Ten KEY questions for Matchweek 22's fixtures

Football writer Alex Keble analyses where this weekend's fixtures could be won and lost, including:

- Can Carrick inspire classic counter-attacking performance in derby?
- Will Brentford’s low block take energy out of Rosenior’s debut? 
- Can Gyokeres prevent another tough day at City Ground? 
- Will Frank and Nuno view derby as ideal chance to get back on track?
- Can Wirtz pick lock and keep Liverpool ahead of new-manager rivals?
- Are re-energised Newcastle able to blow Wolves away? 
- Will Villa’s high-intensity football limit Grealish’s impact? 
- Can Bournemouth rise to the challenge of improving their away form? 
- Will Leeds open a gap to Forest before their showdown next month? 
- Can set-pieces help Sunderland overcome goalscoring problems?

Can Carrick inspire classic counter-attacking performance in derby?

Every Manchester United fan is keen to see how new interim head coach Michael Carrick will approach the task of reviving the club’s fortunes. They may have to wait a little longer than Saturday. 

If his Middlesbrough tenure is anything to go by Carrick will bring a patient possession game to Old Trafford built around a 4-2-3-1 formation, yet it feels unlikely we will see this side of his tactical system on his debut.

Instead, Carrick should follow the pattern set by previous Man Utd head coaches going all the way back to Jose Mourinho, which is to sit deeper when facing Manchester City and look to frustrate them with a low block, counter-attacking strategy. 

Carrick’s Middlesbrough were relatively conservative when out of possession, preferring to drop into a compact 4-4-2 rather than press high, suggesting Carrick won’t be against a more pragmatic approach for his first Premier League game in the dugout.

And it could work. Man City have drawn three Premier League games on the trot and have begun to struggle for goals with top-scoring Erling Haaland netting once in his last four. A raucous Old Trafford crowd, a re-energised Man Utd team, and a tactical approach that has worked so often in the past could combine to give Carrick a dream start.

Will Brentford’s low block take energy out of Rosenior’s debut? 

Matchweek 22 looks set to be defined by tactical battles of attack versus defence, of possession domination versus a low block, and one of the most prominent is likely to take shape at Stamford Bridge. 

Liam Rosenior’s first home league game as Chelsea manager is a serious test of his tactical credentials. 

Rosenior is not dissimilar to Enzo Maresca in many aspects, although as we covered in our tactical introduction Rosenior’s slightly more vertical style of football depends upon baiting the opposition press in Unai Emery-like fashion. 

Brentford will refuse to do this, instead sitting in a defensive position that aims to do what so many did to Rosenior’s Strasbourg: force them into stale, sideways possession.

It is a strategy that has helped Keith Andrews’ side go six games unbeaten in the Premier League and climb up to fifth.

Chelsea have won just one of their last eight Premier League games against Brentford – and one of their last nine in the Premier League this season.

It is a deceptively difficult debut for Rosenior, who will need to pass an early test of whether his football can be more incisive than his predecessor’s.

Can Gyokeres prevent another tough day at City Ground?

Arsenal drew 0-0 at the City Ground in February, a match that summed up the issues that plagued their 2024/25 season. Mikel Arteta’s side had just one shot on target and amassed an Expected Goals (xG) tally of 0.99, labouring with Mikel Merino up front. 

Not for the first time this season, the Gunners are challenged with proving their title credentials by improving upon their last goal-shy visit to a Premier League ground.

Their best weapon on this occasion might be Viktor Gyokeres, who scored one and assisted another in the 3-2 victory at Chelsea in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Watch Gyokeres' highlights against Chelsea

Gyokeres was reported to be the final piece of the jigsaw when he arrived in the summer, and after his telling contribution in midweek now may be the time to prove it.  

Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest will inevitably be tough to break down, packing the box with bodies. Arsenal will need a lethal touch to win the three points and maintain the gap to Man City and Aston Villa. This is the kind of game Gyokeres was signed for. 

Will Frank and Nuno view derby as ideal chance to get back on track?

This is arguably the biggest game of the weekend. Both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United will see this as a superb opportunity to capitalise on their opponents’ difficult form and reignite their seasons. 

Thomas Frank needs a home win to get 2026 up and running, especially after defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup last weekend, while Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham are in danger of being cut off in the bottom three. 

Spurs have won just four of their last 24 Premier League home games, while their two wins from 10 in the 2025/26 Premier League season is their lowest ever tally at this stage. In theory, they could not ask for a better chance to begin the recovery than against a West Ham side winless in 10 Premier League matches. 

Nuno will be thinking the same thing. Frank’s side have been particularly flat this season when expected to dominate possession, which could play into the hands of a West Ham side at their best when counter-attacking. 

Can Wirtz pick lock and keep Liverpool ahead of new-manager rivals?

The manager changes at Chelsea and Man Utd might just have focused minds at Liverpool, where a gradual recovery over winter had made UEFA Champions League qualification look increasingly likely – until a small step backwards this month. 

Liverpool’s three consecutive Premier League draws give Rosenior and Carrick serious hope of catching Arne Slot’s side, and puts extra pressure on a game against Burnley that, in theory, should be a home win. 

But things have rarely been simple for Liverpool this season. In fact, having drawn 1-1 with Sunderland and 0-0 with Leeds United at Anfield this season, Liverpool could fail to win all their home games against the promoted sides for the first time since January 2002. 

To avoid that record they will need Florian Wirtz in top form. Wirtz has contributed three goals and two assists in his last six matches in all competitions, suggesting Liverpool’s summer signing is finding his feet in English football. 

Wirtz is precisely the kind of lock-picker needed to break down the ultra-deep defence that Scott Parker will likely install at Anfield. If the German is at his best, Liverpool should get past a Burnley side who are winless in their last 12 Premier League matches.

Are re-energised Newcastle able to blow Wolves away?

Wolverhampton Wanderers are unbeaten in their last three Premier League games, earning more points (with five) than in their previous 22 matches in the competition. And yet even that – and the form of 18-year-old Mateus Mane – might not be enough to stop a rejuvenated Newcastle United from winning at Molineux. 

Eddie Howe’s side have won three consecutive Premier League matches and despite defeat to Man City in the EFL Cup in midweek will enter this match in high spirits, ready to continue their assault on the top four.

That’s because Howe will know the statistics are in his team’s favour.  

Only Arsenal (90) and Everton (127) had had fewer high turnovers against them than Wolves (128), yet Wolves have conceded more goals from high turnovers than anyone else (six). Meanwhile only three sides have scored more goals from high turnovers than Newcastle (nine).

If Newcastle use their renewed confidence to start aggressively, pressing as hard as we have come to expect, then Wolves will struggle to avoid buckling under the pressure.

Will Villa’s high-intensity football limit Grealish’s impact? 

In the reverse fixture, a 0-0 draw in September, Everton found it too easy to funnel the ball out to former Villa captain Jack Grealish, who created five chances, more than the entire Villa team put to together, with four. 

But a lot has changed since then, and although Grealish remains a serious threat, Villa’s formidable home form – 11 wins in a row in all competitions – suggests they will play with enough intensity to catch Everton cold. 

David Moyes’ side have made 23 errors leading to an opposition shot, the second-most in the Premier League this season, and they are the second-worst offenders when it comes to mis-controlling the ball (364).

In a 4-2 defeat against Brentford a fortnight ago, Andrews’ side scored the all-important opener by forcing one of these mistakes with a high turnover. Unai Emery will have taken note. 

Keep an eye on Matty Cash’s battle with Grealish, but Villa will anticipate dominating this contest to the extent that their head-to-head is of secondary importance. 

Can Bournemouth rise to the challenge of improving their away form? 

Bournemouth’s 3-2 victory against Spurs last week ended their 11-game winless run in the Premier League. Now they just need to sort out their away form. 

Andoni Iraola’s side won’t fully recover from their recent struggles until they learn to win away, because - having only won once on the road all season - almost all of their more inviting upcoming fixtures are away from the Vitality Stadium. 

Their next five home games are against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Brentford, and Man Utd, whereas after Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, Bournemouth visit Wolves, Everton, West Ham, and Burnley. 

If Bournemouth can end their winless away streak this weekend – which currently stands at nine matches in all competitions, stretching all the way back to August – they will be in a good position to get maximum points from the next four on their travels. 

Will Leeds open a gap to Forest before their showdown next month?

Leeds' good run of form appears to have ended, the defeat at Newcastle in their last Premier League game making it four without a win in the competition.  

But they are still in a strong position to remain well clear of the relegation zone, that is if they can beat Fulham to maintain the gap to Nottingham Forest before their six-pointer next month.

At this stage of the season Leeds’ focus is simply on outperforming their rivals. They are only one point above Forest at the moment, but if they were to beat Fulham on Saturday then, with Arsenal at the City Ground later that day, Daniel Farke can be confident the gap will become four points. 

That should ensure Leeds remain above Forest when the two clubs meet at the beginning of February at Elland Road. 

It is a fixture that will already be playing on Leeds supporters’ minds. Three points against Fulham would ease some of the tension.

Can set-pieces help Sunderland beat goalscoring problems? 

Both of these teams have struggled for goals lately, with Crystal Palace scoring just two in their last five (one of those being in the defeat to Macclesfield last weekend) and Sunderland failing to score in four of their last seven Premier League matches. 

A tight game at the Stadium of Light could come down to a single Sunderland set-piece. 

Sunderland, who are unbeaten in their 10 Premier League home games, have scored eight goals from set-pieces this season, or 38 per cent of their total, a higher proportion than every Premier League side except Leeds’ 41 per cent.  

Meanwhile Palace, who will be without captain Marc Guehi ahead of a prospective move to Man City and digesting the news of manager Oliver Glasner leaving in the summer, have conceded 12 set-piece goals in 2025/26, the fifth-most in the competition.