With international football now out of the way until March 2021, the Premier League is back and ready for gameweek eight of the 2020/21 season.
The weekend’s fixtures - all of which will be broadcast live on UK television at no extra charge thanks to the scrapping of the pay-per-view model - present plenty of intriguing battles up and down the table as teams contend with this most hectic of campaigns.
Saturday
Newcastle vs Chelsea
What Time Is Kick Off? 12.30 GMT
Where Is it Played? St James’ Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport
Read 90min's preview here
Newcastle have a considerable task halting Chelsea’s current momentum. Frank Lampard’s team are unbeaten since the second week of the season when they faced Liverpool and appear to have successfully plugged their leaky defensive with Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy.
At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea have scored 20 goals in eight leagues, and 34 overall in all competitions. Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz are set to miss out, however.
Newcastle’s form has been very up and down. Steve Bruce will make a late decision on Miguel Almiron, but Callum Wilson should be fit.
Prediction: Newcastle 1-3 Chelsea
Aston Villa vs Brighton
What Time Is Kick Off? 15.00 GMT
Where Is it Played? Villa Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport
Read 90min's preview here
Considering they only stayed up on the last day of last season, Aston Villa are enjoying a phenomenal 2020/21 campaign. They beat Arsenal 3-0 prior to the international break after uncharacteristically shipping seven goals in the two games before that.
Jack Grealish should be buoyed after making his mark with England this month, while the break should have provided rest for top scorer Ollie Watkins.
But it promises to be a tight game. Brighton, despite their lowly league position, have been firmly in nearly every fixture they’ve played so far.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-0 Brighton
Tottenham vs Man City
What Time Is Kick Off? 17.30 GMT
Where Is it Played? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Read 90min's preview here
Saturday’s tea-time kick-off presents the latest edition of the heavyweight rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. The former’s Spurs team are perhaps the best in the Premier League right now, while the latter’s side are struggling by their own usual standards.
Spurs haven’t lost since the opening day of the season and have taken 17 points from a possible 21 since. They also boast two of the league’s most in-form forwards in Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
City should be buoyed by confirmation this week that Guardiola is committing his future to the club, which could see them end of a run of five league games failing to score more than once.
Prediction: Tottenham 3-2 Man City
Man Utd vs West Brom
What Time Is Kick Off? 20.00 GMT
Where Is it Played? Old Trafford
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport
Read 90min's preview here
Manchester United lost the last time West Brom visited Old Trafford. Darren Moore was Baggies manager that day, although he couldn’t halt their slide into the Championship.
This is now a game where both managers are under increasing scrutiny, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer determined to bring the best out of an inconsistent United side and Slaven Bilic in danger of the sack if West Brom don’t start picking up points.
United have had a number of players carrying knocks, including Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
Prediction: Man Utd 2-1 West Brom
Sunday
Fulham vs Everton
What Time Is Kick Off? 12.00 GMT
Where Is it Played? Craven Cottage
TV Channel/Live Stream? BBC
Read 90min's preview here
From being the early season pace-setters in September and early October, Everton are in desperate need of a reversal in fortunes after losing three in a row since the Merseyside derby.
Carlo Ancelotti’s took the lead against Manchester United last time out but couldn’t hold on to their advantage and conceded three unanswered goals.
Worryingly for Everton, Fulham appear to be improving. They have conceded five goals in the last five Premier League games, compared to 10 in their first three, and should have taken a point against West Ham but for a disastrous late penalty miss.
Prediction: Fulham 1-1 Everton
Sheffield Utd vs West Ham
What Time Is Kick Off? 14.00 GMT
Where Is it Played? Bramall Lane
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Sheffield United are badly struggling with ‘second season syndrome’ in 2020/21. At this stage of last season, the Blades were pushing towards mid-table and at the start of a purple patch that saw them soon surge into fifth place. Now, they are bottom and win-less.
They cannot catch a break because the last game against Chelsea was actually the first Sheffield United have lost by more than a single goal since the opening weekend.
West Ham will still see it as an important opportunity to pick up invaluable away points, potentially climbing into the top half if other results also go their way.
Prediction: Sheffield Utd 1-2 West Ham
Leeds vs Arsenal
What Time Is Kick Off? 16.30 GMT
Where Is it Played? Elland Road
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Arsenal go into a tough trip to Elland Road without first choice midfield pairing Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny as a result of injury and coronavirus respectively.
The double blow could make the Gunners much more vulnerable in midfield and Leeds will be keen to end their own recent slump in form after losing 4-1 in successive games.
Leeds do have the potential to score goals and Arsenal have lost four of their last six league games. It could be another high-scoring affair for Marcelo Bielsa’s team.
Prediction: Leeds 3-3 Arsenal
Liverpool vs Leicester
What Time Is Kick Off? 19.15 GMT
Where Is it Played? Anfield
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Read 90min's preview here
Liverpool return from the international break having lost Joe Gomez to long-term injury and are without Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah for the visit of Leicester. Fabinho and Thiago also remain doubts, leaving Jurgen Klopp will holes to plug.
Leicester rose to the top of the Premier League table when they signed off before the international break with a third consecutive win, putting successive defeats in October out of mind.
Liverpool are definitely vulnerable here. They are missing three quarters of their first choice back four, their captain and their top scorer.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-3 Leicester
Monday
Burnley vs Crystal Palace
What Time Is Kick Off? 17.30 GMT
Where Is it Played? Turf Moor
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Still win-less in the Premier League this season, Burnley will be hoping that Turf Moor can become their ‘happy place’ when Crystal Palace visit on Monday evening.
Palace have had a mixed start to the season, winning four of their opening eight games to command a more than respectable eighth place ahead of the weekend.
If Burnley are to finally get that overdue first win, Sean Dyche will have to find a way of getting his forwards firing. Only three goals so far is the worst return in the division.
Prediction: Burnley 1-0 Crystal Palace
Wolves vs Southampton
What Time Is Kick Off? 20.00 GMT
Where Is it Played? Molineux
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports
Southampton have taken 16 points from the last 18 on offer to stake an early claim for a European place, while Wolves were on almost as good a run until they lost to Leicester in the last game prior to the international break.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has had a transformative effect on the Saints over the past year and is now enjoying the fruits of his labour. It is an issue not having Danny Ings available, but James Ward-Prowse and Ryan Bertrand should be okay to play.
Wolves centre-back Conor Coady had to withdraw from the England squad so that he could self-isolate as a precaution and it is not clear if he’ll be back.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Southampton
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Source : 90min