Burnley vs. Luton Town

Turf Moor, Friday, 7:45pm Local, 2:45pm Eastern

After a surprising win over Fulham, Burnley have lost 3 matches in a row, including a narrow defeat to Spurs in the FA Cup last weekend. The Clarets, however, may be confident going into this showdown with the Hatters as Vincent Kompany’s side notched their first victory of the season against the Hatters way back in October. Turf Moor hasn’t exactly been a fortress, but it’s possible the atmosphere will lift the struggling Lancashire side. Wilson Odobert and Lyle Foster provide Burnley with real threat and could be key to earning all 3 points in a key game in the relegation battle.

This is a critical match for Luton, as a win would pull them out of the relegation places, and even a draw would put them even with Everton. Even more crucially, a victory would expand the clear daylight between the Hatters and the rest of the clubs at the bottom, guaranteeing they’d end the match week at least 6 points clear of 19th place. The cool veteran presence of Andros Townsend and Ross Barkley has lifted Rob Edwards’ side, and their experience could be the difference against an often naïve Burnley team. We’re over halfway through the season now, and matches like this are going to become more and more meaningful.

Chelsea vs. Fulham

Stamford Bridge, Saturday, 12:30pm Local, 7:30am Eastern

Chelsea host Fulham in an early kick off West London Derby at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino is increasingly finding himself under pressure, and Chelsea’s loss to Middlesborough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi final has only increased scrutiny on the Argentinian manager. The side is desperately in need of a positive result, but Fulham are hard to predict. The Christopher Nkunku renaissance was short-lived, and the French striker is again unavailable for selection. It’s likely that Chelsea will have plenty of the ball - players like Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling need to stamp their authority on the match early.

Fulham also lost their midweek cup semi final first leg, and the Cottagers have been streaky at best for the past few weeks. They’ve had showpiece victories over Arsenal, West Ham, and Forest, but also been humbled by Bournemouth and Burnley. Despite their age and - prior to this year - inconsistency, Willian and Raúl Jiménez have become integral to Marco Silva’s side, and they should both be available on Saturday. It’s both a mark of Fulham’s potential on a good day and Chelsea’ extreme volatility that it would be no surprise if the Cottagers nabbed a win against their neighbors.

Newcastle vs. Manchester City

St. James Park, Saturday, 5:30pm Local, 12:30pm Eastern

A few months ago, this matchup would have looked a lot more appealing, but Newcastle’s indifferent form could make it a one sided affair. The Magpies injury crisis is well documented, and Joelinton is the latest player to face a long spell on the sideline. If the Tyneside club want to get a positive result of any kind, harnessing the voltage of St. James Park will be instrumental. They’re sure to face spells of immense pressure from City, who made light work of Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup. Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon - who himself has started to look leggy - will need to be on top form to snatch a goal. Those two knitted up nicely against Liverpool to score, and Eddie Howe will likely return to that formula.

Manchester City - while they enter the weekend in 3rd place - seem primed for a run up the table. Not only have they clinically managed their last few matches, but Kevin De Bruyne is back (baby). The extraordinary Belgian will add a different spice to the City stew, even if his minutes look set to be managed for the next month or so. Phil Foden may not get to facilitate quite as much, but Pep Guardiola has certainly added a very incisive arrow to his quiver. If this match goes to expectations, City should win comfortably. But, admittedly, much of that expectation is based on how the Champions have performed historically - this crop of players still need to show that they have the same fire. 

Everton vs. Aston Villa

Goodison Park, Sunday, 2pm Local, 4pm Eastern

The Toffees have suddenly found themselves back in danger, and Sean Dyche and company could find themselves in the relegation zone going into this match if Luton Town are able to beat Burnley. On a positive note, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be available after his red card in the FA Cup was rescinded upon appeal. All that said, the Merseyside club face an immense challenge at home with the second place club in the country paying them a visit. Scoring has been hit or miss for Everton, but the pressure will truly be on the defenders in this match, and Ollie Watkins et al will keep their backline well and truly occupied.

Aston Villa have maintained a high standard in terms of their results in recent weeks, but occasionally they’ve needed late magic to pull out victories. Their last league match saw them down Burnley 3-2, but they conceded a goal against 10 men and needed an 89th minute penalty to grab all 3 points. Unai Emery has been a revelation for the Birmingham side, but these are matches he can’t afford to lose if he’s serious about a title challenge or even a comfortable top 4 finish. There are more teams genuinely capable of challenging City than there have been in years, and that’s tremendously exciting. However, the pace is going to be relentless in the new year.

Manchester United vs. Tottenham

Old Trafford, Sunday, 4:30pm Local, 11:30am Eastern

Manchester United are sitting in 9th place and face a visit from a revitalized Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. The Red Devils have only earned 7 points from their last 21 available, and it’s fair to say that the mood at Old Trafford is less than buoyant. Minority investment has come in from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but he’ll be unable to pump any money in during this transfer window. That, combined with their fragile position with Financial Fair Play, means the players they already have on their books will be responsible for turning around their form. Marcus Rashford’s struggles have been well documented, but he may fancy the challenge of exploiting Tottenham’s notorious high line.

Unlike United, Spurs were able to stabilize during the festive season, and they find themselves comfortably in 5th position. They still have some conspicuous absences to contend with, but they’ve also been active in the transfer window, bringing in both Timo Werner on loan and the Romanian defender, Radu Drӑgusin. It may be too early for their reinforcements to feature, but their arrivals have boosted moods around North London as it’s surprising and refreshing to see Spurs move quickly to address their issues in the market. Ange Postecoglou’s side comes into this match clear favorites, and the Australian manager will like his chances to deepen United’s malaise.

Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace

Emirates Stadium, Saturday, 12:30pm Local, 7:30am Eastern

Arsenal haven’t won since December 17th and have had a long lay off - with training camp in Dubai - to get their heads right for this weekend’s opener. While they’ll feel that this match is perfectly winnable, this poor run has them teetering on fifth place, only in the Champions League spots on goal difference. The Gunners’ main problem has been their dull performance in attack, a problem that’s especially frustrating when their offense was sharper than one of Salt Bae’s knives last season. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli haven’t been firing on all cylinders, but Mikel Arteta will hope that a somewhat flat Crystal Palace side will prove easier to break down than their last few opponents. 

Even though Palace’s last two league matches have yielded 4 points for the South London side, the Eagles haven’t convinced supporters that they’ll do anything but survive this campaign. There was a brief bloom of hope when Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise returned nearly simultaneously, however Olise has returned to the treatment room with no timetable on his return. While maintaining one’s Premier League status is no laughing matter, there’s little reason to believe Roy Hodgson’s men have a push up the table in them. However, the Eagles have surprised a few big teams this season, perhaps they’ve stored up a special performance to topple Arsenal.

Brentford vs. Nottingham Forest

Gtech Community Stadium, Saturday, 5:30pm Local, 12:30pm Eastern

This match is about one thing and one thing only - the return of Ivan Toney. The striker has been foundational to Brentford’s success in the top flight, and his absence while serving a ban for gambling has stretched the West London side to its breaking point. The Bees have injuries all over the park, but they’ve been particularly jackhammered in their attack. If Toney hits the ground running, Brentford should ease back into comfortable safety. They’ll need to tighten up their defense as well, but their main man’s return is an incredibly welcome piece of good news for the Bees’ fans

Nottingham Forest ended 2023 on a high note, recording back to back wins over Newcastle and Manchester United. That hot streak has faded somewhat in the new year, with the Midlands club needing 2 bites of the apple to put away league 1 Blackpool in the FA Cup. It may be unfair to criticize Nuno Espírito Santo for those results, but it would be a great marker to lay down if his side could put 3 points on the board. Unfortunately, results on the pitch may take a back seat for Forest after news came that they’ve been found in breach of the Premier League’s regulations on Profits and Sustainability - which could bring down a points penalty on the club before the end of the season. A few wins would build a critical buffer, but it may be hard for Nuno’s men to pop the bubble of good feeling at the Gtech with Toney back in the frame.

Sheffield United vs. West Ham

Bramall Lane, Sunday, 2pm Local, 9am Eastern

Sheffield United have looked much better under Chris Wilder, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Blades are at the bottom of the heap in the table and have yet to hit double digits in points. Even if West Ham have been unpredictable in the league, Wilder’s side come into this match clear underdogs. Gustavo Hamer and Cameron Archer have been x factors for the Yorkshire club, but they’ll need to combine some magic with a solid defensive display - even if West Ham are shorn of nearly all their best attacking players.

Speaking of missing attacking players, West Ham are short several of their best. Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paquetá, and Michail Antonio are all injured, Said Benrama is suspended, and Mohammed Kudus is away with Ghana at AFCON. It will be genuinely difficult for David Moyes’ side to get on the scoresheet, but the Scottish manager will back his team to keep out the Blades. A set piece strike or delivery could well prove the difference, and the Hammers have one of the best in the world in James Ward-Prowse.

Bournemouth vs. Liverpool

Vitality Stadium, Sunday, 4:30pm Local, 11:30am Eastern

Bournemouth’s unbeaten run came to an end in their last league match when Tottenham prevailed 3-1, but that should take nothing away from the much improved Cherries. Dominic Solanke, a former Liverpool player, has been the key man for Andoni Iraola’s side, and he’s rightly beginning to garner attention in the transfer market. He’s unlikely to move this January, but he’ll be at the forefront of Bournemouth’s gameplan to knock Liverpool off the top of the table. It hasn’t completely been a one man show, and the Cherries as a collective have vastly improved in the past 2 months - whether that’s enough to trouble an admittedly weakened Liverpool side remains to be seen.

After knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup, Liverpool look to hold serve in what’s shaping up to be a rollicking title race. They are, however, going to be without a host of their stars with Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominic Szobozslai, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, and Wataru Endō all unavailable (not to mention long term absentees Matip and Thiago). Earlier in the season, a trip to the Vitality wouldn’t have seemed stressful, but Klopp will have his hands full with this aggressive and more and more clinical Cherries team. Joe Gomez has increasingly become critical to Liverpool, and he’s being asked to plug holes all over the backline. If he, Konate, and Van Dijk can marshall a strong defense, you’d back one of Liverpool’s attackers to fire the visitors to victory.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Amex Stadium, Monday, 7:45pm Local, 2:45pm Eastern

Few teams needed a winter break as badly as Brighton, who’ve been hit hard with injuries since the curtain was raised on this campaign. Roberto De Zerbi will hope that his side can start the run-in strong against a very competent Wolves side. One bit of good news is that the Asian Cup and African Cup of Nations hasn’t hurt the squad too much - the bad news is that’s because the players they’d likely lose are already injured. At their best the Seagulls squad can match any side in the league, however they haven’t been anywhere near their best for some time. If De Zerbi and company can take advantage of this window without European commitments, maybe the south coast side can find some form.

Gary O’Neil’s Wolves come into this match on a bit of a hot streak. They closed out the calendar year with 3 straight victories and - even though it took a replay - ousted Brentford from the FA Cup to set up a Derby clash with West Brom. That replay, however, means that the Midlands side is forced to enter the fray without as much rest as their opponents. It’s possible this proves too much for O’Neil’s side, especially with Hwang Hee-Chan missing.