Of the seven Premier League sides to handle midweek Europeans challenges, only two face-off and that predictably is the hallmark of the weekend in England.
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What else is cooking? Smell the aromas of the weekend ahead, below.
How will Frank Lampard attack Liverpool?
- Chelsea v. Liverpool, Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN
The Blues’ 5-2 defeat at Wolves last week did not help spin a win over Valencia in the Champions League, and Frank Lampard’s next chance to make a statement comes against a team that is perfect in PL play and finds itself licking its wounds from a subpar performance at Napoli. Can a very fresh Christian Pulisic make the difference for Chelsea? Will Callum Hudson-Odoi take the positive vibes from his new contract and solid PL2 appearance into the fray?
Will Fernandinho help stabilize Man City against improving Watford?
- Man City v. Watford, Saturday, 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN
City went to Ukraine and blanked Shakhtar Donetsk with Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho at center back, and the Brazilian center midfielder says he’s been preparing for his possibility for some time. If Watford looks anything like it looked in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal, we could see a very decent test for City’s back line.
Weary Spurs get top-half test from Leicester City
- Leicester City v. Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday, 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN
Inconsistent Tottenham meets a Leicester City side with Top Six ambitions, licking its wounds from a 1-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford which probably deserved a point. Spurs aren’t feeling great following another blown 2-0 lead in a big spot away from home. How will they react in Leicester?
Will Solskjaer’s midweek rest risk reap rewards on Sunday?
- West Ham United v. Manchester United, Sunday, 9 a.m. ET on NBCSN
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to hand heavy minutes to youngsters and second-choice players against Kazakh side Astana on Thursday at Old Trafford. Will that pay off when trying to stop Sebastien Haller, Felipe Anderson, and Manuel Pellegrini’s Irons on Sunday morning?
Early season six-pointer at St. James’ Park
- Newcastle United v. Brighton and Hove Albion, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC
Look, it’s Week Six and normally we’d say anything can happen in a Premier League season, but let’s be reasonable: If you’re looking at the teams for Newcastle and Brighton, this result will matter as many as any down the stretch in determining Premier League status for 2019/20.