Heroics

With some large fixtures to return, week 13 of the 2024/25 season could show to be one we glance again on as vitally essential. 

now have an eight-point lead on the prime of the desk and host defending champions , who’re on an inexplicable five-game winless run throughout all competitions, shedding 4 and letting a 3-0 lead slip within the remaining quarter-hour within the Champions League in opposition to Feyenoord to attract 3-3.

Elsewhere, and meet in a feisty London derby, top-four rivals and lock horns at Stamford Bridge, and Ruben Amorim takes cost of his first house recreation as supervisor in opposition to .

With all that in thoughts, listed below are 5 gamers it’s best to regulate.

1. Mateta to punish Newcastle once more and get again among the many targets?

Jean-Philippe Mateta has struggled to duplicate the superb type he confirmed on the finish of final season and now has only one purpose in his final eight Premier League appearances. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped him from being linked with a transfer away from Crystal Palace this winter, with Fenerbahce and even Liverpool rumoured as potential suitors.

The Frenchman might want to get his type again on observe to make that materialise however he could have the proper opponent to try this in opposition to this weekend in . Mateta scored twice in a 2-0 win for the final time these two sides met at Selhurst Park, serving to Palace prolong their house unbeaten run in opposition to the Magpies to 9 video games.

Ought to Mateta get again on the scoresheet, he would turn into simply the second participant after Wilfried Zaha (32) to attain 20+ house Premier League targets for the Eagles.

With Palace nineteenth and profitable simply as soon as up to now this season, they want their star man again in type pronto.

2. Extra heroics from Kelleher?

With Alisson nonetheless a significant doubt, there’s an excellent likelihood Caoimhin Kelleher will retain his spot between the sticks for Liverpool in opposition to Manchester Metropolis this weekend. Given his current heroics, it’d be extremely harsh for the Irishman to be dropped even when Alisson is again.

Kelleher produced a shocking show to assist Liverpool to a 2-0 win over Actual Madrid within the Champions League on Wednesday, denying Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot amid a bunch of different heroics.

That’s the 26-year-old’s second penalty save in as many video games and means he’s saved three of the 4 penalties he’s confronted for Liverpool throughout all competitions. He additionally holds the membership file for many saves in shootouts.

Excluding shootouts, Caoimhín Kelleher has now saved three of the 4 penalties he has confronted for Liverpool in all competitions.

Penalty saves in back-to-back video games. 👏

Since Pep Guardiola grew to become supervisor (July 2016), no aspect has taken (71) or scored (53) extra Premier League penalties than Manchester Metropolis. Nonetheless, that clearly means they’ve additionally missed 18 of them and if anybody can add to that whole, it’s Kelleher.

3. Chris Wooden chasing Nottingham Forest landmark

Since making his debut within the competitors on twenty first January 2023, solely eight gamers have scored extra targets within the Premier League than Chris Wooden (23), and there are some spectacular names in that record together with Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka. Eight of these targets have come this season alone, putting him behind solely Haaland (12) and Salah (10) within the Golden Boot race.

It’s been a shocking run for Wooden that, regardless of his apparent qualities, no person might have seen coming. And it’s one he’ll hope to proceed when come to the Metropolis Floor this weekend.

Forest will look to bounce again from their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal final weekend and if they’ll win and outcomes go their means, they may finish the weekend inside the highest 4.

And if Wooden can rating, he’ll draw stage with Bryan Roy as Nottingham Forest’s file Premier League goalscorer (24). Rating twice and he’ll be the first-ever participant in membership historical past to hit 25.

4. Can James Tarkowski assist cussed Toffees stifle Man Utd?

The stress is as soon as once more rising on Sean Dyche at Everton, thanks primarily to his aspect’s lack of ability to attain targets. The Toffees are the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers this season with simply 10, one forward of Southampton. What’s extra, they’ve now gone three video games and not using a purpose within the competitors — final scoring in a 1-1 draw in opposition to on October twenty sixth — have scored only one in 4 and have failed to attain in 4 of their final six.

And but, Everton have misplaced simply considered one of their final eight Premier League video games, grinding out outcomes due to the resolute defence Dyche has crafted.

Central to that rearguard effort has been James Tarkwoski, who figures within the Premier League’s prime six this season for clearances (69), headed clearances (36) and aerial duels gained (39). For the reason that begin of Everton’s unbeaten run, Tarkowski ranks third for headed clearances (32), second for aerial duels gained (32) and first for clearances (61).

This weekend sees Everton journey to Outdated Trafford as Ruben Amorim’s first house opposition as Manchester United supervisor. The Toffees have misplaced every of their final 4 in opposition to the Pink Devils and have gained simply considered one of their final 31 Premier League away video games at Outdated Trafford, drawing eight and shedding 22 throughout that point.

With the chances stacked in opposition to Everton, Dyche will want one other enormous efficiency from Tarkowski.

5. Matheus Cunha to proceed sizzling streak?

In response to the FPL’s reckoning, Matheus Cunha is the Premier League’s second-most-in-form participant proper now behind solely Mohamed Salah. In his final 4 video games alone, the Brazilian has registered 4 targets and three assists, whereas his season whole stands at seven targets, solely behind Bryan Mbeumo (8), Wooden, Salah and Haaland.

Cunha’s most up-to-date exploits have impressed to a four-game unbeaten run, taking eight factors to raise them to seventeenth having solely managed a single level from their first eight matches.

Up subsequent is a aspect who’ve misplaced their final two video games, 2-1 to and 3-2 to . That might be an enormous supply of frustration for the Cherries who, earlier than this hunch, took seven factors from three video games in opposition to Arsenal (2-0), Aston Villa (1-1) and Manchester Metropolis (2-1).

Cunha scored in a 2-1 comeback win for Wolves in opposition to Bournemouth final season and also you’d be a idiot to wager in opposition to him doing one thing like that once more given the virtually unstoppable type he finds himself in.

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