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Tottenham’s title credentials face a radical examination after they host Manchester City because the Premier League returns on Saturday after the worldwide break. Spurs are only a level behind early tempo setters Leicester, however solely three factors separate the highest six, with Chelsea and Aston Villa additionally having the prospect to say prime spot for a number of hours a minimum of after they face Newcastle and Brighton respectively. With the ultimate worldwide fixtures of the yr achieved and dusted, a gruelling winter schedule of membership soccer awaits for England’s top-flight with 9 rounds of league matches earlier than January 2.
Defending champions Liverpool are already bearing the brunt of the hectic schedule as Jurgen Klopp’s squad has been ravaged by damage forward of Leicester’s journey to Anfield.
True check for Mourinho’s Spurs
Tottenham loved a few hours on the prime of the desk for the primary time in over three years previous to Leicester’s victory over Wolves earlier than the worldwide break.
Jose Mourinho’s males are unbeaten in seven league video games, with the type of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min elevating hope they might win the league for the primary time in 60 years.
However, these title aspirations shall be put to the check with City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester to return of their subsequent six video games.
City are languishing down in 10th, six factors off the highest however with a recreation in hand. A return of simply 12 factors from their opening seven video games of the season is by far their lowest since Pep Guardiola arrived in Manchester 5 years in the past.
Yet, after a tough begin attributable to the dearth of a pre-season, accidents, Covid circumstances and a tough run of fixtures, the journey to Tottenham can even be an indicator as as to whether City have turned the nook.
Guardiola’s males are unbeaten in 9 video games in all competitions, however have unusually struggled for objectives, scoring simply as soon as in every of their final 5 league video games.
The lack of a pure striker for a lot of the marketing campaign on account of accidents to Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero has been a major handicap.
But Guardiola, who penned a two-year contract extension on Thursday, may have each Jesus and Aguero to select from for the primary time this season on the weekend, whereas Ferran Torres is filled with confidence after scoring a hat-trick in opposition to Germany in Spain’s 6-Zero win on Tuesday.
Liverpool short-handed
Already rocked by the long-term damage to Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s defensive sources had been additional depleted over the worldwide break with Joe Gomez dominated out for the rest of the season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is out for an additional two weeks, whereas Jordan Henderson is an damage doubt after selecting up a muscle pressure on worldwide responsibility.
Top scorer Mohamed Salah can even be lacking for Leicester’s go to after testing constructive for coronavirus whereas in Egypt.
Despite the disruption, the Reds may return prime of the desk with victory on Sunday ought to Spurs not beat City.
But there’s a big alternative for former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers to develop into the primary man to steer a visiting facet to a league win at Anfield since April 2017 with no such damage issues for the high-flying Foxes.
Jamie Vardy’s retirement from England responsibility means the Premier League’s joint prime goalscorer has had two weeks off, whereas Rodgers may have full-backs Ricardo Pereira and Timothy Castagne again from damage.
United first house win?
United’s victory at Everton ensured the two-week break was not full of extra hypothesis over supervisor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future.
But in a topsy-turvy season for United, there are not any ensures Solskjaer’s group will construct on that win even when West Brom go to Old Trafford in search of their first win of the season.
United haven’t received at house within the Premier League for six matches and have already misplaced as many video games at Old Trafford as they did in all of final season.
West Brom needs to be the proper guests with Slaven Bilic’s males taking simply three factors from their opening eight video games.
But the Baggies have received three and drawn considered one of their final 5 visits to Old Trafford.
Fixtures (all instances GMT):
Saturday
Newcastle v Chelsea (1230), Aston Villa v Brighton (1500), Tottenham v Manchester City (1730), Manchester United v West Brom (2000)
Sunday
Fulham v Everton (1200), Sheffield United v West Ham (1400), Leeds v Arsenal (1630), Liverpool v Leicester (1915)
Promoted
Monday
Burnley v Crystal Palace (1730), Wolves v Southampton (2000)
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