The English Premier League resumes after its first-ever 43-day World Cup break as club football action resumes on Boxing Day. Fourteen clubs will be in action, with the remaining three fixtures featuring the other six clubs to be played later this week.
As things stand, Arsenal are sitting at the top of the table and have a commanding lead of five points over defending champions Manchester City. A surprise in third-place sees Newcastle United sitting in the UEFA Champions League spot, and a point behind them are Tottenham Hotspur, completing the Top-Four. Four points separate Manchester United and Liverpool just outside the Champions League spots, as the former is currently fifth. Chelsea are lagging behind in eighth place, level on points with Brighton.
The Manchester clubs are not in action today, but some high-octane clashes are expected as teams try to move further up the table. Let’s take a look at the Top-3 fixtures of Boxing Day 2022.
Brentford vs Tottenham
Brentford are currently in tenth place, and a win will take them into seventh place, level on points with Liverpool. In the last 30 years, The Bees have faced Tottenham only twice in the Premier League and seven times in the League Cup. Six out of seven League Cup ties were settled by Spurs, while one ended in a draw. Brentford’s winless run against the Londoners continued in the Premier League as well. Last season, the Bees were beaten at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while the reverse fixture ended in a goalless draw.
However, this season could see Thomas Franck’s men nab their first-ever win over Spurs, considering the brilliant record they have at home. The Bees have dropped points in their own backyard on multiple occasions but have only lost one out of seven home games so far. They have already beaten the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea on home soil. Apart from that, the morale is high as Brentford went into the World Cup break with a shocking 2-1 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Liverpool would have been welcomed by the side coached by their former skipper Steven Gerrard, but he was given the boot in October. Now, former Arsenal manager Unai Emery is at the helm and trying to make things right at the club. So far, the Spaniard has been superb, winning both Premier League games he was in charge of. The first came against Manchester United as the Villains shocked the Red Devils 3-1 before visiting staunch Brighton and handing them a 2-1 defeat.
Between the two games, Villa also played a League Cup game that was also against Manchester United. However, they could not replicate their League performance and result in that fixture and ended up losing 4-2. Liverpool, on the other hand, will be looking to cut the deficit to the top-four whilst also looking to overtake arch-rivals Man United in the process. The Reds were in action against Manchester City this past Friday and ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2. Jurgen Klopp would be eager to return to winning ways.
Arsenal vs West Ham United
A London Derby sees Arsenal and West Ham lock horns on Boxing Day. However, looking at the recent form, it seems like an awfully one-sided fixture as the scales tip towards the Gunners. In 14 games played so far, Arsenal have only dropped points twice. They have lost one and drawn one and are currently on an eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League. Fans who were calling for Mikel Arteta’s head last season have been astonished seeing how the mood, performances and results have flipped on their head.
On the other hand, West Ham have only won one of their last five games in the League. The Hammers find themselves perilously close to the relegation zone as they are 16th on the table and just one point clear of the drop spots. David Moyes’ men have a task at hand, and it’s not an easy one. There is a high chance of the Hammers falling into the dropzone if they fail to clinch points against Arsenal. The Hammers’ last Premier League victory at the Emirates against the Gunners came in 2015.
