EPL preview: Courtois expects Pedro to help Hazard return to form
Revamped Liverpool making case for the defence as Injuries hamper Arsenal ahead of Newcastle clash
Chelsea keeper thinks Pedro's inclusion is a good sign for Hazard to regain his form. PHOTOS: AFP
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois believes the arrival of Pedro Rodriguez will help Eden Hazard to rediscover his peak form when Crystal Palace visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Last weekend's win at West Bromwich Albion was Chelsea's first of the Premier League campaign and prompted the champions' manager Jose Mourinho to shout into a pitchside microphone at the final whistle.
But Mourinho's side will not be able to declare their title defence up and running unless they can follow that with victory over a Palace side who have continued where they left off last season.
Chelsea were fortunate to hold on against Albion following the dismissal of John Terry, the club's second red card in the opening three games, but the form of Pedro on his debut provided an undoubted high point.
The former Barcelona winger scored and provided an assist and Courtois believes the presence of the Spain international will be a huge benefit to Belgium playmaker Hazard.
Hazard, last season's player of the year, has struggled to find his best form during the opening weeks.
But Courtois told the Evening Standard: "Pedro's arrival is good for Eden. Whenever Eden got the ball before, you knew that two or three players would go with him to try to stop him. The defenders were always close to him.
"Of course, we have other players with quality but opponents would cover Eden most of all.
"Now we have Pedro, the defenders can't just stay with Eden because they will know the other side is free for him to exploit, as well as for players like Willian and our top strikers.
"Defenders will now have to think more about where and who they are going to press. That should mean there will always be a man free on the other side."
Certainly Chelsea have lacked a cutting edge up front and a return to form for Hazard will provide a major lift as Mourinho's side attempt to keep pace with early leaders Manchester City.
"Of course, the start is not what we wanted but there is still a long way to go. People are talking about the defence but last season we started off conceding a lot of goals, too," Courtois said.
"Maybe we still need to find the right balance between attacking and defending. We are playing with a really high line, so there is more danger of being hit on a counter attack.
"It will be a tough race and City have started the best of all the top teams. But we will look to close the gap as soon as possible and then try and get a lead like we had last year. Hopefully, we will be champions again."
Revamped Liverpool making case for the defence
Liverpool are a long way from the free-scoring side who almost won the Premier League two seasons ago, but their new-look defence is providing plenty of encouragement for boss Brendan Rodgers ahead of Saturday's clash with West Ham.
With no goals conceded in Liverpool's opening three matches, Rodgers can feel a degree of confidence before a home game against West Ham, who have not won at Anfield since 1964.
The arrivals of Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez have done much to strengthen the Liverpool full-back positions, while James Milner has given the midfield a solid look.
Put together, they have eased some of the pressure on Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren in the centre of defence, with Clyne and Gomez especially impressive.
"For two guys who have just arrived at the club, where the expectation level will be way above what they've experienced before, they already look as though they've been here a long, long time," first-team coach Gary McAllister said.
There's no doubt that Rodgers' side have enjoyed some defensive fortune so far, with Bournemouth and Arsenal both unlucky to have goals ruled out in recent games.
But there is a sense that Liverpool are less likely to give away the silly goals that cost them so much last season.
At the other end, Liverpool do have room for improvement, having scored only twice in three matches, but the arrival of Belgium striker Christian Benteke from Aston Villa has added power to an attack that looked lightweight last season.
"Christian has obviously been labelled a certain type, probably because of his size," Rodgers said.
"But you see the quality of his touch, his movement to spin in behind, to come short, his set-up play and, of course, he's a real threat in the air."
Liverpool will have even more options in attack when Benteke's power and aerial threat can be married to the speed of Daniel Sturridge.
But although Sturridge is back in training after hip surgery, the England forward is not yet match fit, and his return is likely to come after the next international break.
England midfielder Adam Lallana is not expected to be available, having missed Monday's 0-0 draw at Arsenal with a thigh problem, and so Roberto Firmino could make a full home debut.
Captain Jordan Henderson has been battling a foot injury, which kept him out of the match at the Emirates Stadium.
If he fails to recover, then Milner will retain the captaincy, with Emre Can playing alongside him in midfield.
Injuries hamper Arsenal ahead of Newcastle clash
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed injuries to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker may force him to name a second choice defence again at Newcastle on Saturday.
France international Koscielny and German World Cup winner Mertesacker both sat out of the 0-0 draw with Liverpool and are doubts for the Premier League trip to St James' Park.
Koscielny remains with a back problem and Mertesacker has struggled to shake off a sickness bug, so Gabriel and Calum Chambers could continue in Wenger's back-line.
"Mertesacker is still sick and we will know more about Koscielny today," Wenger said on Thursday.
"He might have a test on his back and I will certainly know more tomorrow morning. The less likely to be fit is Mertesacker.
"I would like them to be available but that's part of the season, you can't complain about that. We like pressure. The biggest pressure in our job is to play without pressure."
There is more promising news on England forward Danny Welbeck and midfielder Jack Wilshere, both of whom are progressing following knee and leg problems that have prevented them from playing thus far.
"Danny Welbeck is progressing well," Wenger said. "He should be available, if all goes well, after the international break.
"Jack Wilshere is just behind Welbeck, maybe one week after the international break he will certainly come back into full training."
Wenger insists he is still doing all he can to add to his squad in the run up to Tuesday's transfer deadline day but admits it has been a frustrating time for him.
"I am always confident that a last minute situation or solution is available, because the transfer market is especially moving in the last four or five days. At the moment I cannot promise you that," he said.
"We work very hard, you know I have a team around me who work day and night to find good solutions but at the moment we are not close to signing anyone.
"I am 24 hours available per day, so I am involved in the decision of course.
"We have specific targets but sometimes you get an idea from somebody because you didn't know that the player you like was available and if you get an opportunity you do it.
"At the moment I cannot say I am very confident because we are not close to signing anybody."
France Under-21 international Florian Thauvin, a substitute in last week's draw at Manchester United, could have to settle for a place on the bench again despite scoring and setting up the other three goals on his full debut in a much-changed starting line-up for the midweek League Cup victory over Northampton.
Pellegrini hopes City learn title lessons
Manuel Pellegrini has challenged his Manchester City stars to prove they have learned the lessons of last season's failure to retain the Premier League title.
Three games into the new league season, leaders City are the last remaining side with a perfect record: three wins, eight goals scored and none conceded.
This has come as a surprise to those who witnessed their decidedly unconvincing pre-season form, but it would appear that the players have answered Pellegrini's call for consistency.
City's title challenge failed last season because of a tendency to drop points against mid-table sides; for that reason, Saturday's match against an awkward Watford side lying 12th is likely to provide an indicator of their progress.
"We analysed what happened last season," Pellegrini said. "It wasn't a disaster because we finished second and we were the team who scored the most goals, but we were not consistent through the whole year.
"We lost points against teams who were fighting relegation, so I think after three games you can see we have learned those lessons.
"It is only August and we finish in May, so it is important to keep playing, working and thinking in the same way as we are doing."
Navas warns pace-setters City not to rest on their laurels
Manchester City winger Jesus Navas has warned the Premier League pace-setters not to get complacent after their blistering start to the season.
Manuel Pellegrini's side have surged to the top of the table with three wins from their opening three matches and the swaggering manner of their performances suggests City are back to their best after tamely surrendering the title to Chelsea last season.
With Raheem Sterling bedding in nicely after his move from Liverpool and a big-money deal for Wolfsburg's Belgium playmaker Kevin de Bruyne reportedly close to completion, City are assembling an awesome array of attacking talent that could leave rest of the top tier trailing in their wake.
The leaders are firm favourites to maintain their flying start when they host promoted Watford on Saturday, but Spain international Navas is well aware of the dangers of underestimating a team who have drawn all three of their league matches so far.
"It is not only that we have won these three games, it is that we didn't concede any goals and we created a lot of chances. We are really happy," Navas said.
"But we need to keep the same attitude, working really well defensively and also creating a lot of chances. That is the way to win more games this season."
Fixtures
Saturday: Aston Villa v Sunderland, Bournemouth v Leicester, Chelsea v Crystal Palace, Liverpool v West Ham, Manchester City v Watford, Newcastle v Arsenal, Stoke v West Brom, Tottenham v Everton
Sunday: Southampton v Norwich, Swansea v Manchester United
Last weekend's win at West Bromwich Albion was Chelsea's first of the Premier League campaign and prompted the champions' manager Jose Mourinho to shout into a pitchside microphone at the final whistle.
But Mourinho's side will not be able to declare their title defence up and running unless they can follow that with victory over a Palace side who have continued where they left off last season.
Chelsea were fortunate to hold on against Albion following the dismissal of John Terry, the club's second red card in the opening three games, but the form of Pedro on his debut provided an undoubted high point.
The former Barcelona winger scored and provided an assist and Courtois believes the presence of the Spain international will be a huge benefit to Belgium playmaker Hazard.
Hazard, last season's player of the year, has struggled to find his best form during the opening weeks.
But Courtois told the Evening Standard: "Pedro's arrival is good for Eden. Whenever Eden got the ball before, you knew that two or three players would go with him to try to stop him. The defenders were always close to him.
"Of course, we have other players with quality but opponents would cover Eden most of all.
"Now we have Pedro, the defenders can't just stay with Eden because they will know the other side is free for him to exploit, as well as for players like Willian and our top strikers.
"Defenders will now have to think more about where and who they are going to press. That should mean there will always be a man free on the other side."
Certainly Chelsea have lacked a cutting edge up front and a return to form for Hazard will provide a major lift as Mourinho's side attempt to keep pace with early leaders Manchester City.
"Of course, the start is not what we wanted but there is still a long way to go. People are talking about the defence but last season we started off conceding a lot of goals, too," Courtois said.
"Maybe we still need to find the right balance between attacking and defending. We are playing with a really high line, so there is more danger of being hit on a counter attack.
"It will be a tough race and City have started the best of all the top teams. But we will look to close the gap as soon as possible and then try and get a lead like we had last year. Hopefully, we will be champions again."
Revamped Liverpool making case for the defence
Liverpool are a long way from the free-scoring side who almost won the Premier League two seasons ago, but their new-look defence is providing plenty of encouragement for boss Brendan Rodgers ahead of Saturday's clash with West Ham.
With no goals conceded in Liverpool's opening three matches, Rodgers can feel a degree of confidence before a home game against West Ham, who have not won at Anfield since 1964.
The arrivals of Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez have done much to strengthen the Liverpool full-back positions, while James Milner has given the midfield a solid look.
Put together, they have eased some of the pressure on Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren in the centre of defence, with Clyne and Gomez especially impressive.
"For two guys who have just arrived at the club, where the expectation level will be way above what they've experienced before, they already look as though they've been here a long, long time," first-team coach Gary McAllister said.
There's no doubt that Rodgers' side have enjoyed some defensive fortune so far, with Bournemouth and Arsenal both unlucky to have goals ruled out in recent games.
But there is a sense that Liverpool are less likely to give away the silly goals that cost them so much last season.
At the other end, Liverpool do have room for improvement, having scored only twice in three matches, but the arrival of Belgium striker Christian Benteke from Aston Villa has added power to an attack that looked lightweight last season.
"Christian has obviously been labelled a certain type, probably because of his size," Rodgers said.
"But you see the quality of his touch, his movement to spin in behind, to come short, his set-up play and, of course, he's a real threat in the air."
Liverpool will have even more options in attack when Benteke's power and aerial threat can be married to the speed of Daniel Sturridge.
But although Sturridge is back in training after hip surgery, the England forward is not yet match fit, and his return is likely to come after the next international break.
England midfielder Adam Lallana is not expected to be available, having missed Monday's 0-0 draw at Arsenal with a thigh problem, and so Roberto Firmino could make a full home debut.
Captain Jordan Henderson has been battling a foot injury, which kept him out of the match at the Emirates Stadium.
If he fails to recover, then Milner will retain the captaincy, with Emre Can playing alongside him in midfield.
Injuries hamper Arsenal ahead of Newcastle clash
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed injuries to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker may force him to name a second choice defence again at Newcastle on Saturday.
France international Koscielny and German World Cup winner Mertesacker both sat out of the 0-0 draw with Liverpool and are doubts for the Premier League trip to St James' Park.
Koscielny remains with a back problem and Mertesacker has struggled to shake off a sickness bug, so Gabriel and Calum Chambers could continue in Wenger's back-line.
"Mertesacker is still sick and we will know more about Koscielny today," Wenger said on Thursday.
"He might have a test on his back and I will certainly know more tomorrow morning. The less likely to be fit is Mertesacker.
"I would like them to be available but that's part of the season, you can't complain about that. We like pressure. The biggest pressure in our job is to play without pressure."
There is more promising news on England forward Danny Welbeck and midfielder Jack Wilshere, both of whom are progressing following knee and leg problems that have prevented them from playing thus far.
"Danny Welbeck is progressing well," Wenger said. "He should be available, if all goes well, after the international break.
"Jack Wilshere is just behind Welbeck, maybe one week after the international break he will certainly come back into full training."
Wenger insists he is still doing all he can to add to his squad in the run up to Tuesday's transfer deadline day but admits it has been a frustrating time for him.
"I am always confident that a last minute situation or solution is available, because the transfer market is especially moving in the last four or five days. At the moment I cannot promise you that," he said.
"We work very hard, you know I have a team around me who work day and night to find good solutions but at the moment we are not close to signing anyone.
"I am 24 hours available per day, so I am involved in the decision of course.
"We have specific targets but sometimes you get an idea from somebody because you didn't know that the player you like was available and if you get an opportunity you do it.
"At the moment I cannot say I am very confident because we are not close to signing anybody."
France Under-21 international Florian Thauvin, a substitute in last week's draw at Manchester United, could have to settle for a place on the bench again despite scoring and setting up the other three goals on his full debut in a much-changed starting line-up for the midweek League Cup victory over Northampton.
Pellegrini hopes City learn title lessons
Manuel Pellegrini has challenged his Manchester City stars to prove they have learned the lessons of last season's failure to retain the Premier League title.
Three games into the new league season, leaders City are the last remaining side with a perfect record: three wins, eight goals scored and none conceded.
This has come as a surprise to those who witnessed their decidedly unconvincing pre-season form, but it would appear that the players have answered Pellegrini's call for consistency.
City's title challenge failed last season because of a tendency to drop points against mid-table sides; for that reason, Saturday's match against an awkward Watford side lying 12th is likely to provide an indicator of their progress.
"We analysed what happened last season," Pellegrini said. "It wasn't a disaster because we finished second and we were the team who scored the most goals, but we were not consistent through the whole year.
"We lost points against teams who were fighting relegation, so I think after three games you can see we have learned those lessons.
"It is only August and we finish in May, so it is important to keep playing, working and thinking in the same way as we are doing."
Navas warns pace-setters City not to rest on their laurels
Manchester City winger Jesus Navas has warned the Premier League pace-setters not to get complacent after their blistering start to the season.
Manuel Pellegrini's side have surged to the top of the table with three wins from their opening three matches and the swaggering manner of their performances suggests City are back to their best after tamely surrendering the title to Chelsea last season.
With Raheem Sterling bedding in nicely after his move from Liverpool and a big-money deal for Wolfsburg's Belgium playmaker Kevin de Bruyne reportedly close to completion, City are assembling an awesome array of attacking talent that could leave rest of the top tier trailing in their wake.
The leaders are firm favourites to maintain their flying start when they host promoted Watford on Saturday, but Spain international Navas is well aware of the dangers of underestimating a team who have drawn all three of their league matches so far.
"It is not only that we have won these three games, it is that we didn't concede any goals and we created a lot of chances. We are really happy," Navas said.
"But we need to keep the same attitude, working really well defensively and also creating a lot of chances. That is the way to win more games this season."
Fixtures
Saturday: Aston Villa v Sunderland, Bournemouth v Leicester, Chelsea v Crystal Palace, Liverpool v West Ham, Manchester City v Watford, Newcastle v Arsenal, Stoke v West Brom, Tottenham v Everton
Sunday: Southampton v Norwich, Swansea v Manchester United