Liverpool will look to bounce again from a uncommon defeat because the runaway Premier League leaders host West Ham on Sunday. Meanwhile Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are embroiled in a tense battle to qualify for the Champions League. Let’s check out three speaking factors forward of this weekend’s motion:
Liverpool not ‘complacent’
Having sucked any drama out of the title race weeks in the past, Liverpool suffered a uncommon defeat in opposition to Fulham final weekend that sparked accusations the leaders are getting complacent.
Arne Slot’s facet misplaced their 26-match unbeaten league run in an error-strewn 3-2 loss at Craven Cottage that bore little resemblance to the workforce that had marched relentlessly in direction of their first title since 2020.
But regardless of their second league defeat this season, Liverpool have an 11-point lead over second-placed Arsenal with simply seven video games left.
It would take an astonishing collapse for the Reds to not declare a record-equalling twentieth English crown and Slot is satisfied his gamers stay firmly targeted on getting the job finished as quickly as potential.
“I feel there is no such thing as a cause for us to be complacent,” Slot stated forward of West Ham’s go to to Anfield.
“I feel everybody that has seen our video games is aware of that it takes us a lot effort, a lot onerous work to win.
“The workforce that received the league within the final 4 seasons had been already 3-0 up at half-time virtually each single sport they performed. That just isn’t the best way for us.”
Top 5 race hots up
With 5 locations in subsequent season’s Champions League now obtainable to English golf equipment, the race for these profitable berths is about to go right down to the wire.
Third-placed Nottingham Forest, who host Everton on Saturday, hope to succeed in Europe’s elite membership competitors for the primary time since 1980-81 and maintain a 5 level lead over sixth-placed Manchester City.
Chelsea, in fourth place, are forward of fifth-placed Newcastle solely on purpose distinction, with the League Cup winners holding a sport in hand that would show essential.
This weekend, Chelsea face struggling Ipswich, whereas Newcastle host Manchester United and seventh-placed Aston Villa — two factors adrift of the highest 5 — go to relegated Southampton.
City, who entertain Crystal Palace on Saturday, are a degree behind Chelsea and Newcastle and arguably have essentially the most to lose as they bid to salvage a wretched season with Champions League qualification.
Pep Guardiola’s facet, who’ve received the Premier League six occasions within the final seven seasons, final failed to seem within the Champions League in 2010-11.
Leicester on the brink
Leicester’s dismal marketing campaign appears destined to finish in relegation and a loss at Brighton on Saturday would push them to the brink of returning to the second tier after one season.
Beaten 3-0 by Newcastle on Monday, the Foxes are the primary facet in English soccer’s high 4 divisions to lose eight successive dwelling league video games with out scoring.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s second-bottom workforce haven’t netted on the King Power Stadium since December 8 in opposition to Brighton and have gone seven league video games at dwelling and away with out scoring.
Van Nistelrooy is simply the second supervisor in Premier League historical past to lose eight successive dwelling video games within the competitors, after Daniel Farke with Norwich in 2021.
Mired in a woeful run of 9 consecutive defeats in all competitions, Leicester might be 18 factors adrift of security with solely six video games left in the event that they lose at Brighton and fourth-bottom Wolves beat Tottenham on Sunday.
Van Nistelrooy has no solutions to Leicester’s plight, saying: “Trying various things, completely different buildings, completely different gamers in numerous positions and the outcomes should not there. That is the worrying factor.”
Fixtures
Saturday (1400 GMT except acknowledged)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (1130), Brighton v Leicester, Nottingham Forest v Everton, Southampton v Aston Villa, Arsenal v Brentford (1630)
Sunday (1300 GMT except acknowledged)
Chelsea v Ipswich, Liverpool v West Ham, Wolves v Tottenham, Newcastle v Manchester United (1530)
Monday
Bournemouth v Fulham (1900 GMT)
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
