Up for debate: Toney or Calvert-Lewin? Villa or West Ham under more pressure?
- Published
- comments
Who will finish higher? Which manager is under more pressure? Is Ivan Toney better than Dominic Calvert-Lewin?
The concept is simple - every week we'll pick some talking points, our fan community will argue their case and then you get to vote for who you think won the discussion.
The fixtures up for debate this week are:
Aston Villa v West Ham United
Brentford v Everton
Brighton & Hove Albion v Leeds United
Chelsea v Leicester City
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur
Which manager is under the most pressure after their team's start to the season?
Aston Villa: Richard Sutherland, The Villa Park Podcast , external
If social media reactions were anything to go by, then both David Moyes and Steven Gerrard would have been sacked after last weekend's results.
West Ham, after two fantastic seasons - admittedly with a drop off towards the end of last year - have started this one with something of a hangover. They are bottom of the league after three defeats and no goals scored, while last season's top performers Declan Rice, Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen are all struggling for form. The heat is ramping up.
Gerrard's Villa have been equally as unconvincing - a marginal win over a struggling Everton sandwiched between woeful away performances at Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. Fans have pointed to a distinct lack of style and cohesion, and three league wins in 15 has put the scrutiny firmly on Gerrard.
Pressure-wise, I think Moyes just shades it. While Gerrard is under his fair share, he has received total backing from the board and will be given time. For Moyes though, If he loses on Sunday that will be four league defeats in a row and, combined with the end to last season, I can see the passionate Hammers natives becoming extremely restless.
West Ham: Mia Claydon, Green Street Hammers, external
The Premier League's two claret-and-blue teams have struggled to get their campaigns under way and both are already under immense pressure.
At West Ham, fans are restless about the lack of quality Moyes' players are showing, and the Hammers are the only team across the top four divisions yet to score a domestic goal. He has spent a great amount of money to bring in quality players across the pitch, but it appears the team have not yet gelled.
Gerrard faces a different kind of pressure. Villa have spent over £150m on new signings across three transfer windows and haven't finished in the top half of the table since their return to the Premier League in 2019. I believe Gerrard has been told by the board that a finish lower than the top six would be a failed season, which highlights the pressure the former Liverpool player faces. Although they have a win over Everton under their belt, they got no points from games at Crystal Palace and newly promoted Bournemouth.
However, West Ham will need to pick up points in the West Midlands as they then go into a run of difficult games. Tottenham, Chelsea, and Newcastle are on the horizon, so the intensity will only grow should the Hammers again fail to take anything this weekend.
Who will finish higher?
Brighton: Stuart Matthews, Proud Seagulls, external
This is a tough one. Both sides have won two and drawn one so far, so we're level pegging on points, with just goal difference to separate us.
Leeds are certainly marching on. They struggled last season by scraping into 17th place, while Brighton finished ninth. I feel Leeds' bubble will burst sooner rather than later this season. Don't get me wrong, they are a good side, but I just think that previous performance speaks for itself.
Both squads lost star players over the summer, but has it shown? Simple answer: no. They have both started the season fantastically well. If they were going to struggle with the departures, it would have shown by now - but they have both beaten top-six sides in Manchester United and Chelsea. Perhaps it's not actually been a loss, but a gain.
Maybe Brighton will get lucky and actually make the top six, but it's more likely to be seventh or eighth. I can't seeing Leeds bettering that - even though it's early days and there is plenty still to happen.
Leeds: Jess Furness, Her Game Too, external
This will be a close one in the final standings, but Leeds will edge it. We've had a superb start to the season - currently in third, with Brighton just a couple of places below and both sides taking seven points from nine.
I think we will beat Brighton this weekend and, ultimately, end the season a few places above them. I don't want to get too carried away by our start, but I do wholeheartedly believe we will have a much more positive campaign overall.
Brighton have lost a couple of their top-quality players in the transfer window. We did too, but we have now enhanced our ranks with the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Marc Roca and Rasmus Kristensen. I'd take our squad over Brighton's all day long. We are younger, hungrier and much more exciting - and that will be the reason why we finish higher.
Jesse Marsch has created something special. He has improved our squad with summer signings who are so eager to please the Elland Road faithful.
Anything can happen in the Premier League - as we saw with us beating Chelsea - so could a top-six finish be on the cards? Why not?
Who is the more likely World Cup wildcard - Toney or Calvert-Lewin?
Brentford: Ian Westbrook, Beesotted podcast, external
Ivan Toney definitely deserves to be on the plane to Qatar in November - but whether or not he will be is a different story.
The Brentford striker made the step up from the Championship to the Premier League with ease in his first top-flight season and has continued his good form going into this campaign. He scored 12 times and produced five assists in 2021-22 - figures few other England-qualified players matched - and already has two goals and three assists from four league and cup games this season.
He is a penalty-box predator, with all of his 49 Bees goals coming from inside the 18-yard box.
Toney's critics argue that 11 of those goals were penalties, but that is one of his strengths - an ice-cool temperament however big the match. He has only missed one spot-kick in his entire career.
He also plays a crucial part defending set-pieces for Brentford, while he is a leader both on and off the pitch.
Toney also has an impressive fitness record, missing fewer than a dozen league games over the past four seasons.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin cannot match these appearances or goal figures, and while I don't foresee a shock World Cup selection, if it happened, Toney is in pole position.
Everton: Briony Bragg, This Fan Girl, external
Who gets the wildcard place? Dominic Calvert-Lewin has already scored the winning goal in a World Cup final.
Yes, it was the Under-20 World Cup in South Korea, but let's not forget that he's matured rapidly these past few years into a near-complete international striker.
After injury woes, he'll be even more hungry for that World Cup spot, especially given how close he was to a Euros winners' medal.
In form, Calvert-Lewin has an excellent attitude and the work-rate to go with it, as well as strength, dominance in front of goal and pace. England boss Gareth Southgate needs all these qualities to back up captain Harry Kane and there's no doubt, with Everton's attacking injury problems this season, Frank Lampard will be willing to give him all the game time possible to bring him back to his best.
Strikers aren't happy unless they're on the pitch getting their name on the scoresheet - and Calvert-Lewin will want his on it in Qatar.
Southgate will undoubtedly consider him again - and he's right to. His first senior England goal was even against Wales. How about another?
Who will win more caps for England - Gallagher or Maddison?
Chelsea: Ross Mooring, Chelsea Fancast, external
Conor Gallagher is a one-of-a-kind player, an all-action midfield general.
In spite of an underwhelming full debut for Chelsea at Leeds last weekend - something that can be said for most Blues who played that day - Gallagher already possesses the attributes to play at international level, as evidenced by Gareth Southgate giving Conor his first cap last season.
Impressive on loan at Crystal Palace last year, as he was for West Brom, Swansea and Charlton before that, the intuitive Gallagher applies every ounce of himself to the team and this attitude has won him plaudits everywhere. Conor has an excellent eye for goal, drives forward with the ball and has ability and nous to find the right pass wherever he finds himself on the pitch.
While there is no denying James Maddison is a very good player and has deserved to make more than one international appearance, England are blessed with a lot of talent in the positions that the Leicester man most regularly operates.
At just 22 years of age and now training with Chelsea's collection of stars every day, Gallagher will only continue to improve. Even if his development this year is ultimately best served by a final Premier League loan before the window closes, there will be no keeping the irrepressible dynamo down, at club or international level.
Leicester: Sam Holloway, LeicesterFanTV, external
So long as Southgate is the manager, I think it will be Gallagher. For whatever reason, he does not rate James Maddison, which is absurd. He is clearly one of the best English midfielders, with the highest goals and assists ratio out of any of his competition, so there can be no other reason why he is not in Southgate's England squad.
Unfortunately, I agree with a lot of Leicester fans who believe that just because he plays for "little old Leicester", he isn't rated by the English national team. I hate to say it but if he moved to one of the so-called 'big six' clubs, like Spurs or Arsenal, or his boyhood club Manchester United, he would be recognised more for his country.
As for Gallagher, just compare his stats with Maddison already this season. Madders has two goals and an assist after just three games. Gallagher? He has none. There is no comparison to be made here.
Maddison is clearly better, but because he plays at Leicester he goes under the radar.
Would Spence have been better off signing permanently for Forest instead of Spurs?
Nottingham Forest: Ben Dore, Dore on Tour, external
Djed Spence had a huge impact last season while on loan from Middlesbrough. The fans loved him, he fitted in well with the team and he was a focal point of big-club interest based on his performances for Forest.
If he had chosen to sign permanently for us that would probably have continued, but he made it clear early on that he was only interested in going to Tottenham. Forest moved on quickly to other targets and we got Neco Williams, who is looking like he was probably a better acquisition.
Having said that, after the play-off final win, we would have been really happy for Djed to have signed for us, but it was not to be and now he has to fight for his place in the Spurs squad each week.
Tottenham: Anna Howells, Spurs XY, external
I can see why someone would believe Spence would have been better off signing for Forest but let me outline why the move to Spurs is better.
Spence played on loan for Forest last season, won lots of accolades and helped get them into the Premier League. He also did himself no harm in the eyes of Tottenham fans when Forest beat Arsenal in the FA Cup.
However, according to Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder, Forest showed no interest in signing him and Tottenham "were the only show in town" for the player.
I don't think it gets much better than Spurs: living in London, playing for and training with a team in the Champions League, learning from the likes of Ivan Perisic and being managed by Antonio Conte.
Spence is yet to make his debut but, at 22, he has age on his side, plus the speed and strength that Conte likes in his wing-backs. When he was signed, the Italian said: "This player is young but he showed he can become a good, important player for us."
If he puts in the work, Spence can become Conte's first-choice right wing-back in a year or so, fully justifying his decision to join Spurs.
Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment