Man City v Newcastle
Saturday, 12.30pm, BT Sport
Eddie Howe admitted in aftermath of last Sunday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United that reaching Wembley had proved more of a distraction than he would have liked for his Newcastle team. It was the fourth game without a win for the Magpies since beating Southampton had secured their place and they need to get back on track quickly if they are not to lose touch with the top four. Trouble is, they are visiting a City side who appear to have rediscovered their ruthless touch.
6 – Games without a clean sheet before City’s 3-0 FA Cup win at Bristol City
Arsenal v Bournemouth
Saturday, 3pm
Arsenal’s emphatic 4-0 win over Everton on Wednesday means they will go into this game top of the table irrespective of City’s result. Eddie Nketiah has started the last two games on the bench due to a niggle and Gabriel Martinelli took full advantage with a brace against the Toffees. Having lost 4-1 at home to City last weekend, a result that pushed them back into the drop zone, this is an equally tough assignment for Gary O’Neil’s side and the bookies have them as distant as 14/1 to win here.
50 – Premier League goals or assists for 21-year-old Bukayo Saka
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Saturday, 3pm
This may be a meeting of 11th versus 12th but while Villa’s mid-table finish seems assured, could Palace be sleepwalking into trouble? Popular opinion seems to be that they should be safe. But, though Patrick Vieira’s side drew 0-0 with Liverpool last Saturday, they are without a league win in eight and their buffer to the bottom three is down to six points. Wilfried Zaha, for so long their talisman, has been missed and the Eagles’ other forwards have simply not been potent in front of goal.
4-2 – Defeat for Villa in each of their last two home league games
Brighton v West Ham
Saturday, 3pm
Boss Roberto De Zerbi believes Brighton have hit on a natural finisher in 18-year-old Evan Ferguson, who got the only goal to clinch an FA Cup quarter-final spot with a midweek victory at Stoke. After their first defeat of 2023 at home to Fulham last week, the hosts will be keen to get back to winning ways against a Hammers side who are just two points clear of the drop zone despite beating Nottingham Forest 4-0 last time. A quickfire brace showed the importance of keeping Danny Ings fit.
400 – Seagulls appearances for stalwart defender Lewis Dunk
Chelsea v Leeds
Saturday, 3pm
Having started his reign as Leeds boss with last weekend’s much-needed 1-0 win over bottom side Southampton, Javi Gracia saw for himself the lack of cutting edge that has landed them in relegation trouble in Tuesday’s 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round defeat at Fulham. We are in the unfamiliar territory of a trip to Stamford Bridge being far from the most daunting west London has to offer. If Gracia can add to Graham Potter’s woes, Leeds can give their survival hopes a massive boost.
3-0 – Leeds beat Chelsea in August, the Blues’ first defeat of the season
Wolves v Tottenham
Saturday, 3pm
Tottenham’s wait for a domestic trophy will extend for another year as a 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round defeat at Sheffield United on Wednesday instantly erased the feel-good factor generated from last Sunday’s rare victory over Chelsea. They are likely to pick a far stronger side at Wolves, even if stand-in boss Cristian Stellini said Harry Kane had struggled with illness. Wolves are still in relegation danger having taken just one point from their last three games after losing 2-0 at Liverpool in midweek.
6 – Visits Spurs have made to Molineux since their last defeat, winning four
Southampton v Leicester
Saturday, 5.30pm, Sky Sports
Southampton’s season continues to go from bad to worse with a 2-1 home defeat to Grimsby in the FA Cup fifth round a new low. It means Ruben Selles has started with back-to-back defeats since being given the job until the end of the season, although he did make nine changes for the visit of the League Two side. Leicester also suffered FA Cup disappointment with a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn – and Brendan Rodgers will be without Youri Tielemans for six weeks due to an ankle injury.
3 – Successive league and cup losses for Leicester since beating Tottenham 4-1
Nottingham Forest v Everton
Sunday, 2pm, Sky Sports
Here are two more sides needing a lift, both Forest and Everton coming into this game off the back of 4-0 defeats at West Ham and Arsenal respectively. While Steve Cooper’s Forest have been a different animal at home, nobody should have a greater insight about how to breach the City Ground fortress than Sean Dyche who was a regular attendee at his hometown club while he was out of work. Victory here would leave third-bottom Everton just a point behind Forest in the table.
8 – Home league games without defeat for Forest, dating back to September
Liverpool v Man Utd
Sunday, 4.30pm, Sky Sports
Four consecutive Premier League clean sheets for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson have helped Jurgen Klopp’s side back into the top-four mix even if it took well into the second half for them to look like their real selves in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Wolves. For the first time in years, United arrive at Anfield with more to brag about as they look to crown a week that has seen them lift the Carabao Cup and then reach the FA Cup sixth round with a 3-1 comeback victory over West Ham.
30 – Wins for United from 41 games in all competitions this season
Brentford v Fulham
Monday, 8pm, Sky Sports
However Chelsea fare tomorrow, the top two clubs in west London will be going head-to-head on Monday night. There are increasing suggestions Thomas Frank would be a contender for the Blues job if Graham Potter gets the boot. His Fulham counterpart Marco Silva, whose side beat Leeds 2-0 in the FA Cup in midweek, must cope without Joao Palhinha for this game, a downside of the Portugal midfielder’s hugely effective tackling being the ten yellow cards that leave him suspended.
90th – Minute winner for Fulham in August’s 3-2 win over Brentford
MORE : ‘I love that!’ – Michael Owen singles out Bukayo Saka for praise after Arsenal thump Everton
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