Arsenal hosts Sunderland as Liverpool, Manchester City face off in battle of Supremacy
From Tanko Bauka
Football lovers especially of the best league in the world, the English Barclay Premier League are in for thrills this weekend as they are mouthwatering encounter that can mar or make.
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur played out a pulsating two all draw which seriously does a severe damage to Manchester City’s hope of overhauling Arsenal lead in the league and the Etihad landlords has a bigger task ahead of them in the form of the defending Champions Liverpool FC who themselves are not consistent in their performance.
Manchester City had beaten Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad stadium in the first leg of this encounter and Pep Guardiola and his boys travel to Anfield stadium, Liverpool home ground for the top of the week cracker and Manchester City knows that any further slip could allow the league leader to further extend the lead to Nine points if they were able to beat Sunderland at the Emirates stadium in London.
Pep Guardiola in an effort to catch up with Arsenal brought in two signings in Antoine Semenyo from AFC Bournemouth and Marc Guehi from Crystal palace yet Manchester City are not producing any positive results as they have allowed Arsenal to extend from four points to six points.
Pep Guardiola need to find immediate solutions to address the situation if they are indeed to trouble Arsenal.
Liverpool would be going into the game full with confidence following their 4-1 against Newcastle United and the memory of the first leg definitely will flash through their minds and as they seek for revenge, Liverpool FC should know that their opponents Manchester City are a very dangerous side that should be taking seriously because they can hurt you when you least expected.
Tottenham Hotspur face a daunting task as they travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United and the encounter brings back painful memories for it is Tottenham Hotspur that deny Manchester United lifting the Europa League beaten then head coach Ruben Amorim 1-0 and the same Tottenham Hotspur stopping the Red devils in the FA Cup as well as not giving them breathing space during Amorim regime or reign but things have changed significantly since the appointment of the present interim manager, Michael Carrick who has rejuvenated the team and the players are playing with confidence, what they were lacking few months back.
Manchester United has scoped all Nine points in the three matches they have played so far, beaten Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford, Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates stadium and another dramatic 3-2 against Fulham at Old Trafford.
As Tottenham Hotspur came to town they should know that they are meeting a different Manchester United side that fight till the end so Thomas Frank needs to devise a means or a plan on how he will stop this rampaging Manchester United side.
The league leader Arsenal seeking to win a major silverwares ambush impressive Sunderland at the Emirates stadium and Arsenal already have a teste of the stuff Sunderland are made of as Mikel Arteta and his boys did not find it easy in the first leg at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland home ground though the match ended two all.
Sunderland always packed bus especially when playing the Gunners so Sunderland should probably pray the day turns out not to be Arsenal day because they will meet a different Arsenal with hunger to attack and crush anything in their front.
Wolverhampton Wanderers fighting for their lives in the league has Chelsea to contend with at the Molineux stadium to battle on for survival and AFC Bournemouth chasing European football has Aston Villa a title contender to navigate for the three points while Newcastle United has Brentford City at the Saint James Park stadium to put their faltering season together if they dream of anything next football season.
It would be the battle of the relegation threatened teams at the Turf Moor stadium and Elland Road would bubble again as Nottingham Forest came visiting to also fight on all in a bid to avoid relegation to the Championships.
Leeds United has turned Elland Road to a dangerous stadium where the mighty are falling even though they find it difficult to break down Arsenal which runs away with 4 goals and the three points at stake.
Nottingham Forest should be wary of their host even though both teams need the three points to further boast their chances of survival.
Brighton Albion and Hove welcome Crystal palace to the American Express Community stadium and the Fabian Hurzeler boys cannot let another opportunity of picking three points slip away like against Everton the last time out.
In the Spanish La Liga the defending Champions FC Barcelona continue the defending of the title against Mallorca at the Nou Camp Stadium and must strive to increase the pressure on their title rival Real Madrid that seems not to be consistent finding it very difficult to even break down even smaller teams.
This is the time the defending Champions need to capitalize on Real Madrid inconsistency and pull clear towards winning another title and Real Madrid if they are to salvage anything this season maybe to overhaul the league leader FC Barcelona, then they need to start winning matches especially easier or winnable matches.
Real Madrid has Valencia standing between them and the three points at stake and Valencia are not a push over so the encounter will be interesting to look out for this weekend.
Celta Vigo entertain Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano as Sevilla slug it out with Girona with Real Sociedad hosting Elche at Anoete City stadium.
Atletico Madrid welcome Real Betis as Deportivo Alaves tackle Gatafe and Athletic Bilbao host Lavente as Villarreal take on Espanyol on Monday in the Monday night football.
In the Italian Serie A Genoa welcome the defending Champions Napoli while Fiorentina tackle Torino with Bologna hosting Parma as Lacce take on Udinese.
AC Milan host Cesc Fabregas Como to continue to push for the title while Sassaulo lock horns with the league leader Inter Milan with Juventus take on Lazio.
Atalanta welcome Cremonese while AS Roma take on Cagliari.
In the German Bundesliga Bayern Munich suffered yet another setback with a two all draw against New boys Hamburger but they have another chance to make an amend as they host Hoffenheim at Alliance Arena while KolN tackle RB Leipzig with Bayern Monchenglabach hosting Bayer Leverkusen with FC St Pauli engaging Stuttgart.
Wolfsburg host Burussia Dortmund with Mainz 05 taking on FC Augsburg as SC Freiburg entertaining Werder Bremen.
Fixture across Europe
English Barclay Premier league
Friday
Leeds United Vs Nottingham Forest
Saturday
Manchester United Vs Tottenham
Wolves Vs Chelsea
Fulham Vs Everton
Burnley Vs West Ham United
Arsenal Vs Sunderland
AFC Bournemouth Vs Aston Villa
Newcastle United Vs Brentford
Sunday
Brighton Albion Vs Crystal Palace
Liverpool Vs Manchester City
Spanish La Liga
Friday
Celta Vigo Vs Osasuna
Saturday
Rayo Vallecano Vs Real Oviedo
FC Barcelona Vs Mallorca
Sevilla Vs Girona
Real Sociedad Vs Elche
Sunday
Deportivo Alaves Vs Gatafe
Athletic Bilbao Vs Lavente
Atletico Madrid Vs Real Betis
Valencia Vs Real Madrid
Monday
Villarreal Vs Espanyol
Italian Serie A
Friday
Hellas Verona Vs Pisa SC
Saturday
Genoa Vs Napoli
Fiorentina Vs Torino
Sunday
Bologna Vs Parma
Lacce Vs Udinese
AC Milan Vs Como
Sassaulo Vs Inter Milan
Juventus Vs Lazio
Atalanta Vs Cremonese
AS Roma Vs Cagliari
German Bundesliga
Friday
Union Berlin Vs Frankfurt
Saturday
Heidenheim Vs Hamburger
FC St Pauli Vs Stuttgart
Wolfsburg Vs Burussia Dortmund
Mainz 05 Vs FC Augsburg
SC Freiburg Vs Werder Bremen
Monchenglabach Vs Leverkusen
Sunday
Koln Vs RB Leipzig
Bayern Munich Vs Hoffenheim.
