2023/24 English Premiership League silverware wavers, Manchester City. Image: Dachoun Football Club.
(The Post News)- Both teams are fighting for a top-four berth in the English Premiership League; thus, Manchester City has no time to recover from another crushing Champions League loss when Chelsea visits the Citizens. At the Vitality Stadium, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, two in-form clubs hoping to shock the status quo by earning a spot in the Champions League next season, square off. On the opposite end of the table, struggling Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou desperately needs a victory over relegation-threatened Leicester to keep Spurs out of trouble.
City is starting over. Last weekend’s 6-0 thumping of Ipswich gave City hope that they could have found their groove again, but that hope was dashed by Paris Saint-Germain’s four-goal blitz on Wednesday, leaving Pep Guardiola’s team on the verge of an embarrassing early European exit. After a dismal run of performances, City has returned to the top-four finish battle with a five-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League. With a win at the Etihad on Saturday, the English champions, who currently sit in fifth place, will pass Chelsea, who are in fourth place.
Their rebound, though, came after a mild run of games, and their collapse from a 2-0 lead to a 4-2 loss at PSG revealed the weaknesses that more formidable opposition could exploit. The next four Premier League games that City will play are against Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Tottenham. The team has had to be especially active in the January transfer market due to their decline, which has been made worse by injuries. After completing a £59 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, forward Omar Marmoush may make his debut on Saturday. Meanwhile, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov will strengthen Guardiola’s defensive options.
Forest began the weekend tied for second position with Arsenal and six points ahead of City and Newcastle, setting them up for an incredible comeback to Europe’s top competition. For Forest, who won European titles in 1979 and 1980 under Brian Clough’s leadership, qualifying for the Champions League would be an incredible accomplishment. On Saturday, though, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team will be put to the test when they take on Bournemouth, who have won a club-record 10 Premier League games.
Justin Kluivert scored a hat-trick as the Cherries defeated Newcastle 4-1 at St. James’ Park last weekend, overcoming an escalating injury list. Despite never having made it to the European stage, Bournemouth is currently in seventh place, three points off the top four. “I like the fans to dream,” Lewis Cook, the captain, stated. “Why not get excited?”
Links implying Tottenham may call for their manager Andoni Iraola if Ange Postecoglou is unable to salvage Spurs’ dismal season might dampen the happiness of Bournemouth supporters. Tottenham, beset by injuries, has dropped to 15th place in the Premier League after losing seven of their last nine games. However, the awful performance of the bottom three has so far allayed worries that they may be drawn into a relegation struggle.
In their first season back in the competition, Leicester, the former Premier League champions, are 10 points behind Tottenham after suffering seven straight losses under Ruud van Nistelrooy. However, with relegation rivals Ipswich and Wolves playing difficult games this weekend, a victory might push them out of the drop zone. Wolves host second-place Arsenal at Molineux, while Ipswich travels to resounding leaders Liverpool.
Fixtures for Saturday (all times in GMT)
Manchester City vs. Chelsea (17:30), Southampton vs. Newcastle, Wolves vs. Arsenal, Brighton vs. Everton, Liverpool vs. Ipswich, and Bournemouth vs. Nottingham Forest (all 15:00).
Sunday
Fulham vs. Manchester United (19:00), Aston Villa vs. West Ham (16:30), Tottenham vs. Leicester (both at 14:00), and Crystal Palace vs. Brentford.
About the Author
