Top-flight football resumes after what feels like an eternity following a fortnight of FA Cup and Carabao Cup clashes across the country.
The
English Premier League is set to steal the headlines once again when Brighton attempt to topple the league leaders Liverpool who make the trip south of the capital on Saturday. Rafa Benitez will take another swipe at his former employers when Newcastle United roll up to Stamford Bridge to tackle Chelsea before Super Sunday sees the match of the weekend with Spurs set to welcome the rejuvenated Red Devils to Wembley. The final fixture in a blockbuster weekend pits Pep Guardiola’s Man City side up against the ever-impressive Wolves outfit.
Premier League weekend fixtures:
Saturday, January 12th
West Ham vs Arsenal
Burnley vs Fulham
Crystal Palace vs Watford
Cardiff vs Huddersfield
Brighton vs Liverpool
Leicester vs Southampton
Chelsea vs Newcastle
Sunday, January 13th
Everton vs Bournemouth
Tottenham vs Man United
Monday. January 14th
Man City vs Wolves
WEST HAM UNITED VS ARSENAL – LONDON STADIUM
West Ham have notched up just two wins from their last five matches in all competitions following on from a five-match unbeaten run prior, that was ended in a 2-0 derby day defeat at Watford just before Christmas. Arsenal made it back-to-back wins by beating Blackpool 3-0 in the FA Cup 3
rd round last time out.
This will be Arsenal’s third visit to the London Stadium having won 5-1 there on their first trip in December 2016 when Alexis Sanchez grabbed a stunning second-half hat-trick before playing out to a rather drab goalless stalemate in the corresponding fixture last season.
Arsenal have won five of the last seven against West Ham United in all competitions since a 2-0 home defeat in August 2015. West Ham on the other hand have not tasted home success over the Gunners since back in 2006 – a run of 11 matches in all competitions.
CRYSTAL PALACE VS WATFORD – SELHURST PARK
Saturday sees yet another London derby taking place between Crystal Palace and Watford. The Eagles have suffered just one defeat in their last six matches which included impressive victories over Leicester City and Manchester City in the Premier League before booking their place in the FA Cup 4
th round with a 1-0 win over Grimsby Town while Watford’s knockout victory against Woking brought the Hornets three-match winless run to an end.
The will be just the pair’s eighth Premier League meeting, despite having faced off a further 111 times in their history, across a series of other competitions. Watford won 2-1 when the sides clashed at Vicarage Road earlier in the campaign courtesy of goals from Roberto Pereyra and Jose Holebas. That was Watford’s first win in six against Palace since running out 2-1 winners at Selhurst Park back in February 2016.
LEICESTER CITY VS SOUTHAMPTON – KING POWER STADIUM
Claude Puel welcomes his former team, Southampton, to the King Power Stadium on Saturday – the home to his current crop of Foxes. Leicester need to bounce back to winning ways after they were stunned by League Two’s Newport County last weekend and dumped out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking. Southampton got off to a flying start under new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, picking up two wins from his first four matches under his guidance although they head into this encounter off the back of successive draws and are without a win in their last four matches.
The duo drew 0-0 in the Carabao Cup in November, with Leicester eventually winning 6-5 on penalties. The last two league matches to be played at the King Power Stadium between Leicester and Southampton have also ended in goalless draws - their last home win over the Saints came in April 2016. Southampton though have won just one of their last nine matches against Leicester City in all competitions since a 2-0 win at St Mary’s back in November 2014.
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