Is Gallagher the leader Tottenham needs?
Roberto De Zerbi will have his first home game with Tottenham, in the context of the pressure to win weighing heavily on the Italian strategist as the team is still in the relegation zone. The remaining 3 matches at Tottenham Hotspur stadium will be of vital importance to Spurs in the relegation race.
Difficulties piled up when Cristian Romero was injured and had to rest, while vice-captain James Maddison was also absent. This forced De Zerbi to find a new leader - someone brave enough to lead the team in a sensitive period.
Conor Gallagher emerged as a worth considering option. Although not really stable since joining Spurs, the English midfielder used to wear the captain's armband at Chelsea and accumulated experience playing in top environments, from Atletico Madrid to the England national team.
Playing as a central midfielder, Gallagher has the ability to regulate the pace and transmit energy to the whole team - a factor Spurs are lacking in the crisis period. If given the opportunity, this could be a turning point to help him assert his leadership role in North London.
Palmer has a chance to "relieve the bad luck" against Man United's devastating defense?
No Harry Maguire, no Lisandro Martinez, no Matthijs de Ligt - Manchester United's defense is in serious crisis before the away match to Chelsea's stadium.
Martinez's absence due to suspension, along with De Ligt's injury and Maguire's continued ban, have put coach Michael Carrick in a difficult position. He can place his trust in the young duo Ayden Heaven - Leny Yoro, or pull Luke Shaw into central defense in an unfortunate situation.
No matter which option is offered, a patched-up defense is clearly an attractive "bait". In the context that Chelsea is also declining in form, this may be the golden time for Cole Palmer to regain his scoring instinct.
The question is whether Palmer can take advantage of this opportunity to "resolve the problem", or will Man United continue to stand firm despite serious personnel losses?
The turning point match that decided the championship race
After a draw with Sporting CP that helped Arsenal reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in history for two consecutive seasons, Mikel Arteta's team will travel to Manchester with high confidence.
However, Man City also has a spiritual support after a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final not long ago. Pep Guardiola's team understands that this is an opportunity to turn the tide.
If Arsenal wins all 3 points, they can widen the gap to 9 points and get very close to ending 22 years of waiting for titles. Conversely, if Man City wins, the championship race will be reignited, promising to last dramatically until the final rounds.
Everton faces historical derby pressure at Merseyside
Everton entered their first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson with high expectations, but pressure was never easy for coach David Moyes, especially when looking back at his first term.
In the past, Everton has missed opportunities against Liverpool many times, even when the opponent is at a disadvantage such as being short of players, poor form or having to use a backup goalkeeper. Derby pressure seems to always affect both players and coaching staff, making The Toffees unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
However, a more mature and calm Moyes could offer a different approach. This derby is not only of honor, but also directly affects Everton's ambition to compete for a European cup spot.
In the opposite direction, Liverpool is showing signs of instability with a series of poor results and the spirit is affected after being eliminated from the Champions League. This opens up opportunities for Everton, especially when they have played impressively and exposed many weaknesses of Chelsea in the most recent home match.
Sancho is still Aston Villa's "X-card
Aston Villa showed signs of losing momentum against top 5 competitors when they successively lost to Chelsea and Manchester United. However, thanks to the simultaneous decline of the Champions League group, Unai Emery's team still maintained fourth place.
The upcoming period will be decisive, as Villa is forced to take advantage of a favorable schedule before facing Liverpool and Man City in the last two rounds.
In that context, Jadon Sancho's role becomes particularly important. This winger is maintaining a certain mark with assists against West Ham and Lille, although he has only scored one goal in all competitions this season.
However, Sancho's biggest problem is still instability - something that has haunted him for most of his career. Emery also frankly asked his players to maintain more consistent form, and also said that discussing his future at this time is meaningless.
When the top 4 race enters a crucial stage, Sancho is not the brightest star, but he is a link that can determine the success or failure of Aston Villa.
