(Football news) Arsenal will be looking to boost their chances of a top four finish by securing three points against Brentford at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners ended their five match winless streak after defeating Wolves 1-0 but find themselves without Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) and Bernd Leno (COVID-19) for the upcoming match. Emile Smith Rowe or Nicolas Pepe are set to feature in the starting lineup due to Gabriel Martinelli’s suspension alongside Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Alexandre Lacazette.
As for Brentford, Christian Eriksen remains unlikely to feature, especially in the starting lineup while Tarique Fosu-Henry, Julian Jeanvier and Mathias Jorgensen are injured. Thomas Frank could name an unchanged lineup but it’s also possible that Ivan Toney could start ahead of Yoane Wissa, while Shandon Baptiste and Frank Onyenka will hope to force their way into the starting lineup at the expense of Mathias Jensen and Vitaly Janelt. Arsenal are expected to secure all three points in the fixture but it’s far from a straightforward fixture for the Gunners.
In-form Liverpool are set to face relegation-threatened Norwich City at Anfield, looking to close the gap on league leaders Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s team will be without Diogo Jota as the Portuguese international has a swollen ankle. Luiz Diaz, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip are expected to feature in the starting lineup while Norwich City will be without Tim Krul, Jacob Sorensen and Andrew Omobamidele. Adam Idah, Lukas Rupp and Ozan Kabak are expected to be available for Dean Smith’s team but anything less than three points would be a massive upset for Liverpool and will end their title ambitions.
Also read: Manchester United defeat 10 man Brighton to move into fourth place
Having been crowned champions of the world recently, Chelsea shift their focus back on the Premier League as they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. For Tuchel’s team, Reece James is still recovering from a hamstring injury and is expected to be unavailable for the fixture. Ben Chilwell is another long term absentee for the Blues while Mason Mount remains doubtful due to an ankle ligament injury. However, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to feature in the squad alongside Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.
As for Crystal Palace, their top scorer Conor Gallagher is ineligible to play against his parent club while Nathan Ferguson is a long-term absentee. Cheikhou Kouyate should be available for selection after his involvement in the AFCON alongside Marc Guehi and Michael Olise. Chelsea are expected to get their ninth successive win over Palace at Selhurst Park and remain in sight of league leaders Manchester City.
Reigning champions Manchester City will look to consolidate their lead on top of the table by defeating Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s team are currently nine points ahead of second place Liverpool while Spurs are eighth and are aiming for a top four finish at the end of the season. Kyle Walker is expected to be back for the Citizens alongside Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus while Ilkay Gundogan may also be involved in the starting lineup.
As for Spurs, Eric Dier is expected to feature in the starting lineup but Japhet Tanganga is unavailable and Oliver Skipp remains doubtful. Antonio Conte is expected to feature Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon as wing backs while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura, Son Heung-min and Kane are expected to start. City have a good record against Tottenham, having won six of their last seven games against the London based side and the reigning champions are expected to secure all three points in this fixture as well.
