Man City aim to close gap on Liverpool
The Premier League does winter breaks like no other competition so the action will keep coming thick and fast this weekend with four blockbuster clashes.
Unlike most other European leagues where clubs get a sizeable chunk of time off around December and January — most notably the three-week stoppage in the Bundesliga — the Premier League churns on in relentless fashion.
All 20 clubs do get a breather as the 21st round of fixtures is split over two successive weekends, though with the FA Cup third round occupying the first week of January, together with replays and League Cup semifinals, the schedule is still full.
The title race will not be going into temporary hibernation this weekend with champions Manchester City travelling to out-of-form Newcastle United on Saturday with the chance to cut Liverpool’s advantage to two points. City’s Fifa World Club Cup commitments mean they have played only 19 games to Liverpool’s 20, and should they win on Saturday will be looming large in what is gearing up to be a compelling scrap for the title over the coming months.
Norwegian goal-machine Erling Haaland could return for City this weekend having been out since early December with a foot injury. Kevin De Bruyne’s return in the FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town was a tonic for boss Pep Guardiola.
Newcastle’s top-four challenge has faded with five defeats in their last six league games as injuries and fatigue saw Eddie Howe’s side fall to ninth place, 11 points shy of fourth-placed Arsenal.
Aston Villa’s unlikely title challenge faltered a little over the festive period, but they have the chance to go level on points with Liverpool if they beat Everton away on Sunday.
Everton, on the other hand, are trying to halt a run of three successive league defeats which left them only one point above the relegation zone, having appeared to be pulling clear. Sean Dyche’s side will at least be able to call on striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin after Everton successfully appealed against the red card he was shown in their FA Cup draw against Crystal Palace last week.
Wildly inconsistent Manchester United host fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday with the visitors likely to hand a debut to new loan signing Timo Werner who arrived from RB Leipzig this week to boost their attack in the absence of Son Heung-min who is away at the Asia Cup in Qatar. Tottenham could also have defender Micky van de Ven back for the trip after the Dutchman’s recovery7 from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since November.
Victory for Tottenham would lift them above north London rivals Arsenal into fourth place, while the best United can hope for is to climb to seventh.
Sunday also features a feisty west London derby at Stamford Bridge with Mauricio Pochettino’s 10th-placed Chelsea hosting 13th-placed Fulham. Both teams suffered defeats in the first legs of their League Cup semifinals this week.
Luton Town have the chance to climb out of the relegation zone when they travel to Burnley in a match of huge importance for both sides in their fight for survival on Friday.
It is the sort of clash that tests the nerve of managers at the wrong end of the table, but Luton's Rob Edwards is managing to remain relatively relaxed despite what is at stake.
Luton have earned admirers in the club’s first top-flight season for more than 30 years. While Edwards admits that it is touch and go whether they survive he says that the club's future is bright.
“We’ve got to look at where we’ve come from. We can compete and we just do things our way,” Edwards, whose side will move above 17th-placed Everton with a win, said at a news conference.
“If, and it’s a big if, if we can stay at this level and keep competing for a long time, then we’ll be in a better position to keep building and growing.”
But he insists that relegation would be no disaster.
“This is our first year in the Premier League, we’re never going to be able to go out and match other clubs,” he said.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t sign good players and we’ve got other good players in the building as well.
“We’re in the process of achieving something and that’ sa long-term thing.
“This club will continue to grow whatever happens this year because there is a really good plan with brilliant people running the club.”