The Premier League continues this weekend with Matchday 26, and Sportsnet will have live coverage of five games.
Saturday, February 9
• Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, 9:30 a.m. ET (Sportsnet)
• Huddersfield Town vs. Arsenal, 9:30 a.m. ET (Sportsnet ONE)
• Watford vs. Everton, 9:30 a.m. ET (online at Sportsnet NOW+)
Sunday, February 10
• Manchester City vs. Chelsea, 10:30 a.m. ET (Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet World)
Monday, February 11
• Wolves vs. Newcastle United, 2:00 p.m. ET (Sportsnet World)
Here’s what you need to know ahead of this weekend.
MARQUEE MATCH
Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Man City moved into a tie with Liverpool atop the table following Wednesday’s win at Goodison Park, although it’s important to remember the Reds have a game in hand.
Liverpool hosts Bournemouth on Saturday, which means Man City could drop down to second place by the time Sunday’s home game against Chelsea rolls around. There’s still plenty of games to play, so a Man City loss wouldn’t be a huge blow to its title hopes, but it would give Liverpool a bit of an advantage and some breathing space.
This is a big match for Chelsea, too. Having defeated Man City earlier in the season, the London club is looking to put some distance between itself and Manchester United (two points back) and Arsenal (three points back).
PLAYER TO WATCH
Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool: The Reds’ dynamic duo love playing against Bournemouth. Salah has five goals in three appearances against the Cherries, while Firmino has three goals and three assists in six starts. Look for both players to run rampant when Liverpool hosts Bournemouth on Saturday.
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FULHAM vs. MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United is unbeaten in 10 Premier League matches against Fulham, with eight wins.
CRYSTAL PALACE vs. WEST HAM UNITED
West Ham is looking to win a fourth consecutive Premier London derby for the first time since February 1996.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN vs. ARSENAL
Huddersfield is looking for its first victory in 12 competitive matches against Arsenal, with its last win coming back in January 1971.
SOUTHAMPTON vs. CARDIFF CITY
Cardiff is attempting to register a second consecutive top-flight victory for the first time since April 1962.
WATFORD vs. EVERTON
After winning its opening three Premier League home matches this season, Watford has since earned just eight points from a possible 27.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION vs. BURNLEY
Chris Wood has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League starts against Brighton, but he has failed to find the net in five of the last six.
TOTTENHAM vs. LEICESTER CITY
Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has been directly involved in seven goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against Tottenham, scoring four goals and tallying three assists.
WOLVES vs. NEWCASTLE UNITED
Wolves’ Raul Jimenez has nine goal this season. If he scores this weekend, he would become just the second Mexican to reach double figures in a single campaign after Chicharito.
THE BIG QUESTION
Every week, Sportsnet’s soccer panel will debate The Big Question. Have your say by voting in the poll below:
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WORTH REPEATING
"The reality is we could have been, one month ago, 10 points behind when we played Liverpool. A few days ago, we could have been seven points behind. Now we are top of the league. That is the best advice. The lesson is never give up. That is a lesson for all athletes. Try to win the games, because life can change immediately." – Pep Guardiola, after Manchester City’s midweek win over Everton.
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