Aston Villa will take on Arsenal at Villa Park as they look to finally get one over the Gunners. Unai Emery’s men were deserved 1-0 winners over reigning champions Manchester City in their last fixture, a result which saw them leapfrog City into third place, leaving them just four points behind their opponents. Villa have been near unbreakable at home as their last 14 home games have all resulted in wins.
Another win here will see them set a new club record of 15 successive home victories. The last team to beat them at home? Arsenal. The Gunners were not all that convincing in their last game against Luton Town, conceding three goals en-route to a 97th minute winner from Declan Rice in a 4-3 win. Nevertheless, they lead the League table and remain the team to beat, having lost just one of their 15 games this season. It will be a tough contest for them, especially with Mikel Arteta unavailable due to suspension, so it remains to be seen if they will come out on top.
Liverpool can go top temporarily if they beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the day’s early kickoff. The Reds are two points behind Arsenal in second place and are on the back of a routine 2-0 victory over Sheffield United. They have also been rocked by the news that Joel Matip will be out for the rest of the season due to an ACL tear, while Alexis Mac Allister came off injured against Sheffield and will be unavailable here. Palace are on a five game losing run at Selhurst Park, with the last three ending in defeat which has seen them occupy 14th place on the table. A response is demanded, but will it be enough to down the in-form Reds?
Manchester United will entertain Bournemouth at Old Trafford as they continue to push for a top four spot. The Red Devils have won six of their last eight League fixtures, and come into this on the back of a 2-1 win over Chelsea which saw them dominate the Blues for large spells of the game. Scott Mctominay has been in solid goalscoring form, with his brace against Chelsea making him United’s top scorer with six goals. United have a solid record against their opponents, winning nine and drawing just one of their last ten home fixtures against the Cherries.
The Cherries themselves are on a good run of form, picking up 10 points from their last 12 available, with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace the most recent positive result. They are now 15th on the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone. It likely won’t be enough to upset United though, who beat them home and away last season with an aggregate score of 4-0.
Brighton will be looking to make it two wins in a row when they host relegation contenders Burnley at the Amex Stadium.
Having picked up a crucial win against Burnley, Wolves will now look to pile on the misery on a Nottingham forest outfit who were sounded 5-0 by Fulham at the Molineux Stadium.
Chris Wilder will hope to pick up his first win on his return to the Sheffield United dugout when his side take on a tricky Brentford at Bramall Lane.
Tomorrow, Luton Town will face the ultimate test when they take on Manchester City at Kenilworth Road. The Hatters have been tipped by many for relegation this season, but they have certainly put up a fight, particularly at Kenilworth Road, where a 97th minute winner from Declan Rice denied them a share of the spoils against Arsenal.
They were also denied victory against Liverpool by an injury time goal from Luiz Diaz, and will now try their luck once more against the faltering champions, who are on the back of a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa as well as failing to win any of their last four games. Pep Guardiola has admitted his side are struggling, and he will be expecting them to make a point against the tricky Hatters. With Rodri set to return for this one, their chances of victory will be boosted.
Both Tottenham and Newcastle will look to bounce back from defeats when they face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs were beaten 2-1 by West Ham, despite scoring first, meaning they have now failed to win a home game in their last three attempts.
Newcastle on the other hand were pummelled 3-0 by Everton on the road, meaning they are now on a four game winless run away from home. The Toon Army won their last encounter at this stadium 2-1 however, and their most recent meeting ended in a resounding 6-1 win over the Lilywhites. A good game to bounce back, perhaps?
Everton will welcome Chelsea to Goodison Park as they look to pick up yet another three points. The Toffees were 3-0 winners over Newcastle in their last fixture, and will look to cause a familiar upset against the Blues, who were pegged back by Man United in a 2-1 defeat. Chelsea have found the back of the net with regularity away from home, scoring 15 goals in their last six games. This will be crucial if they are to secure the points against Sean Dyche’s rising outfit.
Fulham will take on West Ham at Craven Cottage, with both teams looking to build on victories against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham respectively.
Blueprint Newspapers on WhatsAp-Join now!