Premier League: Exciting Weekend Ahead with Festive Matches

London, Dec 20 (NationPress) Most of the excitement in the Premier League is postponed until Sunday, with Liverpool traveling to Tottenham, second-placed Chelsea evaluating their chances at Everton amid new ownership, and Manchester United facing a challenging match at home against a revitalized Bournemouth. The weekend’s first match promises drama as Manchester City visits Aston Villa, who are still reeling from their previous loss in the Manchester derby.

This defeat has intensified City’s crisis, with coach Pep Guardiola openly questioning his ability to reverse the trend following five defeats in their last seven league matches, in addition to recent Champions League setbacks against Juventus and Sporting Lisbon.

Aston Villa's form has been inconsistent lately, but players like Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey could exploit City’s increasingly shaky defense, according to reports from Xinhua.

Arsenal will take on Crystal Palace, with the home side finally finding the form many anticipated following last season. Oliver Glasner’s men remain unbeaten in their last five league matches, while Arsenal has drawn its previous two.

This match occurs just five days after Arsenal edged past Palace 3-2 at home in the EFL Cup, with both teams making significant changes to their lineups.

A win and a draw seem to have eased the pressure on West Ham coach Julen Lopetegui, despite suffering a personal tragedy with the passing of his father this week.

West Ham will aim to capitalize on Brighton’s recent struggles, having drawn two and lost two of their last four games, dropping them to ninth in the table. There’s a possibility that Danny Welbeck may return from his recent ankle injury. Meanwhile, Ipswich stunned Wolverhampton last week and is now seeking their first home win of the season against Newcastle United, who welcome back striker Alexander Isak to his top form.

In another Saturday clash, Brentford hosts fourth-placed Nottingham Forest in what promises to be a showdown of strikers, with Forest's Chris Wood going head-to-head against Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, the duo contributing to their team’s impressive home record.

Sunday promises thrilling action as Tottenham faces off against league leaders Liverpool. The home side recently celebrated a 5-0 victory away at Southampton and followed that with a thrilling 4-3 win at home against Manchester United in the EFL Cup, despite some goalkeeping blunders from Fraser Forster that nearly cost them a 3-0 lead.

Liverpool approaches this match with back-to-back draws, and with Andy Robertson suspended, it’s improbable that this match will end in a goalless draw.

Chelsea has narrowed the gap on Liverpool to just two points, and the team with the league's best away record now heads to Goodison Park, where Everton fans are celebrating the completion of the club's sale to the Friedkin Group.

With Everton expected to make moves in the January transfer window, several players will see this match as a critical opportunity to prove their worth and secure their futures at the club, while Sean Dyche’s squad will offer little room for Chelsea to exploit.

Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim remarked that his team played superior football against Tottenham on Thursday. Despite the controversy surrounding the exclusion of Marcus Rashford from the squad and his subsequent reaction, there are indications of progress at Old Trafford. Bournemouth will serve as a real test of this progress on Sunday, returning to the venue where they previously dominated with a 3-0 win more than a year ago, solidifying Andoni Iraola's position.

At the bottom of the table, Southampton is temporarily under the management of Simon Rusk following Russell Martin’s dismissal after their heavy defeat to Tottenham. Rusk’s challenge is to shore up the league's second worst defense ahead of their match against Fulham. Wolverhampton holds the league's worst record with 40 goals conceded, and with Vitor Pereira stepping in as the new manager, they face a crucial trip to take on fellow strugglers Leicester City.

Currently in 17th place, Leicester has a five-point lead over Wolves, and despite a painful 4-0 defeat to Newcastle last week, a victory for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team would create an intriguing gap over a direct competitor in the relegation battle.