Craig Shakespeare and Ronald Koeman have both felt the merciless chop of the Premier League managerial axe recently and Swansea’s Paul Clement might not be far behind if unable to get his team out of a rut.
It is more of a trench than a rut too, judged on their feeble effort in midweek after they rolled over in the Carabao Cup with an insipid home display against a Manchester United side who did not need to engage anything higher than second gear.
I don’t buy into the notion that the players had one eye on this fixture - obviously more important in the grand scheme of things - as the majority won’t be anywhere near the first XI at the Emirates Stadium.
It all comes down to Clement’s motivational skills and they add up to a big heap of nothing currently, so disappointing from a clever tactician with experience at some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Clement felt it was a better performance than of late during a spell that has seen them lose four of their last five but he must have been watching a different game to me and the 14/1 available for them to emerge from the doldrums with three points in north London is miserly.
Arsene Wenger’s reserve outfit had just about enough in the tank to scramble past Norwich in midweek and the Frenchman will welcome back his big guns for the serious business of climbing the Premier League standings.
They did take a bit of time to get rolling against Everton last week after falling behind but if they go about Swansea with the same verve and intent, they should have little trouble completing the task as expectations will be high that their goal difference will get a decent boost as well.
We have seen some head-scratching results lately but I doubt any of them would trump a Swansea victory here as Clement’s message is simply not getting through to a group of players whose confidence is ebbing away week on week.
The accusation consistently levelled at the Gunners is their ability to make hard work of things and play down to the level of a lesser opponent but a fast start here could see the Swans quickly sunk without trace so I am keen to get with the hosts to be leading after 15 minutes.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Swansea - Sky Bet odds:
The Terriers are already ahead of the curve when it comes to their daunting back-to-back schedule against two north-west giants so are now playing with house money at Anfield.
They look a much better 14/1 chance too than Swansea in the above game if your thing is rolling the dice on a big upset with David Wagner’s side rightly brimming with all the confidence you would expect after toppling Manchester United at the John Smith’s Stadium.
A respectful Jose Mourinho admitted the better team won on the day as Huddersfield showed greater determination all around the pitch and took full advantage by turning it into goals when they forced a previously unbeaten outfit into an error.
The trick is to try to repeat it and who is to say they won’t be able to convert one or even two chances if this Liverpool defence continues to get in its own way as it tips its hat and waves the opposition through in the final third.
It was Keystone Cops stuff against Tottenham at Wembley that was ruthlessly punished by Harry Kane and company so Jurgen Klopp must be running short of combinations at the back in a bid to reverse the process.
There is some glimmer of hope in so much as they did manage consecutive clean sheets against a cautious Manchester United and mediocre Maribor while, with the best will in the world, Huddersfield can’t call on the potency going forward possessed by Tottenham.
Liverpool have managed to keep the visitors out in three of their six home games this season but after two years at the helm, Klopp seems no closer to realising a long-term solution bar a few fleeting occasions that has usually involved Simon Mignolet being at his best as the last line of defence.
I feel like taking a calculated risk however, so suggest going with Liverpool to keep a clean sheet although it will mean having to sit and sweat for 95-odd minutes to see if they can actually make it happen.
The visitors have still not managed to find the target on the road beyond the season-opening 3-0 romp at Crystal Palace and don’t offer enough in the final third to pose a real threat - even up against this motley crew.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Huddersfield - Sky Bet odds:
The Hornets were outstanding last week in their 4-2 defeat at Chelsea and a repeat of anywhere near that level of display will see them home and hosed at Vicarage Road against a seriously underwhelming Stoke.
There were times as Watford swaggered forward in west London when they made the Premier League champions look genuinely terrified but there always seems to be a twist in all the best fairytales as the hosts managed to scramble home by a final scoreline that rather flattered them.
Marco Silva felt the result was 'unfair' but perhaps he will have learnt a valuable lesson in terms of punishing a rival when clearly on top - a third goal for them during that dazzling spell just after half-time would have surely been enough to break the resolve of the hosts.
It took until Watford’s most recent game to register a victory at home but belief will be off the charts among the faithful they can immediately follow up with them quoted at a fraction of odds-against for all three points.
It is seemingly set up then for the sucker-punch with the Potters enduring a rotten spell of five defeats in their last six in all competitions and just two away victories stretching back to mid-December last season.
They did manage to claim all three points in this fixture at the end of November 2016 so perhaps there is some cause for a little optimism but an embattled Mark Hughes seems to be running out of excuses for a team that has slumped horribly since an early win over Arsenal and a draw with Manchester United.
Much like Paul Clement at Swansea, Hughes seems determined to plug away until their fortunes change rather than grab hold of the situation and shape their own destiny.
I would start by giving veteran Peter Crouch an opportunity from the opening whistle in a bid to cause a nuisance in the opposition box as it seems only the lanky striker and Mame Biram Diouf seem capable at the moment of providing the goals to change the course of a game.
Hughes is lucky to have some pretty patient owners but his situation could be the subject of a serious review on Saturday evening as it is tough to see how his team will slow down the momentum of the hosts with a motivated Richarlison fancied to weigh in after a couple of stunning misses at the Bridge.
Prediction: Watford 2-1 Stoke - Sky Bet odds:
Before a ball was kicked, I wondered how long it would be before the Baggies fans started to get a bit edgy and an eight-match stretch without victory seems to be a potential tipping point for Tony Pulis.
They look increasingly devoid of ideas after the 1-0 loss at Southampton last weekend and Pulis’ functional football is acceptable when they are chiselling out results but it becomes painful viewing with little in return when it comes to putting points on the board.
They have managed just two Premier League victories since March (Bournemouth and Burnley) and some ambitious owners at The Hawthorns might not have too much more patience before deciding to pull the plug.
They have only managed a three-goal haul once this season (at Accrington in the league cup) and a potential spanking from the rampant league leaders could leave Pulis teetering on the brink.
The pair met last month in the cup and a Leroy Sane brace was enough to see City remain on course for the first piece of domestic silverware.
I like Pep Guardiola a lot but his whingeing about the football while they took what seemed until the middle of the night to finally see off Wolves in midweek is a bit on the feeble side and nothing more than a soundbite for the media to have a giggle over.
More importantly, he will restore his first-choice midfield to the ranks spearheaded by Kevin De Bruyne and I doubt whether Pulis will have enough in the locker to keep them at bay even if he decides his best plan of action will be to clog up the centre of the park.
That recent encounter between the pair ended 2-1 and I can certainly picture a scenario where that advantage is extended with the heat turned up on the home manager as a result.
Prediction: West Brom 0-3 Manchester City - Sky Bet odds:
Cherries boss Eddie Howe was probably spot on in his assumption a month ago they were not far away from a turnaround in fortune and despite losing 1-0 at Wembley to Spurs, that lively performance has been the building block for back-to back victories.
A 3-1 Carabao Cup triumph over Middlesbrough in midweek was another nice little boost to confidence and saw striker Callum Wilson pleasingly back among the goals and now a best price of 3/1 to find the target once more as he attempts to get his place back on a regular basis.
As mentioned, they gave Tottenham one or two concerns and there is no reason why that won’t be the case once more against the champions, who certainly breathed a sigh of relief last weekend to get three points at home against Watford.
It is probably fair to say Bournemouth are not quite at the level of the Hornets currently but do have some pace up front to cause trouble and are certainly moving in the right direction as they bid to bring a halt to a three-match slump against this rival.
Chelsea certainly rode their luck against Watford at times and there were definitely spells just after half-time when it looked as if a fourth game without a victory was a distinct possibility.
This is certainly not Antonio Conte’s outfit at their dominant best but his players are showing good commitment to the cause and his second XI dug in well to beat Everton in midweek in a competition that still remains pretty low on the list of priorities for the top English sides.
If pushed, I would probably opt for both teams to score but will leave it alone at odds-on with the visitors once again showing their resilience to pick up all three points.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 Chelsea - Sky Bet odds:
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Posted at 0745 BST on 27/10/17.
The Amex Stadium stages ‘ElClasicoast’ and although this won’t have quite the same intensity for the visitors as a trip to Portsmouth, it should be a decent spectacle with both teams seemingly in reasonable nick.
The Seagulls ran rings around West Ham last weekend and have had extra time to prepare following that Friday outing – not that manager Chris Hughton needs it as the way he has set out his newly-promoted outfit has now impressed on a number of occasions.
They are never going to be the most prolific but opposition will have to work hard to get through them and already Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy have proven a formidable partnership in the heart of defence.
There is no doubt they were given a huge helping hand by a desperate Hammers effort but the key will be how they cope over an extended period at home – they are unbeaten there since the opening day and only a last-gasp penalty against Everton thwarted their quest for another three points.
I always feel this is the time for a new team in the top flight to thrive – rivals tend to get a better handle on how they operate post-Christmas and I can see the hosts getting some sort of result here as well.
It has been slow progress for Southampton as their new boss Mauricio Pellegrino settles in but he is hopeful now that they will start to flourish on a more consistent basis after narrowly beating West Brom.
There was not a great deal between the pair at a storm-battered St Mary’s last weekend and conditions very much seemed to be the winner until Sofiane Boufal’s mazy late dribble from his own half produced separation.
I am sure Pellegrino would be happy to rely on more rudimentary routes to goal with passes and crosses into the box and striker Manolo Gabbiadiani’s assessment during the week that “they are in good shape” suggests this is a team heading in a positive direction.
Bookmakers probably expect Southampton’s greater nous at this level will be the difference and make them favourites but a closely-fought stalemate appeals to me with a dart on no goalscorer worth a second glance.
Prediction: Brighton 0-0 Southampton - Sky Bet odds:
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Posted at 1300 BST on 27/10/17.