DM Monitoring
LONDON: This weekend’s fixtures in the Premier League see Liverpool looking to end a minor dip in form, while the Manchester derby will be the main dish of the day on Sunday afternoon.
Liverpool start the weekend with a home game against struggling Bournemouth and Jurgen Klopp will see the visitors as preparation for the forthcoming Champions League tie at home to Atletico Madrid. Klopp’s men need just four more wins to be assured of this season’s title, but they go into the match after losing their last three games, including an FA Cup exit away to Chelsea in midweek.
Liverpool not only need to win, but also to convince to get themselves in the right frame of mind for what is sure to be a test of character on Wednesday night.
Saturday’s other big game sees Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham play an in-form Burnley.
It is not a happy time at Tottenham at the moment as the team continues to make hard work of life without Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and this week’s Cup defeat to Norwich on penalties saw tensions rise with Eric Dier even going into the stands for an altercation with supporters.
Although Spurs still have a good chance of a finishing in the Champions League spots, last weekend’s home defeat in the league to Wolves was a major setback and it is hard to imagine them coming back if they lose to a Burnley side that is unbeaten in six games and who would overtake them in the table with a win. Lucas Torreira is out of Arsenal’s team with a broken ankle as Mikel Arteta’s men entertain West Ham United, who will travel to the Emirates Stadium after climbing out of the bottom three with a 3-1 win at home to Southampton a week ago. West Ham coach David Moyes will probably be pragmatic in his tactics, but will think his players have a chance against a rival that is irregular at best.
Other games on Saturday see Watford look to continue their ‘great escape’ as they travel cross London to visit Crystal Palace. Nigel Pearson’s side produced one of the shocks of the season with their 3-0 defeat of Liverpool a week ago and a win at Selhurst Park would make survival a very real possibility.
Norwich’s 1-0 win at home to Leicester a week ago gave their own survival chances a lifeline, but they face a difficult visit to Sheffield United, who still have their sights of European football next season.
Newcastle United visit Southampton with their lack of scoring (just 24 from 28 games) a headache for Steve Bruce, whose side run the risk of falling back into the relegation dogfight if they don’t win again soon, while Wolves can keep up their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League when they entertain Brighton who are winless in 2020.
