THE title race is shaping up to be a three-horse race, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool vying for the top prize. Liverpool have the chance to extend their lead at the top with an early kick-off but they face a rejuvenated Brentford.
Reigning champions Manchester City host Chelsea in the weekend’s plum tie while Arsenal take on Burnley. FocusM takes a look at the talking points from the weekend’s English Premier League (EPL) fixtures.
Brentford v Liverpool (Sat, 8.30pm)
Table-topping Liverpool travels to the Community Stadium without several first team regulars. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominic Szoboslai are confirmed out, while goalkeeper Alisson is the latest to join them in the treatment room. Talisman striker Mo Salah returned to training this week but is uncertain of a starting place as he seeks to return to full fitness from a muscle injury picked up on international duty.
The Merseysiders face a Brentford team buoyed by the return of Ivan Toney who has scored in his last two games. After a lengthy ban for gambling offences, Toney is making a belated claim for England’s Euro 2024 squad and the Bees will be hoping he can penetrate the Merseysider’s high defensive line.
Burnley v Arsenal (Sat, 11pm)
Vincent Kompany will feel hard done with the 3-1 reverse at Anfield last weekend, as VAR seemed to miss a foul in the build-up to the crucial second goal. He will be urging his Burnley team to maintain the same intensity that saw them peg Liverpool back for most of the first half.
Arsenal will be full of confidence following their 6-0 rout of West Ham last weekend, and Mikael Arteta will be demanding more of the same. Another convincing win and the Gunners will feel they have momentum behind them as they seek to keep the pressure on their title rivals.
Fulham v Aston Villa (Sat, 11pm)
Early talk of a title tilt has waned among the Villa faithful, especially after the damaging defeat to Manchester United last weekend. A top four finish would still represent massive progress for Unai Emery but he will need to inspire his Villa side, which is currently looking slightly flat and out of form.
Coupled with the painful exit in the FA Cup to Newcastle, Villa must win this game to put their season back on track. The visitors still have a chance to win silverware in Europe so building some impetus with three points at Craven Cottage will be imperative.
Newcastle v Bournemouth (Sat, 11pm)
Eddie Howe’s men host the Cherries in an intriguing tie as both teams employ similar tactics and formations. Howe had visited Rayo Vallecano a few years back to watch up close and personal the hard-pressing style being implemented by then coach Andoni Iraola.
Iraola is now in charge of Bournemouth and has gotten his charges used to his tactical demands, with a string of impressive results taking the Cherries up to the relative safety of 13th in the table. The Magpies are seventh and 11 points shy of fourth place, so a win is imperative if they want to claim a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Nottingham Forest v West Ham United (Sat, 11pm)
The calls for David Moyes to be sacked will have grown considerably louder after West Ham’s heavy home loss to Arsenal last weekend. Although the Hammers are in eighth place in the table, there remains a section of supporters who deem Moyes an anachronism whose tactics are staid and unadventurous.
A loss to a Forest side sliding down towards a relegation battle will hasten the Scot’s departure, regardless of his winning the Hammers’ first trophy in over forty years last season. Football is a results game and the Hammers desperately need a positive one against Forest.
Tottenham Hotspurs v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Sat, 11pm)
Gary O’Neil has been rightly praised for the impact he has had on the Wolves since joining them at the beginning of the season. He has quietly but assuredly guided the Midlands outfit to midtable safety, and with better luck on injuries could well be making a belated push for a European spot.
Spurs, meanwhile, are on a roll after scoring a last-gasp win against Everton last weekend. Richarlison seems to have located his scoring boots and Ange Postecoglou will be hoping his flourishing partnership with Son Heung-min will help propel Spurs into the Champions League next season.
Manchester City v Chelsea (Sun, 1.30am)
The reigning champions host big-spending Chelsea in an intriguing match-up. Manchester City have been their usual relentless selves as they begin to swipe aside opponents with impunity while Chelsea blow hot and cold. Pep Guardiola’s City is a well-tuned winning machine that grinds opposition teams into submission with a possession-based game plan.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side can look world-class at times or extremely naïve, sometimes in the space of the same game. A positive result for the visitors will help convince Chelsea’s American owners that the Argentine is the right man to rebuild the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion (Sun, 10pm)
Sheffield United are at the bottom of the pile for good reason. They have looked out of their depth in the top flight and have conceded 31 goals thus far, a Premier League record for this stage of the season. However, a surprise 3-1 win at Kenilworth Road against fellow relegation candidates, Luton Town, has fuelled belief that Chris Wilder can somehow engineer a miracle.
Seven points adrift of safety, it is not impossible given that there are 14 games to play. To survive the drop, the Blades will need to pick up points against a struggling Brighton side on the road who are winless in their last six away fixtures.
Luton Town v Manchester United (Sun, 12.30am)
Luton will need to dust themselves down after the damaging defeat in the relegation six-pointer against Sheffield United. The visit of Manchester United will surely have their home crowd out in full force as they attempt to cheer their team to safety. Erik Ten Hag seems to have steadied the ship with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojland beginning to form a lethal frontline.
The improved form will surely delight a new minority stakeholder – Jim Ratcliffe – as his involvement is supposedly on the football side of things at Old Trafford.
Everton v Crystal Palace (Tues, 4am)
The news that Eagles manager – Roy Hodgson – was taken to hospital a couple of days ago will surely mean his tenure is coming to an end soon. Poor results have already raised the spectre of the sack, but the 76-year-old’s health issues will certainly hasten his departure.
Former Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner is rumoured to be the replacement, though Hodgson’s assistants Ray Lewington and Paddy McCarthy will take charge against Everton. The Toffees may want to capitalise on the uncertainty surrounding Selhurst Park as they seek to climb out of the drop zone. – Feb 17, 2024
All photos credited to The Guardian
