Premier League Preview: Match Week 20

Historic rivals Liverpool and Manchester United face off at Anfield on Sunday in a derby which has become increasingly one sided. Liverpool has lost just once in the last seven seasons of Premier League matches between the sides. The Reds are the current Premier League leaders and lead the league in both goals scored and, along with Arsenal, fewest goals conceded. Manchester United, meanwhile, is a mess. The 14th place Red Devils appear in need of a vast rebuild with new manager Reuben Amorim unable to get results from his inherited roster. While Amorim’s start in the Premier League has been miserable, Liverpool’s Arne Slot has lived a charmed life in Merseyside to date. The Dutch manager has the Reds atop the Premier League while the Reds are still contending for additional silverware in Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Slot has suffered just one loss across all competitions, that being a Premier League defeat to currently third place Nottingham Forest. Amorim already has five losses in his first eight Premier League outings and number six is highly probable on Sunday.

Vitor Pereira, Manager of Wolverhampton

Second place Arsenal will be at Brighton on Saturday trying to extend the Seagulls’ current seven match winless run while third place Nottingham Forest faces an interesting challenge in a Monday Premier League matchup. Wolves would have been thought to be easy prey just weeks ago, but new Wolverhampton manager Vitor Pereira has pulled the club out of the relegation zone with two victories and a draw in his first three league matches. Molineux Stadium should be rocking for the Monday night clash with the Tricky Trees.

Chelsea will have little fear as it embarks on a visit to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. The Blues have come away with a victory on 12 of their 15 Premier League visits to their London neighbors.

Further north in London, Tottenham Hotspur will be hosting Newcastle in a contest of clubs in far different form. Spurs has won just one of its last seven Premier League matches while Newcastle is challenging for a top four spot after winning four consecutive league matches. Spurs already has four home losses this season and a further defeat on Saturday before the home supporters will not be good for the declining standing of Manager Ange Postecoglou.

The seat is even hotter for another London manager, West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui, as the Hammers visit Manchester City. A 5-0 drubbing at Liverpool last Sunday was the eighth time this season that West Ham lost by three or more goals. Another heavy loss at the Etihad could push the unpopular Lopetegui closer to the door. Making a turnaround more difficult for Lopetegui will be the fractured ankle of the Hammers’ leading goal scorer and assist maker, Jarrod Bowen, who was injured in the Liverpool debacle. Bournemouth, Fulham and Aston Villa are all within two points of Manchester City and crashing the top six party. All three clubs face opponents from the lower end of the table this weekend.

The Cherries are home to Everton. Fulham hosts Ipswich Town and Aston Villa entertains Leicester. Bournemouth and Fulham are both riding seven match unbeaten runs. Aston Villa has the fourth best home record in the Premier League this season with five wins and four draws against only one loss. Southampton, meanwhile, has the worst home, and overall, record in the league as the bottom of the table Saints prepare to welcome Brentford to St. Mary’s on Saturday. It is likely to be a swarm of angry Bees anxious to end a winless run which has seen Brentford lose three of its last four matches. Southampton is an attractive foe to cure those winless woes.