PNE host Fulham this evening in the Carabao Cup

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is looking forward to going up against Marco Silva once again tonight.

The two managers have had their fair share of battles over the years, with Silva having paid the PNE boss compliments in his pre-match interview. It’s the Cottagers’ third consecutive season in the Premier League, having established themselves admirably following promotion in 2021/22. Heckingbottom has plenty of admiration for Silva and is ready for the tactical battle in store, on Tuesday evening.

"Yeah, a lot of time for him," said Heckingbottom, on Silva. "A good guy, doing a great job and I know how good of a team he is going to bring up. The fact we have played each other a few times makes it better. I enjoy that more and Marco will. We'll catch up afterwards. I know how well drilled they will be, how much quality they will have and I also know he'll be ready to make any changes needed, to make it hard for us depending on what we do."

Last week, Heckingbottom discussed the level of athleticism required to play in the top flight these days. Fulham have plenty of power within their squad and that is something North End’s manager will prepare his players for. But, when did the 47-year-old start to notice that big shift in the Premier League?

"A few years ago, when I first experienced it as caretaker manager in the Premier League," said Heckingbottom. "Yeah, massively evident. Listen, you experience it as a player and you experience it when you manage against them in cup competitions - in one offs it always feels different. When that becomes the norm, every week, it is a big jump.

“In all honesty, just in that two year gap of getting back to the Premier League, I think it improved again. You look at the numbers, the sprints, the top speeds. They are going up year-on-year. So, those are the demands and that's the level of the game. Our fans will see that tomorrow night, some top athletes in there, whatever XI he puts out. We've got to be able to handle that, then impose ourselves on the game."

Heckingbottom has plenty of Championship experience under his belt, but he’s also managed a number of matches in the Premier League in recent years. The PNE chief sees that elite physicality as one of the biggest differences between the two tiers.

"Yeah, quite a long way if you look at the average," said Heckingbottom. "It is a different physicality in the Championship, if you look at the fact it's 46 games and not 38. The way the game is refereed, in terms of more contact and probably more tackles. There's a little bit less control from teams in possession, so it's a little bit more frantic - which lends itself to more tackles and duels. So, there is a different physicality and mentality to the Championship - but the change in pace when you get to the Premier League and moments from slow to fast are just the blink of an eye. They are top athletes."