Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
1. Issues for Klopp and Frank
Kicking off at their outgoing manager’s least-favourite time slot, this time handy with Luton to face in midweek, Liverpool top the division at the cost of a considerable injury list. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai are the headline absences, both players likely to miss next week’s Carabao Cup final. A recent flu outbreak was similarly unhelpful to Jürgen Klopp, who comes up against a manager in Thomas Frank who is one of the outsiders to succeed him, even if Xabi Alonso’s coronation seems a fait accompli after Bayer Leverkusen’s feats last week against Bayern Munich. Frank, on significantly lesser resources, has been the charismatic frontman of a similar regime in west London, his team’s foundations built on athleticism and metrics. That this season’s wobbles have come as a surprise reflects the strides Frank, a manager who shares Klopp’s qualities of being both wildly passionate and tenderly holistic, has taken Brentford on. John Brewin
2. Different Burnley will greet Gunners
Mikel Arteta has no need to tweak the Arsenal lineup following their outstanding 6-0 rout of West Ham on Sunday, which should mean another deserved start for Leandro Trossard at Burnley. The forward has seized his opportunity in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus with three goals in his last four appearances and impressive teamwork in the wins over Liverpool and West Ham. Trossard’s contribution is precisely what Arteta requires from all of his squad to sustain a title challenge. On the evidence of Anfield last weekend, however, Burnley are liable to be a tougher proposition than Arsenal encountered at the Emirates. Vincent Kompany’s team missed several good openings at Liverpool and performed
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