Midweek Matches

The league catches up on rescheduled matches with six different contests on Tuesday and Wednesday. A critical relegation faceoff takes place at Elland Road where Leeds will greet Nottingham Forest. A single point separates relegation bound Leeds from the Tricky Trees. Bournemouth, level on points with Nottingham Forest and two other clubs, hosts a difficult match with Brighton on Tuesday. The Seagulls are currently 16 points above Bournemouth in the table and are battling for a European place.

Leicester plays its first match after Sunday’s sacking of manager Brendan Rodgers when the Foxes host Aston Villa on Tuesday. The clubs are on markedly different trajectories as Aston Villa has won four of five matches while the Foxes have lost five of six league matches leading to the firing of the highly regarded Rodgers.

Chelsea will host Liverpool in the Blues’ first match under interim manager Bruno Saltor. A Potter assistant who came with Potter from Brighton, Saltor has never chosen a lineup. Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp will see an opportunity for his Reds to advance their European qualification hopes amid the current chaos at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool, despite a disappointing season, are still just a point outside the top six.

Wednesday matches will have implications up and down the table. Newcastle travels to West Ham hoping to maintain its top four position earned this past weekend. West Ham is just a point above the drop zone as it fights for survival. Manchester United is outside the Champions League places on goal differential despite having the same point total as Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur. The Red Devils have a chance to return to the top four when they host Brentford on Wednesday. The Bees, meanwhile, are chasing their first ever European qualification. Brentford is currently level on points with sixth place Brighton as the clubs duke it out for the Europa League and Europa Conference League berths with Liverpool currently lurking just a point behind.