December 11, (THEWILL) – On Saturday, all three leading sides in the English Premier League, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, are at home and will look to take advantage to keep up the competition for the title.
Chelsea have lost ground as injury woes have allowed City and Liverpool to leapfrog them in the standings. City’s game against Wolverhampton Wanderers might look easy but there is no telling how it will end.
Leeds at Stamford Bridge will have to deal with a Thomas Tuchel side hoping to recover from losses in the EPL, while the return of Steven Gerrard to Anfield promises a lot of excitement. Then, the Gunners will be seeking to return to winning ways against Southampton after two upsets.
THEWILL presents a preview of these fixtures, beginning with the early afternoon kickoff at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – 1:30 pm
Having seen their seven-game unbeaten run come to an abrupt end in the midweek UEFA Champions League final group game, Manchester City welcomes Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in the English Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s men lost 2-1 to RB Leipzig on Tuesday, while the visitors were undone by a late Liverpool winner at Molineux last weekend.
City’s 3-1 victory over Watford saw them take advantage of Chelsea’s defeat to West ham and reclaim the top spot in the Premier League table – one point clear of second-placed Liverpool. And, at this stage of the season, their title destiny is already in their own hands ahead of a hectic winter period.
Wolves conceded a second-half injury-time goal against Liverpool, their third game in the Premier League without a win or a goal. Bruno Lage has work to do to get his side back into top-six contention after overseeing a bitter downturn in fortunes with just one win in their last five Premier League matches. Wolves have scored just one goal in their last five games, highlighting their troubles, especially given that they have lost six of their last nine visits to the Etihad.
Arsenal vs Southampton – 4 pm
With the weight of expectation on Mikel Arteta’s shoulders, Arsenal will look to get back on track against Southampton at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime. In midweek, the Gunners were defeated 2-1 by Everton, while Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team had to settle for a point against Brighton & Hove Albion.
After two losses since the beginning of the month, the north London club has dropped to seventh place in the Premier League standings, four points behind the top four. Arsenal has won seven of their previous eight home games in all competitions at the Emirates, including each of their last three in the Premier League, and Arteta will be looking for more of the same.
The Saints had drawn two and lost two of their last four Premier League games, putting them in 16th place on the table. They have consistently underperformed on the road, losing 14 of their 18 Premier League away games so far. Arsenal has never lost at home against Southampton in the Premier League, so a Saints’ victory will go down in history.
Chelsea vs Leeds – 4 pm
Chelsea hosts Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and they will be looking to bounce back after a terrible week. The Blues are presently in third place on the table, while Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in 15th place, after a 2-2 draw with Brentford last time out.
Chelsea’s excellent start to the season has flattened out, with only one win in their previous four games in all competitions. Injuries to some first-team starters have not helped matters. The Blues are now two points behind table-toppers City and one behind Liverpool in third place, and they cannot afford to lose any more ground.
Leeds may not be losing matches recently but they have been dropping points for playing stalemates as they did against Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester last month. In their most recent tie, it took Patrick Bamford’s equalizer to rescue a point against Brentford. But, injuries have made challenging Chelsea this weekend tougher.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa – 4 pm
Liverpool welcomes Steven Gerrard back home for Saturday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa. In midweek, Liverpool defeated AC Milan 2-1 in the Champions League, while the visitors beat Leicester City by the same scoreline last weekend.
Liverpool has won all four of their recent matches at Anfield, scoring 12 goals and conceding zero, and not even the demanding winter calendar looks to be able to halt Klopp’s relentless machines.
Gerrard, a Scottish Premiership winner, has overseen a rapid turnaround at Villa Park, with three wins in four games since taking over, and even in their defeat to champions Manchester City, they gave Pep Guardiola’s side a run for their money. Villa has ascended to 10th place in the table as a result of their current hot streak, with Gerrard’s only away game thus far concluding in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, and the visitors surely know how to upset Liverpool fans.
The Reds’ players may still be having nightmares about their 7-2 thrashing at Villa Park last season, but it would be foolish to expect the same outcome this time.
Norwich vs Manchester United – 6:30 pm
Manchester United travels to Carrow Road on Saturday to face Norwich City and they will be hoping to make it three Premier League wins in a row. The Red Devils are currently sixth on the standings, having beaten Arsenal and Crystal Palace in their last two league games, while Norwich is in last place with 10 points from 15 games.
Norwich is three points below Watford in 17th place and has displayed a fighting spirit since Smith took over as manager. They now face back-to-back league games at home against Manchester United and Aston Villa before visiting West Ham United on December 18. On Boxing Day, they will host Arsenal at Carrow Road, and it will be fascinating to see where the club stands after the month.
Rangnick now has a chance to make it back-to-back league victories since taking over as manager of the team, The Red Devils are only three points behind fourth-placed West Ham United and have a favorable run of fixtures coming up in the coming weeks, with games against Norwich, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, and Burnley. Rangnick will be aiming for a high number of points throughout that time, beginning with Norwich.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
