Manchester United’s new manager Ruben Amorim will need to hit the ground running. Picture: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA, AFP
Manchester United begin what they hope will be a journey back towards their former glory as new head coach Ruben Amorim takes charge for the first time away at Ipswich Town on Sunday.
As the Premier League returns after the international stoppage, United’s trip to Portman Road offers the most intriguing storyline of a packed weekend of action.
While United’s fans will travel to Suffolk with fresh hope after years of decline, Manchester City’s are perhaps still in a state of mild shock at a four-match losing streak.
Champions City, boosted by the news that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension, have fallen five points behind leaders Liverpool, but will aim to return to business as usual at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Liverpool, whose own new era under Arne Slot has begun in sensational style with 15 wins from 17 in all competitions, go to bottom club Southampton on Sunday.
Arsenal, like City, also need an urgent reboot after a haul of only two points from the last 12 on offer in the league has left them in fourth spot, nine points behind Liverpool.
Amorim – whose Sporting side demolished Manchester City in the Champions League in what was his final home game in charge for the Lisbon club – will need to hit the ground running.
United are languishing down in 13th place, with only four wins from their first 11 games – although in a tightly-packed table they are only four points off the top four.
Amorim is the sixth full-time occupant of the Old Trafford hot seat since Alex Ferguson left 11 years ago, and he knows the scrutiny will be far more intense than anything he has experienced so far in his coaching career.
“You feel the history, and I’m really proud to be Manchester United’s coach,” Amorim told MUTV.
“I think I am where I’m supposed to be. That’s the feeling.”
United will travel to an Ipswich side buoyed by a 2-1 victory at Tottenham before the international break – their first win since promotion back to the top-flight.
City’s run of poor form coincided with the loss of several players because of injuries, but they could be boosted by the return of Kevin de Bruyne for the visit of Tottenham.
The Belgian playmaker has started only four of City’s 11 league games this season, with City winning all of them. The other seven garnered only 11 points.
Tottenham have taken inconsistency to new levels this season, beating the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa, but also losing to Crystal Palace and Ipswich.
The north London club have a track record of causing problems for City, although they will be without midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who is serving a seven-match ban for using a racial slur against teammate Son Heung-min.
Third-placed Chelsea begin the weekend’s fixtures on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca returning to Leicester City, who he guided back to the top flight last season.
“I’m excited and thankful ... it was a fantastic season. The owner, his family are fantastic people. They care for players, staff, all of the people that work in the club. You can see that,” Maresca told reporters.
“It was a fantastic season because I met good people. There was a fantastic connection between the players and staff, and that is something you have to create to be successful. I’m still in contact with them.”
Maresca said captain Reece James, who has made only four appearances this season after struggling with a hamstring injury, is unavailable after suffering a setback this week.
“He felt something, he has to be out. For sure this weekend, and then we’ll see. We don’t know for how long. He has to try and avoid as much as he can, but sometimes things happen – even if you want to avoid that,” Maresca said.
“Hopefully he can be available for the next one, but he is not available for this one. It’s a muscular problem. We don’t want to take any risks for this weekend. Hopefully, it’s not something long.”
Reuters
Weekend Premier League Fixtures
(SA times)
Saturday – 2.30pm: Leicester City vs Chelsea. 5pm: Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace, Bournemouth vs Brighton, Everton vs Brentford, Fulham vs Wolves. 7.30pm: Manchester City vs Tottenham
Sunday – 4pm: Southampton vs Liverpool. 6.30pm: Ipswich Town vs Manchester United
Monday – 10pm: Newcastle vs West Ham
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