It’s time to talk Premier League again, as the season will return after the break in just a few days, starting with reigning champions Arsenal taking on surprise package Leeds United on Saturday. Although the break is a reset point for most, there are a handful of players who find themselves under immense pressure right now and are going to be squarely under the microscope when the action returns.
Manchester United LW Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has started four games for Manchester United this season, and while he’s had at least three key passes in three matches and has been pretty good on the ball with his dribbling, he really hasn’t emerged as a clear option in the 11 for the Red Devils. And he wasn’t even a player they wanted to keep for this season; they just had to take him back after Barcelona decided his wages were not worth it despite coming off his first relevant season in years.
Manchester United are only going to grow more impatient with Rashford if he can’t turn the share of the ball he has into goals and assists. All the key passes and ancillary stats feel rather meaningless to a Man United side that is vastly underachieving again, stuck in the bottom half of the table. If Rashy and the Red Devils can’t beat Tottenham Hotspur convincingly, the pressure will only boil.
Chelsea RW Pedro Neto
Chelsea will be without star striker Joao Pedro this weekend against a dangerous Bournemouth side that actually finished significantly above them in the table, beating the Blues out for a European places. Pedro has been the team’s best player to start the season and has become indispensable to the team, so it’s going to take more than just veteran backup Danny Welbeck to replace his lost production vs. the Cherries.
Right winger Pedro Neto has moved back into more of a wide midfield role in the new Xabi Alonso formation and system, but he’s been just as much of a disappointment as ever. Neto really does not look like a player who should be playing for a club like Chelsea with Champions League ambitions, and anyone who watches Portugal can tell you that his selfish, poor decision making are an albatross to any team. Chelsea fans were already fed up with Neto not being on anyone else’s wavelength, and if his performances don’t improve soon, the fans are going to riot every time he is selected in the lineup, no matter the role he plays.
Arsenal DM Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal spent a ton of money on Bruno Guimaraes this summer transfer window after missing out on original top target Sandro Tonali to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and while Tonali has been no great shakes despite being more expensive, the Italian international has still been better than Bruno G. Fitness issues have kept Bruno to just one start for Arsenal, and when he has played in London Red, he’s been pretty subpar.
The Gunners already had Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, so Bruno was really an expensive, luxury signing. And Arsenal could have used that money on another forward. If Bruno doesn’t start showing more end product and actually getting on the pitch and dominating games with great teammates around him, he’s going to face uglier questions than Tonali.
Liverpool AM Florian Wirtz
Nothing Jamie Carragher has said about Florian Wirtz feels harsh, because more than a year into the 100 million pound signing’s run with Liverpool, the Reds still have precious little to show for this move. Wirtz was one of the best players in Europe while in the Bundesliga and occasionally shows his quality for Germany, but even on the national team, he is nowhere near the world-beater he was for Bayer Leverkusen.
And he is very mediocre for Liverpool, considering the players around him and the expectations that come with being a No. 10 in the Premier League for a title contender. If the Reds want to win the title again, they are going to need more from their “point guard” in the attack, and Liverpool may have to start benching Wirtz for Cody Gakpo or even Dominik Szoboszlai in the main attacking midfield position if he still can’t get goals or assists.
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Aston Villa CB Pau Torres
Injuries have held Aston Villa star center back Pau Torres to just three games this season, but they are no excuse for how poorly he has played this season. A favorite of Unai Emery’s and once regarded as one of the best center backs in Europe, it’s actually been a while since Torres was playing at a true top level in his position, and he has legitimately been one of the worst defenders in the Premier League this season.
Quietly, Torres’s injuries and struggles on the pitch are a big reason why the Lions are buried near the bottom of the table, surrendering more goals than all but three other teams in the bottom eight of the English top flight. And Torres has been egregiously poor, allowing more dribbles completed per game than combined tackles and interceptions per game. He is only exacerbating the pain that Villa feel from losing star defender Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, and some fans are even wondering if he’s a worse option than Tyrone Mings, who is a Championship level center back.
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THE TRIVELA EFFECT
Purveyor of footy since the 90s. Favor the Premier League and old school Serie A with a touch of Bundesliga. More than a touch. Professional writer for 20 years, covering every sport but now focused on the Premier League and world football. You won’t be able to guess my favorite team.