Just call it Super Sunday.
No it’s not the Super Bowl—the Barclays Premier League will take centre stage this weekend with two, high-profile games pitting bitter rivals against one another: Tottenham vs. Chelsea and Manchester United vs. Liverpool.
Plus, there are other contents with implications on the title race and the relegation battle.
Here are five key games to keep close tabs on this weekend.
Sunday programming alert: Watch Tottenham vs. Arsenal on Sportsnet World at noon ET. Sportsnet World Online | TV schedule
Tottenham vs. Arsenal
Arsenal arrives into enemy territory on a low, exiting the Champions League after 1-1 draw in Munich on Tuesday. Looking at the positives, Arsene Wenger can now focus all his attention and resources into winning the club’s first Premier League title in a decade. Unfortunately, Mesut Ozil will join Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott on the sidelines after picking up a serious hamstring injury. The German midfielder limped off the field at half-time against Bayern, and initial scans report he will be out for few weeks, missing a pivotal period of fixtures in the Gunners’ schedule that could define their season.
Tottenham are undefeated in the last five derby matches at White Hart Lane (three wins) and have produced four clean sheets in their last five league fixtures at home. The Gunners on the other hand have struggled defensively on the road of late (one clean sheet in seven games) and have failed to record an away victory in two months (two defeats and one draw). Goals are to be expected on Sunday, considering Spurs have only once kept the Gunners off the score sheet in their last 30 league derbies. A glaring problem that was exposed in the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend was Spurs ability to be their worst enemy. Tottenham have made 13 errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season, three more than any other side.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool
The 190th meeting between these two storied rivals is lining up to be a season defining moment for the visitors, as Sunday’s afternoon kick-off at Old Trafford will confirm if Liverpool are true contenders for the title. Tied for second place, seven points behind leaders Chelsea with a game-in-hand and with a league-best 73 goals in 28 games, Brendan Rodgers’ side has yet to taste defeat in the calendar year (seven wins and two draws), and sits comfortably 11 points superior to his counterpart David Moyes. The game marks the first time in a long while that Liverpool arrives in Manchester as the favourites.
Manchester United produced arguably their best performance of the season last week, convincingly beating West Brom 3-0 at the Hawthorns. Momentum might be with Liverpool, but the hosts boast renewed confidence and the prospect of tripping up their rivals push for the title. United have won eight of the last nine league meetings against the Reds on their home turf, winning the last four. There have been 14 red cards awarded in this fixture during the Premier League era—second-most next to the Merseyside derby (20). Given what’s at stake and the emotionally-charged nature of this rivalry, it’s doubtful that all 22 players will be on the pitch after the final whistle.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Sunderland vs. Crystal Palace (on Sportsnet World, 10:30 am ET), Fulham vs. Newcastle United (on Sportsnet, 10:30 am ET) and Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (on Sportsnet, 1 pm ET). Also, watch Swansea City vs. West Bromwich Albion at 10:30 am ET exclusively on Sportsnet World Online. | TV schedule
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
Chelsea is currently on a 14 match unbeaten run in the league (11 wins and three draws), with 25 goals scored and only five conceded. Chelsea’s last defeat—3-2 to Stoke City—came at the beginning of December. Instead of giving his usual narcissistic responses, Jose Mourinho has been somewhat humble in nature and continues to tout Manchester City (with three games-in-hand) as the title favourites. For all his tactical clout and man-managing brilliance, Mourinho is an intelligent opportunist that precisely times each of his comments. As he eloquently put it following the 4-0 victory over Tottenham last weekend, the Blues are not in control of their destiny at the moment. So why not heap the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini’s shoulders and force a reaction?
Aston Villa have not won back to back home matches in the league for almost three years, and have lost four in the row against the visiting Blues, with just one win in the last eight fixtures. Paul Lambert has watched his Villa side hover above the relegation zone all season, and three points on Saturday would go a long way into creating a sizeable buffer—they are presently six points above the drop. Surprisingly, the Villans are second to Chelsea (14) in points garnered from a losing position (13).
Fulham vs. Newcastle
The hammer fell hard on Alan Pardew on Tuesday, with the FA handing down a stiff punishment for his head-butt on Hull City’s David Meyler. He will now serve a Premier League record seven-match touch line ban. John Carver will take over the reins during Pardew’s absence, though the Magpies assistant isn’t exactly a calming influence on the bench, and is notoriously known for being a hot-head. Newcastle are five points behind Manchester United for the final Europa League place, and are well positioned to earn a favourable result against an opponent that has lost 14 of their last 18 Premier League home matches (three wins and one draw).
Fulham have used 36 different players in the league this season (most in the leaue), the unfortunate reality of having gone through three managers. The 3-1 loss to Cardiff City last weekend has made their bid for survival almost impossible to attain, given they would effectively have to win six of their final nine matches to have a decent chance at avoiding the drop. Felix Magath went as far as to confirm Fulham’s inevitable fate being difficult to avoid.
Hull vs. Manchester City
City’s embarrassing FA Cup exit to Wigan last weekend was followed by defeat to Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Man City put forth a valiant effort in the Catalan capital, though they were clearly second-best in both legs. City were killed off by their own sword—mistakes at the back and the inability to convert scoring chances. The absence of a solid core of centre-backs may not be exposed against smaller domestic opposition, but it’s a huge dilemma that could ultimately cost City the title this season. Equally, the void left by Sergio Aguero—who re-injured his hamstring—has also proven to be difficult to overcome. An obvious lack of standards haunts City.
This game takes place 21 days after Manchester City’s previous league game—a 1-0 victory versus Stoke City. The backlog of fixtures will come hard and fast, but Manuel Pellegrini is in full control of his side’s destiny, seven points adrift of leaders Chelsea with three games-in-hand. Hull City produced an admirable performance in the 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture, and have proven to be tough to beat at home, despite having recently only won one of their last seven matches at KC Stadium.
