With the Premier League back following a week of FA Cup action, let’s take a look at the top storylines heading into this weekend...
Can Liverpool end Man City’s unbeaten run
Manchester City faces another stiff test to its unbeaten run - and perhaps its title aspirations - with a trip to Liverpool to end the Premier League’s Sunday slate.
Sunday (Watch live, 11:00 a.m. ET, on NBCSN and NBCSports.com) also marks the start of the post-Philippe Coutinho era, as the Brazilian was finally given his dream transfer to Barcelona last week. It’s a key moment for Liverpool, a team fighting for another top four position as well as this year’s UEFA Champions League knockout stage only to lose one of its top attackers. How will Jurgen Klopp’s team respond. On the other side, Man City has rebounded well from its scoreless draw with Crystal Palace, with three straight wins as it looks to wrap up the Premier League title by March.
[MORE: JPW’s Premier League picks for Week 23]
Arsenal’s transfer saga continues
Arsenal is expected to sell Alexis Sanchez any day now, but there’s nothing yet pointing to the Chilean forward not being part of the first-team squad in the meantime. The Gunners hit the road to face Bournemouth and Eddie Howe, a man who has been touted as an eventual successor to Arsene Wenger, on Sunday (Watch live, 8:30 a.m. ET, on NBCSN and NBCSports.com). The Gunners are winless in their last three, including a rough scoreless draw at Chelsea in the League Cup on Wednesday, and will be without Jack Wilshere for at least a game or two. And possibly Alexis Sanchez? Who knows.
Howe will be reminding his men of the repeat fixture last year: where Bournemouth ran riot and took a commanding 3-0 lead, only for Olivier Giroud to lead Arsenal’s comeback to earn a point with a 3-3 draw. Howe will be expecting a win this time around.
Mahrez vs. Hazard at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea and Leicester City have an interesting relationship. Chelsea’s wild 2-2 draw with Tottenham secured Leicester City’s improbable and incredible Premier League title, and with Leicester City’s midfield dynamo N’Golo Kante, the Blues won the title last year.
But perhaps the focus will be on another sought-after player who just passed his four-year mark in Leicester - Riyad Mahrez. With Coutinho - who basically plays a similar position to Mahrez - making a big-money move to Barcelona, the French-born Algerian international may want to show potential suitors that he can provide plenty to a future club, or perhaps he’ll turn these performances into a new contract. It will be fun to see Mahrez go up against former teammates Kante and Danny Drinkwater, as well as Premier League star Eden Hazard (Watch live, 10:00 a.m. ET, on NBCSN and NBCSports.com).
Spurs look to break into Top 4
Despite all its talent, Tottenham is currently sitting on the outside of the top four and looking in. But perhaps not for long.
If Spurs can get past a more defensively-sound Everton side on Saturday (Watch live, 12:30 .m. ET, on NBC and NBCSports.com) and Liverpool lose to Manchester City, depending on goal differential, Tottenham can jump past Liverpool into the top four, keeping its Champions League hopes alive for next season. It will be a tactical battle on Saturday, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side looking to break down Sam Allardyce’s Everton, which is playing somewhat better since he’s taken charge. With Yannick Bolasie back for Everton as well, it will inject more pace into the squad that has been lacking it.
Can Burnley break out of slump
Burnley has had a fantastic first half of the Premier League season. But can the club sustain it for the second half?
It’s now been five-straight games in the Premier League that Burnley has failed to win - six in total - and the team has lost all of the momentum it built up when it momentarily sat in the top four. Now down to seventh, Sean Dyche’s side looks to arrest its slide with a trip to Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace (Watch live, 10:00 a.m. ET, on NBC Sports Gold). Palace are fighting tooth and nail to escape relegation and it will be a difficult road test for Burnley. It’s a time for the likes of Robbie Brady, Stevan Defour and others to step up, while Wilfried Zaha will look to use his past to dangerous effect at home.