Potter looking to outwit Ten Hag
New managers of Chelsea and Manchester United out to prove their worth
Chelsea and Manchester United both have reasons to be hopeful under their respective new managers, with Graham Potter and Erik ten Hag looking to outwit each other when the two teams meet on Saturday.
Chelsea are unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions since Potter took charge at Stamford Bridge in early September.
Four wins and a draw in their last five league matches propelled Chelsea back into the top four after their difficult start to the campaign, with defensive solidity key to their renaissance.
Potter elected to drop last season’s firstchoice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in favour of Kepa Arrizabalaga and it paid off handsomely, with the Spaniard keeping five clean sheets in a row in all competitions.
“It is brilliant for him and I think it is a nice example to everybody that sometimes it doesn’t go your way and you have to suffer in life,” Potter said of Arrizabalaga this week.
“Things aren’t ideal or perfect but I must admit I’ve been really impressed with his character, his personality. Very professional.”
Defensive improvement is well-timed ahead of the visit of United, who put in what Ten Hag described as their best attacking performance of the season in Wednesday’s 20 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
While they only managed two goals, a dazzling United had 28 shots in this match — the most by a team in a Premier League game this season.
Ten Hag’s side have recovered well since their 6-3 derby mauling at Manchester City three weeks ago, winning four and drawing one of their last five games in all competitions.
However, Potter will be doing all he can to end that revival. He has already beaten United in the Premier League this season, winning 2-1 when he was still in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend.
Liverpool go to struggling Nottingham Forest looking to make it three wins on the bounce.
Champions City will have had a week to think about their Anfield defeat as they did not have a midweek fixture to fulfil.
Brighton will fear a mauling as City look to respond, four points behind leaders Arsenal going into the weekend.
Arsenal just will not go away. The Gunners have won nine of their 10 league games this season, their best-ever start to a top-flight campaign.
On Sunday they travel to Southampton, where the home side have lost seven of their last 11 encounters.
Fixtures
Saturday: Nottingham v Liverpool, 1.30pm; Everton v Crystal Palace, 4pm; Man City v Brighton, 4pm; Chelsea v Man United, 6.30pm Sunday: Aston Villa v Brentford, 3pm; Leeds v Fulham, 3pm; Southampton v Arsenal, 3pm; Wolves v Leicester, 3pm; Tottenham v Newcastle, 6.30pm.