Premier League and EFL weekend talking points: Mohamed Salah a clear and present danger to Leeds United, Sheffield United facing new manager bounce, Doncaster Rovers need fans buy-in and Barnsley FC just need goals
Here are five things to look out for from the weekend’s action.
MOHAMED SALAH
A hat-trick against Rangers, the only goal against Manchester City and one in Amsterdam in the week, Mohamed Salah is starting to get amongst the goals again just as under-pressure Marsch takes his Leeds team to Anfield. Last season's visit was a hammering that pushed Marcelo Bielsa towards the exit – the Whites will be praying history does not repeat itself.
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Hide AdIt would help a lot if they could cut out the individual errors which have been helping strikers like Salah lately.
ADAM DAVIES
With no win and no clean sheet in six matches, Sheffield United travel to Carlos Corberan's West Bromwich Albion in need of a pick-me-up.
Former Barnsley goalkeeper Adam Davies – standing in for the suspended Wes Foderingham – had a lively game against Norwich City at the weekend, setting Norwich City and Teemu Puki on their way with a sloppy mistake, but denying the striker a hat-trick with a penalty save.
As this is Corberan's first game in charge, and at the Hawthorns to boot, it would be no surprise if the Blades defence was put under a bit of pressure, so they could need Davies on top form.
DONCASTER'S ATTENDANCE
This might sound horrendously geeky, but hear me out.
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Hide AdIn his first two matches in charge, new coach Danny Schofield has brought a much more positive and entertaining style of football to Doncaster Rovers but the key now will be for everyone to buy in – not just with enthusiasm but patience.
The players already seem to be fully on board but Tuesday's gate for his first home match in charge was Rovers' lowest for a League Two game this season – not helped by Stevenage's 170-"strong" away following. Has word got around sufficiently and are people on board, or will they just look at the points return from those two matches – one?
BARNSLEY'S STRIKERS
Manager Michael Duff called his side "toothless" in midweek and it is easy to see why.
No goals in the last four League One matches – and they only scored one in the game before that – just will not wash for a team with promotion pretentions.
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Hide AdDevante Cole's September purple patch ran out as soon as October started, and James Norwood has been no more than "okay" by his own reckoning with more cards than goals so far.
ANTONIO CONTE
The Italian is the 2022 version of one of the last managers Tottenham Hotspur appointed, then wished they had not.
Conte almost always brings fairly instant improvement to his clubs and usually trophies before results turn, off-field politics overtake football and his negativity suddenly becomes a problem. Spurs are in danger of lapsing into phase two so despite Bournemouth's revival under Gary O'Neil, extending their winless run to four games is unlikely to be shrugged off.
Leeds are at Bournemouth next, then Spurs in the Premier League.