Big Weekend: Merseyside derby, Chelsea v Arsenal, Marcus Rashford, Pep v De Zerbi

With massive Merseyside and London derbies on Saturday, as well as Pep versus De Zerbi, we can almost forgive the Premier League for f***ing off for a fortnight. This really is a biggie…

Game to watch – Liverpool v Everton
After what feels like a 427-day international break, the Premier League is back and treating us to a dirty weekend, starting in Liverpool.

Saturday is derby day on Merseyside, with Everton nipping behind enemy lines, though it seems the Toffees are way down the list of Liverpool’s concerns ahead of the lunchtime battle.

Jurgen Klopp has always had a bee in his bonnet about being made to kick off at 12.30pm, especially after European midweeks. But you can bet his gears are grinding this week, especially since, according to The Athletic, his side have been made to kick off the Premier League weekend 13 times after an international break since 2016/17 – more than double the number of any other club.

Had they not broken their six-game winless run in the lunchtime slot last time out at Wolves then it might be even more of A Thing before the derby. Instead, Liverpool fans are channelling their nerves towards the officials.

As many a paranoid Red will tell you, Craig Pawson hates Liverpool, as does VAR official David Coote. They haven’t forgiven the latter for failing to intervene when Jordan Pickford knacked Virgil van Dijk three years ago.

After the scheduling and the officials, Liverpool might give a cursory thought towards their opponents. Which Everton will turn up? The derby bottlers we’ve become all too familiar with in recent seasons, or the Brazil-like outfit that turned over Brentford and Bournemouth either side of succumbing to Luton at home?

The Toffees have been a head f*** this season. In terms of expected points, they should be above Liverpool in the European places, but their very real results leave them in the familiar surroundings of the bottom five. There are plenty of reasons for optimism but they won’t wash if Everton turn in their typically dire derby display at Anfield.

Team to watch: Chelsea
Likewise, the data suggests Chelsea should be further – a lot further – up the table. Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues and Manchester City are the only two sides to have won all their games on xG. So, apparently, there isn’t much panic at Stamford Bridge right now. But Saturday evening would be a mighty fine time for Chelsea to realise their potential.

It was starting to come together before the international break. They brushed aside Burnley after an impressive win at Fulham. This next London derby, though, ought to tell us a lot more about where Pochettino’s side currently sit on their dizzying journey to f*** knows where.  Just like Arsenal’s win over Manchester City has the potential to be a seminal moment for the Gunners, beating Mikel Arteta’s high-fliers could be similarly pivotal for Chelsea.

Much will depend on the midfield battle and Pochettino will fancy his. As you would reasonably expect given it contains potentially the last two British transfer record signings, Chelsea’s midfield is becoming a formidable force, with Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher dovetailing superbly. Declan Rice has enjoyed a splendid, serene start to his Arsenal career, but these are the the fights he was bought to win and this could be his toughest yet.

We all know Chelsea’s glaring weakness: having spent a billion quid, still they remain without a ruthless b*stard up front. But there are plenty of positives around that void where a top-class centre-forward should be. Raheem Sterling was outstanding last time out; Cole Palmer is showing why Chelsea spent what seemed like silly money for a rookie; Mykhailo Mudryk, fresh from his first Premier League and international goals, might finally be hitting his straps.

Of course, Arsenal are the more polished side and would rightly expect to see more of the ball. But that could play to Chelsea’s strengths if they are given opportunities on the break.

Player to watch: Marcus Rashford
Erik ten Hag is a man with many problems. His new goalkeeper is chuckling them in; his centre-backs are showing all the resilience of papier-mache; his world-class midfielder appears to have aged a decade over a summer; and his £72million winger is persona non grata.

All of which have taken the heat off Rashford. Which is what Ten Hag has felt obliged to do during United’s recent struggles.

In their last three games, in which the Red Devils have needed goals, the manager has chosen to pursue them without last season’s leading scorer. Against Palace, Galatasaray and Brentford, Rashford was hooked at increasingly earlier stages.

The academy graduate has come under fire for some of his decision-making this season as he gets to grips with playing with and servicing a proper centre-forward in Rasmus Hojlund. His performances have offered the impression of a player in dire need of a break, which England duty might have provided.

Rashford scored a superb goal in England’s win over Italy and, in his own words, he feels ready now to ‘kick on’. Starting with a visit to Sheffield United at the God-awful time of 8pm on a Saturday night.

Manager to watch: Pep Guardiola
There’s even a humdinger among the 3pm kick-offs on Saturday, when Roberto De Zerbi takes his Brighton side to Manchester City. Might this be a good time to face the Treble winners?

Not quite as good as before the international break when Rodri was serving a three-match suspension. But you can bet Guardiola has spent the last fortnight stewing over consecutive Premier League defeats – for the first time in almost five years – and three losses in four games without his midfield maestro.

The obvious answer to some of his concerns is Rodri’s return. But even then, Guardiola recognises that he is coming up against “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years”, as the City boss described De Zerbi back in May.

Brighton will press City perhaps like no other side so Rodri’s availability is even more important than it would have been against almost anyone else. But Pep will have seen Seagulls picked off in recent weeks, especially by Aston Villa. So City for once may be content not to dominate the ball, focusing more on direct, lightning-quick breaks rather than death by a 1000 passes.

Whatever he tweaks, Guardiola clearly respects De Zerbi and Brighton too much than to simply go out and play. City will be different and Pep will have a plan.

EFL game to watch: Rotherham v Ipswich
There will be intrigue around Millwall’s trip to Preston since it will be the Lions’ first fixture of the post-Gary Rowett era. Rowett was shown the door this week, ending the four-year reign of the Championship’s second-longest-serving manager. But the Deepdale visit, likely to be led by Adam Barrett and Paul Robinson, clashes with the Merseyside derby.

A more convenient Championship fix this weekend can be found on Friday night, when second-top Ipswich go to second-bottom Rotherham.

In that context, it should be a routine victory for the Tractor Boys. But Kieran McKenna’s side haven’t been as fluent on the road as they have at home. Granted, they have won four out of five, but all by a single goal, with three 1-0s, and their last road trip ended in a draw with another Yorkshire struggler Huddersfield. Nineteen of the 25 goals that have given Ipswich the division’s best attacking record have been scored at Portman Road.

That, their own home form, and a creditable point at Southampton last time out offers the Millers some encouragement as they desperately try to avoid being cut further adrift in the bottom three.

European game to watch: AC Milan v Juventus
The international break in Italy has been dominated by betting allegations against three Azzurri internationals. AC Milan made Sandro Tonali Newcastle’s problem during the summer, but Juve have been left to pick up the pieces around Nicolo Fagioli’s admission of guilt.

Milan and Juve meet at San Siro on Sunday night looking to move on while improving their odds of Scudetto glory. The hosts top the table with seven wins out of eight while Juve are coming up behind, in third, four points off the Rossoneri’s pace.

Hardly a title decider, but with both clubs now expected to challenge for the Serie A crown, a victory for either could prove decisive.

Read more: Sandro Tonali betting scandal pushes boundaries of sympathy for him and Newcastle