Premier League Matchday 31: City and Reds fear potential banana skins

Title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City both have jobs to do against relegation strugglers as the Premier League returns following the international break. 

Elsewhere, Manchester United look to keep pace with Arsenal and Tottenham in the top-four race when hosting Leicester on Saturday evening, with Spurs facing Newcastle on Sunday and the Gunners at Crystal Palace a day later.

Get up to speed on a busy weekend of action with our comprehensive preview.

Liverpool vs Watford (Saturday, 12.30pm, BT Sport)

Liverpool should have little problem keeping the pressure on City ahead of next weekend’s title showdown if the history books are anything to go by.

The Reds have won 12 of 13 league meetings with Watford at Anfield, including their last six straight by an aggregate score of 22-1. Three points here will also make it 10 straight Premier League victories for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Roy Hodgson — who endured a brief, ill-fated spell as Liverpool boss during the 2010-11 season — has improved the Hornets' fortunes on the road since arriving, picking up eight points from their last six road trips.

If the visitors are to spring a surprise, Cucho Hernandez is likely to be key. The Colombian has four direct goal involvements in his last three top-flight games, which is more than he managed in his first 19 such outings.

Brighton vs Norwich (Saturday, 3pm)

At least one losing streak must end at the Amex Stadium when sinking Brighton host basement boys Norwich.

The Seagulls and Canaries have been anything but flying recently, with this encounter only the third time in Premier League history that two sides on six-game losing streaks have met.

Graham Potter’s hosts have scored just 26 times despite their expected goals total suggesting they should have 38 by now. Meanwhile, no team has fewer goals (18) or taken fewer shots per game (9.8) than the visitors.

Late drama could be on the cards, though. Norwich have conceded a league-high 16 times in the final 15 minutes of games, while a whopping 36% of Brighton’s strikes have come in that same timeframe.

Burnley vs Manchester City (Saturday, 3pm)

Burnley’s survival bid is unlikely to receive a boost when the Premier League leaders head to Lancashire.

Pep Guardiola’s Citizens love playing the Clarets, winning the last nine meetings by an aggregate score of 32-1 — though October’s reverse fixture was only by a relatively modest 2-0 scoreline.

This fixture traditionally offers a strong contrast in styles, as showcased by City’s league-leading 685 sequences of 10 or more passes compared to the Clarets’ league-low 66.

Sean Dyche is still without skipper Ben Mee due to a knee injury and will desperately hope to have the influential defender in contention for upcoming six-pointers with Everton and Norwich.

Chelsea vs Brentford (Saturday, 3pm)

Brentford make the short trip to Stamford Bridge to play a league fixture for the first time in 76 years.

The future remains unclear in the boardroom for Chelsea but it has been business as usual on the pitch, winning five straight in the top flight — they can make it six consecutive victories for the first time since November 2019 here.

Aside from December’s 3-2 loss at West Ham, Thomas Tuchel’s Blues have been ruthless in London derby clashes this term, prevailing in their other six without conceding a single goal.

Early March wins over Norwich and Burnley have eased relegation fears for the visiting Bees but a run of 12 away games without a clean sheet suggests this could be a testing afternoon.

Leeds vs Southampton (Saturday, 3pm)

Leeds will be hoping history counts for something against a Southampton side they traditionally get the better of at Elland Road.

The Whites have won seven of their last 13 league meetings with the Saints on their own patch, losing only once, and should arrive in good spirits after back-to-back injury-time winners prior to the international break.

Following an impressive run of just two defeats in 13, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s visitors have now lost three in a row and the Austrian will be keen for his side to snap that streak with a top-half finish still within their grasp.

Armando Broja scored the winner in the reverse fixture and could be the first player to score home and away against Leeds in a campaign since Paul Rideout in 1990-91 — though the Albanian is currently six games without a goal.

Wolves vs Aston Villa (Saturday, 3pm)

Wolves and Aston Villa meet in a Midlands derby which could have a significant bearing on the hosts' European chances.

Four defeats in their last six games have checked Wolves’ momentum and a disappointing collapse against Leeds last time out leaves them four points behind sixth-placed United heading into the weekend.

Villa won 1-0 at Molineux last term though and Steven Gerrard will be desperate to avoid a third consecutive defeat for the first time in his tenure.

Visiting forward Danny Ings has scored in his last two meetings with Wolves but been on the losing side on both occasions — one of those being October’s reverse meeting, where Villa blew a two-goal lead to lose 3-2.

Manchester United vs Leicester (Saturday, 5.30pm, Sky Sports)

United will need to snap a recent rotten streak against Leicester if they are to keep their fading top-four bid alive.

The Foxes have won three straight meetings with their hosts in all competitions, including a 4-2 triumph at the King Power earlier this season and a 2-1 success at Old Trafford last term.

Brendan Rodgers' men have looked more like their old selves in recent times too, winning three of their last four top-flight outings — though five defeats in six away trips remains a cause for concern.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Tottenham last month took the prolific Portuguese forward’s tally to 12 strikes this term. Gianfranco Zola’s 14 goals in 2002-03 are the most ever scored by anyone over the age of 36 in a single Premier League season.

West Ham vs Everton (Sunday, 2pm, Sky Sports)

West Ham and Everton meet in East London needing three points for vastly contrasting reasons.

The Hammers' 3-1 loss to Tottenham two weeks ago looks to have delivered a potentially fatal blow to their top-four tilt but David Moyes' Europa League quarter-finalists still have plenty to play for.

Everton, meanwhile, have not lost both meetings with West Ham in a campaign since 1972-73 but their dire away from — losing their last five — means that impressive streak looks under threat.

A crucial 1-0 win over Newcastle last month offered Frank Lampard’s Toffees a timely boost in their battle against relegation but injuries and suspensions continue to cause the 43-year-old boss headaches.

Tottenham vs Newcastle (Sunday, 4.30pm, Sky Sports)

Tottenham can pile the pressure on North London rivals Arsenal with victory over mid-table Newcastle.

Antonio Conte’s side could, at least temporarily, leap into fourth spot with a convincing win but they have struggled when hosting the Magpies in recent times — winning only two of the last seven such meetings and losing four.

Eddie Howe’s visitors put together a fantastic nine-game unbeaten run after Christmas to power clear of the relegation battle but travel south having suffered back-to-back defeats, both coming via late strikes.

Harry Kane has seven direct goal involvements (five goals, two assists) in his last four top-flight meetings with the Tynesiders, though six of his seven league strikes against them have came away from home.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal (Monday, 8pm, Sky Sports)

Arsenal will face a stern test of their top-four credentials when travelling to Crystal Palace in an intriguing Monday night encounter.

The Gunners have only lost one of their last 16 trips to Selhurst Park but five of the last seven meetings between the sides have ended level.

Mikel Arteta’s men have proven to be fine travellers in recent times, however. Should they make it a sixth-straight away win here, it will be their best run of victories on the road since September 2013.

Conversely, Patrick Vieira’s Eagles have found it tough going at home in 2022, not winning any of their five Premier League games — though they did crush Everton 4-0 in the FA Cup last month. 

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