Liverpool home fortress under siege P
Winner of key contest with Man City emerges with best shot to challenge Chelsea for title
remier League leaders Chelsea sit six points clear at the top, while the two closest teams chasing them go head-tohead on Saturday, as Liverpool hosts Manchester City. It will be the final Premier League game of 2016.
This weekend will be an endurance test for most Premier League sides, as there is another full slate of games on Monday. Liverpool will head north to face Sunderland, while City will host Burnley. For now though, their focus has to be on each other, as whichever team wins on Saturday will have the best shot of challenging Chelsea for the title.
City is on a three-game win streak, despite missing top scorer Sergio Aguero. The Argentine has been serving a four-match suspension for a bad tackle on Chelsea’s David Luiz, but can now return to action. Aguero leads one of the most potent attacking sides in the game.
However, there is one Premier League team with a better scoring record than Manchester City this season — Liverpool.
Reds midfielders Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane have been on fire lately, as has Brazilian attacker Roberto Firmino. Their strong play has helped make up for the fact striker Daniel Sturridge has been in a scoring slump, which he only just ended on Tuesday with a goal in a 4-1 win over Stoke.
Home advantage could be key in this game, as Liverpool is undefeated at home in 16 matches.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has done a good job of making Anfield Liverpool’s impenetrable fortress.
But it will be under siege on Saturday, as 2016 comes to a close.
Derby days
While Liverpool and Manchester City each have to contend with playing two games in three days, the schedule is more kind to leaders Chelsea.
The Blues are in action on Saturday at home to Stoke, and then get an extra two days’ rest before facing Tottenham in a London derby on Wednesday.
If Chelsea defeats Stoke, then Antonio Conte’s men will be in position to equal the Premier League record of 14 consecutive wins when they take on the Spurs.
Tottenham, of course, will be looking to snap Chelsea’s streak, to put themselves back into the title race.
Tottenham is in fifth place, a point behind Arsenal and just four back of second place Liverpool. Spurs play away to mid-table Watford on New Years Day, and are coming off an impressive 4-1 win at Southampton.
Chelsea and Tottenham played last month at Stamford Bridge, as the Blues came from behind to edge their rivals 2-1. Now it’s the Spurs’ chance to get even.
Seagulls flying high
Brighton & Hove Albion has now moved top of the Championship, thanks to a 17-match undefeated streak. The team known as the Seagulls host struggling Cardiff City today. Cardiff hasn’t lost a league match at Brighton since 2002, but that run is in serious jeopardy.
There are a number of connections between Vancouver and Brighton. Whitecaps FC defender Sam Adekugbe is playing for the club on loan, while another Vancouver defender, Tim Parker, recently had a training stint at Brighton. As well, Brighton’s chief executive officer is Paul Barber, who used to be the Whitecaps CEO.
On the field, the Seagulls are led by veteran English striker Glenn Murray. The big centre-forward is on loan at Brighton from Premier League side Bournemouth. Earlier in his career, Murray played four seasons for Brighton when the team played in League One. Murray finished runner-up in league scoring in 2011 with Brighton, and is currently runner up in the Championship scoring chart.
Solid partnership
Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera is having an excellent — AP FILES season. He’s formed a good partnership with teammates Paul Pogba and Michael Carrick, he has the most interceptions of any midfielder in the Premier League with 47, and last month he made his first international appearance for Spain’s senior team.
Herrera, 27, recently revealed he still wears the same shin pads he had when he was nine!
He says he’s superstitious about his shin pads, and plans to keep wearing them until they fall apart. Those little shin pads are now as old as some of his teammates.
Bob Lenarduzzi is president of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.