Dele Alli, Rooney, Klopp vs Mourinho – Three Things To Watch Out For In This Week’s Premier League Action

After an exciting week of FA Cup competition, the Premier League returns to action on Saturday with some thrilling contests lined up for us.

The weekend kicks off with in-form Tottenham Hotspur taking on Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion at the White Hart Lane, which will be followed by six games that kick-off together, including Arsenal’s clash against bottom feeders Swansea City along with Sam Allardyce’s return to his former club with Crystal Palace taking on West Ham United. It will end with current league leaders Chelsea’s contest against current trophy holders Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Then it will be Merseyside vs Manchester on Sunday as Everton will play hosts to Manchester City before Liverpool travel to Old Trafford to face Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.

With such juicy fixtures coming ahead, we look at three things to watch out for the upcoming action this weekend:

Can Dele Alli continue his super-hot streak?

Dele Alli has been in scintillating form in recent weeks. The 20-year old has scored in each of Tottenham’s last four league games after a quiet start to the season.

The former MK Dons attacker has scored a brace in each of his last three appearances in the league, against Southampton, Watford and Chelsea and has managed to already equal his goal tally of 10 strikes from last season. In just his second term in the English top-flight, Alli has gone past the likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, to become the fastest midfielder to reach 20 goals in the league.

And with West Brom up next for Spurs, Alli is expected to continue this rich vein of form, having scored twice in three matches against the Baggies in the past.

Will Jose get one over Klopp?

Liverpool will face Manchester United on Sunday in the 50^th Premier League tie between the two sides. While the Red Devils have begun to hit their strides ahead of this sizzling contest, Liverpool will be coming on the back of a poor start to the new year.

United are on their longest unbeaten run since the turn of the decade – having not tasted defeat in 15 games on the run, and winning the last nine. Liverpool, on the other hand, will be heading into the game following a 1-0 loss to Southampton in the EFL Cup semi-final clash, only their third loss of the season.

United manager Jose Mourinho hasn’t had the best of the fortunes against teams managed by Jurgen Klopp. The Portuguese tactician has got the better of Klopp on only one occasion when his Real Madrid team beat the German’s Borussia Dortmund outfit.

The current Liverpool manager, on the other hand, has tasted victories three times over Jose, twice with Dortmund against Madrid and one time with Liverpool against Chelsea last term. They have played out two draws in between them, one of which came at Anfield earlier this season.

Can Mourinho turn it around this time? Will he manage to get one over Klopp on Sunday? On current form and recent results, it seems a very likely possibility.

Will This be a Week of Milestones for Crouch and Rooney?

Peter Crouch has had a good couple of weeks recently, having scored in his last two games against Chelsea and Watford for Stoke and the 35-year old recently signed a one-year extension with the Potters as well.

Crouch is just two goals away from a century of Premier League goals that will see him join an elite club featuring the likes of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry etc., and with Sunderland the next opponents for Mark Hughes’ side, the milestone could very well be achieved on Saturday.

While there is no shortage of excitement ahead of a clash between Manchester United and Liverpool, there will be an added element of anticipation and exhilaration ahead of the Sunday’s fixture as Wayne Rooney looks to go past Sir Bobby Charlton to become the leading goalscorer for United.

The United and England captain equalled the legendary Sir Charlton’s 249 goals, scoring against Reading in the FA Cup last weekend and would love it more than anything else, to make history against Liverpool, given his Evertonian roots and the intensity of the rivalry between United and Liverpool.