Who will Liverpool boss Arne Slot pick to fill in for Trent Alexander-Arnold against Everton? - Premier League talking points
The Sky Sports football writers preview Wednesday and Thursday's Premier League's action as Liverpool head coach Arne Slot must decide who to replace the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back in Wednesday's Merseyside derby with Everton at Anfield
Wednesday 2 April 2025 19:22, UK
Who will fill in for Real-bound Alexander-Arnold?
Liverpool vs Everton - Wednesday, 8pm kick-off, watch free highlights shortly after full time
Trent Alexander-Arnold was in the headlines last week after the Liverpool right-back's expected summer switch to Real Madrid appeared to move a step closer, but it is his fitness that will be causing Reds boss Arne Slot headaches ahead of Wednesday night's Merseyside derby with Everton at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold suffered a high ankle sprain in the club's Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain before the international break that will see him miss the visit of Everton, and with his back-up Conor Bradley also touch and go with a hamstring issue, Slot must decide who starts on the right-hand side of the defence as the Reds look to take another step closer to the title.
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Central defender Jarell Quansah filled in for Alexander-Arnold as a makeshift right-back in Liverpool's most recent outing, their Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle United, and unless Slot opts to switch to three at the back, or to utilise one of his left-backs Andy Roberston and Kostas Tsimikas in the role, the England international should get the nod against the Toffees.
Rich Morgan
Is Mbeumo set for a Newcastle audition?
Newcastle vs Brentford - Wednesday, 7:45pm kick-off, watch free highlights shortly after full time
The dust is starting to settle on Newcastle's Carabao Cup win. One sub-story to the Magpies' Wembley success is the question of how they start making trophies a regular occurrence.
One solution is by taking the squad to a next level. And an answer to that solution could be coming up against them on Wednesday night.
Right wing is one of the positions where Eddie Howe's side could be vastly improved, with Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo a long-term target for Newcastle, as well as Liverpool. Will he choose black and white or red all over?
The Cameroon winger has been one of the sharpest shooters in the Premier League this season and could well be into the final 10 games of his Brentford career.
Newcastle fans could get a proper look at one of their next attacking stars at St James' Park.
Sam Blitz
Man City can go into top four as they host Leicester
Man City vs Leicester City - Wednesday, 7:45pm kick-off, watch free highlights shortly after full time
How Leicester supporters would love a season of disappointment like the one Manchester City are 'enduring' - a FA Cup semi-final at Wembley to look forward to with Pep Guardiola's side still well placed to secure Champions League football next term.
City would move back into the top four with victory over Ruud van Nistelrooy's Foxes on Wednesday night and it will need a major improvement from the visitors to stop them. Leicester have lost their last seven games, dashing hopes of Premier League survival.
Guardiola's side have lost as many as they have won in front of their own fans over the past two months but their two defeats came against Real Madrid and Liverpool. If Leicester were to add their name to that list of City's conquerors it would be dramatic indeed.
Adam Bate
Spectre of Derby looms for Saints as Palace march on
Southampton vs Crystal Palace - Wednesday, 7:45pm kick-off, watch free highlights shortly after full time
For Southampton, the contest is not so much with visitors Crystal Palace, it is more with the Derby County team of the 2007/08 season that mustered only 11 points. Saints are still two shy of that total and running out of games in which to pick those points up.
It would be a surprise if they manage it against in-form Palace. Only Liverpool have a better points-per-game record since Christmas than Oliver Glasner's slow starters and while minds might be on a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup, confidence will be sky high.
The cup could be the priority but given that Palace go into the week six points off eighth with a game in hand, they are charging their way up the table too and will surely fancy their chances at St Mary's. There will be some old Derby players watching with interest.
Adam Bate
Can Brighton recover from another Forest defeat?
Brighton vs Aston Villa - Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm, watch free highlights shortly after full time
Brighton's 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in February proved to be a turning point in their season - they must use their latest setback in the same way.
Forest tormented Fabian Hurzeler's side again on Saturday with a victory on penalties to book their place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.
"We proved it this season so far that we are able to come back, that we can stick together as a team," said Hurzeler, "and we have to prove it another time now."
Brighton had won six of their previous seven games since their Forest drubbing to boost their European hopes. They suffered injuries to Georginio Rutter and Adam Webster at the weekend, but are just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have everything to play for with a Champions League quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final to come and a European place to secure.
Marcus Rashford did his confidence no harm with his first goals for the club at Preston on Sunday, and Unai Emery has the luxury of his squad being almost entirely available for an exciting run-in.
David Richardson
Cherries must make Vitality a fortress again to achieve shock CL spot
Bournemouth vs Ipswich Town - Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm, watch free highlights shortly after full time
Bournemouth head into Wednesday's home encounter against struggling Ipswich Town with an unlikely Champions League qualification next season within their grasp, but Andoni Iraola's side will need to start making the Vitality Stadium a fortress again if they are to have any hope of making it into Europe's premier club competition.
The Cherries sit in 10th place in the standings, just four points behind champions Man City in fifth, with a top-five finish currently enough to earn a place in next season's Champions League given the impressive performances of English clubs in Europe so far this season.
A home clash against an Ipswich side heading for relegation would normally be just the recipe for a team in Bournemouth's position, but they have not won at home in the league since thrashing Nottingham Forest 5-0 on January 25, while they also lost at home to City in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
Iraola must now get his players up for the season run-in and will dearly want that winless run to come to an end against the 18th-placed visitors.
Rich Morgan
Can Spurs pounce on restless rivals?
Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur - Thursday, 8pm kick-off, watch free highlights shortly after full time
Despite their gradual fall from grace over recent seasons, Chelsea have still been able to rely on meetings with Tottenham to provide some light amid the gloom.
Mauricio Pochettino did the double over his former club, including the chaotic 4-1 win that knocked Ange Postecoglou's reign off course. Another barmy encounter in December marked the high point of Enzo Maresca's reign.
In that sense, this match comes at the perfect time for Chelsea, who have won just five of 14 Premier League matches since that victory in north London nearly four months ago. A pick-me-up is needed and their neighbours usually oblige.
Spurs' brief February resurgence has been undermined by a three-game winless run heading into this trip to Stamford Bridge - where they have not won since Pochettino was in charge in 2018.
But there is a route to victory for Spurs. Like their counterparts, some Chelsea supporters are growing restless over both results and the style of football. If Postecoglou's side can take an early lead - and, crucially, not throw it away like they did in December - could the mood inside Stamford Bridge turn?
Pound-for-pound, this may be the most consistently wild and entertaining fixture in the Premier League. Calming the inevitable storm - and increasing the angst among their rival fans - will be key to claiming a morale-boosting victory.
Joe Shread
