Florian Wirtz starts with Liverpool at Manchester City? Predictions for the Premier League this weekend.

Sink or swim for West Ham’s Freddie Potts in the Premier League this weekend

Next weekend represents a crucial test for West Ham’s Freddie Potts as he aims to cement his place in the Premier League. The 22-year-old midfielder, son of former Upton Park favorite Steve Potts, made a memorable debut in the previous game against Newcastle, impressing fans and critics alike with his composure and intelligence on the pitch.

Despite his outstanding performance, coach Nuno Espírito Santo stressed that it was just one match and that Potts still has room for improvement. As he prepares to face Burnley this weekend, Potts will have to prove he can maintain his form and handle the pressure that comes with being a known entity in the league.

After spending his entire career at West Ham, Potts has the opportunity to realize his dream of playing for the first team. His past successes at Wycombe and Portsmouth showcase his talent, but he now faces the challenge of consistently performing at the highest level in the Premier League.

After demolishing Copenhagen, will Tottenham be able to keep the home fires burning?

Tottenham’s performances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have been disappointing in the Premier League, with just four wins in the last year. However, successes in European competitions, including the recent 4-0 win over Copenhagen, highlight their potential.

Manager Thomas Frank is aware of the need to translate European momentum into domestic success, especially when facing Manchester United at home. The team’s away record has been impressive, but they need to improve their performances at home to climb up the Premier League table.

Will Granit Xhaka have the last laugh against Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend?

Granit Xhaka’s return to face his former club Arsenal with Sunderland will be a highly anticipated match. After a turbulent spell at Arsenal, Xhaka has found success at Leverkusen and will be eager to test himself against his old club.

With a new role and renewed confidence, Xhaka will look to make an impact against Arsenal and showcase his growth as a player. The match promises to be a fascinating clash between Xhaka and his former club, with both teams vying for crucial Premier League points. His first season in the Bundesliga ended with a historic league and cup double, not to mention a top-20 finish in the Ballon d’Or, and he has acquired a talismanic influence since arriving at Sunderland in the summer. On Monday night against Everton, he scored his first goal for Regis Le Bris’s side, salvaging a point that took them into the top four, and there is a palpable sense that his reunion with Arsenal comes at the best time.

“This Saturday will definitely be special, because now I’m on the other side, against them for the first time,” Xhaka told The Athletic. «Let’s see what happens.» »

Could it be a cathartic moment for a man who was booed by his own fans at the Emirates Stadium as he left the pitch after being substituted, a moment he described as «the worst day of my life, in football»? Brian Glanville’s oft-quoted phrase, the immutable law of the ex, is on everyone’s lips.

### Will Florian Wirtz stay in left midfield against Manchester City?

There is clearly much more to expect from Florian Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt, yet every time you watch the attacking midfielder up close, a new dimension to his repertoire catches the eye. That was also the case on Tuesday night at Anfield, when Wirtz produced arguably his best performance to date for Liverpool in the 1-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid.

At 1.75m, the 22-year-old is not the tallest footballer, but the slenderness of his silhouette makes him significantly smaller than Vinícius Júnior, who is the same height but has musculature closer to that of a sprinter. On several occasions late in the second half – as Vinícius advanced down the left flank with increasing urgency and intensity, as Real Madrid searched for an equalizer – Wirtz, who should have been positioned on the opposite flank but who enjoyed freedom of movement to help Liverpool turn off the lights where necessary, found himself in direct opposition to the Brazil international. It seemed like a clear imbalance.

Yet Wirtz, clearly unfazed by the physical dynamics of the situation, was a model of focus and determination. He would never physically compete with Vinícius, but his anticipation and movement ensured that no rudimentary measures were necessary. His fluid movements and ability to block the player’s attempts to go around him allowed him to lighten Conor Bradley’s defensive load at right-back, although his contribution was less noted when praise was doled out afterwards. Wirtz was equally effective elsewhere in midfield during that crucial final phase, pressing and blocking to unprecedented effect. The impression was that of a player getting used to the physical demands of playing for a Premier League club.

The question now is whether Wirtz will be allowed to build on his performance against Manchester City on Sunday. Much like the midweek meeting with Real, Liverpool’s league match against Aston Villa last weekend was widely seen as a game in which Arne Slot’s side could get the job done without worrying about the direct approach successfully adopted by opponents such as Manchester United and Brentford in recent weeks. City don’t usually employ such a tactic either, yet for all their technical virtues they have recently placed an emphasis on finding the quickest route to goal.

This involved playing the ball quickly towards Erling Haaland, for whom Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku were deployed behind the prolific Norway international in a 4-3-2-1 against Bournemouth last weekend. Is it conceivable that Pep Guardiola adopts a similar strategy against Liverpool? If that were the case, City could be more open than using the more familiar 4-1-4-1 system, potentially allowing Wirtz more space to operate. Alternatively, will Slot field the German international again as left midfielder, confident he can replicate Tuesday night’s excellent performance amidst the turmoil of the Premier League? Just like last weekend, when a key point of discussion was whether the Liverpool manager would reinstate Andy Robertson at left-back in place of Milos Kerkez, Liverpool’s squad sheet will tell us a lot about the position of a key summer signing.