Last weekend we were treated to some really exciting FA Cup third round action but now all attention turns back to the Premier League.
The ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the Aston Villa camp has led to the postponement of the Villains clash with Everton but we still have nine matches lined up for us, including a fascinating top of the table clash.
Wolves vs West Brom (12:30pm Saturday)
The weekend action kicks off at Molineux where Wolves host West Brom in an intriguing West Midlands derby between two sides who could really do with a win.
Wolves have now gone five games without a win in the Premier League, the most recent of those games ending in defeat at home to Everton on Tuesday night.
Nuno’s men did win their FA Cup third round game against Crystal Palace last Friday but that was their first taste of victory since mid December, form quite different to the high standards they’ve set themselves over the last three years.
Wolves sit 14th in the table coming into this game but know that a win would take them above Palace, Leeds and Arsenal and just one point off the top half of the table ahead of the remaining fixtures this weekend.
West Brom meanwhile are in a really bad place right now, having won just once so far this season, and have lost their last two Premier League games by an aggregate score of 9-0.
The FA Cup defeat to Blackpool on penalties at the weekend wouldn’t have done the Baggies any good either and they’ll be really short of confidence right now given they’re the league’s highest conceders and second lowest goal scorers.
Bizarrely, the Baggies have earned three of their eight points from impressive draws against Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool but Sam Allardyce is yet to taste victory as West Brom manager.
The Baggies have a very good recent record against Wolves, having lost just three of their last 21 meetings in all competitions, although these two sides haven’t met each other since 2012.
Leeds vs Brighton (3pm Saturday)
The action continues at Elland Road where Leeds United will look to get over their shock 3-0 defeat to Crawley Town in the FA Cup, with the visit of struggling Brighton.
You never quite know what to expect when Leeds are in action although you can be pretty sure of a goal or two, as the Whites are the second leakiest defence but also one of the most prolific attacks in the league.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men have enjoyed a successful first half of the season but they’ll look to build on their current position in 12th as they’re just three points behind Aston Villa in 8th.
Brighton meanwhile are really starting to struggle at the wrong end of the table and with teams around them slowly picking up points, that will be a real concern for Graham Potter’s men.
The Seagulls have failed to win in the Premier League since the end of November but whilst there have been some hard fought draws against the likes of Liverpool, West Ham and Wolves, they really need to start turning good performances into three points.
They’re just lacking the creativity and cutting edge in the final third at the moment but will take some encouragement from the way they played against Man City in midweek and try to earn a much needed win.
Brighton have won seven of their last nine games against Leeds although their last meeting ended in defeat for the Seagulls as the Whites were 2-0 victors in the Championship back in 2017.
West Ham vs Burnley (3pm Saturday)
Also at 3pm on Saturday is the clash between West Ham and Burnley at the London Stadium where both sides will look to build on some positive recent form.
West Ham have lost just once in their last season games in all competitions but most recently overcame a potential banana skin against non league Stockport in the FA Cup on a very boggy pitch.
The Hammers look so much harder to beat than they did last season and have now kept three straight clean sheets in tricky games.
David Moyes’ men will look to climb to eighth with a win this weekend ahead of a run of games they’ll feel may well be winnable.
Burnley looked to be in real danger not long ago but have since earned very valuable wins against Arsenal, Wolves and Sheffield United.
They’re now four points clear of the bottom three with a game in hand on some teams around them and Sean Dyche’s men may soon be able to to look ahead of them rather than behind.
They come into this game off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Man United but won’t be too disappointed by that given that it came just three days after being dragged through extra time and penalties by MK Dons.
Burnley have won the last three meetings between these two sides and will look to do so again on Saturday afternoon although West Ham will be eager to make it three wins on the bounce.
Fulham vs Chelsea (5:30pm Saturday)
Saturday’s tea time kick off treats us to a West London derby at Craven Cottage where Fulham will look to take points off a member of the ‘big six’ for the the third time this season.
They played very well against Spurs on Wednesday, and thoroughly deserved to walk away with a point, just as they did against Liverpool last month.
Their last five Premier League games have all ended as a draw but Scott Parker’s men will need to start transforming those into three points if they’re to avoid relegation this season.
A win could take them out of the drop zone if Brighton lose and they will come into this game with a bit of confidence about them.
Chelsea have won just one of their last six Premier League games, not the kind of form that will earn you a top four finish come the end of the season.
They breezed through the FA Cup third round though with a 4-0 win over Morecambe and Chelsea fans will hope that had given the players a bit of much needed confidence.
The Blues could climb to within one point of the top six this weekend if other results go their way but all focus will be on their own performance and on getting back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Recent history suggests nothing over than a Chelsea win here as the Blues have lost just once against Fulham since 1980, a run covering 38 games but the Cottagers will be keen to change that this weekend.
Leicester vs Southampton (8pm Saturday)
Saturday is wrapped up at the King Power Stadium as two high-flying sides face off with the possibility of ending the weekend in the top four.
Leicester City have set the bar very high in recent seasons but they haven’t disappointed so far in this campaign and currently sit fourth in the league, four points off the top.
The Foxes are now five games unbeaten in all competitions, holding Man United to a 2-2 draw and beating Tottenham in the process.
They come into this game off the back of a very convincing win over Stoke and will be full of confidence after that 4-0 win, looking to take that into Saturday’s game against tough opposition.
Southampton have also really impressed this season and will be looking to climb into the top six with a win this weekend.
The Saints recorded a fantastic 1-0 win over Champions Liverpool last time out but have since had almost two weeks away from any football as the FA Cup game against Shrewsbury was postponed.
Ralph Hasenhutt has got his side well drilled this season and Southampton now have the joint third best defensive record in the league and have conceded just twice in their last six games.
Leicester beat Southampton 9-0 in this fixtures last season but that sparked a new lease of life in the Saints in many ways, before a 2-1 victory for Southampton in January.
Sheffield United vs Tottenham (2pm Sunday)
Sunday’s action gets underway with an intriguing clash at Bramall Lane, between two sides coming into this game off the back of contrasting results.
Sheffield United finally earned their first Premier League win of the season in midweek when they beat Newcastle 1-0 to end their record-breaking 17 game run without victory prior to that.
The Blades still sit rock bottom of the league but they’ll be hoping that may be the turning point in their season and the start of a miraculous escape from relegation, although there’s still a very long way to go.
Chris Wilder’s men have a very tricky fixture list coming up with Spurs, Man United and Man City awaiting them in their next three Premier League games but they will have a renewed sense of confidence for now and will hope they can start to bridge the gap to safety in the coming weeks.
It wasn’t long ago that we were talking about Tottenham as serious title contenders but they come into this game in sixth position, after a disappointing draw against Fulham.
They’re six points off the top as we head into this weekend and whilst that is not an unassailable gap by any means, there have been too many occasions this season where Spurs have failed to see games out against sides they would be expected to beat.
A win on Sunday could put Mourinho’s men into second if other results go their way but they too face some tricky fixtures in the next few weeks.
Tottenham failed to beat Sheffield United last season and the Blades will be hoping they can beat Spurs at Bramall Lane, just like they did in July when they were on the winning end of a 3-1 scoreline.
Liverpool vs Man United (4:30pm Sunday)
Perhaps the most eye catching in this weekend’s fixture list is the clash between huge rivals Liverpool and Man United, and not only is this a historic grudge match, but it is also a highly anticipated fixture between the top two.
Liverpool have certainly not reached their unbeatable best like last season but have still shown strong signs to suggest they could be retain their crown this season.
But the Reds are without a win in their last three Premier League games and they would’ve been expected to come out in top in each of them.
Jurgen Klopp’s men will return to the summit if they win on Sunday but the next month has some tricky fixtures in store for them and Liverpool’s resolve will be tested in games to come.
Few would’ve expected Man United to be top of the league at this stage after some very poor performances towards the start of the season but Solskjaer’s men look well up for a title challenge at the moment.
United are now unbeaten in 11 Premier League matches, not losing since the start of November, and they’ll be so full of confidence coming into huge games like this.
A win for the Red Devils would extend the gap at the top to six points and would put them in a fantastic position ahead of a relatively kind fixture list for the next month.
Six of the last nine games between these two sides have ended in a draw and it would be sensible to expect another tight contest this weekend, although Liverpool will be keen to come out on top as they did in January last year with a 2-0 victory at Anfield.
Man City vs Crystal Palace (7:15pm Sunday)
Sunday’s action come to a close at the Etihad where in-form Manchester City play host to a Crystal Palace side who look pretty short of confidence.
Manchester City have now won all of their last seven games in all competitions and haven’t tasted defeat since November when they were beaten by Spurs.
Rarely for a City side, they don’t look like they have the goalscoring threat they have had in recent seasons but they do have the best defensive record in the league, having conceded on only 13 occasions.
They come into this game in third place and could be just one point behind the top at the end of the weekend if they can overcome Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace.
The Eagles have won just once in their last eight games, with that solitary win coming against Sheffield United at the start of the month.
Palace are in 13th place coming into this game and although relegation will likely not be an issue this season, they’re not really showing any real signs of a top half finish at the moment.
A Roy Hodgson side are typically well drilled at the back but this season they have the join third worst defensive record, level with Sheffield United for goals conceded, not what you want coming into a game against Man City.
Man City have lost won nine of their last twelve games against Crystal Palace, losing just once in the process, but the Eagles will be hoping they can compete to the level they did in the last meeting a year ago when they earned a 2-2 draw.
Arsenal vs Newcastle (8pm Monday)
The weekend’s Premier League action comes to an end on Monday night as two sides in the bottom half of the table to head to head at the Emirates.
Arsenal have just started to come to life after an awful spell towards the bottom of the league but have now won four of their last five games in all competitions, including an extra time triumph against Monday’s opponents.
The Gunners could climb up to eighth with a win, depending on other results, which would be a huge incentive given the way they started this season.
The only way is up for Mikel Arteta’s men now, who have kept a clean sheet in their last four matches, and they will feel pretty confident they can come out on top on Monday night.
Newcastle are without a win in eight games, losing six of those and becoming the first side to lose to Sheffield United all season on Tuesday.
They have to be careful they’re not sucked into a relegation battle and whilst the gap currently stands at seven points, it is beginning to close on the Magpies who are slipping further and further down the table.
Steve Bruce’s men have scored just once in their last six outings, and the likes of Callum Wilson, Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Andy Carroll will need to start scoring soon.
Arsenal have a fantastic record against Newcastle, winning all but one of their last fifteen meetings in all competitions and the Gunners will feel they can add to that at the end of this Premier League weekend.
