that he cannot play his way into Roy Hodgson's thoughts, particularly with the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling failing to convince at the moment. MB
  

  • Ross Barkley blossoms in time for World Cup
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  3) Reds on course for straight eight

  It wasn't so long ago that Tottenham and Liverpool were engaged in the perennially underwhelming battle for fourth place. However, some emphatic victories for Brendan Rodgers's side and the erratic results after Tim Sherwood's promotion have allowed the Reds to emerge as genuine title contenders and Everton to leapfrog Spurs to chase down Arsenal for the final Champions League place. So with two sides travelling in opposite directions in the league, and Liverpool's imperious record at Anfield it should be no problem for Steven Gerrard and co to record an eighth straight win? Perhaps not. Tottenham have had a clear week to prepare for this game, a novelty in a season inevitably marred by the waste of time that is the Europa League. Meanwhile Liverpool, who have certainly benefitted from no European excursions and early exits from the cups, had a rare midweek game and will have to play their third game in a week for only the eighth time this season. The last time that happened they won the first two, the second to relegation threatened Fulham by a single goal, before facing a tricky opponent from north London. Sound familiar? They lost that third match 2-1. In fact the only time Liverpool have triumphed in three games in the space of a week was back in August, and the middle of that triptych was a home League Cup victory over Notts County. If Rodgers' side are to record an eighth straight league win and keep their noses ahead of Man City they will need to show endurance to go with their attacking panache. TM
  

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  4) Rémy has no rival in Magpies pecking order

  Loïc Rémy has scored 43.5% of Newcastle's league goals this campaign, and with the Frenchman currently injured and possibly returning to his parent-club, QPR, in the summer, pressure is building on the rest of the team who have failed to score in nine of the last 13 league games. "Let's be honest, stats don't lie and you can see that yourself when you look at how many goals the rest of the team have got," said Newcastle's assistant manager, John Carver, after the Magpies' defeat to Everton. "Moussa [Sissoko] has to chip in, [Yoan] Gouff [ran] has to chip in, Cheicky [Tioté] has to chip in, Vurn [Anita] even – and he almost did, the centre-backs need to get a goal from somewhere." Singling players out like this can often dampen confidence but could be an indication that with a summer overhaul pending, some of Newcastle's squad are playing for their futures. Clear of the relegation pack, and with little hope of securing a Europa League place, the north-east club's season already seems to be fizzling out, but with Alan Pardew, who is due to return from his three-game stadium ban at Southampton on Saturday, already talking about potential targets – namely Romelu Lukaku – motivation to perform should not be an issue. MB
  

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  5) United weakness a bonus against Villa

  Poor beleaguered David Moyes. Even Sir Alex Ferguson's champions lost 2-1 at home to Manchester City last season, and 6-1 the year before, so is 3-0 really such a crime in the big scheme of things? Of course, context is everything – and as welcome as the Champions League victory against Olympiakos was, Moyes has done precious little to endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful. A win at home to Aston Villa would be nothing but short-term respite for the Scot – and may not even provide that should the ludicrous fly-by occur. United have a 17-point gap over Villa – so need not be looking over their shoulder, but Paul Lambert's men will still provide a stern test. They've already managed wins against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City this season, as well as a draw at Liverpool, proving that Villa are capable of raising their game against the best in the division. It's against the weaker sides that they've really struggled – so perhaps Moyes will be alright this weekend after all … TM
  

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  6) West Bromwich v Cardiff

  The least a club's board is entitled to expect on appointing a new manager is a bounce in form – even if it is that of a dead cat. So it must be with some dismay that those who control the purse strings at West Brom and Cardiff respectively have watched the effect their managerial changes have resulted in. Pepe Mel at West Brom has managed one win in eight, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done marginally better with two from 12 league games – but it's still relegation form for both clubs, who are separated by just three points going into Saturday's game. The fact that West Brom are three points clear of the bottom three despite managing only two victories since the 1-0 defeat by Cardiff which left them two points clear of the drop zone and resulted in Steve Clarke losing his job is remarkable. It almost feels that there's been some kind of mathematical error in calculating the table which is allowing the Baggies to dodge the drop, but in fact it is a damning indictment on the woeful form of the bottom six teams. A draw will do neither team any favours – Sunderland have a game in hand, and will welcome both these two sides to the Stadium of Light before the season ends. This is the perfect game for one of these dead cats to start bouncing – or else they'll soon find themselves scratching around in the Championship. TM
  

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  7) Canaries need to keep soaring

  Norwich gave their chances of survival a massive boost with the 2-0 win against Sunderland last weekend. But there's no let up from there. Over the next three Saturdays they travel to Swansea, host West Brom and the visit west London to face Fulham. It's a veritable feast of relegation six-pointers – and with 32 points they may need wins from all three. After that the Canaries play Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. If the magic 40-point mark isn't reached before that quadruple of worrisome end of season fixtures Chris Hughton's side will struggle to hit it. The bottom of the table is so tight that fewer points than normal may suffice, but it's a big risk to leave your fate in the hands of others, or rely on taking points from teams involved in the scrap for European places and the title. As the only side in the bottom seven to have kept the faith with their manager, it would be a great shame if the club were rewarded for their admirable stability with relegation. TM
  

  8) Sagna wages a rearguard action

  Arsenal host Manchester City this weekend, all too aware that their visitors are intent on nabbing Bacary Sagna this summer, with the Frenchman coming to the end of his contract. If Sagna does join City it would be all to easy to label him in the same bracket as Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Touré, Samir Nasri and Gaël Clichy, who all left north London for Manchester between 2009-11. Yet the situation is not the same – the goalposts have shifted at the Emirates, namely the break in wage structure that has occurred since those four players moved north to Manchester. Mesut Özil became the club's record signing and one of their highest ever paid player on around £140,000-a-week last summer, and earlier this month, Aaron Ramsey joined Theo Walcott, who signed his contract in January of last year, in earning over £100,000-a-week. At the time that Nasri, Kolo and co left, nobody had earned that kind of money since Thierry Henry left the club. Sagna has been one of the first names on the team-sheet ever since his arrival at the club, so why shouldn't he want near-parity with the team's other top performers? Wenger must have known he was setting a precedent in the signing of Özil – this appears to be the fallout. One-year extentions for Arsenal players in their 30s have been the norm ever since Dennis Bergkamp entered his fourth decade – but with Tomas Rosicky signing a new deal, that too seems to be a thing of the past. Sagna is Arsenal's first 30-something to hold out for a three-year deal. What would the fans have Wenger do? Stick to the club's principles or choose again to break house rules to avoid losing Sagna on a free transfer to one of their rivals? MB
  

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  9) Eagles fans give Palace something to cheer

  One of the bright spots of this Premier League season has been the Crystal Palace fans. They have made remaining witty, colourful and upbeat while enjoying Tony Pulis's unique brand of football seem easy, and their loss would be felt should they fail to remain clear of the relegation positions by season's end. A visit from Chelsea is sure to have Eagles fans at their vociferous best, and the players will need that support if they're to secure vital points. Palace haven't won a game since 8 February, adding a measly two points to their total since then, despite winnable games against Swansea, Southampton, Sunderland and Newcastle since. It seems the Pulis bounce has been stifled, and while José Mourinho's side certainly don't offer an easy route to Premier League points, Aston Villa and West Brom have both shown in recent weeks that Chelsea are vulnerable against stubborn defences on the road. With Liverpool and Man City also set for a visit to Selhurst Park, Palace fans will have a big say not only on their own teams fate, but also the destination of this year's Premier League title. TM
  

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  10) Hammers will find relief on the road after hitting the boos

  Safely ensconced in mid-table, a 2-1 win at home against one of your closest rivals tucked in your back pocket – and yet a chorus of boos rings out as the final whistle blows. Times are hard for Sam Allardyce in east London. It's a strange thing, what more do West Ham fans want? The answer is straightforward: more attractive football, something better than scraping a win against 10 men, a return to the ideals dating back to Ron Greenwood and Bobby Moore. But maybe that's too much to ask. The Hammers are just about where you would expect them to be – 11th place, with a chance of a top-half finish, and that when their main goal threat, and record signing, has been sidelined with injury for a large chunk of the season. And the atmosphere certainly isn't helping the players – "I must admit the anxiety from the stands can spill on to the pitch and get into our minds," said born-and-bred Iron Mark Noble. "When that happens, some players can be affected and they make mistakes that they would not normally make." In that regard at least a trip to Sunderland will be a welcome escape for Allardyce's team. The real problem is whether this discontent has any impact in the boardroom. When West Ham were flirting with relegation earlier in the season there was the definite feel that the co-owners Davids Gold and Sullivan would have liked to swing the axe, but were too scared it would jeopardise their Premier League status. They've been proved right – a look at the lack of success enjoyed by those teams that have switched their manager seems to support this – but with the 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium to be filled in a couple of years time the board know that the goodwill of fans and neutrals alike will be crucial. As successful as Allardyce has been in regaining and retaining the top-flight position the club need to develop, it's questionable whether he's the man to have the tourists blowing bubbles from the freshly constructed Stratford stands. TM
  

  • West Ham end three-match losing run

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