LONDON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) — Arsenal face an enormous take a look at of character on Saturday after they journey to play Aston Villa within the Premier League realizing any slip-up may give Manchester City the possibility to drag clear on the prime of the desk.
Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat at house to Manchester City on Wednesday night time noticed them knocked off the highest spot after a run of two defeats and a draw from their final three matches.
Mikel Arteta has to raise his gamers, each bodily and mentally, for the go to to Villa Park, the place the house facet’s progress underneath Unai Emery has been halted by consecutive defeats.
Manchester City face a doubtlessly difficult go to to the City Ground to play Nottingham Forest, whose five-game undefeated run got here to a halt with a 2-0 defeat to Fulham final weekend.
John Stones is City’s solely participant out injured and with the return to Champions League motion subsequent week, Pep Guardiola has to get his squad rotation proper to keep away from dropping in Nottingham what his facet gained in North London.
Newcastle United entertain Liverpool in what guarantees to be an enchanting match, with Liverpool warming up for his or her Champions League conflict at house to Real Madrid the next Tuesday.
Jurgen Klopp’s facet improved their current type in Monday’s win over Everton, however a go to to play Newcastle, who’ve solely misplaced one sport all season, can be an actual take a look at.
Newcastle in the meantime must get again to profitable methods after a run of 4 attracts in 5 matches has allowed Tottenham to shut the hole on fourth place.
Chelsea are at house to bottom-of-the-table, Southampton, who may have Ruben Selles in momentary cost after sacking Nathan Jones earlier within the week.
Chelsea seemed drastically improved of their Champions League go to to Borussia Dortmund however suffered a defeat because of their incapability to show clear possibilities into targets.
Leeds United are one other facet underneath a short lived coach and it seems to be as if Michael Skubala may stay in cost till the tip of the season. Leeds go to Everton realizing that defeat would see them exchange their rivals within the backside three.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will begin to put some floor between themselves and the underside three if they’ll beat Bournemouth, whose final league win got here in November, earlier than the World Cup.
Fulham go to Brighton in a match between two sides with an out of doors probability of qualifying for Europe, with Brighton’s Japanese winger, Kaoru Mitoma in glorious type in current weeks.
There is a south-London derby between Brentford and Crystal Palace, the place Brentford’s better effectiveness in entrance of aim towards a rival that has simply 20 league targets all season, could possibly be an element.
Sunday sees Manchester United, contemporary from their 2-2 draw away to FC Barcelona, at house to Leicester City and Erik ten Hag will see his squad stretched to the restrict by accidents and the suspension of midfielder, Casemiro.
Finally, Tottenham will once more be with out Antonio Conte within the dugout for his or her derby at house to West Ham after the Italian stayed in his homeland after Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to AC Milan on Tuesday. The coach admitted he was discovering it more durable than anticipated to get better from a abdomen operation, and Cristian Stellini can be in momentary cost.