Maresca faces an awkward customer
This season Chelsea have held Arsenal after going down to 10 men and have beaten Barcelona, Liverpool and Tottenham. They have also dropped points against Atalanta, Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Leeds, Qarabag and Sunderland. It is clear that winning against smaller sides remains a problem for Enzo Maresca. Chelsea rise to the big occasion but inconsistency flares when they are expected to win. They do not like playing against deep defences – Maresca has often reacted with dismay when opponents switch to a back five to counter his carefully formulated plans – and can be forgiven if they are edgy about hosting Everton on Saturday. David Moyes’s side have just recorded clean sheets at Bournemouth and Manchester United. They will back themselves to neutralise Chelsea’s attacking talents. Jacob Steinberg
Chelsea v Everton, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)
Is this really the end for Salah at Anfield?
So, is this really it? After 250 goals in 420 appearances, Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Club World Cup titles, plus numerous individual awards and records, is this the day Mohamed Salah says goodbye to Liverpool? Will he even get the opportunity? Arne Slot’s side are unbeaten in the four games since Salah was dropped. In his now infamous interview at Elland Road, Salah claimed he had asked his parents to join him at Anfield on Saturday when he will bid farewell to Liverpool fans before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations. He did not specify at the time whether it would be a permanent or a pre-tournament farewell, but battle lines in this unedifying episode have been drawn since then. On both sides. Liverpool consider his removal from first-team selection temporary and in the best interests of all concerned. Salah, judging by his lonely training ground selfie posted on the day of Liverpool’s important Champions League win at Inter, sees it as another snub. This is no way for a legendary Liverpool career to end but a reconciliation looks far off. Perhaps another game out of the Liverpool spotlight and a month in Morocco will give Salah time to reconsider his stance. Andy Hunter
Liverpool v Brighton, Saturday 3pm
Broja deserves chance for goal-shy Clarets
Armando Broja’s career has been stalled by injuries and unsuccessful loans, holding back a clearly talented striker. One of those forgotten spells was at Fulham, where eight Premier League appearances brought no goals. He finally left Chelsea permanently in the summer but is yet to get up to speed, featuring nine times off the bench for Scott Parker’s Burnley without scoring. The Albanian’s teammates aren’t doing much better, especially at home where the Clarets have netted five times in seven league games, losing four times in the process. Parker is a conservative manager, relying on a strong defence as the foundation for victory. Burnley are not nicking the desired goals, and were easily brushed aside by Crystal Palace last time out. The manager has told his players to be brave but maybe he is the one who needs to show more courage and start Broja, who has the potential to find the net regularly. Will Unwin
Burnley v Fulham, Saturday 5.30pm
Jesus hoping for Christmas cheer
Gabriel Jesus is confident he can recapture his best form after recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for almost a year. The Brazil striker came on as a substitute in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Club Brugge on Wednesday night and will be hoping for more minutes when Mikel Arteta’s side face rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday. “One hundred per cent,” said the 28-year-old when asked whether the best is still to come from him. “I’m a different guy when I have a smile on my face. I’m 100% sure, and then obviously now I’m more experienced, now I had 11 months of doubting, of stepping back and watching everything around me, that has helped me a lot. I know if I have the chance I am going to go there and do my best to help the team, like everyone else here.” Ed Aarons
Arsenal v Wolves, Saturday 8pm
Clyne has big shoes to fill
The news that Daniel Muñoz requires knee surgery could not have come at a worse time for Crystal Palace, given they are in the middle of a month featuring eight matches in three competitions. The Colombia defender is so integral to Oliver Glasner’s system that he hadn’t missed a game until last weekend’s win against Fulham when the veteran Nathaniel Clyne – who made his first appearance for Palace way back in 2008 – stood in. The 34-year-old may not have the same energy as Muñoz but does provide a solid defensive base and that could be crucial for Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has never lost at Selhurst Park but will be wary of Palace’s threat after a thrilling 2-2 draw last season even without Muñoz, who opened the scoring almost exactly a year ago. EA
Crystal Palace v Manchester City, Sunday 2pm
Howe tasked with tricky derby puzzle
Will Régis Le Bris’s midfield trio of Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fée outshine Eddie Howe’s first-choice three of Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton at the Stadium of Light on Sunday? It will be the first Wear-Tyne derby for nearly two years – Newcastle won 3-0 in the FA Cup third round in January 2024 – and the first in the league for almost a decade. If Le Bris’s team pretty much picks itself, Howe has dilemmas after Wednesday night’s 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayer Leverkusen. Does he replace Aaron Ramsdale with a potentially fit again Nick Pope in goal? Does he drop Malick Thiaw – who struggled in Germany until injury forced Patrik Schick’s half-time removal – and recall Fabian Schär? And should he rest the exhausted-looking Tonali and offer the 19-year-old Lewis Miley a start in midfield? If Joelinton fails to recover from injury in time Miley may play anyway but, regardless of personnel, Newcastle will need to improve at defending set pieces or Le Fée’s deliveries could undo them. Louise Taylor
Sunderland v Newcastle, Sunday 2pm
Gibbs-White can fire up Forest’s season
For a long time last summer, it looked as if Morgan Gibbs-White was heading to Tottenham for £60m before Nottingham Forest complained about tapping up and convinced their playmaker to sign a new contract. Gibbs-White was the man who led Forest to seventh last season but his powers have been somewhat stifled in a struggling team. He has three goals and only one league assist to his name, which came on the opening weekend against Brentford, and will be desperate to add to that as Forest look to move up the table from 17th. Gibbs-White has to embrace the fact he rejected a Champions League team to stay with the club that helped ignite his career and, if he does that on Sunday, it could do the same for Forest’s season. In this fixture a year ago, Gibbs-White created the winner for Anthony Elanga and the majority inside the City Ground will be hoping for a repeat. WU
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham, Sunday 2pm
Hammers need Summerville on top form
Producing a better end product has to be the aim for Crysencio Summerville. The Dutch winger gives West Ham a different dimension when he is fit – which has not been often since his move from Leeds last year – but he has to do more in the final third. Summerville missed chances during last week’s draw with Brighton, has not scored this season and has not registered an assist since West Ham’s win over Nottingham Forest in August. There is no doubt, though, that he is a dangerous player. Summerville worries full-backs with his pace and trickery. He will give Matty Cash a good test when Aston Villa visit the London Stadium on Sunday, but West Ham need the 24-year-old to do more. JS
West Ham v Aston Villa, Sunday 2pm
Leeds ready to sting the Bees
Brentford have won five of their first seven league games at home, dropping points only to Chelsea, in a 2-2 draw, and in a narrow defeat to Manchester City, but have been victorious away on only one occasion, at West Ham. The Gtech Community Stadium is the difference between Keith Andrews’s side being comfortably above the relegation zone and part of the battle at the bottom. Leeds arrive in west London off the back of a positive week after beating Chelsea and securing a dramatic late draw against Liverpool. Daniel Farke has built a towering side and they will be ideally equipped to deal with the constant threat of set-piece deliveries from the hosts, meaning Brentford may need to implement plans B and C too. Now Leeds prefer a back five, the ability of Dango Ouattara to find the spaces in between defenders could be crucial. WU
Brentford v Leeds, Sunday 4.30pm
United improving but still lopsided
Manchester United have lost just one of their last nine Premier League games and equally encouraging is the fact that Ruben Amorim’s men have grabbed four goals twice, 15 matches into the campaign. Last season’s 4-0 home win over Everton was the sole time this occurred in the league in 2024-25, while Monday’s 4-1 dismantling of Wolves at Molineux followed the 4-2 victory over Brighton at Old Trafford in October. Last season’s dismal goal tally of 44 will surely be overtaken. Twenty-six is the current count but, if Bournemouth want a rosier augury, the 22 conceded show how United’s defence is still malfunctioning. Jamie Jackson
Manchester United v Bournemouth, Monday 8pm
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 15 | 19 | 33 |
| 2 | Man City | 15 | 19 | 31 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 15 | 7 | 30 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace | 15 | 8 | 26 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 15 | 10 | 25 |
| 6 | Man Utd | 15 | 4 | 25 |
| 7 | Everton | 15 | 1 | 24 |
| 8 | Brighton | 15 | 4 | 23 |
| 9 | Sunderland | 15 | 1 | 23 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 15 | 0 | 23 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 15 | 2 | 22 |
| 13 | AFC Bournemouth | 15 | -3 | 20 |
| 14 | Brentford | 15 | -3 | 19 |
| 15 | Fulham | 15 | -4 | 17 |
| 16 | Leeds | 15 | -10 | 15 |
| 17 | Nottm Forest | 15 | -11 | 15 |
| 18 | West Ham | 15 | -12 | 13 |
| 19 | Burnley | 15 | -14 | 10 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 15 | -25 | 2 |
