Watch five Premier League games live on Sportsnet this weekend, including Queens Park Rangers vs Chelsea and Liverpool vs Newcastle. Coverage starts Saturday at 10:00 am ET.
Premier League on Sportsnet
Matchday 33 of the Barclays Premier League is highlighted by one of the most important Manchester derbies in recent history. Manchester City is slipping down the table and Manchester United is only a point ahead of the Citizens entering the weekend.
Here are five matches to keep close tabs on this weekend
Liverpool vs. Newcastle United
The week will end with Liverpool hosting Newcastle on Monday at Anfield. Both sides are riddled with injuries and suspensions, so both managers will have to rotate accordingly.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will have to cope without Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard, who are both suspended. Mamadou Sakho is out for a couple of weeks and Daniel Sturridge is listed as questionable.
Newcastle manager John Carver has six injured players, which could raise to eight if Daryl Janmaat and Rolando Aarons aren’t fit in time for the game. Papiss Cisse and Fabricio Coloccini are suspended as well.
Newcastle and Liverpool have earned two wins each in the last six meetings, but the Reds have only lost one of the previous five matches versus the Magpies.
Monday programming alert: Watch Newcastle United vs Liverpool on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Queens Park Rangers vs. Chelsea
Chelsea has a seven-point lead over second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand. The league-leaders face QPR at Loftus Road on Sunday in what should be an easy fixture, but the Hoops have given the Blues fits in the last few seasons.
QPR has earned two wins and a draw versus Chelsea in their last six games, so this may not be the walk-in-the-park everyone expects.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho definitely won’t have Diego Costa, who has a hamstring injury and is expected to miss the next four matches. Cesc Fabregas is a doubt due to his broken nose as well. Both he and Nemanja Matic are one booking away from a suspension with games versus Arsenal and Manchester United looming.
QPR’s injury list remains the same, with five players ruled out. Adel Taarabt is touch-and-go after missing the trip to Aston Villa in midweek, so manager Chris Ramsay may field the same line-up from that match.
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
The 169th Manchester derby on Sunday promises to be a nail-biter. United has won 10 of its last 11 games at home, with Man losing three straight road matches.
United manager Louis van Gaal may have another attacking option available in Robin van Persie, who returned to training this week. Defender Chris Smalling should be okay after missing the Villa match last weekend with an illness.
Manuel Pellegrini’s only injury concern is Wilfried Bony, but he should be available on the bench for Man City.
Despite United’s better form, the Red Devils have struggled in the derby recently. The Premier League holders have won five of their last six games against their city rivals.
Sunday programming alert: Watch Chelsea vs Queens Park Rangers on Sportsnet World at 8:30 am ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Tottenham vs. Aston Villa
Tottenham is seven points adrift of a top-four spot with seven games to go, including their match against relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Saturday. Spurs may be out of the race for a Champions League berth, but Villa is in desperate need of a win to stay out of the danger zone.
Villa is three points above 18th-placed Queens Park Rangers. Since Tim Sherwood was appointed manager, the team has scored 11 goals in seven games—the Villans scored just 12 times in their previous 25 matches.
Defender Alan Hutton, midfielder Ashley Westwood, and winger Scott Sinclair are major doubts for Villa for the trip to White Hart Lane. Thankfully, Aly Cissokho and Philippe Senderos are slated to return.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino will be without defender Kyle Walker after he suffered a foot injury at Burnley last week. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is doubtful and will likely miss this game due to a knee problem.
Spurs have had plenty of success against Villa recently. The hosts have won six straight matches in all competitions against the visitors.
Burnley vs. Arsenal
Arsenal is in second place, seven points behind league-leaders Chelsea. Burnley is in the relegation zone, but could climb out with a win over the Gunners on Saturday.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche is still without Kevin Long, Dean Marney and Matthew Taylor, so he’ll likely keep the same line-up from last week’s 0-0 draw against Tottenham at Turf Moor.
Arsenal’s injury list is a lot shorter these days. Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy could be back in contention, but Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Laurent Koscielny may not be fit in time for the match.
Arsenal is on a tremendous run of form in the league at the moment. The North London side has won seven straight matches and has lost just twice in 2015. Burnley has traditionally struggled against the visitors, defeating them just once since 2008.
Saturday programming alert: Watch Tottenham vs Aston Villa on the four main Sportsnet channels at 9:30 am ET, West Bromwich Albion vs Leicester City on Sportsnet ONE at 9:30 am ET and West Ham United vs Stoke City on Sportsnet World at 9:30 am ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
