Chelsea may have stumbled just that once in the Premier League but they got back on track in a hurry. Since suffering that unexpected loss to Newcastle, they’ve pumped Sporting Lisbon, Hull and Derby, winning each time by two goals. It’s unlikely we will see another slip like that from them again moving forward – at least this week – as the Blues have another cupcake on the schedule.
While we have to wait until Monday for their match against Stoke, there are three key weekend games that will command our attention in the meantime as some of the top teams from the Premier League take the field again.
Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace — Saturday, 7:45 AM ET
Odds: Manchester City -418, Crystal Palace +1093, Draw +459
While Manuel Pellegrini has expressed his frustration with City’s schedule surrounding the holidays, the bottom line is they have caught a break by drawing some of the worst teams in the Premier League while their star striker, Sergio Aguero, is sidelined for the next few weeks. That includes this week’s date with a Crystal Palace side that has just three wins through 16 league matches. At least they’re “red hot” right now, as they haven’t lost their last two games, which have been draws. Crystal Palace has just one win since the start of October.
As for City, they pulled out a 1-0 win over lowly Leicester City last week. It wasn’t overly impressive but they got the job done as Frank Lampard scored the lone goal in last the win. While it may be time for someone else to step up with Edin Dzeko also potentially dealing with a calf injury, the Citizens have more than enough talent up front that they should be able to find a way to secure three points at home this weekend. The fact that City is so banged up and is still a -418 favorite for this contest tells you all you need to know.
Vincent Kompany and David Silva each returned last weekend and will look to build off quality performances as they get their legs back under them after another full week of work. Pick: Manchester City
Aston Villa vs. Manchester United — Saturday, 10:00 AM ET
Odds: Manchester United -184, Aston Villa +509, Draw +289
United is one of the hottest teams in the Premier League right now but they are hoping that both Marcos Rojo and Angel di Maria can recover in time for this Saturday’s date with Aston Villa. They’ll need them in the lineup as they look to keep pace with City and Chelsea. Manager Louis van Gaal might decide to stick with the 5-3-2 formation that worked for Manchester United versus Southampton and they would benefit tremendously from getting a couple of key players back. Van Gaal hasn’t rushed di Maria back but the idea of he and Ander Herrera flanking Juan Mata behind Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie is scary. The Reds have turned their season around to climb back in to the title picture and another big victory this weekend against a relatively mediocre opponent will only help their case. Pick: Manchester United
Liverpool vs. Arsenal — Sunday, 11:00 AM ET
Odds: Arsenal +144, Liverpool +168, Draw +244
Two former contenders with major issues will meet when Liverpool returns home to host Arsenal. Liverpool is off a listless 3-0 loss to United that underlined their issues at both ends of the pitch. The loss of Luis Suarez has had a crippling effect on this team as they have fallen to 11th in the Premier League standings after securing a single point in their last two league games. Arsenal bounced back from a 3-2 loss to Stoke with a convincing 4-1 win over Newcastle, and many people felt they had seemingly addressed their issues up front – at least for one game. The Gunners might very well come back down to Earth this week and while Liverpool is desperate to get back on track, it’s hard to expect more than a draw from them at Anfield this Sunday. Pick: Draw
