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Category: Match Preview

Premier League News Now offers in-depth Premier League Match previews. Get team news to find out lineups, injuries and bans.

  • Leicester City vs Manchester United: Pre-Match Analysis

    Leicester City vs Manchester United: Pre-Match Analysis

    26th December or popularly known as Boxing Day is a widely anticipated fixture in England’s footballing calendar, famous for its history of producing fascinating results and exciting football. Leicester City host Manchester United in a game that will either give United a lead by 2 points (with a game in hand) over the Foxes or will allow the Foxes more breathing room as they get 4 points clear of United.

    Leicester have had a fairly average home record in the league, winning 3 out of 7 games as compared to United’s scary away form having won all 6 of their away games. Following early slip-ups like embarrassing losses versus Crystal Palace, Spurs and Arsenal and a stalemate versus Chelsea, United find themselves 3rd in the league, just 5 points off leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. Manchester United’s season has been entertaining, to say the least, with comebacks versus Southampton, Everton, Sheffield and West Ham and comprehensive wins versus Leeds and RB Leipzig.

    Soyuncu might make his return from a groin injury versus United, giving Rodgers the option to revert to a back 3 in front of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, with the Turk joining Fofana and Jonny Evans in the heart of the defence, flanked by wing backs, James Justin on the right and Albrighton on the left. If Rodgers decides to rest Soyucu, Christian Fuchs is fully capable of playing a commanding role. Ndidi and Tielemans would play just in front of the defence with the Nigerian’s defensive abilities and the Belgian’s passing and shooting prowess making them valuable assets to the team. The front three would be Jamie Vardy on top with James Maddison and Harvey Barnes on either side, an attack force capable of wreaking havoc when in top form.

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fielded a fairly rotated squad versus Everton in the Carabao Cup and will most likely return with Anthony Martial up top despite Cavani’s impressive cup match. Daniel James will be benched in favour of Mason Greenwood for the right-wing, and Marcus Rashford will play his usual role as an inverted forward on the left flank. The backline will remain unchanged with De Gea in goal, just behind Luke Shaw at left-back and Wan-Bissaka at right-back, both on either side of centre back pairing Maguire and Lindelof. In spite of leaving the field prematurely versus Leeds and missing the game versus Everton, McTominay will return to the squad in the usual double pivot with Fred, just behind talisman Bruno Fernandes.

    This match should be a fairly close one, with both teams having impressive attacks and great recent form. It will, however, be a crucial match in the title race and is a must-win for both camps as they take on each other for the lunchtime fixture.

  • Wolves vs Tottenham: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Wolves vs Tottenham: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    After clinching a place in the semifinals of the Carabao Cup, Tottenham will hope to stop the losing streak in Premier League as they visit Wolverhampton Wanderers.

    Successive defeats against Liverpool and Leicester city has meant Tottenham have slipped down to sixth in the league standings as for their opponents a shock defeat against Burnley has left the Midlands club down in the eleventh position.

    WHEN & WHERE?

    When: Monday, December 28
    Where: Molineux Stadium
    Time: 00:45 (IST)

    RECENT FORM

    Wolverhampton’s Premier League form: (D-W-L-L-W-L)

    Two wins in the last six games has left Nuno Espirito Santo with a lot of questions. At times they have been pretty decent but a lack of consistent winning streak will cost them in the long run if Wolves were to challenge for a European spot this season.

    Tottenham’s Premier League form: (W-D-W-D-L-L)

    Title hopes have taken a step in the backward direction for the North London club and Jose will rely on his star duo of Kane & Son to secure all the three points at Molineux.

    TEAM NEWS

    Wolverhampton Wanderers

    Wolves will have to continue without their star forward Raul Jimenez as he continues to receive treatment for his fractured skull while Johnny & Leander Dendoncker are unlikely to be available for selection.

    Tottenham Hotspur

    As for the Lilywhites, Japhet Tanganga is definitely out with a shoulder problem while Giovani Lo Celso will also be out of the fixture due to the thigh issue that he picked up against Leicester. Four time UEFA Champions League winner Gareth Bale will most likely miss this match due a calf injury, he suffered in the first half of the clash with Stoke City.

    PREDICTED XI

    Wolverhampton Wanderers’s probable starting XI: Patricio; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Moutinho, Neves, Ait-Nouri; Podence; Silva, Neto

    Tottenham Hotspur’s probable starting XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Sissoko, Hojbjerg; Bergwijn, Ndombele, Son; Kane

  • Arsenal vs Chelsea: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Arsenal vs Chelsea: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Festive season is here and so are the mouth-watering battles! London might be in a state of lockdown, but the London derby will have no foundations in terms of excitement and thrill as always. Boxing Day does not get better when we hear Emirates will be hosting the Blues of London.

    But is this game really that top level game anymore? This season we have seen many surprises and one of the biggest has been the position Arsenal is in. 14 points from 14 matches has been their poorest start to a season in this century. Arsenal under Arteta currently sit in 15th position, just 4 points off the relegation battle. This is be the worst time the Gunners would want to host the Blues but a win here could just turn their fortunes completely.

    Chelsea went off the track recently but with a comfortable win against the Hammers in the last game week, they look solid as ever. But as Lampard said in his conference, whatever the situation is, you cannot consider a match against Arsenal a walk-over. They might have results on their season report card, but certainly have some flaws as well. With the injury concerns increasing, they will too be on their nerves as the match edges closer.

    TEAM NEWS

    Potentially the biggest blow for Gunners has been in form of their captain Aubameyang. The guy considered as the focal point of all of Arsenal’s attack is now out injured. This will certainly be very impactful for the fate of the game. Also Thomas Partey and Martinelli will be the ones to be assessed before the game.

    Chelsea will be out with a triple blow to their starting line-up with Ziyech, Reece James and Chilwell all being ruled out with injuries for the big clash. Odoi will be back fully fit after making a return on the bench against West Ham. Chelsea will still be very weak in wide plays with first choice full backs and winger ruled out.

    WHAT TO EXPECT?

    There is no hiding in the fact that Chelsea enter the game as the favourites but you cannot rule out the Arsenal team who just gets a new life against big teams. This game will be full of spirits with both teams having points to prove. Last time the teams clashed horns in the FA Cup final where Arsenal edged Chelsea in a thrilling match. But since then the graph of both teams has gone in complete opposite directions. Thus you could expect a clash worth watching.

    PREDICTIONS

    Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea

    With Aubameyang out, Arsenal do not seem to have the power to score past a rigid Chelsea defense. Also Chelsea might struggle as well to open up Arsenal who will be happy to sit back and defend but with the big name fire power we can see them score one and later capture the tie when Arsenal will fall attacking to find an equalizer.

    Merry Christmas!

  • Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview | Carabao Cup 2020/21

    Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Preview | Carabao Cup 2020/21

    Tottenham Hotspur will be looking forward to putting behind a disappointing week of football, as they face EFL Championship side Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.

    Jose Mourinho will definitely target the Carabao Cup as one of his priorities and end Tottenham’s drought of winning a first trophy since 2008.

  • Manchester United vs Leeds United: Match Preview | EPL 20/21

    Manchester United vs Leeds United: Match Preview | EPL 20/21

    One of the most exciting games to look out for this gameweek is when Leeds United visit Manchester United.

    The last encounter between the Whites and The Red Devils was a club friendly match in 2019 where Manchester United trashed Leeds 4-1 in Australia. The goals were scored by Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones & Anthony Martial. Since then both teams have had new names in their Starting 11 which is a key factor for the upcoming fixture as both teams have strengthened their side in every aspect.

  • Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City – Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City – Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Matchday 14 sees two teams who are both in the top 4 go head to head in a clash that guarantees complete entertainment. It is Tottenham that host Leicester City at the London stadium. The match will kick-off on Sunday, 2:15 pm local time with referee Craig Pawson in-charge of the proceedings.

  • Crystal Palace vs Liverpool: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Crystal Palace vs Liverpool: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    After claiming back their throne at the top of the league, The Reds from Merseyside will travel to Selhust Park Stadium this Saturday. But can they really keep their run going with numerous injury and exhaustion concerns against a team which looks to have picked their form recently?

    This week Liverpool hurdled their way to top of the table as they registered a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspurs in top of the league clash. Now they comfortably have a lead of 3 points and will look to keep that intact in the festive season. But they will now face a tough opposition in form of Crystal Palace who are having a great month of December.

    Crystal Palace have started living a new life after the return of Wilfred Zaha, and their summer signing Eze picking up his form. They started the month with a massive 5-1 win against West Brom and then gave a surprise of the season as they held Spurs to a 1-1 draw. In their last game, they earned another draw as they were able to hold West Ham to 1-1 despite going down to 10 men at the hour mark.

    Can they now really trouble the league leaders? Yes they do have the potential they need everything to go in their favor to end Liverpool’s impressive away record at Selhust Park.

    TEAM NEWS

    For The Eagles, Benteke has been suspended after his red card in their game against West Ham.

    For Klopp, the major setback due to his injuries will be the fact that he cannot rotate much of his squad and this could lead to most of his players being exhausted beyond their will. Not much of a relief for any player especially considering the hectic schedule the league is going through. Only thing here that could make Klopp happy will be 3 points and no more injury concerns.

    Predicted Line-up

    Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Guaita; Clyne, Kouyate, Cahill, Van Aanholt; Schlupp, Milivojevic, McArthur, Eze; Zaha, Ayew

    Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane

  • Everton vs Arsenal: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    Everton vs Arsenal: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

    It is matchweek 14 as Arsenal make a trip to the Goodison to face Everton. Here’s your preview!

    When is the kick off? 

    Saturday 19th December

    What time is the kick off?

    17:30 BST

    Where is it played?

    Goodison Park, Everton

    Who is the referee?

    Andre Marriner

    Form Guide:

    Everton- W-L-D-W-W

    Everton come into this game on the back of two impressive victories over Chelsea and Leicester City. These two wins along with fine early season form assures that the team from Merseyside go into this game, fifth on the table; 5 points behind leaders Liverpool.

    Arsenal- D-L-L-L-D

    Arsenal’s poor form continues as they are winless since the start of November in the Premier League. By virtue of this poor run of form, they go into the game; on the fifteenth place on the league table, just 5 points clear of the relegation zone. 

    Team News:

    Everton

    Injured: James Rodriguez, Lucas Digne
    Doubtful: Seamus Coleman
    Suspended/ unavailable: None

    Arsenal

    Injured: Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey
    Doubtful: None
    Suspended/ Unavailable: Granit Xhaka

    Predicted lineup: 

    Everton predicted XI (4-3-3): Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman, Yerry Mina, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey; Gylfi Sigurdsson, Andre Gomes, Abdoulaye Doucoure; Alex Iwobi, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison

    Arsenal predicted XI (3-4-3): Bernd Leno; Rob Holding, David Luiz, Kieran Tierney; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Dani Ceballos, Bukayo Saka; Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

    Pre-match analysis:

    Everton are in good form after back to back victories which ended Chelsea’s 17 match unbeaten run and against Leicester who are in the top 4. Arsenal on the contrast are in a poor form and I do not see them matching Everton’s pace in transition and the goalscoring threat up top. The only positive for Arsenal going into the game is that their talisman: Pierre Emrick Aubameyang scored his first open play goal since the opening game of the season, however I see Everton’s center backs nullifying his threat. Don’t be surprised too see a big win for Everton!

  • How can Tottenham lineup against Liverpool? | Premier League 2020/21

    How can Tottenham lineup against Liverpool? | Premier League 2020/21

    The Anfield fortress comes under attack again, this time it’s Tottenham that prepare their attack and they are coming straight for Liverpool’s crown. Jurgen Klopp has made Anfield an impenetrable Castle, Liverpool haven’t lost at home in the Premier League for 65 games, a Record only bettered by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. Can Jose Mourinho Keep his record intact and put an end to Liverpool’s unbeaten run or will Jurgen Klopp extend that record to 66 games.

     

    Tottenham travel to Merseyside for a top of the table battle against current Champions Liverpool on Wednesday. Tottenham could make a real statement of intent with a win in this game. The contenders challenge the Champions again and this time we will get a peek into the Mentality of the two clubs, will Tactics be the difference in the game or will the team with the Greater desire and hunger to win come out on top. 

     

    Liverpool are quite a few soldiers short going into this clash, but can Klopp lead his Army to victory even without all his Soldiers completely fit? The winner will take a lead at the top of the table and won’t come down unless they slip in the upcoming games. 

     

    Injury News: 

     

    Tottenham have one player out through injury, Argentine Forward Eric Lamela hasn’t recovered from his foot injury and will be out for the trip to Anfield. 

     

    Gareth Bale remains a Doubt as he still hasn’t got back to full match fitness, and has now picked up a small illness. So he could be left out for this game. 

     

    All other Tottenham players are fit for the game. And Spurs have no Suspensions.

     

    Predicted Line-Up: 4-5-1 Formation 

     

    GK: Hugo Lloris 

     

    The France international has let in just 10 goals so far this season, and came up with some excellent saves against Manchester City and Chelsea so there is no doubt that Lloris will start on Wednesday Night. 

     

    Defense: Serge Aurier, Eric Dier, Toby Alderwiereld, Sergio Reguilon 

     

    Tottenham have found a stable back four after struggling to find the right mix at the start of the season, Doherty has been left out of the current back four purely because the current players have been performing brilliantly, Aurier’s upturn in form has come at a really good time for Tottenham because it gives them options for positions in the team. But for the game against Liverpool, Aurier is more likely to start as the right back, with Reguilon down the other flank. 

    Toby Alderwiereld and Eric Dier have formed a formidable partnership which is why Tottenham haven’t missed the departure of Jan Vertonghen so much. Their performance will be key if Tottenham are to replicate what they did against Manchester City a few weeks back.

     

    Midfield: Tanguay Ndombele, Pierre Emile Højbjerg, Moussa Sissoko, Steven Bergwijn, Son Heung-Min 

     

    The three Holding Midfielders have been performing consistently for Spurs and their performance has been the reason that Tottenham have managed to keep so many clean sheets and conceded such few goals. The Midfield three of Ndombele, Højbjerg & Sissoko could start this game with the three providing strength and Defensive support in the center of the pitch. There is a chance that Sissoko or Ndombele could be dropped to make room for Lo Celso, but Ndombele should be able to provide the creativity while also contributing defensively. 

    Bergwijn and Son will play as the two Wideman in the Midfield 5 and their pace will be central to the way that Spurs play, and speed at which Spurs break could really hurt Liverpool.

     

    Striker: Harry Kane 

     

    The League’s most influential attacking player this season, Harry Kane has been on another level to every other player in the league with 19 goal involvements in 12 games this season. That’s at least 5 more than any other player this season. Kane Will be the first name on the team-sheet for this Wednesday for Tottenham and keeping him fit will be crucial in Spurs challenging for the title. He has adapted to this new system, dropping deeper into the Midfield to collect the ball and allowing space for players like Son, Bergwijn & Lo Celso to run into and cause problems to opposition especially on counter-attacks. 

    Stopping Kane and Son could be the Most difficult task for Liverpool, given that they have to try to break Spurs down while doing so. 

  • How can Liverpool Lineup against Spurs? | Premier League 2020/21

    How can Liverpool Lineup against Spurs? | Premier League 2020/21

    First Takes on Second, Challengers Take on Champions, Tottenham head to Anfield for an early preview into how the title race might be played out. A late Kick-off on Wednesday Night sees the Current Champions come up against one of their Challengers, an opportunity to show the rest of the League exactly why they are Champions. Right now only goal difference separates the two sides heading into the Game, Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp would love to get some breathing space between themselves and their Title rivals.

    2000 of The Anfield faithful will be allowed to witness a top of the table clash but they will sing at the top of their lungs for their Side. The stadium might look like it’s only 2000 full but the Cheers will be 53,000 Loud. 

    Both Teams head into the game having dropped crucial points at the weekend, and lost a chance to go clear of the other. Liverpool are unbeaten in 8, Spurs haven’t lost a game since the opening day of the season. A feisty encounter between two of the best managers Currently in the Premier League, who will come out on top in this tactical battle. 

    Injury News

    A List that has been growing for Liverpool since the start of the Season, Allison’s return has brought some joy to the Red Half of Merseyside, but that joy quickly evaporated when it was confirmed that Diogo Jota will be out for at least 6 weeks. 

    Joel Matip remains a Doubt after being taken off at Half time against Fulham on Saturday but Jurgen Klopp  has hopes that he could recover from his back spasm in time for this one. 

    Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Naby Keita, Thiago, James Milner, Xherdan Shaqiri & Kostas Tsimikas remain on the sidelines with Long-term Injuries. 

    Predicted Line-Up: 4-3-3 Formation 

    GK: Alisson 

    The Liverpool No. 1 returned back last week after an Injury and will now be Liverpool’s first choice going forward. 

    Defense: Andrew Robertson, Joel Matip/ Nat Phillips, Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold 

    Trent’s return to fitness is a huge boost for Liverpool ahead of a very crucial game and his tendency to join in on attacks could help Liverpool breakdown a Tottenham defense that has been very unyielding this season. Matip does look like he will be able to recover for this Wednesday, But Nat Phillips could take his place if Matip isn’t fully fit. While Robertson will be one of the first names on the team-sheet. 

    Liverpool haven’t had their Leader in defense this season, but even before that the Red’s were conceding at an alarming rate, will the Liverpool Defense be able to handle Two clinical finishers in Kane and Son?.

    Midfield: Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones 

    The Midfield three are Likely to remain the same from the Fulham game as Liverpool will once again look to dominate possession in the center of Midfield. Jurgen Klopp loves a hardworking Midfield and in Jones, Wijnaldum and Henderson he certainly has that. The Problem will remain creativity and against a Tottenham team that is going to sit back, Wijnaldum and Jones will have to drive the attack forward and find spaces to move into when they are in possession. 

    Forwards: Salah, Mane, Firmino 

    Liverpool’s trusted front three that is glittered with so much talent will have to come up with some individual brilliance if they are to breakdown the collective Tottenham defense. Mane hasn’t found the net now in 7 Premier League games and an occasion like this seems like the perfect time for the Senegalese to step up to the plate. Salah has been providing the cover however scoring in each of his 5 appearances for Liverpool, his involvement will be pivotal in this game if Liverpool are to get a positive result out of this game. Firmino dropping back deep like he usually does could open up the spaces for the Salah and Mane to run into and for the Runs from Midfield from Jones and Wijnaldum.