A heavyweight clash headlines the weekend Premier League fixtures, while Jurgen Klopp will hope Huddersfield can dent Man City‘s title bid.
Liverpool got back to winning ways with a hard-earned 1-0 win away to Brighton last Saturday, as they remain four points clear of City.
The Reds host Crystal Palace this weekend, with the Eagles’ 3-2 win at the Etihad last month a word of warning, should complacency threaten to creep in.
Away from Liverpool, there are nine more intriguing matches to look forward to—some more than others—as the season slowly edges towards its business end.
Here’s a look at the rest of the action on offer.
Wolves vs. Leicester – Saturday, 12:30pm – Sky Sports Main Event
The weekend doesn’t exactly start with a bang, as Wolves host Leicester in a battle between two sides looking to finish seventh.
Wolves have quietly slipped to 11th in the table after such a good start to the season, losing their last two games in the league.
Leicester, meanwhile, have become a very unpredictable outfit, winning against City and Chelsea but being beaten at home by Southampton last weekend.
A draw looks probable and might suit both teams.
Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Leicester
Bournemouth vs. West Ham – Saturday , 3pm
This is another clash between two teams not remotely relegation-threatened and for whom European football next season is a possibility.
Bournemouth are without a league win since beating Brighton on December 22, with Eddie Howe’s men now 12th, slightly disappointingly.
Nathaniel Clyne has made a solid start after joining on loan from Liverpool, though.
West Ham will be full of confidence after their 1-0 win over Arsenal, however, and they will believe they can take advantage of their opponents’ slump.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-2 West Ham
Man United vs. Brighton – Saturday, 3pm
It’s never nice to say kind things about Man United, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves credit for six victories in a row since replacing Jose Mourinho.
That being said, if he gets the job permanently it will be great news for United’s rivals, with the Norwegian surely benefiting from that new manager ‘bounce’ before an inevitable dip occurs.
Liverpool’s rivals are actually playing attacking football again, though, getting the best out of a number of talented players, in particular Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford.
Brighton are a good side, but they won’t get anything at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Prediction: Man United 2-0 Brighton
Newcastle vs. Cardiff – Saturday, 3pm
This is a huge game in the relegation fight, as Rafa Benitez looks to steer his Newcastle team out of the drop zone.
The Magpies find themselves one point and one place behind Cardiff ahead of the weekend visit of the Bluebirds, highlighting the importance of the fixture.
A home defeat for Newcastle would be an almighty blow, with a return to the Championship suddenly seeming like a distinct possibility.
In true Benitez fashion, though, he will likely grind out a win, no doubt resulting in the latest bizarre Neil Warnock press conference.
Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Cardiff
Southampton vs. Everton – Saturday, 3pm
Everton got back to winning ways in the league with a 2-0 triumph over Bournemouth last Sunday, stopping the post-Divock Origi rot in the process.
They head to Southampton this weekend, with Ralph Hasenhuttl continuing to turn things around at St Mary’s.
Their aforementioned 2-1 win at Leicester was a big result and they will believe another victory can be secured against an Everton side with only two away wins to their name this season.
It could be an entertaining match, with goals aplenty.
Prediction: Southampton 2-2 Everton
Watford vs. Burnley – Saturday, 3pm
Watford are the strongest contenders to finish seventh, not least because they are the current occupants of that position.
They have impressed throughout the campaign and have only lost once in their last eight outings, in all competitions.
Burnley may be slowly pulling clear of the relegation zone after some good form of their own, but it is hard to see them troubling the Hornets too much at Vicarage Road.
They may be tricky to face at Turf Moor, but on their travels they have lost seven out of 11 games.
Prediction: Watford 2-0 Burnley
Arsenal vs. Chelsea – Saturday, 5:30pm – BT Sport 1
A box office clash is on offer on Saturday evening, with Arsenal and Chelsea locking horns in a fascinating London derby.
The Gunners’ long unbeaten run seems a lifetime ago now and their defeat away to West Ham was their third in six league games.
With a six-point gap separating them and fourth-place Chelsea, defeat would be fatal as they look to return to the Champions League in 2019/20.
The Blues aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment, but they shouldn’t lose at the Emirates.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Huddersfield vs. Man City – Sunday 1:30pm – Sky Sports Main Event
Klopp’s great friend David Wagner’s superb reign at Huddersfield has come to an end, following his exit on Monday.
Taking charge for the time being is former Terriers captain Mark Hudson, who has the unenviable task of taking on champions Man City on Sunday.
It really is hard to see Huddersfield getting anything from the game, despite being at home, with the difference in quality on show enormous.
If the hosts get anything, it will be a wonderful bonus for Liverpool in the title race, having hopefully seen off Palace the day before.
Prediction: Huddersfield 0-3 Man City
Fulham vs. Tottenham – Sunday 4pm – Sky Sports Main Event
The weekend action concludes with a less high-profile London derby, as struggling Fulham host a Tottenham side with problems of their own.
Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to United may have signalled the end of their title hopes, and the loss of Harry Kane to injury and Son Heung-min to Asia Cup duty could further curtail their progress.
They should still be too strong for a Fulham team five points adrift of safety, but the Craven Cottage crowd will sense an upset under the lights.
It won’t be plain sailing, but Spurs will get over the line.
Fan Comments