Rutter finally proving worth southside
It may have taken Brighton’s record signing a few months to settle in but the performance of Georginio Rutter in their thrilling FA Cup victory over Chelsea showed that the Frenchman was worth the £40m they paid Leeds in the summer. A brilliant header to equalise before setting up Kaoru Mitoma’s winner gave Fabian Hürzeler’s side the confidence boost they needed after their 7-0 mauling at Nottingham Forest, with Rutter justifying his manager’s decision to leave João Pedro on the bench. Rutter – who has seven goals in all competitions – did not start a Premier League game in January after struggling with a hamstring problem and Hürzeler has been mindful of protecting the 22-year-old, although he will be itching to face Enzo Maresca’s side for the second time in six days. “There were a lot of personal duels and he proved that he can win the majority of them, and that’s why I’m happy with him,” said Hürzeler. Ed Aarons
• Brighton v Chelsea, Friday 8pm (all times GMT)
Sterling as false 9 for depleted Arsenal?
Kai Havertz suffered a season-ending muscular injury during Arsenal’s winter trip to Dubai, causing further problems for Mikel Arteta. The attacking options remaining in the Gunners’ bullpen are limited, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus already watching from the sidelines. Arteta could be forced into utilising a false 9 for the trip to Leicester and the ideal option could be Raheem Sterling. The former England international has not set north London alight since moving on loan from Chelsea in the summer but has experience of playing down the middle from his time at Manchester City, some of that playing under Arteta when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant. Sterling has become yesterday’s man, a winger that City were happy to part with and then Chelsea likewise and he is yet to prove either of those decisions wrong this season. Maybe the backing of Arteta in a key role could be the boost he needs to get back to his best. He will be confident of giving the Leicester defence something to think about. Will Unwin
• Leicester v Arsenal, Saturday 12.30pm
Aina returns to SW6 in fine fettle
Ola Aina was on loan at Fulham when they went down during the 2020-21 season. The versatile full-back made 31 appearances in the Premier League, scoring twice, but the move was not made permanent and Aina returned to Torino. He had another year in Serie A before joining Nottingham Forest and is now pushing for Champions League qualification. Forest are in third before heading to Fulham on Saturday and Aina has been an important part of their rise. The 28-year-old can play on both flanks, is capable of operating as a wing-back and is adept on and off the ball. He is in fine form before taking on his old team. Jacob Steinberg
• Fulham v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm
Kudus fighting for his place under Potter
Mohammed Kudus is having an underwhelming season. The West Ham winger did not see eye to eye with Julen Lopetegui and he has been disappointing since returning from a five-match ban in December. Kudus has one goal in his past 12 games and was erratic in possession during West Ham’s recent defeat at Chelsea. He gave away the ball too often and must improve when Graham Potter’s side host Brentford. Potter is short of attacking options but Kudus’s place will be under threat if he has not woken up by the time Crysencio Summerville returns from a hamstring injury. JS
• West Ham v Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Welington should beef up Saints
Aside from their most optimistic fans, Southampton are planning for life back in the Championship. The short-term prospects for the club are, to be polite, subpar, but they still possess a young squad with plenty of potential. They have numerous players who can lead a promotion charge, though others will be sold because they have outgrown the Saints. One of their latest arrivals, providing hope among the gloom, is the Brazilian left-back Welington. The 23-year-old defender has made two first-team appearances since arriving from São Paulo and has acquitted himself well in England, helping secure a debut win at Ipswich. A Brazil Under-23s international, Welington was aggressive in his duel with Omari Hutchinson and it is this sort of commitment Saints require at the bottom. The situation is bleak and individuals need to stand up and be counted, something Welington is eager to do. WU
Southampton v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm
Khusanov can show he is settled
The treatment table at the City training ground is mainly occupied by defenders. Manuel Akanji and Nathan Aké were forced off in midweek against Real Madrid to give Pep Guardiola a potential head-scratcher for Newcastle’s and, more specifically, Alexander Isak’s visit. Abdukodir Khusanov’s debut, against Chelsea, was a struggle for the defender and those watching through their fingertips, as everyone was left to feel sorry for the new arrival. The Uzbek had to wait for his second appearance, coming on in difficult circumstances at Leyton Orient in the FA Cup where he acquitted himself well. Playing Khusanov against Chelsea was somewhat unfair, the defender having arrived in the country only days beforehand, and his mistakes were understandable in the circumstances. Time has passed and he has been offered some time to settle and will be eager to show that first impressions do not matter much in this industry. WU
• Manchester City v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm
Malen and Philogene face off
The winter transfer window presented Aston Villa another opportunity to trade. Last summer Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby departed for a combined total of almost £100m. Villa’s headline January sale was Jhon Durán to the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr for an initial £65m. But the £20m exit to Ipswich of the winger Jaden Philogene, still a raw, inconsistent talent at 23, allowed them to sign Donyell Malen, a 26-year-old Netherlands regular who played in the Champions League final for Borussia Dortmund last season. It felt like a smart upgrade. Malen has been omitted from Unai Emery’s Champions League squad – the victim of the arrivals of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan – but on Saturday he has another chance to impress after an encouraging first start in Villa’s FA Cup fourth-round victory against Tottenham. Philogene, too, will want to prove a point on his return to Villa Park, fresh from scoring his first Ipswich goal in a Cup win at Coventry. Ben Fisher
Aston Villa v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm
Wharton returns as crucial piece for Eagles
The return of Adam Wharton after more than three months out in Crystal Palace’s comfortable FA Cup win against Doncaster was the latest good news for Oliver Glasner, with the England midfielder playing 62 minutes, having come on as a substitute against Manchester United the previous week. “It was the first time in my career that a player had been out for three to four months and had just one week of training with us – even then, we had to manage the training at the beginning – that I called him up for the squad,” said Glasner after the win at Old Trafford. “His performance throughout the week was impressive.” Wharton started every game for Crystal Palace last season after Glasner’s arrival in February and earned a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2024 for his efforts; now the 21-year-old is expected to line up alongside Will Hughes against Everton on Saturday at Selhurst Park. Glasner should also have Eddie Nketiah, Eberechi Eze and Ismaïla Sarr back as Palace attempt to build on their excellent recent form. Ed Aarons
Crystal Palace v Everton, Saturday 5.30pm
Wolves may target Gravenberch
Liverpool’s ability to get their title push back on track against Wolves will rely heavily on how quickly Ryan Gravenberch can bounce back from a tough game at Everton. The 22-year-old has become a key figure in Arne Slot’s midfield setup after a quiet debut season, finding his stride in a deeper role. His ability to read the game and win back possession has proved essential in the leaders’ more measured approach this term. But rare signs of discomfort for Gravenberch were lit brightly under the lights at Goodison Park and revealed the vulnerabilities in Liverpool’s system when he is stifled. The physicality and pressing from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucouré nullified his influence and disrupted Liverpool’s overall rhythm. Vítor Pereira was surely watching and may well try to do the same. With a quick and clever player in Matheus Cunha at his disposal, he could make a couple of tweaks and take a page out of David Moyes’s playbook. Yara El-Shaboury
Liverpool v Wolves, Sunday 2pm
Tel time for Tottenham
Mathys Tel’s consolation goal at Aston Villa in the FA Cup was a positive for Tottenham amid another defeat. The France Under-21s forward has been brought in by Ange Postecoglou to inject energy and clinical finishing into his struggling team. Manchester United were rumoured to be interested in the Bayern Munich loanee and it is obvious why the teenager was on numerous shortlists in Europe. He may not have been too keen on joining a big club in a downward spiral but playing in the Premier League and living in London were an enticing prospect. A league debut this weekend will add an element of excitement amid the battle to find out which team has slipped furthest into mediocrity thanks to long-term mismanagement. Tel will embrace the chance to show the home fans what they can expect from him, especially given his deal could be made permanent in the summer. He will also want to show what United are missing, given they allowed two of their own wingers, Marcus Rashford and Antony, to leave in the winter window, leaving them light of options. WU
Tottenham v Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 24 | 35 | 57 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 24 | 27 | 50 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 24 | 13 | 47 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 24 | 16 | 43 |
| 5 | Man City | 24 | 13 | 41 |
| 6 | Newcastle | 24 | 13 | 41 |
| 7 | AFC Bournemouth | 24 | 13 | 40 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 24 | -3 | 37 |
| 9 | Fulham | 24 | 4 | 36 |
| 10 | Brighton | 24 | -3 | 34 |
| 11 | Brentford | 24 | 0 | 31 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 24 | -2 | 30 |
| 13 | Man Utd | 24 | -6 | 29 |
| 14 | Tottenham Hotspur | 24 | 11 | 27 |
| 15 | Everton | 24 | -5 | 27 |
| 16 | West Ham | 24 | -17 | 27 |
| 17 | Wolverhampton | 24 | -18 | 19 |
| 18 | Leicester | 24 | -28 | 17 |
| 19 | Ipswich | 24 | -27 | 16 |
| 20 | Southampton | 24 | -36 | 9 |
