Alan Smith's Weekend Briefing: Fulham vs Chelsea, West Ham vs Newcastle, Burnley vs Crystal Palace, Leicester vs Watford

Such authority, of course, has come into question up the road at Stamford Bridge where Maurizio Sarri has had to try to regain some kind of control following last week’s shenanigans with Kepa Arrizabalaga during the EFL Cup Final at Wembley. Has the dust now settled, as Chelsea would like us to believe? Or does resentment still fester between goalkeeper and manager?

Only those in the Chelsea dressing room know that. But a good win on Sunday should allow everyone to move on from the incident.

There are some within the game who make fun of Brendan Rodgers for talking about football as if he has reinvented the wheel.

Leicester’s new manager, it’s true, doesn’t talk down his abilities. He’s a confident sort who knows where he’s going when it comes to preparing teams for various challenges.

And let’s face it, the Northern Irishman has a good record. He very nearly won the title at Liverpool before totally dominating the Scottish scene with Celtic. To achieve that, you’ve got to know your onions.

As well as a sharp coaching brain, clever man-management and charisma cannot be in short supply.

And that last quality, perhaps, will be particularly welcome at the King Power Stadium following the rather sober days of Claude Puel.

But say what you like about the Frenchman, he was responsible for promoting some exciting youngsters into the first team, which would have caught the eye of his successor.

Rodgers inherits a talented group, featuring the potential of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Demarai Gray. The chance to improve these lads through coaching will certainly appeal.

As for the team in general, the new man will be endeavouring to turn the former champions into the best of the rest below the top six, something Watford, his first club in management, are making a bold fist of this season.

After scoring five at Cardiff and conceding five at Liverpool, they represent very dangerous opponents for Rodgers’s first game.

It was only a matter of time before he returned to the Premier League and he’s a welcome addition. Come May, I reckon everyone connected with Leicester will feel the same.

Won eight, drawn six, lost 14. These two clubs share identical records, though Palace sit above in the table thanks to a much better defensive record.

That said, this will be a very difficult match for the visitors if Burnley reach anything like the levels they did against Spurs last week.

Organisation and desire was first class that day as Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes once again did the business with a goal each.

That means these two strikers have been responsible for Burnley’s last eight League goals. As a partnership, you don’t get more old-school for might and muscle.

Palace, then, will have to be ready at Turf Moor.

Without the injured Mamadou Sakho, who could be out for a while, centre-halves James Tomkins and Martin Kelly must be in scrapping mood to tame this in-form pair.

It seems there’s hope after all for young English talent in the Premier League.

Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff is enjoying a good run of games in midfield and the 21-year-old celebrated on Tuesday with his first League goal in the win over Burnley.

The following night, at Manchester City, West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini put faith in 19-year-old Ben Johnson, normally a right-back but asked to play on the left in Aaron Cresswell’s absence. Never mind that Arthur Masuaku was available, Pellegrini preferred this academy product.

Johnson didn’t let his manager down, either. Faced with Riyad Mahrez for nearly an hour, the teenager stood his ground until the Algerian was withdrawn. Bernardo Silva then came over to have a go.

What an experience for Johnson. Hopefully, it won’t be his last.