By Laolu Olugbenga
City tackle Red Devils in all-Manchester war
The Manchester derby takes center stage this weekend, but the match day begins with Swansea City taking on Everton at the Liberty Stadium.
Arsenal will be in action as they travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley. The Gunners are no doubt the most in-form side in the League and are on the back of an impressive 4-1 win over Liverpool. Their return to form over the weeks puts them in an unlikely position to win the title, but Arsene Wenger has stated Chelsea will have to slip in order for them to have a chance. They still have some tough games left, including against the Blues, and Burnley, the giant killers, will be no different. The Clarets held Manchester United to a draw as well as beating Manchester City at Turf Moor. In a period when points are desperately needed, it should be a fiery encounter. Sean Dyche will once again be counting on his man Danny Ings to fire his side to victory.
Aston Villa will aim to return to winning away to Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Christian Benteke looks to be back to his best having scored a hat trick against QPR in midweek. Villa are hovering around the relegation zone, and Tim Sherwood is counting on the Belgian to do some damage control and rescue the sinking ship.
West Ham and Stoke will both look to bounce back from defeat when they face off at Upton Park. On the back of a hugely embarrassing 4-1 loss to QPR, West Brom will tackle a Leicester side full of hope following their win over West Ham at the Hawthorns.
Crystal Palace will be favourites for yet another win when they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Southampton’s Europa League quest will continue at St. Mary’s when they host Hull City.
On Sunday, the big game will take to the stage when bitter rivals Manchester United and Manchester City trade tackles at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are the in-form side going into the encounter having won five games in a row. City on the other have slipped from second to fourth after a 2-1 loss to middle table Crystal Palace. Wayne Rooney has a fine record in Manchester Derbies, scoring 11 times in 22 appearances and has 6 goals in his last 8 games. City’s Sergio Aguero has scored 6 times in 7 games, but he has failed to find the back of the net in his last 6 games. Defeat will see them fall four points behind United, who look to be digesting Louis Van Gaal’s philosophy. Robin Van Persie has returned to training and will be fit for the encounter. He has fond memories of the fixture too, having scored the winner back in 2012.
Chelsea will take on QPR at Loftus Road. The Blues have looked unconvincing in recent weeks, but they seem to be doing enough to limp towards the title. They secured a lucky 2-1 win over Stoke, but it came at a cost as they will now be missing danger man Diego Costa for the next two weeks. He limped off the field minutes after he was thrown into the fray as Jose Morinho was desperately looking for a decider. It means he won’t be available to face Manchester United. QPR missed out on a big chance to pull closer to safety when they were held to a 3-3 draw against Aston Villa. Beating Chelsea in front of the Loftus faithful could be just the motivation they need.
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