Everton vs. Fulham
Fulham are in the top half of the Premier League table after eight Matchdays, above big summer spenders Manchester United, and while nobody really takes them seriously as European contenders, they’re only two points off seventh-placed Tottenham.
You’d have to back the Cottagers as pretty heavy favorites against an Everton side that continues to be in disarray and shows no real signs of sustained progress here in 2024.
Everton sit 16th in the table, but they are at least five points clear of Crystal Palace in the drop zone, though it’s hard to argue that the Toffees have a better squa than the Eagles in any way.
For Fulham, the most likely Man of the Match this weekend at Goodison Park will be Alex Iwobi, for the simple fact that the Fulham left winger is going up against Ashley Young at right back.
Everton starting Young at right back in 2024 should be considered cruel and unusual punishment to both the Premier League veteran and all of us subjected to watching this farce continue.
Iwobi has become a solid, if not unspectacular, Premier League attacking player since his days as a prospect at Arsenal, and he’s found a productive niche at Fulham as a linking player to the attacking trio of marksman Raul Jimenez, the electric Adama Traore, and another Arsenal product in Emile Smith-Rowe.
So far this season, Iwobi has 1.9 key passes and 1.3 dribbles completed per match, and I’d be very surprised if those numbers don’t improve after Fulham’s trip to the Merseyside.
MOTM: Alex Iwboi
Brighton vs. Wolves
Wolves are dead last in the Premier League table right now as one of two teams with just a singular point, but they nearly punched above their weight last weekend, losing in controversial and last-gasp fashion to reigning champions Manchester City.
Brighton, meanwhile, are coming off a hard-fought 1-0 win over fellow European hopefuls Newcastle, and the Seagulls are the ones sitting on the cusp of a Champions League place in fifth.
If anything, they look even more dangerous this season under St. Pauli newcomer Fabian Hurzeler, who has avenged a loss to Chelsea in an attacking barnburner with signature wins over Tottenham and Newcastle.
Brighton should be able to take care of business handily at home against Wolves, who are riped to be taken to school by arguably the best defensive midfielder in the league right now (with Rodri injured) in breakout 20-year-old Carlos Baleba.
Wolves are so bad this season partially because they have such a thoroughly underwhelming midfield, and Baleba is going to run the show on this ragged bunch with his impressive average of 4.0 combined tackles and interceptions per game and 2.7 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match.
Baleba is a destroyer and an adept progressor, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the young Cameroonian international grabbed his third goal contribution of the season this Saturday against a team that has lost each of their last six fixtures.
MOTM: Carlos Baleba
Leicester City vs. Nottingham Forest
Leicester City will host Nottingham Forest in the opener for Matchday 9 of the Premier League after completing a thrilling last-gasp comeback to win 3-2 against fellow Premiership returnees Southampton.
The win was Leicester’s third in four games, and their only loss between September and October so far came against title contenders Arsenal. However, Leicester won’t be the favorites against Nottingham Forest, who boast one of the league’s best defenses.
Only Liverpool have allowed fewer goals than Forest so far, as these are the only two clubs surrendering less than a goal per match. So the onus will be on Jamie Vardy and friends to force the issue against a stingy defense.
I have a feeling Leicester will pull off an upset here, or at least get a point out of a team nearly double the placement (8th vs. 14th) in the table. And the main protagonist will be one of the best young players in world football, Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte.
The attacking midfielder is Leicester’s leader in goal contributions and fouls drawn per game, and he has that something special necessary to unlock the Nottingham Forest defense with a moment of magic from out of nowhere.
Last week, Buonanotte recorded his fourth goal contribution in four straight starts, adding three key passes and four dribbles completed in a show-stopping performance against Southampton.
The skillful dribbler is just starting to hit his stride with his new outfit, so don’t be surprised if he stands head and shoulders above his peers on the pitch this Friday night.
MOTM: Facundo Buonanotte
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.