Ahead of another weekend of unpredictable Premier League action, we look at who’s playing who, and focus on Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea.
With the midweek League Cup action done and dusted, Premier League football returns with a bang on Saturday lunchtime when the Reds visit Stamford Bridge.
Much of the focus will understandably be on Chelsea‘s under-fire manager Jose Mourinho, with many predicting a defeat to Liverpool will see him lose his job.
It promises to be a typically spiky affair between two clubs with very little time for each other, and it would be a perfect time for Jurgen Klopp to earn his first league victory as Reds boss.
It is, without question, the standout fixture of the weekend.
Man United‘s trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon will be another test of Louis van Gaal’s side’s title credentials.
The Red Devils do not look entirely convincing, but their ability to pick up points at potentially tricky away grounds is one of their greatest strengths.
Arsenal visit a Swansea City side buoyant after their 2-1 win at Aston Villa last Saturday, but like United, the way in which the in-form Gunners grind out away wins is admirable.
Man City host Norwich at the Etihad, in what could be a long afternoon for the Canaries, while high-flying Leicester City travel to a West Brom side who have earned back-to-back league victories in recent weeks.
North East strugglers Newcastle and Sunderland host Stoke City and visit Everton, respectively, while the league’s bottom club Aston Villa face Tottenham away on Monday evening.
The White Hart Lane showdown will round-off what promises to be another action-packed few days of top-flight football.
Full Fixtures & TV Info
Chelsea vs. Liverpool- Stamford Bridge, Saturday 12:45pm, BT Sport 1
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United- Selhurst Park, Saturday 3pm
Manchester City vs. Norwich City- Etihad Stadium, Saturday 3pm
Newcastle United vs. Stoke City– St James’ Park, Saturday 3pm
Swansea City vs. Arsenal– Liberty Stadium, Saturday 3pm
Watford vs. West Ham United- Vicarage Road, Saturday 3pm
West Bromwich Albion vs. Leicester City– The Hawthorns, Saturday 3pm
Everton vs. Sunderland– Goodison Park, Sunday 1:30pm, Sky Sports 1
Southampton vs. Bournemouth– St Mary’s Stadium, Sunday 4pm, Sky Sports 1
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa– White Hart Lane, Monday 8pm, Sky Sports 1
Fantasy Football Tips
City are better than any other Premier League team when it comes to winning handsomely at home, and there is every chance they will bang in the goals against Norwich.
Sergio Aguero and David Silva may be back for the game, but sticking former Liverpool man Raheem Sterling in your fantasy football team seems like a wise decision.
The 20-year-old scored a hat-trick in his last home league game against Newcastle, and will fancy his chances of starring against Alex Neil’s side.
Jamie Vardy leads the way in the top scorer charts with 10 in the league, but he will face a stubborn West Brom defence on Saturday afternoon.
Tony Pulis prides himself on keeping clean-sheets, and they may well be the team to end Leicester‘s excellent run of form. Defender Craig Dawson would be a cheap choice to include in your side.
Southampton are a very fine side, as they showed at Anfield last weekend, and struggling Bournemouth could have a long afternoon at St Mary’s on Sunday.
Graziano Pelle has five goals to his name in just eight league appearances this season, and has a good opportunity to add to that total against Eddie Howe’s team.
Selecting one of Spurs’ centre-back duo Toby Alderweireld or Jan Vertonghen also seems like a safe bet, with Aston Villa unlikely to trouble the home side’s defence much on Monday evening.
Games That Can Impact Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp will be well aware of not letting the top teams get too far out of Liverpool’s reach at this stage of the season.
Both United and Arsenal will be tested against Palace and Swansea, and it should be seen as two matches in which the Reds’ rivals could slip up.
As mentioned, both are experts at grinding out wins away to teams below the usual top six, and it would come as no surprise if they each walked away with three points in the bag.
The title is there for the taking this season, but for Liverpool to stand any chance of an unlikely challenge, they need United and Arsenal to be dropping points in games of this ilk.
Not much should be expected of Norwich at the Etihad, with anything other than a City win a bonus. The same applies to managerless Villa when they face Spurs.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are quietly going under the radar at the moment, currently holding a three-point advantage over the Reds. Their 5-1 win at Bournemouth last Sunday was particularly impressive.
It still feels like a matter of time until both West Ham (3rd) and Leicester (5th) slide down the league table, but wins away to Watford and West Brom, respectively, would be a signal of intent from both.
The weekend action awaits, and what better way to start things off than a Chelsea-Liverpool showdown.
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