Welcome back to the fourth week of the new Premier League Ones to Watch column, a weekly piece that highlights the most notable performance of the previous matchday as well as predict a top performer for the weekend ahead. This column is made for West Coast fans in particular, as I help you decide which games you should wake up for by identifying the players who are worth the price of admission, so to speak.
This past weekend was an eventful one in the Premier League, with several big matchups and performances. One of the big highlights of the week came from the final Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton at Goodison Park, which will be replaced ahead of the next season by their new stadium, Bramley-Moore Dock. The game featured several red cards and a 98th minute equalizer from captain James Tarkowski that sent fans at Goodison Park into pandemonium.
But the performance of the week came from Manchester City’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle United. Specifically, the massive effort from Omar Marmoush as he announced his arrival in the Premier League with three goals in just 15 minutes. His hat trick heroics against a solid Newcastle side was plenty to earn him the player of the week as he finally found his stride in Pep Guardiola’s side after his expensive, $73 million plus add-ons move from Eintracht Frankfurt this past January.
Some other performances of note included Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh’s brace against Chelsea while playing at right wing-back. This was the second time this week Brighton have defeated Chelsea in convincing fashion as Brighton continues their impressive recent form with a 3-0 victory.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah also had a massive week as his team played twice, once in the midweek fixture against Everton and then hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield. Salah, in typical fashion, scored in both games. Against Everton, he both scored and assisted in a frustrating 2-2 draw and in the subsequent performance, he managed to score a penalty against Wolves that ended up being the winner in a 2-1 victory.
Looking ahead, the player to watch this week will be Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins. With two matches on deck, one against Liverpool on Wednesday and another against Chelsea on Saturday, Watkins will have multiple opportunities to show out against high-caliber opposition. Watkins currently has 11 goals and five assists to his name and will likely add to his tally.
Some other players worth keeping an eye on this week include Beto of Everton and Leandro Trossard of Arsenal. Beto has now scored four goals in his last four games under new manager David Moyes and will aim to continue his form against one of the worst Manchester United sides in recent history. As for Arsenal, the team is short on numbers in attack due to injuries, leaving Trossard to carry the weight of the offense and score goals. He will hope to capitalize on 16th-place West Ham’s poor form.
But I’d be remiss to finish this article without mentioning Sunday’s major clash between league leaders Liverpool and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. This matchup has been one of the best games every single season, featuring the two most dominant clubs in the recent history of English football. With Liverpool aiming to continue their title charge, they must defeat two impressive sides in Aston Villa and Manchester City, while City hope to reenter the race for the title with a win.
Salah will almost certainly have a huge impact on this game and Phil Foden, who has not had the most successful season so far, always has the quality to explode with a defining performance. Erling Haaland, if healthy, will also help City break down Liverpool’s formidable center back duo.
As always, it’s important to remain accountable for last week’s predictions. Most of the players mentioned in last week’s columns had fairly successful outings. Specifically Salah, who had a pair of incredible performances, as previously mentioned. Jean-Philipe Mateta also scored a goal of his own, despite Crystal Palace losing to Everton this weekend. Lastly, Antonee Robinson almost assisted Adama Traore and contributed to a solid defensive performance in Fulham’s 2-1 victory over high-flying Nottingham Forest.
With another successful week of predictions, hopefully the momentum will continue ahead of another week of Premier League fixtures.