Sanchez to lead Man United against Spurs

ALEXIS Sanchez is poised to make his Premier League debut for Manchester United against Spurs tomorrow as Liverpool seek to halt a mini-slump after their spectacular win against Manchester City.

Elsewhere in a full set of midweek fixtures Chelsea host Bournemouth, runaway leaders Manchester City take on West Brom and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set to make his debut for Arsenal against Swansea.

Here are some of the major talking points ahead of this week’s matches.

The Sanchez factor

A few weeks ago, Jose Mourinho looked glum, forced to fend off rumours that he is unhappy in Manchester and that he was disappointed with the relative lack of spending power at his disposal.

It’s probably too late for Manchester United to catch Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City but Mourinho is looking upbeat after signing a contract extension and boosting his firepower with the signing of Alexis Sanchez.

The Chile international sparkled during the routine 4-0 FA Cup victory against lowly Yeovil Town on Friday but it was his hard work as much as his creative play that caught the eye of his new teammates. “Obviously we know his quality on the ball, he’s amazing, but his fight, the way he defends, he’s the first player to defend – I really like it,” said midfielder Ander Herrera

Guardiola wants player protection

Pep Guardiola has called for better protection for players after forward Leroy Sane injured his ankle in Manchester City’s FA Cup tie against Championship side Cardiff.

But City are unlikely to get an easy ride against Alan Pardew’s West Brom, who have amassed the secondhighest number of yellow cards this season in the Premier League (47). West Brom have three wins and a draw in their past four fixtures in all competitions, including Saturday’s 3-2 FA Cup win at Anfield.