Now we really are at that point of the festive season. We have a bumper round of fixtures for matchday 18, kicking off on Thursday evening with the final match being played on Sunday afternoon. It is that tight at the top that three teams could claim the highly sought-after Christmas top spot. Here is your weekend preview.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Eagles versus Seagulls
Crystal Palace impressed against Liverpool to come from 2-0 down to claim a draw at the Etihad last weekend, but they’re still without a Premier League win in over a month and the pressure is still on Roy Hodgson.
They welcome rivals Brighton to Selhurst Park on Thursday evening knowing a win lifts them into 12th position. Defeat, however, could see them end the weekend as low as 17th in the Premier League.
Brighton, despite their inconsistent form over recent weeks, have the opportunity to climb to seventh. Roberto De Zerbi’s side have won just two of their previous 10 Premier League fixtures and were easily beaten by Arsenal last weekend, a result that dropped them into ninth in the top-flight.
The Seagulls are still to keep a domestic clean sheet this season while Crystal Palace have found the back of the net in six of their last seven outings. It has the potential to be a thrilling game filled with goals.
The Villa Park fortress
Aston Villa are the only team in the Premier League with a 100% home record this season following Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United last weekend. Unai Emery’s men have beaten Arsenal and Manchester City at Villa Park, scoring 25 goals in eight home matches while only conceding on five occasions.
Villa host bottom of the table Sheffield United on Friday knowing a win sees them leapfrog Arsenal and Liverpool into top spot in the Premier League, at least for 24 hours.
That should be a formality for the Villans. They have won seven of their last 10 in the English top flight. By comparison, the Blades have lost seven of their last 10.
Sheffield United have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded 43 times, while Villa are the second most potent team in the league. Their 37 goals can only be bettered by Manchester City (40).
If Chris Wilder’s men get anything from this game, it will be a shock.
Hammer time for Manchester United?
Manchester United managed to dig deep at Anfield last weekend to take a point off of Liverpool. It eased the pressure on Erik Ten Hag but if results go against them on matchday 18, the Red Devils will head into the Boxing Day fixtures in ninth position and questions over the Dutchman’s long-term future at Old Trafford will once again be asked.
They travel to West Ham on Saturday afternoon knowing defeat against David Moyes’ men will see their hosts leapfrog them.
The Hammers have actually been on a decent run of form in the league as of late. Since a four-game winless run towards the end of October, West Ham have won four of their six matches and this includes victories against Spurs and a comfortable 3-0 triumph over a usually resilient Wolves side.
United have conceded nine goals fewer than their hosts but West Ham have scored 11 more goals. So this game could well be decided by which team manages to win the battle of the strengths.
Top spot up for grabs
Saturday night sees Arsenal travel to Anfield. Liverpool currently trail the Gunners by a point but could well end the weekend in first place. This game sees the two teams with the best defensive records in the Premier League face off. They are also two of the highest scoring teams in the English top flight with the Reds (36) in third while the Gunners (35) are in fifth place.
Last season’s game at Anfield didn’t end the title challenge for Arsenal but it did derail their campaign. Mikel Arteta’s side took a 2-0 lead but failed to see the game out. It extended Arsenal’s winless run at Anfield in the league, a run that dates back to September 2012.
Following the draw on Merseyside, the Gunners won just three of their remaining eight Premier League matches to finish five points behind champions Manchester City. Arteta will want to make a statement this weekend and a win at Anfield goes a long way to telling the world that this Arsenal team is different to the one from last season.
Liverpool also have a point to prove following Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United. The Reds have been managing to grind out results but performances have been sub-par.
They now need a performance AND a result to silence those who believe they are in a false position right now. It could be a Christmas cracker.
What Chelsea will we get?
Carabao Cup semi-finalists Chelsea head to Molineux on Christmas Eve to take on Wolves. Mauricio Pochettino’s men continue to be inconsistent and you never actually know what version of this team you are going to get. Wolves have been just as patchy this term. It is perhaps why just three points separate these two teams as we head towards the mid-way point of the campaign.
Will the Carabao Cup success be a springboard for Chelsea to finally kickstart their season properly or will it be another false dawn? Will they finish matchday 18 in the bottom half of the table?
It might not feel like it, but this could be season defining for the Blues.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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