Alan Smith’s Expert Analysis: International Break and Premier League Predictions

Jude Bellingham vs Morgan Rogers

Morgan Rodgers has done nothing wrong at all. He has done ever so well in that position, so it always helps to have options. But come the World Cup, I’d expect to see Bellingham there, and now he’s back in the squad, I’d expect to see him given a go in at least one of the two games coming up.

He’s playing in an advanced position for Real Madrid, almost next to Mbappe, so it wouldn’t be dissimilar to how Tuchel wants him to play. So that’ll be an interesting one.

Danny Welbeck Not Selected

Well, he’s 35 now, so I know he’s enjoying a really good spell. But looking ahead to next year in the World Cup, it’s probably a step too far for him.

He’s got great experience, but I’m not surprised to see him not in the squad. But it doesn’t really help if Harry Kane isn’t available. That would create a major problem.

Trent Alexander-Arnold Issues

Trent needs to start playing regularly, basically. He hasn’t started a game for Real Madrid since mid-September. He’s coming back as a sub now, but that’s not enough game time.

I don’t think there’s an issue there with Tuchel. He’s just not played enough football, and he’d be a great man to have in that squad because from that right back position, he offers so much that’s different to most right backs. So he’s just got to play some football.

Marcus Rashford’s Opportunity

Well, it is a chance for him at that left-wing spot. There aren’t too many absolutely grabbing it, and Rashford’s playing a lot of football for Barcelona and playing it on the left, so that speaks volumes for how he is playing. So it is a good chance for him.

I think we all wondered where Rashford’s career was going. It looks like he’s resurrecting it in Barcelona. So we’ll see moving forward. If he continues to play like he is, maybe look at Rashford as the answer on the left.

Predictions

Serbia, we beat them 5-0 away, so I’ll go 5-0 at home as well. Albania, again, I think we beat them 2-0 at home, so I think I’ll replicate that. Maybe we’ll get a couple of goals, 2-0.

Dan Ballard and Trai Hume

They have been very good, haven’t they? In that back five, Hume as the right wing back and Ballard in the middle of the defensive central three. It’s all new to them, and you can imagine the adrenaline’s pumping big time, and they’ve stepped up.

Ballard, brilliant against Arsenal, his old club. They’re all loving life in the top flight. So, fair play to them because it’s a massive step up. Ballard’s been out on loan here and there. So, the step up in standard has been huge. But they’ve both responded. So, well done to them.

Florian Wirtz at Liverpool

I think Wirtz’s struggles have been both because of his own form and Liverpool struggling as a team. It’s so much easier coming into a team that’s very smooth and functioning, and you’re just replacing one little cog in the machine. But obviously, Liverpool have got more problems than just Wirtz.

But the lad’s coming into a new league, new country, trying to settle – different standard of football, different pace of football. And he has found it difficult, obviously. I see what Nagelsmann’s on about in terms of it’s not made it any easier for him because Liverpool aren’t playing well. But by the same token, Wirtz has got to do his bit to try and make Liverpool better.

Two-Horse Race

I said last week that it would have been difficult to make firm conclusions if it were a tight match between City and Liverpool, 1-0, 2-1, whatever, not much to split the sides. But the way it was with City, so much better, so much more superior, now you’re looking at Liverpool and thinking they haven’t got enough for the title challenge this season.

Arsenal and Man City, it will be a two-horse race. That’s going to be fascinating to see how that develops.

Arsenal’s Position

I wouldn’t say that it’s Arsenal’s to lose. I don’t like that phrase, really. If you’ve got five games left or something, maybe you’d say it, but not in November. So they’ve got a little bit of space in between them and City, but as we know, a lot can happen.

They’ve just dropped two points at Sunderland, so you don’t know. I think it’s going to be a really good race this season. Last year was a little bit boring, really, in terms of nobody could keep up with Liverpool, but I see it as a straight head-to-head between City and Arsenal. At the moment, of course, Arsenal have got that tiny advantage. But it is tiny, really.

Handling Pressure

The Arsenal players have got to respond to the pressure. There’s always a first time for a player winning the league and for a team winning the league. So they’ll be feeling the shadow of City cast over them now that they’ve got it on the shoulder.

They’ve just got to handle that. And it’s the same for the manager. He’s got to keep his cool. But I think this Arsenal team has got enough to be able to handle it now. There’s a lot of experience within there, and there’s a lot of desire and motivation to go on and win the title. So that’s just something they’ve got to overcome.

Arsenal Top at Christmas

They’ve got some tough games coming up, but I’ll say they will be.

Current Form

The first point to call maybe is that they can’t give themselves that strong base, that platform to go in and keep a clean sheet, and then maybe nick games 1-0 or whatever. Konaté’s struggles continue, and that can have effects right across the back four and throughout the team. So there’s a lack of belief there, I think at the moment, and you thought it was building after Villa and Real Madrid, but the City defeat would have hit them hard.

They can talk about that disallowed goal from Van Dijk, and it should have been allowed. And who knows how the match would have panned out after that at 1-1. But they are a distance off where they would want to be at the moment.

Eight Points Behind

I don’t think they’d want to admit that, because eight points can be closed up, but they’ve got to do ever so well from here on in, and you’re hoping Arsenal and City just trip up a little bit. So the mood in the camp won’t be great.

They’ll realise that they’ve really got to pull their socks up and do it and do it quickly. Maybe the international break for them, in a way, is not bad, and I think Arteta was talking about a reset. So for Liverpool and Slot, it can be the same, and they’ve got to come back and come back with a bang.

Alexander Isak Fitness

I think Isak is not fully fit. Ekitike started and Ekitike has done better than Isak. We know he hasn’t had a pre-season, and he does take a bit of time to get up to those levels, similar to somebody who has had six weeks of pre-season. So, they’re obviously being careful with him.

They don’t want to stick him in there, and then he underperforms, and then it affects his confidence, and Liverpool fans start wondering about him. So, they’re just being careful, but you can’t get away from the fact that he is quality. Once he does get that fitness, he should be a real boost for Liverpool.

Van Dijk Disallowed Goal

I heard Howard Webb tying himself in knots a little bit on Tuesday, trying to explain why it was disallowed. I think they didn’t want to overrule the ref, really. Was it a clear and obvious error? It’s just a shame, I think, when we’re looking for ways to disallow a goal. I think the right decision would have been to have allowed it.

Donnarumma was never getting across. His weight was on the other side, on the right, and he was never getting there. So, a little bit of shame, I think, for football as much as anything, because you want to see goals in the game, and to disallow that was a shame.

Tottenham’s Chances at the Emirates

Arsenal are strong, and they’ll be wanting to bounce back after Sunderland. Spurs are in a bit of a strange position where you never quite know what you’re going to get. It’s lacklustre. The game against Man United certainly was. They’ve got too many players underperforming.

The new lad’s come in – Xavi Simons is really struggling. Kolo Muani doesn’t look properly match fit. Tels, the same, struggled to settle. So with the injuries that they’ve got with Solanke, Kulusevski, Maddison, and that, they’re finding it hard to really go at teams and ask questions and score goals. So I don’t see them having enough.

But it’s a derby at the end of the day, and the gap can be closed in derbies. Having said that, I don’t think Arsenal are going to be troubled too much.

Key Player Injuries

Well, we’ve seen them lose a few, haven’t we? Ødegaard being perhaps the main one, but Eze’s come in, and you haven’t really been able to see the drop.

I’d probably say Declan Rice would be a big loss if he got injured because you would lose that drive in midfield, his set-piece ability, deliveries – they haven’t really got anybody to replace him. But even at the back, Mosquera’s come in at times; they’ve got Hincapié, so I’d probably say Declan Rice would be the biggest loss potentially.

Havertz and Jesus Returns

I don’t think they will come back in, not straight away. Gyökeres will be back in if he’s fit, and they’ll want to keep faith with him and help him get some more goals.

I think when Havertz is up to speed, there may be games when he’ll be picked ahead of Gyökeres. But in the immediate future, I think Gyökeres will get the shout.

Goalkeeper Situation

Whether Kepa could have been the first choice somewhere, I don’t know. He would have known the situation at Arsenal, that David Raya was the first choice by some distance. So he made that decision, hoping that maybe he could get a few games.

It’s a big club to go to. It’s an attractive club from that point of view. I always wonder about keepers who make that decision. Players in general, really, if they know they’re not going to be first choice, you do wonder a little bit, especially for a keeper. But Arsenal, it’s not easy to get a very good reserve keeper. And I think they have.

I’ve not always been his biggest fan – Kepa, with some of his antics – but he’s a good fallback if Raya gets injured.