Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Mesut Özil in from the cold, Andy Carroll’s West Ham return and Southampton’s fears for another visit to Manchester City

Manchester United’s recent form has put a new twist on an old cliché. The international break came at a good time for United, but not just for the usual reasons. Marcus Rashford’s performances before he went away with England were abysmal; he looked unhappy, demotivated and in desperate need of a rest. It turned out all he needed was a change. Rashford always seems happy playing for England, and his storming goal to open the scoring in Bulgaria has apparently given him a huge injection of confidence and zeal. He has sparked United’s mini-revival with a number of moments of coruscating brilliance. A tactical change and the return of his on-field kindred spirit Anthony Martial have also helped, with Rashford now playing wide left or as a split striker rather than an isolated No 9. He is still a long way from the finished article, like most 22-year-olds, but he is the most likely of the current squad to become what all emerging teams need: a talisman. RS

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from Football | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Ntd8fZ