Our talking points ahead of the Premier League weekend, featuring Granit Xhaka’s reunion with Arsenal and a huge clash at the Etihad.
Moyes must find solution to misfiring forwards
Everton have slumped since a fairly solid start, with one win in seven Premier League games ringing alarm bells. The view in the summer was that the club had conducted impressive business in the wake of mass departures, but several of the signings have yet to get going.
Thierno Barry, in particular, has struggled. The Frenchman arrived with a growing reputation after scoring 11 La Liga goals for Champions League qualifiers Villarreal last season, but has yet to even register a shot on target in 10 league appearances.
Will Thierno Barry’s first-half miss from close range come back to haunt Everton? 🫣 pic.twitter.com/8OPuK0VK3y
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 3, 2025
He’s played just 307 minutes in fairness, though Moyes has preferred the erratic Beto over the rawness of the £27m recruit. Is it time for an experiment? Iliman Ndiaye as a false nine, perhaps?
Xhaka faces former side as arguably Premier League’s most influential player
Granit Xhaka endured an up-and-down time during seven seasons at Arsenal, with the occasionally implosive midfielder needing time to mature. Since leaving North London, things have been rosy for the Switzerland international.
He won a league title at Bayer Leverkusen unbeaten and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season in consecutive campaigns.
Granit Xhaka left Arsenal to return to the Bundesliga where he helped Bayer Leverkusen win their first-ever league title.
At 33, he returned to England to captain newly-promoted Sunderland where his quality and leadership have steered them into the top four.
This weekend, he… pic.twitter.com/LKkhGZqH9k
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 4, 2025
A return to the Premier League in the summer was a surprise, particularly to newly promoted Sunderland, but the project Xhaka was sold on has come alive with the veteran at the heart of it.
Covering acres of ground and marshalling his side, he’s been called a ‘second coach’ by manager Regis Le Bris. There’s an argument that he’s the Premier League’s most influential player right now.
Rivalry reignited among European hopefuls
Crystal Palace and Brighton meet in one of the Premier League’s most unusual rivalries, with the two teams perhaps as even as ever in recent decades. Both have developed welcome habits of unearthing stars and selling them on for huge profit, allowing for continued growth as top-tier teams.
Both have also qualified for Europe in recent seasons, while Palace ended their wait for a first-ever major trophy last season. It was a sweet moment for the Eagles, even more so given Brighton’s own wait to end that drought continues.
This weekend, they meet in South London with just a point and place between them in the Premier League table. Victory for either would place them right in contention to challenge for European football again.
Dyche aims to restore Forest strength
Nottingham Forest qualified for Europe last season for the first time in 30 years, with their impressive performances built on a resolute rearguard. Forest boasted the sixth-best defensive record in the division, while only five teams conceded fewer goals from set pieces.
This time around, set pieces have been a real vulnerability. Their nine goals conceded from set pieces is a joint-high in the Premier League, alongside West Ham. Sean Dyche has been brought in to steady the ship and has a reputation for solidifying sides. Addressing that issue needs to be a priority.
No room for error in Etihad showdown
Manchester City and Liverpool meet in one of the season’s most-anticipated clashes this weekend. The two teams have shared each of the last eight league titles, but each find themselves in danger of falling behind in this season’s race.
Though second and third in the table, there’s a six-point and seven-point gap respectively to leaders Arsenal. With the Gunners in action at Sunderland a day earlier, that could be increased before the teams kick off at the Etihad.
Our last 🔟 goals against Liverpool at the Etihad ⏮️
Which is your favourite? 👇 pic.twitter.com/MGPn6tGFtU
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 7, 2025
Defeat for either, coupled with an Arsenal win, would leave them with a huge task to overhaul the North Londoners. There’s been a lot at stake in this fixture across the last decade, and that won’t change this weekend.
Read – 📈 Power Rankings: Impregnable Arsenal on the up
See more – Defensive Rocks: Rio ‘Rolls-Royce’ Ferdinand
