Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Sam Allardyce arrived at St James’ Park for his May 2007 unveiling as Newcastle’s manager by helicopter. Eight underwhelming months later, Big Sam was sacked – and immediately had to hand his top-of-the-range company car to security, leaving him requiring a lift home to County Durham in his press officer’s somewhat more modest vehicle. Allardyce’s hefty payoff from Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s then-owner, enabled him to buy a lavish villa on Spain’s Costa Blanca, swiftly dubbed ‘Casa St James’ but the current Leeds manager has not forgotten what he describes as a “massive, massive career setback”. Allardyce has played down any talk of old scores being settled when Eddie Howe’s Champions League-chasing team visit Elland Road on Saturday but there is little doubt that Allardyce would enjoy sticking a metaphorical two fingers in the directions of those travelling Newcastle fans whose lack of enthusiasm for his tactics arguably prompted that dismissal. Much more importantly, this is a game Leeds surely cannot afford to lose – and quite possibly need to win – if they are to avoid falling into the Championship. Louise Taylor

Leeds v Newcastle, Saturday 12.30pm

The previous staging of this fixture came in January 2022 and ended with a 1-0 defeat for Manchester United, a first league victory for Wolves at Old Trafford since 1980. A repeat of the result would set alarm bells clanging for Erik ten Hag, as it would be his third successive defeat in the Premier League for the first time. It would also come in the first of the “four finals” that close this campaign as Ten Hag’s team battle with Newcastle and Liverpool to claim the two remaining Champions League berths. Ten Hag’s team are two points behind Newcastle and one ahead of