The Premier League returns this weekend after a two-week hiatus with a number of mouth-watering clashes beginning with the early kickoff on Saturday when defending champions Manchester City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side will hope to have goal machine Erling Haaland ready for the vital clash after the 22-year-old missed Norway’s games during the international break due to injury.
On the other hand, the Reds have been handed a huge boost as Colombian winger Luis Diaz returns after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury, while Darwin Nunez was also pictured in training after pulling out of international duties with Uruguay.
Mohamed Salah could make yet another history, becoming the first Liverpool player to score against City in four matches in the same season.
In the tea-time games, relegation battlers Bournemouth take on Fulham following the Cottagers’ elimination from the FA Cup a fortnight ago.
Nottingham Forest, who lost striker Chris Wood to a season-ending injury, will have Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi back in contention when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the City Ground.
At Selhurst Park in south London, Roy Hodgson’s first game back in charge at Crystal Palace will see them battle Leicester City, while league leaders Arsenal, whose coach Mikel Arteta and star forward Bukayo Saka won the Premier League awards for Manager and Player of the Month, will look to make it seven consecutive league wins when they face Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium.
The last game on Saturday will see the battle for a place in the top half of the table continue to heat up as Graham Potter’s Chelsea take on Aston Villa.
On Sunday, West Ham and Southampton will lock horns in a relegation-battle scrap followed by Manchester United’s trip to St. James Park to take on Newcastle United for the first time since the Carabao Cup final and a resurgent Everton side will look to add more woes to Tottenham Hotspur’s woes following the sack of manager Antonio Conte.
