The Premier League is back from the international break with a bang as the slate features a pivotal match in the title race when Manchester City host Arsenal.
Before that mouthwatering showdown at the Etihad Stadium between City and the Gunners, there's a huge rivalry match as Aston Villa welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.
Villa are in the middle of a battle for a top-four finish, leading Tottenham Hotspur by three points, but having played one more game. Three points on Saturday will be crucial in maintaining their lead, but Unai Emery's side have not won any of their last six Premier League matches against Wolves (D3 L3).
The fortress that was Villa Park earlier in the season has also become more penetrable, with Villa losing three of their last four matches at home. And now they will face an in-form Wolves side that is three points off the top seven. Only the top three teams have earned more points in the league since Christmas Eve than Gary O’Neil’s Wolves. It all sets the stage for a great match at Villa Park.
While all eyes will be on the title race matchup at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool will be aiming to keep their challenge for top spot on course when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal have 64 points, but the Gunners sit top because they have scored more goals than the Reds. Brighton has been a thorn in Liverpool's side recently, restricting Jurgen Klopp's side to only one win from their last seven matches against the Seagulls (D4 L2).
However, despite Brighton's lack of consistency this season - they have not won consecutive matches since September - Roberto De Zerbi’s side are in the race for European competition. They will be looking to get a positive result and at the same time, put a wrench in Liverpool’s title hopes.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
34 | +56 | 77 |
| 2 |
Man City
MCI
|
33 | +48 | 76 |
| 3 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
34 | +41 | 74 |
| 4 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
34 | +21 | 66 |
| 5 |
Spurs
TOT
|
32 | +16 | 60 |
| 6 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
33 | +1 | 53 |
| 7 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
33 | +15 | 50 |
| 8 |
West Ham
WHU
|
34 | -9 | 48 |
| 9 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
32 | +4 | 47 |
NBC Spotlight
One of the biggest matches of the season takes center stage on Sunday as third-place Man City play host to first-place Arsenal. A single point in the table separates these two clubs and a win for either side will have a massive impact on their title chances.
Pep Guardiola's City had dominated this fixture with 12 straight PL wins before Arsenal finally broke through with a 1-0 victory in this season's reverse fixture.
A win for the Gunners would make it their first double against Man City since 2007/08, but the Cityzens are unbeaten in their last 38 home games (W33 D5), and few have found success at the Etihad fortress. In a matchup between Guardiola and his former prodigy Mikel Arteta, all eyes will be looking at who ends the day on top.
You just can’t miss this one. Watch the match on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo on Sunday at 11:30 AM ET. Stream here:
