Liverpool can take one other big step in the direction of only a second English top-flight title in 35 years in opposition to fragile Manchester City on Sunday as Ruben Amorim goals for a primary Premier League win as Manchester United supervisor. The top-of-the-table conflict at Anfield gives Arsenal, who face West Ham, and Chelsea, who host Aston Villa, the prospect to realize floor. AFP Sport picks out a few of the key speaking factors forward of this weekend’s motion:
Liverpool’s league to lose?
Arne Slot’s rampant Reds go into the weekend off the excessive of beating Real Madrid 2-0 to high the Champions League desk.
Liverpool have barely put a foot mistaken within the Premier League both, surging into an eight-point lead after simply 12 video games.
All three groups who’ve loved a lead of eight factors or extra at this stage of the season in Premier League historical past have gone on to win the title.
City are there for the taking.
Winless in six matches, the English champions are bodily and mentally “fragile”, based on supervisor Pep Guardiola, who’s experiencing the worst run of his profession within the dugout.
“It has been, is being and will likely be a tricky season for us. We have to just accept it for a lot of circumstances,” he stated.
Even at their greatest throughout a wonderful period beneath the Catalan, City have did not tame Anfield, with their final win there in entrance of a crowd coming again in 2003.
Amorim seeks residence comforts
Amorim didn’t maintain again after seeing Manchester United labour to a 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich in his first match in cost final weekend.
“We are going to undergo for an extended interval,” stated the Portuguese coach. “This will take time, however I do know we now have to win video games.”
The go to of struggling Everton to Old Trafford gives the Red Devils the proper likelihood to kickstart life beneath their new boss.
The Toffees (10) are one among solely three sides to have scored fewer Premier League targets this season than United’s 13.
Sean Dyche’s males are simply two factors above the relegation zone and haven’t crushed United away from residence since 2013.
United, who sit twelfth, must profit from residence benefit to maneuver swiftly again up the desk with daunting journeys to Arsenal and City to come back in two of their following three league video games.
Villa hit the skids
Aston Villa are one other facet struggling for type. A 0-0 draw in opposition to Juventus in midweek prolonged their winless run to seven video games in all competitions.
Unai Emery’s males are nonetheless properly positioned to progress to the knockout levels of the Champions League of their first style of Europe’s elite competitors for 4 many years.
But their European exertions are starting to take a toll domestically. Villa have taken simply seven factors from their previous seven league video games to slide to eighth.
Next up is a tough journey to Chelsea, who’re flying excessive in Enzo Maresca’s first season in cost.
The Blues sit third, forward of Arsenal on targets scored, and will simply finish the weekend as Liverpool’s closest challengers ought to City fail to finish their winless run at Anfield.
Arsenal have bounced again to type with complete wins over Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon and can go second for twenty-four hours at the very least with victory at West Ham on Saturday.
Fixtures (all occasions GMT)
Friday
Brighton v Southampton (2000)
Saturday
Brentford v Leicester, Crystal Palace v Newcastle, Nottingham Forest v Ipswich, Wolves v Bournemouth (all 1500), West Ham v Arsenal (1730)
Sunday
Chelsea v Aston Villa, Manchester United v Everton, Tottenham v Fulham (all 1330), Liverpool v Manchester City (1600)
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