It promises to be another round of scintillating matches in the English Premier League as another weekend beckons.
We bring you a roundup of all the matches that will headline this weekend actions including the key statistics and predictions.
Newcastle vs Manchester City
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he’s not looking too far ahead in the title race while Newcastle manager Steve Bruce could be without wing-back DeAndre Yedlin as he battles a hip problem.
Midfielder Matt Ritchie will not play again until the end of January after undergoing a second ankle operation while Sean Longstaff is available again after his three-match suspension.
Manchester City are still without record Sergio Aguero who suffered a thigh injury in the 2-1 defeat of Chelsea just as Bernardo Silva is back in Premier League action after serving a one-match domestic suspension.
Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko remains on the sidelines after minor knee surgery while centre-back Aymeric Laporte and winger Leroy Sane (both knee) are long-term casualties.
Key Stat: Newcastle are looking to secure back-to-back Premier League victories over Man City for the first time since November 2003, having won this exact fixture 2-1 back in January.
Burnley vs Crystal Palace
Burnley manager Sean Dyche has urged on-loan midfielder Danny Drinkwater to get ‘back on track’ as he nears a return to first-team action
Sean Dyche could give Drinkwater a belated Premier League Burnley debut. Ashley Westwood serves a one-match ban having picked up five bookings for the season. Matej Vydra (hip) is fit again but Johann Berg Gudmundsson (hamstring) remains sidelined.
Crystal Palace could be missing Gary Cahill as well as Joel Ward. Roy Hodgson is definitely without full-back Ward due to a serious knee injury while Cahill will be assessed after suffering a knee injury of his own.
Mamadou Sakho and Connor Wickham stepped up their returns this week with minutes for the U23s and the former will hope to be part of the matchday squad.
Key Stat: Only Leicester (6) have kept more Premier League clean sheets than Burnley this season (5), while only Watford (7) have failed to score in more games than Crystal Palace (6).
Chelsea vs West Ham
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham will not feature on Saturday after injuring his hip in the midweek Champions League draw with Valencia. Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud will battle it out to start up front against West Ham, while Giroud is still working back to fitness after a pelvic problem.
West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is still injured, and likely to be sidelined for another month, and Manuel Pellegrini has given no guarantee that he will keep faith with Roberto, with David Martin in the frame. Jack Wilshere, Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini are stilolil out injured for the trip to west London while Issa Diop is suspended.
Key Stat: Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 13 home Premier League meetings with West Ham (W9 D4) since a 2-3 loss in September 2002.
Liverpool vs Brighton
verpool midfielder Fabinho will be out for more than a month after suffering ankle ligament damage in the Champions League clash with Napoli. Naby Keita has recovered from illness but centre-back Joel Matip faces another scan on a knee problem that has kept him out since October 20.
Brighton manager Graham Potter will be boosted by the return Lewis Dunk after suspension and Aaron Connolly after a groin injury. However, the Seagulls are set to be without Solly March and although Bernardo featured for the U23s on Wednesday, he is still lacking match-fitness.
Key Stat: The opening goal in the last three meetings between Liverpool and Brighton in the Premier League has been scored by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. The Reds won both meetings 1-0 last season thanks to Salah’s strikes.
Tottenham vs Bournemouth
Tottenham will be without Ben Davies for Jose Mourinho’s first home Premier League game in charge, and the defender could need surgery on his ankle ligaments after he limped off during last weekend’s win against West Ham.
Erik Lamela (hamstring) is close to a return to training while Hugo Lloris (elbow) and Michel Vorm (calf) are continuing their rehabilitation.
Bournemouth will be without Joshua King (hamstring) and David Brooks (ankle ligaments) for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, Ryan Fraser (leg) and Dominic Solanke (hamstring) should be fit to feature after picking up knocks. Simon Francis and Philip Billing will be suspended for the game, due to a sending off and five yellow cards accrued respectively. Both will serve a one match ban.
Key Stat: Following their victory against West Ham last time out, Tottenham are looking to secure back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season, last doing so in April this year.
Southampton vs Watford
Quique Sanchez Flores says his focus is on ensuring an upturn in results to help improve the mood around Watford
Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong picked up a hamstring problem during the closing stages against Arsenal, so will not be fit to face Watford. Sofiane Boufal is a major doubt after stubbing his big toe on the kitchen table at home, but Jannik Vestergaard has been able to resume training following illness.
Defender Craig Dawson is the latest player in Watford’s packed treatment room, having needed stitches in a head wound which forced him off at half-time against Burnley. Christian Kabasele (hamstring) and Daryl Janmaat (knee) are also not available. Roberto Pereyra is stepping up his recovery from a thigh strain but will not be rushed back.
Key Stat: In English top-flight history, only Blackpool in 1930-31 (22) have conceded more goals in their opening six home league games than the 21 Southampton have shipped at St Mary’s so far this term.
Norwich vs Arsenal – Sunday, 2pm
Norwich will be without Grant Hanley and Timm Klose as they make their way back from injuries. Alex Tettey will miss out for personal reasons. Jamal Lewis returned to training this week but will be assessed ahead of the game while Todd Cantwell should be available for Sunday after training later in the week.
Freddie Ljungberg takes charge of Arsenal for the first time since being announced as interim head coach following the sacking of Unai Emery on Friday. He will be hoping David Luiz (bruised ribs) is fit after being forced off in the 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night, while Hector Bellerin (hamstring) will be assessed. Dani Ceballos (hamstring) is a definite absentee but Sead Kolasinac has recovered from his own minor hamstring issue and could feature.
Key Stat: Only bottom three sides Norwich (3) and Watford (4) have scored fewer away goals than Arsenal in the Premier League this season (5). The Gunners are without a goal in their last 212 minutes of football away from home, mustering just five shots on target in that run.
Wolves vs Sheffield United – Sunday, 2pm
Romain Saiss will be suspended when Wolves welcome Sheffield United after the defender collected his fifth booking of the season in last week’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth. Ryan Bennett may return from a groin injury to replace him after missing Thursday’s 3-3 Europa League draw in Braga. Morgan Gibbs-White (back) is likely to sit out and Willy Boly (fracture leg) is sidelined.
Sheffield United will welcome back goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defender John Egan for the trip to Molineux. Henderson was ineligible to face parent club Manchester United last time out, while Egan missed out after suffering concussion on Republic of Ireland duty. Lys Mousset is fit after a tight hamstring forced him to be substituted during the 3-3 draw with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Key Stat: Raul Jimenez has scored in three consecutive Premier League games becoming the only Wolves player to score in four in a row in the competition since is Henri Camara who scored in five consecutive appearances in April 2004.
Leicester vs Everton – Sunday, 4.30pm
Jonny Evans will be available for Leicester as they look to equal a club record of six successive top-flight wins against Everton. Evans was forced off with cramp after 62 minutes at Brighton last weekend but he has resumed training and will be fit. Matty James is back in training following a long-term Achilles problem but the midfielder is not yet ready for a return to first-team action.
Everton have significant injury problems and will be without full-back Seamus Coleman. Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin and forward Theo Walcott, who both went off during last weekend’s loss to Norwich, are major doubts, as is Fabian Delph (hamstring). Richarlison will be fit while Bernard (knee) has an outside chance of being involved. Andre Gomes (ankle) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (thigh) remain long-term absentees.
Key Stat: Leicester are looking to win six consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since their club record run of seven in March 1963. They’ve won their last five in the Premier League by a combined score of 17-1, keeping a clean sheet in each of the last four.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa – Sunday, 4.30pm
Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay is pushing to play after missing the trip to Sheffield United with an ankle complaint and will be assessed ahead of Sunday, a match Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Paul Pogba will not be available for following an ankle injury of his own.
Luke Shaw, Lee Grant, Jesse Lingard and Axel Tuanzebe built fitness by playing 90 minutes as United lost 2-1 to Astana on Thursday, when the remainder of the senior squad stayed at home ahead of facing Villa. Nemanja Matic, Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Diogo Dalot continue to build fitness after injury.
Aston Villa defender Bjorn Engels is in contention after being out of action since the start of November with a hip injury, but has trained all week and is available for selection after admitting he did not feel ready for Monday night’s victory over Newcastle.
Key Stat: Manchester United have won 34 Premier League games against Aston Villa – the only team to win more against a specific opponent in the competition are Man Utd themselves, with 36 wins against Everton.
