Welcome back to the ninth week of the Premier League Ones to Watch column, a weekly piece that highlights the most notable performance of the previous matchday as well as predicting a top performer for the weekend ahead. This column is made for West Coast fans, 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.
In Aston Villa’s late push for back-to-back Champions League qualifications, Morgan Rogers stepped up again with three big goal contributions in two games to be this week’s player of the week. He started off the week with two assists in a 3-0 win away at Brighton then followed this up with an impressive performance in a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, scoring the first goal of the game.
Rogers now moves to eight goals and six assists on the season as he continues his development towards becoming one of the Premier League’s best players. Aston Villa, with two impressive wins, are now in seventh place with 51 points. This season, fifth place is likely enough for a Champions League position, which means Villa is only two points out from that slot with seven games to go.
Some other performances of note from this week include Evanilson, who scored twice for Bournemouth in a 2-2 draw against West Ham and scored his side’s only goal in a 2-1 loss to Ipswich. Despite Bournemouth’s struggles in recent games, Evanilson was on form and the Cherries’ will hope that he can help them seek out a potential European qualification spot.
Another great performance came in Fulham’s 3-2 victory against Liverpool. Alex Iwobi managed a goal and assist in the London side’s shock victory, handing Liverpool its first loss since September 14 and only the Reds’ second of the season. While this almost certainly won’t halt Liverpool’s title charge, it was still an impressive display from Iwobi and Fulham.
Brennan Johnson posted the final performance worth mentioning here, as he scored two goals in Spurs’ 3-1 victory over Southampton. While Spurs have struggled all season, Johnson has had an impressive year, reaching 11 goals following the Southampton match. On the other end of this result, Southampton was confirmed as the first team to be relegated this season—the fastest a side has ever been relegated in Premier League history. It is without a doubt a season to forget for the Saints, as they will try to battle back to the Premier League next season.
Looking ahead, there are several players who could be set for some big performances. The One to Watch this week is a man returning from injury: Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson. Despite missing a good chunk of matches this season, he has still managed to score nine goals and tally five assists on the season. After Jackson made his return against Spurs on the weekend, Chelsea appeared to be back in form with him on the field. With an upcoming match against Ipswich, who are on the verge of relegation, Jackson will look to capitalize and get back on the score sheet.
Another player worth watching this week is Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest. While his availability is still unclear following a hip injury sustained on international duty for New Zealand, he could return against Everton this weekend. Following Forest’s loss to Aston Villa amidst efforts to try and return to the Champions League after a 44-year absence, Forest will be out for redemption against Everton. If Wood plays, the striker will look to help bring Forest back to the promised land.
Lastly, as always, Mohamed Salah seems set for a big week. While he has been out of form at club level—by his standards, at least—having not scored or assisted in four straight games, this pattern is unlikely to continue for much longer. His 27 goals and 17 assists in the Premier League speaks for itself, and a home game against West Ham on the weekend is a perfect match for the Egyptian to relocate his form.
As always, I must reflect on the set of predictions made in the last edition. The Merseyside Derby did not live up to its billing, with Liverpool winning narrowly 1-0, meaning Salah did not get on the scoresheet. In another game I mentioned, Chelsea’s key man Cole Palmer did well on his own return from injury, providing the game-winning assist in a 1-0 victory over Spurs. Lastly, the Manchester Derby was disappointing. Erling Haaland was injured, Phil Foden was terrible and Pep Guardiola subbed him off early, but Bruno Fernandes was Manchester United’s best player in the boring 0-0 draw. For such an exciting week of games, the supposed best matchups did not make for the best entertainment.