GW16 Premier League Preview: Amorim's United to Cause an Upset Against Noisy Neighbours City?

Welcome back to the weekly Gameweek Premier League Preview. First of all, apologies for not posting a GW15 Premier League Preview. Due to being in a disappointed, frustrated and vulnerable place following Spurs' 1-0 loss to Bournemouth - producing my article on The Lilywhites' deep-rooted issues - I did not post my usual 3 games to watch out for. But, I'm back better than ever (although Spurs will likely gift Southampton 3 points this weekend), so let's crack on!

(Time of writing Thu 12/12 17:00)

The Meaty One:

Manchester City vs Manchester United 16:30 KO 15/12

Ah, the Manchester Derby, a classic to behold. For decades United were strides ahead of City, but in the last 15 years the tables have turned. Yet, are we on the verge of seeing the gap in quality between the two sides become closer as a new era begins at United whilst another empire begins to crumble at City?

Starting with United, Amorim's side suffered an awkward defeat to the rock solid Nottingham Forest as they lost 3-2 on home soil. Whilst United's overall performance wasn't dreadful, the manner in which the goals were scored will raise an eye or two. Chris Wood's winner, in particular, was comical as his slow header sailed over De Ligt and Martinez.

That was Amorim's first loss as United manager, and certainly not the last as his new side adjust to his exciting philosophy. The Red Devils are beginning to adjust to the system, that is for sure, but many of the profiles are lacking for what Amorim requires. This links with his persistent rotation. On the one hand this combats the fixture demands, but also exposes potential weaknesses in player selection. Against City, the Portuguese will need to think carefully about who he chooses.

Pep Guardiola's City continue to have a torrid time of late. Whilst many thought they bounced back following their 3-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest in GW15, The Cityzens drew to Crystal Palace! The bad feelings were then made worse by a 2-0 loss in the Champions League away to Juventus. City fans will be concerned as the City side under Guardiola hasn't been on a run as bad as this for his whole tenure. This makes Sunday an even more crucial fixture, aiming to avoid embarrassment at the Etihad.

This game is extremely hard to predict due to the unknown of Ruben Amorim's Manchester United and the very out of sorts performances of Manchester City. Amorim may see this game as an apt opportunity to hurt City at home, utilising carefully constructed counterattacks to get at City's high line. For City, a win is vital to ensure fans don't begin to turn, whilst also aiming to close the gap at the top which is beginning to become an unlikely objective.

Jack's Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Manchester United

The Goals Fest:

Chelsea vs Brentford 19:00 KO 15/12

Two of this season's great entertainers compete under the Sunday night lights at Stamford Bridge. Between them they've scored 66 goals this season, sitting 1st and joint 2nd for goals scored respectively. With neither side prioritising clean sheets, this should be an open and exciting match.

Chelsea have put their name in the hat for title challengers after moving themselves up to 2nd, only 4 points behind league leaders Liverpool. A 4-3 win over Spurs ended questions of their performances against traditional Top 6 sides. Even when 2-0 down, Chelsea never looked like being out of the game, creating heaps of chances against an erratic and shaky Spurs side who were never in control of the game.

Enzo Maresca's tactics have enabled prominent players to perform to the best of their abilities. Operating with an inverted full-back, whether it be Cucurella or Caicedo/Lavia on the right side, and producing attacks which bamboozle opponents with consistent movement often in a box or diamond structure, the Italian has unlocked Chelsea's attacking potential. This was something previous manager Mauricio Pochettino couldn't do on a consistent basis.

Moreover, the style has given Enzo Fernández a new role as almost a 2nd ghost striker, popping up in the box to finish chances. Since the change in system, the Argentinian has netted 3 times, already matching his record the previous season. Complemented by Palmer's creativity, Sancho/Neto/Madueke's dynamism and Jackson's movement, Chelsea are becoming a very hard team to keep out. In fact, The Blues have only failed to score in 1 of their Premier League games this season, coming against City in GW1.

Similarly, Thomas Frank's Brentford have also been enjoying themselves of late. After an enthralling 4-2 win over Newcastle, The Bees have now pushed themselves up to 9th in the table. It is representative of the fine work Thomas Frank has done. Since they came to the Premier League, the Dane opted for a more solid defensive approach to cement Brentford as a regular fixture in the Premier League. Now, after 3 seasons in the top flight, the time has come to alter the way his side play, which has produced high scoring matches.

Of note, summer signing Thiago made his full Premier League debut against The Magpies last weekend, bolstering Frank's exciting attack. One thing is for certain, they certainly aren't missing Ivan Toney. Considering the change in tactics, I do wonder that Toney's exit prompted Frank to steer away from hold up play (which Toney excels at) to attacking with pace and directness (which Wissa, Mbeumo, Schade and Lewis-Pitter excel at).

Set to be a high-scoring affair, I'll be eager to watch this game. Chelsea will likely win the game, but I would never rule out more goals to be scored, even if The Blues go into a commanding lead.

Jack's Prediction: Chelsea 4-2 Brentford

The Six-Pointer:

Wolves vs Ipswich 15:00 KO 14/12

19th takes on 18th in an immensely important match this weekend. Wolves suffered a 2-1 loss against fellow strugglers West Ham in what was a hugely disappointing evening for O'Neil's men. Considering West Ham's shocking form, I thought Wolves were going to take advantage of their opposition's poor situation. Yet, as has often been the case with Wolves this season, they were the cause of their downfall.

Conceding another set-piece goal combined with individual errors, Wolves looked all over the place and disjointed defensively. This was mirrored in attack, as players' decision-making and finishing led to chances going amiss. Additionally, Mario Lemina's antics following his refusal to shake Jarod Bowen's hand summed up the night: frustration and bizarre decisions.

I believe the Wolves board will give O'Neil two more chances in the Premier League as his side face Ipswich and then Leicester before they embark on a very tricky run of games from GW18-26. Whilst many will say O'Neil's tactics and substitutions are at fault, one must consider the horrendously poor transfer decisions from Wolves last summer. Letting go of core players Pedro Neto and Max Kilman gave the club just under £100m. Yet, none of their replacements screamed expensive quality given, out of their summer signings, it has been Strand Larsen who has made the most impact despite only costing €3m for his loan. Whereas the most expensive summer signing, former Fluminese midfielder André for €22m, has failed to hit the ground running as he continues to adjust to Premier League football. My mate Tom Morton has just reason to be frustrated!

Ipswich are currently on what I would call a 3-game frustrated run. 3 games where they have lost by just the 1 goal is both positive and negative. It shows The Tractor Boys are beginning to build more solidity at the back, conceding 4 in the last 3. However, they are also failing to move up the gears following being in a good position in the game.

The Bournemouth match last weekend exhibited this recent trend. Following being in the ascendency for the first half an hour, demonstrated by Chaplin's first Premier League goal in the 21st minute, The Town were then relentlessly battered by The Cherries. Two goals in the last 10 minutes of the game was agony for the home support, following so much hard work. For Ipswich fans who are reading this, whilst the result wasn't ideal, it does reflect McKenna's persistence to try and keep Ipswich up. It's likely they won't stay up at the end of the season but, with eye-opening experiences in the top flight, Ipswich will certainly be better prepared for the next campaign, regardless of if they maintain their Premier League status.

Despite having the Premier League experience, Wolves cannot be backed to win this game. I can see O'Neil's side being under pressure from the home support if they fail to take a lead early on, especially as they'll be an expectation from the fanbase to beat fellow strugglers Ipswich. For Ipswich, if they frustrate Wolves early on, they might be able to sneak a positive result here in their quest to move out of the relegation zone.

Jack's Prediction: Wolves 2-2 Ipswich