Premier League weekend preview: Lampard returns, Glasner’s test, Zubimendi, Kroupi and Carrick’s big week
Everton host Coventry City in the Premier League on Friday at 8pm GMT, where Coventry manager Frank Lampard is set to make his first visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium and receive appreciation from Evertonians; the weekend also features Nottingham Forest v Manchester City on Saturday and Manchester United v Aston Villa on Sunday 4.30pm GMT.
An episode of fan graffiti — “Pereira out, Lampard in” daubed on a wall at Goodison Park when Vítor Pereira appeared likely to replace Rafael Benítez in 2022 — influenced Everton’s decision to appoint Frank Lampard, who helped the club avoid relegation that season despite leaving 12 months later amid another survival battle. The connection between Lampard and Everton supporters remains strong, and Jack Grealish will be absent again after a recent disciplinary breach, although David Moyes said: “We will be working again with Jack soon.”
Saturday’s fixtures include a set of contrasting tests: Leeds, after a 4-1 win over Newcastle in September, have since drawn three and lost two Premier League games while scoring only two goals, and Daniel Farke warned: “We don’t have the individual quality [of the Premier League’s leading teams]. We have to compensate by being tactically spot on and good at winning second balls. It’s not a criticism of my players, it’s reality. The dream of Europe is allowed but we know our main aim is to reach 40 points as quickly as possible.” Arsenal’s Martín Zubimendi, who has not started a Premier League game this season after falling down the pecking order, could be involved against Hull after starting in the narrow midweek win over Slavia Prague; Mikel Arteta has insisted Zubimendi remains integral to his plans despite Myles Lewis-Skelly’s emergence and the arrival of Bruno Guimarães.
At Craven Cottage, Álvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham have taken seven points from their last three matches and will attempt to extend that run against Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle, whose recent form included a poor loss to Everton and has left Jaissle under pressure. Arbeloa’s response to a difficult start has provided Fulham breathing space, while Newcastle seek consistency under the new head coach.
Oliver Glasner’s tenure at Nottingham Forest has been shaped by a pattern of success followed by disagreements with club hierarchies: he took Wolfsburg into the Champions League before leaving in 2021, won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt yet criticised their squad and departed in 2023, and after a successful spell at Crystal Palace this season he joined Forest as the club’s fifth head coach in less than a year. Forest slipped to 19th following Saturday’s defeat by Brentford and Glasner said: “If the players buy in [to my methods], I think we can have a turnaround. And if not, the sixth manager will come in.” Manchester City travel to Nottingham for the 5.30pm fixture.
Pierre Sage pulled no punches in assessing Eddie Nketiah after his EFL Cup winner for Crystal Palace: “I think his potential is higher than his performance for the moment,” said the Crystal Palace manager. Nketiah, 27, won his solitary senior England cap in 2023 and was the record scorer for the under-21s while at Arsenal, but he has been displaced to third-choice striker behind Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jørgen Strand Larsen; Mateta was suspended for three matches after Palace’s appeal over his red card against Tottenham was rejected, leaving Sunday’s 2pm meeting with Liverpool a potential opportunity for Nketiah, who scored a late winner against Liverpool in Palace’s win over Arne Slot’s side last year.
Brighton’s schedule has been congested since their 5-0 win over Crystal Palace three weeks ago, with five successive away matches that included two trips to Manchester City; they lost at Anfield to Liverpool but their recent Premier League victory over City was framed in the source as evidence they are in contention for the top four. Brentford visit the south coast on Sunday at 2pm, where owners Tony Bloom and Matthew Benham are noted to sit in contrasting locations in the ground. Elsewhere on Sunday, Eli Junior Kroupi’s contributions for Bournemouth — his nutmeg and no-look pass setting up Amine Adli in the win over Leeds — underlined his profile after he scored 13 Premier League goals last season, a total previously reached only by Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Romelu Lukaku as teenagers; only Erling Haaland and Will Osula had a better goal-per-game ratio in 2025-26. Kroupi has had a managed return from a pre-season foot injury with three substitute appearances in wins over Manchester United, Aston Villa and Leeds, while Evanilson remains in strong form as Bournemouth chase a seventh consecutive win and Marco Rose must decide whether to start Kroupi at Ipswich.
It is not quite six months since Sunderland beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Stadium of Light to qualify for Europe for the first time in 53 years, a night that ended with captain Granit Xhaka declaring: “This is just the beginning – we want more.” Sunderland are now bottom of the Premier League, Régis Le Bris accepts they are in a relegation fight, and the source reports Xhaka has been affected since Chelsea tried and failed to sign him in the summer. Manchester United face a different test on Sunday as Michael Carrick looks to build on Tuesday’s chaotic comeback victory over Roma; Aston Villa arrive five points better off and are led by Unai Emery, and with the international break following this fixture Carrick could yet preside over what may become his eighth loss in 15 matches.
The weekend’s confirmed Premier League fixtures and kick-off times cited in the source are: Everton v Coventry City, Friday 8pm (all times GMT); Leeds v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm; Arsenal v Hull City and Fulham v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm; Nottingham Forest v Manchester City, Saturday 5.30pm; Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Brighton v Brentford, Ipswich v Bournemouth and Sunderland v Chelsea, Sunday 2pm; and Manchester United v Aston Villa, Sunday 4.30pm.