Blues look to maintain lead
London, Jan. 20: Chelsea will bid to put the Diego Costa crisis behind them when the Premier League leaders host Hull, while title-chasing Tottenham aim to maintain their hot streak at troubled Manchester City on Saturday.
Blues striker Costa reportedly clashed with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte last week over the club’s treatment of his back injury.
Hull haven’t beaten Chelsea since 1988. In the unlikely event of a Chelsea slip, second placed Tottenham could close the seven-point gap on their London rivals when they travel to Eastlands.
City’s 4-0 thrashing at Everton last Sunday was the heaviest league loss of Pep Guardiola’s glittering managerial career and left them languishing 10 points behind Chelsea.
Liverpool striker Divock Origi has challenged his team-mates to keep the pressure on Chelsea when they host relegation-threatened Swansea.
Manchester United’s visit to Stoke offers the chance to exorcise some bad memories as Jose Mourinho’s side target a push towards the top four.
Fourth-placed Arsenal, eight points behind Chelsea, have no margin for error against Burnley.
Zidane seeks redemption
Madrid: Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he is responsible for the European champions’ back-to-back defeats as they look to return to winning ways when Malaga visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Madrid hadn’t lost in 40 matches in all competitions stretching back nine months until conceding twice to lose 2-1 at Sevilla last weekend, and followed that up with a shock defeat at home to Celta Vigo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final on Wednesday.
Zidane played down his concern, but admitted “something is wrong for sure”.
Sevilla are in stunning form having won their last four league games and travel to Osasuna, but will have to do without the influential Vitolo for up to a month due to a hamstring injury.
Barcelona stand just a point adrift of Sevilla in third and have bounced back into form themselves with three straight wins after a difficult start to the year.
Atletico Madrid remain on the outskirts of the title race, six points back on city rivals Real, and face a serious challenge if they are to remain in the hunt at Athletic Bilbao.
Meanwhile, Sociedad and Celta face off in the battle for European places on Sunday. Fixtures: EPL: Saturday: Liverpool vs Swansea (6:00 PM), Bournemouth vs Watford, Crystal Palace vs Everton, Middlesbrough vs West Ham, Stoke vs Manchester United, West Brom vs Sunderland (8.30 PM), Manchester City vs Tottenham (11.00 PM) Sunday: Southampton vs Leicester (05:30 PM), Arsenal vs Burnley (07:45 PM), Chelsea vs Hull (10:00 PM) La Liga: Saturday: Las Palmas vs Deportivo la Coruna (01:15 AM), Espanyol vs Granada (05:30 PM), Real Madrid vs Malaga (08:45 PM), Alaves vs Leganes (11:00 PM) Sunday: Villarreal vs Valencia (01:15 AM), Osasuna vs Sevilla (04:30 PM), Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid (08:45 PM), Real Betis vs Sporting Gijon, Real Sociedad vs Celta Vigo (11:00 PM) Monday: (01:15 AM)