Premier League storylines to watch out for: Gameweek 10

After a busy working week of European action during which Cristiano Ronaldo failed to bag his 700th career goal against the second-best team in Nicosia - the titans that are Neil Lennon's Omonia - we once again enter the weekend by loading up our Fantasy Premier League squads, sighing, scratching our heads for a bit, and then just giving Erling Haaland the armband. Again.

Here are five storylines to look out for as everything goes wrong for your club and your club alone during this weekend's edition of the Barclays.

1. Under pressure Cooper in desperate need of a...wait, what new contract?

Despite treating this summer's transfer window like a game of Pokémon, Nottingham Forest find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League table on just four points and a run of five consecutive defeats. A perfect opportunity, then, to renew the contract of manager Steve Cooper until 2025 so he has the time he needs to complete his Pokédex in both Kanto and Johto before taking on the Elite Four.

In fact, my reaction to this news wasn't dissimilar to some of the more expressive faces Cooper is known to pull each and every time he is reminded by the fourth official he can't, in fact, field all 46 members of his first team squad. The question is whether Cooper can now repay Evangelos Marinakis' faith in him with a much-needed win. Well, against Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa anything is possible.

2. Diego Costa set for typically quiet, respectful return to Stamford Bridge

After his sacking as Wolves manager only nine games into the season, Bruno Lage posted a rather emotional statement on Instagram - the home of emotional statements - thanking the fans, players, chairmen and most importantly of all his Portuguese birth certificate and relationship with Jorge Mendes. Just kidding on those last two.

Lage also claimed that his team didn't lose a match with a striker in the starting line-up, which isn't strictly true unless Hwang Hee-Chan is so terrible that he doesn't count. Which he is.

Diego Costa should therefore make his first start for the club in their match against Chelsea and, just like Lord Voldemort, he will be hoping that a dangerous wand (Reece James' right peg) won't stop him from getting one over that troublesome Potter.

3. Mitrovic vs Scamacca in battle of the big, hard b*******

After growing up on a steady diet of Dion Dublin and then John Carew I consider myself something of a target man connoisseur. Therefore, it brings me great pleasure to announce that both Aleksandar Mitrovic and Gianluca Scamacca will be elbowing defenders in the chest to bring down high balls at opposite ends of the pitch on Sunday as West Ham take on Fulham.

While a Gladiatorial fight to the death in the centre circle of the London Stadium may well be the more entertaining contest, we will at least get to see two bang-in-form strikers doing what they do best. Lucas Paqueta can do as much fancy Dan stuff as he likes, we all know everyone is really here to see these two score towering far-post headers.

All that could get in the way is Mitrovic's ankle injury he picked up last week, but admitting defeat before kick-off would be unforgivable.

4. Everyone waits patiently for Arsenal to self-destruct

Strange, isn't it? A bit suspicious if you ask me. Everything is going smoothly at the Emirates. A little too smoothly. Arsenal have won nine of their first 10 games this season, and seven of eight in the Premier League. They're top! Granit Xhaka has been playing like prime Pavel Nedved!

In contrast, Liverpool, by their usual standards, have been a bit of a mess other than that 9-0 trouncing of Bournemouth, during which Mohamed Salah took five years off the life of every single FPL player who had selected him.

All of this, in combination, can only mean one thing. That's right, Mikel Arteta: put the Sharpies away, your cute little drawings of the human anatomy won't save you now. 'Arsenal' is about to happen.

Disclaimer: I hope it doesn't happen, personally. I want it to happen right at the end of the season in a far more devastating and entertaining fashion.

5. Guardiola on the edge of his seat ready to compliment his favourite club in the world, Southampton

After generously donating Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia and Samuel Edozie to the Saints' cause over the summer, and even more generously playing Erling Haaland for only 45 minutes against Copenhagen midweek, Pep Guardiola now gets to welcome Ralph Hasenhuttl to the Etihad, give him a spanking and send him back down to the south coast with a P45 waiting for him when he gets there.

"They are so, so good," Pep tells Sky Sports afterwards. "You saw it in the way they pressed, transitions... they made it so difficult."

The final score? 4-0. All scored in the first 30 minutes.