Premier League games

Mohamed Salah bids to bring Manchester United down to earth, Spurs seek an attacking spark and a high-stakes derby.

[1-0 defeat of Stoke](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/28/stoke-brighton-fa-cup-fifth-round-match-report) in midweek, and will welcome Grimsby in the quarter-finals. He has made a further three appearances off the bench in cup competitions and had to watch on after Lucas Moura, who had not started since 1 November, was selected for the [FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/sheffield-united-tottenham-fa-cup-fifth-round-match-report). De Zerbi and his medical staff will know who is peaking and who needs a rest but balancing the two is still tricky with 16 league matches still to play, [more than any other top-flight team](https://www.theguardian.com/football/premierleague/table). Wind back to 1998 and the west London rivals were tussling in the third tier, with a Paul Moody double sending Fulham [towards the top six](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqPe48UVp_Q), and the Bees closer to relegation, at Griffin Park. Burnout is a risk but Brighton have the opportunity for a historic season, and the Italian is a smart enough operator to know what needs to be done in the next three months. [4-1 defeat at Leicester](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/11/maddison-and-barnes-inspire-leicester-to-emphatic-win-over-spurs). They had to rest the 38-year-old against Southampton and struggled after he went off with a [knee injury](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/28/thiago-silva-injured-up-to-six-weeks-graham-potter-chelsea) against Spurs. Everton were the first of four bottom-half sides to [visit the Emirates in a five-game run](https://www.theguardian.com/football/arsenal/fixtures) and, while he has played up the schedule’s difficulty, Mikel Arteta could hardly ask for a better opportunity to put quick points on the board and maybe even stretch their lead at the top. They should certainly add three more at the expense of Bournemouth, even if Gary O’Neil’s strugglers showed timely signs of life in [winning at Wolves](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/18/wolves-bournemouth-premier-league-match-report) in their last away game. [FA Cup defeat of West Ham](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/manchester-united-west-ham-fa-cup-fifth-round-match-report). [defeat to Southampton](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/18/chelsea-southampton-premier-league-match-report). Mohamed Salah has scored nine goals in his last five outings against United and warmed up for one of his favourite opponents by reaching another milestone in [Wednesday’s win over Wolves](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/01/liverpool-wolves-premier-league-match-report).