Manchester Metropolis haven’t any time to lick their wounds after one other bruising Champions League defeat as Chelsea put together to go to the Etihad, with each golf equipment battling for a top-four end.
Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, each seeking to upset the established order by qualifying for subsequent season’s Champions League, meet on the Vitality Stadium in an intriguing match-up between two in-form groups.
On the different finish of the desk, beleaguered Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou badly wants a win in opposition to relegation-threatened Leicester as he seeks to maintain Spurs away from hazard.
AFP Sport seems at three speaking factors forward of the weekend’s motion:
Metropolis again to the drafting board
Metropolis’s 6-0 thrashing of Ipswich final weekend prompt they may have recovered their mojo however that optimism was swept away in a four-goal blitz from Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday to depart Pep Guardiola’s males getting ready to an embarrassing early exit in Europe.
A five-game unbeaten run within the Premier League has introduced Metropolis again into the race for a top-four end after a horrible run of outcomes.
The English champions sit fifth and would leapfrog fourth-placed Chelsea with victory on the Etihad on Saturday.
Nevertheless, their upturn coincided with a delicate run of fixtures and their collapse from 2-0 as much as lose 4-2 at PSG confirmed the frailties that more durable opposition may expose.
Metropolis face Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham of their following 4 Premier League video games.
The membership’s stoop, exacerbated by accidents, has pressured them to be unusually lively within the January switch market.
Ahead Omar Marmoush may make his debut on Saturday after sealing a £59 million ($72.6 million) transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, whereas Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis will bolster Guardiola’s defensive choices.
Champions League ‘goals’
Forest are on the right track for a surprising return to Europe’s elite competitors, beginning the weekend stage on factors with second-placed Arsenal and 6 away from Metropolis and Newcastle.
Qualification for the Champions League can be an astonishing achievement for Forest, who have been topped European champions in 1979 and 1980 below the administration of Brian Clough.
Nevertheless, Nuno Espirito Santo’s males face a stern take a look at of their ambitions on Saturday in opposition to a Bournemouth facet which are unbeaten in a club-record 10 Premier League video games.
The Cherries shrugged off a mounting harm record to place Newcastle to the sword in a formidable 4-1 win at St James’ Park final weekend, with Justin Kluivert scoring a hat-trick.
Bournemouth have by no means certified for European competitors however sit seventh, simply three factors off the highest 4.
“I just like the followers to dream,” mentioned captain Lewis Prepare dinner. “Why not get excited?”
Leicester lifeline for sorry Spurs
Bournemouth followers’ pleasure may be tempered by hyperlinks suggesting Tottenham may come calling for his or her supervisor Andoni Iraola if Ange Postecoglou fails to save lots of Spurs’ sorry season.
Harm-ravaged Tottenham have misplaced seven of their previous 9 Premier League video games to slip to fifteenth within the desk.
However fears that they are going to be sucked right into a relegation battle have to date been tempered by the horrible type of the underside three.
Former Premier League champions Leicester, of their first season again within the division, have misplaced seven in a row below Ruud van Nistelrooy and are 10 factors behind Tottenham.
However a win may raise them out of the drop zone as relegation rivals Ipswich and Wolves face robust matches this weekend.
Ipswich journey to runaway leaders Liverpool whereas Wolves welcome second-placed Arsenal to Molineux.
Fixtures (all occasions GMT)
Saturday
Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest, Brighton v Everton, Liverpool v Ipswich, Southampton v Newcastle, Wolves v Arsenal (all 1500), Manchester Metropolis v Chelsea (1730)
Sunday
Crystal Palace v Brentford, Tottenham v Leicester (each 1400), Aston Villa v West Ham (1630), Fulham v Manchester United (1900)
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