Wolves, West Ham, Burnley, Leeds and Nottingham Forest have all, to varying degrees, made a fairly wretched start to the new Premier League campaign. So, we ask the question, why does this weekend matter so much for each club? Sky Sports’ reporters have their say…
West Ham vs Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm
Pivotal. Under pressure. All this and more will be labelled to West Ham and in particular to Graham Potter as the Hammers host Crystal Palace this Saturday. When Potter came in, West Ham had conceded nine goals in two games and were shipping goals for fun.
The former Chelsea boss shored the Hammers up defensively, only conceding three goals once last season under his stewardship – against one of his former clubs Brighton.
However, results and performances weren’t great and now with the new season up and running, they’re back shipping goals once again – 14 in five games, and on top of that Potter has a points-per-game ratio in charge of just 0.96.
The pressure is now at a tipping point. It would be unsurprising if a defeat Saturday doesn’t end his tenure in charge, with multiple reports of potential successors already being lined up.James Green
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Crystal Palace
Contrastingly, for Palace, it’s the polar opposite – an opportunity for the club to extend their remarkable 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Oliver Glasner is continually lauded for his leadership and tactical nous, and would likely have a job for life at Selhurst Park if he wanted it.
Glasner has entered the final year of his Palace contract and remains calm about his future. Unlike the sorry state at West Ham, Eagles fans will be desperate for the Austrian boss to commit his future long term.
This represents a pivotal fixture for the hosts, with high-pressure stakes. Potential consequences? Most certainly for the Hammers boss if it all goes horribly wrong.James Green
Burnley vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm
It’s early in the season but Burnley’s game against Nottingham Forest really does feel significant to their hopes of an extended stay in the Premier League.
After a difficult run of fixtures to begin the season, Burnley find themselves ruing the fact they do not have two extra points on the board after conceding late penalties in their last two games which have ended in defeats.
However, I’ve noticed a steely resilience when speaking to Scott Parker and winger Jacob Bruun Larsen in recent days.
Saturday’s meeting with Forest represents a huge opportunity, which Parker admitted, could have come at the right time. It has collided with Ange Postecoglou’s recent Forest arrival, leaving limited time to work with his new side.
Although Burnley have had to show the more defensive side of their game recently, an asset that benefitted them so robustly in the Championship, I get the impression we may see a slightly more expansive system against Forest. That will be a huge indicator of just how much Burnley can legitimately cause teams problems this season as they bid to stay in the league.Dan Khan
Nottingham Forest
It’s not often a new manager replaces one that was still so loved by fans and had the success that Nuno Espirito Santo had last season. That makes it even more crucial for Ange Postecoglou to get up and running as quickly as possible at Nottingham Forest.
The Carabao Cup defeat midweek was a real blow, particularly as Postecoglou has been so clear about silverware being a target this season.
While the nature of the loss at Swansea provided ammunition for critics of ‘Angeball’, there were positive signs in the performance. The build-up play to Forest’s second goal was superb and in truth the Premier League side had a number of chances to put the tie to bed.
But, with European football to come next week, Ange knows they need to put an end to a three-game losing streak as quickly as possible, starting at Burnley.
“I think the players have already shown a willingness to adapt to what we want them to do…Wednesday night was a stark reminder for us that we want to play a certain way, but within that, you’ve also got to have the right mentality to win games.”Kirsty Edwards
Wolves vs Leeds, Saturday 3pm
“The wolf is suffering, and the pack needs to come together” – the words of Wolves head coach Vitor Pereira during his press conference on Friday.
For most managers, heading into a game without a single win or point would be cause for concern, with their future at the club in jeopardy.
Not Pereira, though, he remains in high spirits, reassured by the fact he has signed a new three-year contract with the club just this week. The timing of this development is unusual, given the team’s disappointing start, but one thing remains clear: Saturday is must win.
Wolves are in the midst of a rebuild, with six new signings and the departure of key players. As a result, the team is lacking cohesion, chemistry and the clinical edge needed to secure results at the top level.
Facing recently-promoted Leeds offers a strong chance to do just that, but there are concerns. Norwegian forward Jorgen Strand Larsen is struggling with an Achilles injury, and it’s clear he won’t be able to complete a full 90. This raises another obvious question: where will goals come from?
Pereira has proven before that he can guide Wolves out of the relegation zone, and he seems determined to do it again.Amber Sandhu
Leeds United
Cutting edge – that’s the dominant phrase at Leeds’ training ground. It’s hard to believe the side that scored 95 times in last season’s Championship has only managed to score a controversial penalty in their opening four games.
But this is the Premier League, of course. Daniel Farke displays a steely determination to sort it. He insists there’s no panic, no loss of sleep, just a deep faith that his players will start to hit the back of the net.
Training this week, not surprisingly, has been about sharpening those finishing skills, all designed to boost his strikers’ confidence.
Farke will hope practice makes perfect. A win at Wolves would open up a seven-point gap and help erase memories of that gut-wrenching late own goal defeat at Fulham.
Maybe not a must win for Leeds, but perhaps a must not lose.Peter Stevenson
