Manchester United and Barcelona served up a classic 2-2 draw at Camp Nou in the Europa League and more of the same is expected in the second leg. Barca enjoyed 61 per cent of the possession in Spain, but each team had 18 attempts on goal in an entertaining end-to-end encounter.
Union Berlin were much the better side in last week’s Europa League clash with Ajax in Amsterdam and are fancied to finish the job off in Germany. Although the scores finished level following a goalless stalemate at Johan Cruyff Arena, Geronimo Rulli was by far the busier keeper.
Sevilla have secured a record six Europa League triumphs and made a statement of intent when crushing PSV 3-0 in Spain. The Dutch outfit will look to salvage some pride from the second leg in Eindhoven, but beating Los Rojiblancos in their current mood will be tough.
Tottenham fans will sense they are at the start of a crucial spell in their campaign as they prepare to welcome West Ham. Spurs go into the derby, the first of two in as many weeks with Chelsea up next, looking to avoid a third straight loss for the first time this season.
Manchester United host Leicester in Sunday’s first live Premier League game and armchair fans could be in for a treat. United have been racking up the wins as they stay in touch at the top of the table while Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes have clicked into gear in the past couple of weeks to put further distance between them and that miserable run earlier in the season.
If there is such a thing as a good time to play Arsenal then Aston Villa will be hoping this is it. The Gunners were knocked off the top of the table this week – having looked down on the rest since the third week of the season – when Manchester City won 3-1 at the Emirates.
Everton host Leeds in what promises to be a crunch Premier League relegation battle and sparks could fly at Goodison Park. The Toffees will appeal to many with home advantage, but we were impressed by the Whites over two recent meetings with Man Utd and prefer their chances.
Brighton and Fulham have both been huge success stories this season and we’re expecting a cracking contest when they meet at Amex Stadium. The Cottagers shaded an entertaining encounter 2-1 in London at the end of August, but a switch in venue may see the roles reversed.
Brentford are flying at the moment and are backed to secure a fourth straight Premier League home win when entertaining Crystal Palace. The Eagles are never easy to beat but often find goals hard to come by, especially on the road, and that could prove the difference here.
Wolves gave another glimpse of their improvement under Julen Lopetegui last time out when victory over Southampton made it two Premier League wins on the spin for the first time this season. They played more than an hour with 10 men at St Mary’s but finished strongly to come from behind for a 2-1 success.
Two teams in desperate need of a victory meet in the capital this weekend when Chelsea host Southampton. The Blues head into the clash in 10th place, 10 points off the Champions League places, while the managerless Saints are rooted to the foot of the table.
Manchester City have finally made it back to the summit of the Premier League and they will fancy their chances of staying there. Pep Guardiola’s defending champions swapped places with Arsenal thanks to a 3-1 victory at the Emirates on Wednesday night and next up it’s a team they thrashed 6-0 earlier in the campaign.
Leeds ruffled Manchester United with their energy, enthusiasm and physical approach at Old Trafford and could do the same on home turf. The Red Devils recovered in time to secure a share of the spoils in midweek, but clearly missed some key players who will again be absent here.
Manchester City have had a tough week on and off the pitch and we fear Aston Villa could feel the backlash at Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola thrives on the ‘us against the world’ siege mentality and will urge the Blues to make a statement in this televised contest.