Premier League preview: Title race and relegation dogfight continues
By Andy Baber
Christmas is just around the corner and the Premier League could not be better poised, with the battle at the top and the bottom of the standings the very definition of tight.
This weekend kicks off a stacked schedule of fixtures which will see all 20 teams play three games over the next week, providing an opportunity for some serious jostling for places.
Here’s the key talking points to look out for this weekend.
Can Watford get back to winning ways?
The drama starts on Friday night at the Brentford Community Stadium where Watford will look to snap a run of three consecutive defeats and ease their relegation fears.
Claudio Ranieri’s side have faced a tough run of games since stunning Manchester United last month, losing to Leicester City, Chelsea and Manchester City in their last three.
They currently sit 17th, three points clear of the drop zone, while Brentford head into the contest four places higher than their visitors having drawn with Leeds United last time out.
The Bees have only lost one of their last four in the league and Thomas Frank’s men could edge themselves into the top half of the table (albeit briefly) with a win over Watford.
City look to lay down marker to title rivals
Wolves are one of the mid-table teams Brentford will hope to gain ground on, especially seeing as Bruno Lage’s outfit face a daunting trip to Manchester City in Saturday’s early game.
While City lost away in Europe to RB Leipzig in midweek, they have won their last five in a row in the league and currently lead the pack after Chelsea’s slip-up against West Ham.
Inconsistency has plagued Wolves so far this season but they showed how dangerous they can be at the weekend when they came within a whisker of nicking a point off Liverpool.
But with Liverpool and Chelsea to play later in the day, the early kick off at the Etihad Stadium provides City will an ideal opportunity to pile the pressure on their title rivals.
Gerrard returns to old stomping ground
Talking of the title race, a familiar face awaits Liverpool in the dugout this weekend as Steven Gerrard returns to Anfield for the first time as a manager with resurgent Aston Villa.
Liverpool have won their last seven on the bounce in all competitions and trail Man City by a point thanks to Divock Origi’s last-gasp winner against Wolves last weekend.
Jurgen Klopp’s men also defeated AC Milan in midweek to become the first-ever English team to win all six of their group games but Gerrard’s Villa are in their own rich vein of form.
Tenth-placed Villa have three wins in four since Gerrard took the reins and gave Man City a good run in their defeat, so Liverpool cannot afford to take the visitors for granted.
Are cracks starting to show at Chelsea?
Having led the way for much of this season, Chelsea were usurped at the top of the Premier League standings by Man City last weekend after going down 3-2 to West Ham.
Thomas Tuchel’s charges then followed up that disappointment by conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 3-3 with Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League in midweek.
Leeds are the visitors to Stamford Bridge this weekend, fresh from their entertaining 2-2 draw with Brentford which moved them six points clear of the relegation zone.
On the surface, this should be a straightforward afternoon for Chelsea but their tendency to coast through games could prove costly against Marcelo Bielsa’s high-energy outfit.
Race for final top four spot heats up
While it looks for all the world like being a three-horse title race, the final spot in the top four appears to be right up for grabs and there are several teams who are in with a shout.
Manchester United travel to Norwich City in Saturday’s late game as the Ralf Rangnick revolution continues in earnest, with the Red Devils only three points behind West Ham in fourth.
United have won back-to-back games in the league, including a 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace last weekend in their first official game under their new German interim manager.
They sit one place ahead of seventh-placed Arsenal, who are also in action on Saturday against Southampton as Mikel Arteta’s men look to bounce back from consecutive defeats.
With the Hammers not playing until Sunday and fifth-placed Tottenham out of action this weekend following the Covid-enforced postponement of their match at Brighton, Arsenal and United can pile the pressure on their rivals with a win.
Relegation dogfight enters pivotal period
Newcastle finally claimed their first win of the season last weekend much to the delight of new manager Eddie Howe, leaving the bottom three teams all level on 10 points apiece.
The new manager bounce has given the Magpies and Dean Smith’s Norwich renewed hope of escaping the drop zone and they will both have 17th-placed Watford in their sights.
This weekend sees Howe’s side travel to Leicester City, who have been hit-and-miss so far this season, as they bid to capitalise on the momentum gained from that hard-fought 1-0 win over Burnley.
Burnley have gone four games without a win, drawing three in a row before losing to Newcastle, and their chances of ending that run are not high against fourth-placed West Ham.
As such, the relegation picture could look completely different by the end of the weekend as those teams in trouble attempt to avoid entering the new year in the drop zone.
Everton will also hope they can stop looking over their shoulder after putting an end to their three-game losing streak against Arsenal on Monday, with Rafa Benitez’s side traveling to Crystal Palace in the final game of the weekend.
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