matches

Following a couple of interesting results in midweek, the Premier League returns this weekend with more exciting fixtures across the UK.

The standout tie is obviously Saturday’s late kick-off at the Emirates between Arsenal and Aston Villa.

The Gunners will be looking to close the gap on leaders Liverpool, following their 2-1 win in the North London Derby.

But what other four games can we possibly expect upsets in?

Brentford vs Liverpool: Arne Slot’s men have hit a bit of a rough patch over the festive season into the New Year. Their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest saw them lose some ground in the title race, as Arsenal gained two points. Liverpool are away at Brentford next, and it’s going to be a tough one. Just in midweek, the Bees came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Manchester City.

Man Utd vs Brighton: It would be foolhardy to get carried away with Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Southampton on Thursday. The result was not a fair reflection of that game, as the Saints could have easily been 3-0 up in the first half but lacked cutting edge. If Ruben Amorim’s men get sloppy against Brighton, they will be duly punished.

Chelsea vs Wolves: Another team that is falling off title contention is Chelsea. They were on the verge of another damaging defeat against Bournemouth the last time out, only saved by Reece James’ fine free-kick. The next visitors to Stamford Bridge are Wolves, who have a history of causing trouble for the Blues. And with Matheus Cunha back and available, this is one to keep an eye on.

Ipswich vs Man City: Rory Delap faces his former team this weekend and will be motivated to prove Pep Guardiola wrong. At the moment, Manchester City look rather fragile at the back and are conceding too many goals. The champions are also finding it hard to close out games when they take the lead. A trip to Portman Road could throw up another shock result for them.

The English Premier League, EPL, match-day 17 fixtures will commence today (Saturday).

Aston Villa will host Manchester City in an early kick-off at Villa Park.

This weekend’s Premier League matches come after the conclusion of this week’s Carabao Cup quarter-final stage, in which the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, and Arsenal all advanced to the semi-finals.

However, the standout match for this weekend is undoubtedly Tottenham vs. Liverpool on Sunday evening.

So, which matches are fans likely to see an upset in?

Aston Villa vs Manchester City: On paper, Manchester City are expected to beat Aston Villa, but their form in the past few months has not been encouraging. The Premier League champions currently occupy 5th position, just two points ahead of 7th-placed Aston Villa.

Both teams lost their last matches against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, respectively. With Aston Villa playing at home, they could use the support of their fans as an advantage, coupled with City’s inconsistent form, to secure a good result against Pep Guardiola’s side at Villa Park.

Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Crystal Palace will hope to build on their last weekend’s win against Brighton when they welcome Arsenal.

Palace defeated Brighton 3-1 in an away fixture and will aim for a second straight win as they face Arsenal, who drew 0-0 against Everton in their last game. Palace will look to put in a strong performance against the visitors in front of their home crowd.

Manchester United vs Bournemouth: The Red Devils will be looking for a straightforward win against Bournemouth after beating their Premier League rivals Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad in their last game.

However, they can ill-afford to underestimate Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Bournemouth drew 1-1 against West Ham in their last game and will aim to build on that result when they face Erik ten Hag’s side. This could be a potential morale boost for the visitors.

Everton vs Chelsea: Chelsea will hope to build on their last game, which they won against Brentford, when they face Everton on Sunday evening.

Everton played out a 0-0 draw against Arsenal in their last game. However, this match could be a closer affair at Goodison Park than many are expecting.

The English Premier League (EPL) match-day 15 fixtures will commence today (Saturday).

Everton’s early kick-off with Liverpool at Goodison Park has already been postponed.

The standout match for this weekend is obviously Tottenham Hotspur hosting Chelsea on Sunday.

So, which games are fans likely to see upset?

Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest: Man United will be looking for a straightforward win against Nottingham Forest at home, but they can ill-afford to underestimate their opponent. Ruben Amorim’s side lost 2-0 in their last game against Arsenal. Nottingham Forest also lost 3-0 in their last game against Manchester City. But the visitors will hope to avoid another defeat this weekend when they face the Red Devils at Old Trafford. This could be a potential boost for them.

Fulham vs Arsenal: Arsenal will be looking to put in a strong performance against Fulham on Sunday.

The Gunners defeated Manchester United 2-0 in their last game, while Fulham won 3-1 against Brighton. Arsenal is sure to be wary of the hosts, who will look to build on their victory this weekend.

Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: City will be hoping to improve on their last game in which they won against Nottingham Forest when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday evening.

Palace had won 1-0 away against Ipswich Town in their last game. However, with both clubs winning their last matches, this game could be a closer affair at Selhurst Park than many are expecting.