Is Manchester City Reviving?
By Tanko Bauka
Manchester City’s revival continue to gather momentum with yet another impressive victory against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League last group phase match of the new format Champions League.
The Etihad boys have to come from one goal down to run with a 3-1 victory, a result which will put them in a proper frame of mind as they travel to the Emirate stadium in London to take on Arsenal in what will look like the battle of supremacy as Manchester City twice denied Arsenal from being crowned Champion.
Arteta and his boys will go into the match at the back a 2-1 away victory against Girona to book their place in the last 8 of the UEFA Champions League but the English Barclays Premier League is a different ball game as both teams will be at each other’s throat to grab the three points as they play catch up with Liverpool which are also going to face a strong test as they travel to one of the dreaded venues for any team, the Vitality stadium to take on in-form AFC Bournemouth.
Liverpool need to pick themselves up following their 3-2 loss to PSV in the last match of the Champions League.
Even though they top the table chart, they must be at their very best if they want to wrestle the three points from AFC Bournemouth.
Manchester United would seek to build on their victory against Fulham last weekend as they welcome one of their nightmares, Crystal Palace, though with the rebuilding work by Ruben Amorim, Manchester United need to up their game and snatch the Three points from Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
Chelsea seeking redemption after poor results, welcome West Ham to Stamford Bridge stadium, with Nottingham Forest tackling Brighton and Hove Albion while Newcastle take on Fulham.
Brentford entertain inconsistent Tottenham Hotspur while Wolves slug it out with Aston Villa.
In the Spanish LA Liga, the league leader Real Madrid travel to Espanol hoping to extend their lead in the league table while third place FC Barcelona will be at home to welcome Deportivo Alaves seeking to mount pressure on their arch rival.
Second-place Atletico Madrid ambush Mallorca in their backyard, with Valencia battling Celta Vigo as they seek to fight off relegation; Osasuna welcome Real Sociedad as Real Valladolid travel to take on Villarreal.
In the Italian Serie A, the city of Milan will come to a standstill as AC Milan and Inter Milan engage in the Milan derby.
The Milan derby is one of the fiercest derby matches in the world as this is one match that divides not the country but families.
The league leader Napoli will make a short, tricky trip to Rome to take on resurgent AS Roma, seeking to consolidate their grip on top of the league table, while Atalanta welcome Torino.
Juventus will be in Turin to do battle with Empoli, with Cagliari taking on Lazio just as Bologna welcome Cesc Fabregas’ Como.
In the German Bundesliga, Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich will comfortably be at home to welcome Holstein Kiel as well as second place Bayer Leverkusen battle it out with Hoffenheim.
Heidenheim will have a daunting task as they seek the three points at stake against Borussia Dortmund.
Fixtures across Europe.
English Barclays Premier League
Saturday
Nothingham Forest vs Brighton
AFC Bournemouth vs Liverpool
Everton vs Leicester
Ipswich Town vs Southampton
Newcastle vs Fulham
Wolves vs Aston Villa
Sunday
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace
Arsenal vs Manchester City
Monday
Chelsea vs West Ham
Spanish LA Liga
Friday
Laganes vs Rayo Vallacano
Saturday
Gatafe vs Sevilla
Villarreal vs Real Valladolid
Atlectico Madrid vs Mallorca
Espanyol vs Real Madrid
Sunday
FC Barcelona vs Deportivo Alaves
Valencia vs Celta Vigo
Osasuna vs Real Sociedad
Real Betis vs Athletic Bilbao
Monday
Girona vs Las Palmas
Italian Serie A
Friday
Parma vs Lacce
Saturday
AC Monza vs Hellas Verona
Udinese vs Venezia
Atalanta vs Torino
Bologna vs Como
Sunday
Juventus vs Empoli
Fiorentina vs Genoa
AC Milan vs Inter Milan
AS Roma vs Napoli
Monday
Cagliari vs Lazio
German Bundesliga
Friday
Werder Bremen vs Mainz 05
Saturday
Heidenheim vs Dortmund
VFL Bochum vs SC Freiburg
FC St Pauli vs FC Augsburg
Stuttgart vs Monchenglabach
Bayern Munich vs Holstein Kiel
Union Berlin vs RB Leipzig
Sunday
Eintrach Frankfurt vs Wolfsburg
Leverkusen vs Hoffenheim
