Arsenal and Manchester United rekindle old rivalry this weekend
By Tanko BaukaÂ
Actions resume in the various leagues in Europe following match day seven in the most glamorous competition, the UEFA Champions League with a mouth watering top clash between the league leaders Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London.
Arsenal are seven points clear at the summit and going into this match with the hope of extending it but must work tirelessly if Manchester United turn up as they did against their neighbours and bitter rival Manchester City at Old Trafford in Michael Carrick’s first match as the caretaker head coach after enduring calamity for so long under sacked Ruben Amorim.
Manchester United against Manchester City showed signs of resurgence because they made a great improvement and the Red Devils are showing signs of being a top team which used to dominate world football in the past as they took their opponents to the cleaner outplaying them.
Against Arsenal it will be a different ball game this is because the Gunners are top of their game even though they are not in a devastating form but they know how to win match even on a day they play badly and will be fully prepared for Manchester United which many consider a rival because any encounter between these two dominant English Club is always very fierce and chaotic.
Mikel Arteta and Michael Carrick must be on top of their game and work for the three points because both teams are all in need of the three points and would go for it.
Manchester City welcome Wolves to the Etihad Stadium and Pep Guardiola will definitely be worried with the way Manchester City are performing currently which is a serious concern as they are cut open easily by teams though the blame cannot be far from the injury crisis that has affected the squad especially with the top players and Wolves on the other hand seem to have rediscover themselves as they have started picking points but whatever it is they will find Manchester City a hard knock to crack as they would seek to redeem their season.
Liam Rosenior and his Chelsea boys travel to Selhurst Park Stadium to face Crystal Palace in yet another London Derby.
Chelsea have not been having it that easy against Crystal Palace but with resilience and doggedness they always find a way out and currently the Blues are in top form and lately Crystal Palace have dropped form significantly as results have been going against them.
The defending Champion Liverpool FC face a tricky trip to the home of AFC Bournemouth while Burnley host inconsistent Tottenham Hotspurs with Newcastle United having their hands full as they prepare to welcome Aston Villa to Saint James Park Stadium.
Brentford tackle Nottingham Forest as Fulham square it with Brighton while Monday night football is between Everton and Leeds United.
In Spanish La Liga beaten by Real Sociedad last week take on new boys Real Oviedo at the Nou Camp stadium where they have not lost a home match for decades and would seek to use the encounter to erase the memory of the defeat to Real Sociedad.
Atletico Madrid host mallorca while Real Sociedad would still be at Anoeta City Stadium to welcome Celta Vigo as Deportivo Alaves confront Real Betis.
Resurgent Real Madrid make a tricky trip to the yellow submarine stadium home ground of Villerreal and Real Madrid would need to up their game to snatch all three points because their hosts are in great form.
Valencia hosts Espanyol while Rayo Vallacano battle Osasuna with Girona hosting Getafe on Monday night football.
In the Italian Serie A Juventus welcome the Defending Champion Napoli to the the Capital, Turin for a top-of-the-league clash for the weekend but another top clash of the league is between AS Roma and AC Milan while impressive Como entertain Torino as Fiorentina square up against Cagliari with Lacce taking on Lazio.
Atalanta which can now enjoy the service of the return of Ademola Lookman from the African Cup of Nation which just ended in Morroco face Parma while Sassuolo welcome new boys Cremonese with Genoa tackling Bologna and Hellas Verona on Monday night football take on Udinese.
In the German Bundesliga Bayern Munich, the league pacesetter welcome FC Augsburg and for the record Bayern Munich has not lost any in the league, losing one match in the UEFA Champions League to the current pacesetter in the Champions League.
Heidenheim host RB Leipzig with Mainz 05 tackling Wolfsburg as Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Hoffenheim while Bayer Leverkusen take on Werder Bremen, Borussia lMonchenglabach entertain Stuttgart.
Union Berlin host Burussia Dortmund while SC Freiburg tackle Koln.
Fixtures across Europe
English Barclays Premier League
Saturday
West Ham vs Sunderland
Manchester City vs Wolves
Fulham vs Brighton Albion
Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur
AFC Bournamount vs Liverpool
Newcastle United vs Aston Villa
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
Brentford vs Nottingham Forest
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Monday
Everton vs Leeds
