By Sam McGuire
Main the best way on Christmas Day doesn’t essentially imply you’ll be main the best way on the finish of the season however the indicators are constructive. Throughout 32 seasons within the English top-flight, the leaders on December twenty fifth have gone on to win the league on 16 events.
Liverpool and Chelsea have the chance to complete this weekend as mentioned leaders. On the different finish, Everton, Leicester Metropolis and Ipswich City need to keep away from the ultimate relegation spot. There’s loads at stake throughout matchday 17.
A high 4 battle at Villa Park
A couple of months again, individuals would’ve circled the conflict between Aston Villa and Manchester Metropolis as a sport that would have enormous ramifications within the title race.
Now, although, it is rather a lot a sport that falls into the race for a high 4 end class.
Villa began the season nicely, dropping simply one in all their opening 9 Premier League matches. Nevertheless, they’ve misplaced 4 of their final seven within the English top-flight and discover themselves in seventh place, simply three factors away from thirteenth place Manchester United.
Metropolis, in the meantime, seemed like title favourites early on however have suffered a collapse, dropping 5 of their final seven within the Premier League. They path leaders Liverpool by 9 factors having performed a sport extra and will end the weekend as little as ninth relying on how outcomes go.
Final December, Villa claimed a 1-0 win over Man Metropolis. An analogous outcome may get their season again on monitor after a little bit of a blip whereas additionally damaging a rival within the course of. It truly is a must-not lose for both staff. No matter occurs right here may form your complete narrative for the rest of the season.
Fortress Gtech
Brentford have put collectively an actual Jekyll and Hyde season to this point.
At residence, the Bees have been one of the best staff within the Premier League. That’s no exaggeration both. Thomas Frank’s males have received seven of their eight matches on the Gtech and have picked up 22 factors from a doable 24 on provide.
They’re averaging over three targets per sport on residence soil.
Away from residence, they’re the worst staff within the English high flight with one level from eight matches.
Luckily for the Bees, they’re enjoying on the Gtec this weekend. Sadly for them, nevertheless, they’re up in opposition to top-of-the-line sides on the highway this time period, Nottingham Forest.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s males are third within the desk when away fixtures with solely Chelsea and Liverpool selecting up extra factors.
Forest beat Manchester United and Aston Villa in back-to-back weekends and will head into the festive interval in third place relying on outcomes. A exceptional achievement for a staff many tipped to be in a relegation battle this season.
This can be a fascinating match-up. Can Forest finish Brentford’s unbelievable residence report? Will Frank’s facet be capable of prolong their unbelievable run of outcomes on the Gtech in opposition to top-of-the-line groups within the league this season?
Relegation dogfight
Leicester Metropolis pulled the set off in November, dismissing Steve Cooper and changing him with Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Within the three video games he’s been in cost for, the Foxes have claimed 4 factors and are at present two factors away from the drop zone.
Wolves held on a bit longer, giving Gary O’Neil the advantage of the doubt regardless of poor outcomes, solely to then sack the previous Bournemouth boss after a 2-1 loss to Ipswich City final weekend.
This determination may show pricey. Wolves are at present on a four-match dropping run and are 5 factors away from security. Had they acted a bit earlier, simply as Leicester did, they may discover themselves in a safer place proper now.
As is, Leicester host Wolves on Sunday understanding a win would open up an eight level hole between the 2 groups. Vitor Pereira has been introduced as O’Neil’s successor, a coach who has lengthy sought a Premier League position after spells in leagues all over the world, together with Greece, China, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.
If the guests can declare a constructive outcome on the King Energy, the Portuguese tactician’s arrival could possibly be a springboard to salvage the season.
Which Spurs will present up?
Tottenham Hotspur welcome Liverpool to North London on Sunday. Spurs returned to profitable methods final weekend, beating Southampton 5-0 in one of the crucial one-sided video games of the season. It was Ange Postecoglu facet’s first Premier League win since their 4-0 dismantling of Manchester Metropolis in November.
The memorable win on the Etihad was adopted up by a 1-1 draw with Fulham and losses in opposition to Bournemouth and Chelsea. This has been the story of Tottenham’s 2024/25 marketing campaign. Generally sensible. Generally not so sensible.
Of their seven wins this season, they’ve scored a minimal of three targets. Of their 9 different matches they’ve averaged only one objective. It’s a case of feast or famine.
Liverpool cleared the path within the Premier League and have a 100% report within the Champions League. Nevertheless, they’ve been giving up possibilities over latest weeks, conceding a mixed 5 targets in opposition to Newcastle and Fulham. Their damage disaster is likely to be over however there are drained legs within the squad now and that is why they’re now giving up possibilities they beforehand weren’t.
And that is why, regardless of their accidents, Spurs will probably fancy their probabilities of recording simply their third win over the Reds since October 2017.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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