West Ham United vs Newcastle United, Saturday 12:30PM
Newcastle United will be looking to make it FOUR Premier League wins on the bounce when they travel to the London Stadium to take on top-four chasing West Ham United.
Eddie Howe’s side, who are now four points off the relegation zone, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, while the Hammers played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
West Ham secured a point at Leicester last weekend courtesy of a last-gasp effort from Craig Dawson, who survived a handball shout to make it 2-2, with the Hammers moving onto 41 points for the season.
David Moyes’s side have been knocked out of the top four by Manchester United, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening, with the capital outfit currently fifth in the table, two points behind the Red Devils, while they are two points clear of sixth-placed Arsenal, who still have a considerable three games in hand.
Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh have two games in hand on West Ham, while eighth-placed Tottenham Hotspur have three, so the Hammers could find themselves sliding down the table over the next few weeks if they are unable to put some wins on the board.
Moyes’s team have back-to-back home league games against Newcastle and Wolves before heading to Southampton in the FA Cup, but they have lost two of their last four top-flight fixtures at London Stadium to Southampton and Leeds United, with the visitors scoring three times on each occasion.
The Hammers ran out 4-2 winners at Newcastle earlier this season, but they have actually lost three of their last five matches against the Magpies, including a 2-0 defeat at London Stadium last term.
Newcastle have turned a corner since losing 4-0 at home to Manchester City on December 19, with the Magpies unbeaten in their last five in the Premier League, drawing with Manchester United and Watford, in addition to beating Leeds United, Everton and Aston Villa.
The Magpies have won their last three in the league, including a 1-0 success at home to Aston Villa last weekend, with Kieran Trippier’s first-half free kick deciding the contest at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side are now out of the relegation zone, sitting 17th in the table, four points clear of 18th-placed Norwich City, while they have a game in hand on the Canaries.
Newcastle simply cannot afford relegation this season due to their lucrative takeover, and January signings Chris Wood, Trippier, Dan Burn and Matt Targett have all had a telling impact, but Bruno Guimaraes is still waiting to make his first start for the club, featuring off the bench against Everton and Aston Villa.
The Magpies have the second-worst away record in the league this season, picking up just six points from 10 matches, but confidence is growing at St James’ Park, and another positive result this weekend would lead them nicely into a huge fixture away to Brentford on February 26.
FUN FACT: Newcastle United are vying to earn three consecutive away league wins against West Ham for the first time.
PREMIER LEAGUE FORM:
West Ham United: WWLLWD
Newcastle United: LDDWWW
KEY MEN: Jarrod Bowen & Allan Saint-Maximin
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Lanzini, Fornals; Antonio
Newcastle: Dubravka (GK); Schar, Lascelles, Burn; Fraser, Willock, Shelvey, Joelinton, Targett; Wood, Saint-Maximin
SCORE PREDICTION: West Ham United 2-1 Newcastle United
Arsenal v Brentford, 3:00PM
Arsenal will be looking to boost their chances of a top-four finish as they welcome Brentford to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners will be seeking revenge against the Bees, who began life in the top flight with an impressive 2-0 home win over Mikel Arteta’s men at the Brentford Community Stadium on the opening night of the campaign.
Arsenal ended a five-game winless run across all competitions when they claimed a slender 1-0 victory away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Thursday night.
Despite Gabriel Martinelli’s controversial dismissal midway through the second half, after receiving two bookings in the space of a few seconds, a 25th-minute tap-in from Gabriel Magalhaes was enough to separate the two sides and help the Gunners secure their first three points of 2022.
Mikel Arteta’s men are now positioned sixth in the Premier League table, four points behind Manchester United in fourth but with three games in hand.
With no European competition or domestic cups to consider for the rest of the season, Arsenal will be solely focused on finishing in the top four, and with plenty of points still to play for, Arteta and co will be confident of fending off their rivals for a Champions League spot.
Saturday’s game against Brentford is the first in a run of eight fixtures the Gunners will have against teams outside the so-called top six; however, they cannot take the Bees lightly after suffering a surprise defeat in the reverse fixture in August.
Arsenal’s opening-day loss was the first of three consecutive setbacks at the beginning of the campaign, which saw Arteta’s men plummet to the foot of the table at the end of August. Since then, however, only Manchester City (18) and Liverpool (14) have won more top-flight games than the Gunners (12).
With Arsenal boasting an impressive 32-game unbeaten home record in the Premier League against promoted teams, they will fancy their chances of beating Brentford this weekend.
Brentford avoided a seventh successive defeat in all competitions when they played out a goalless draw at home against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Thomas Frank will have been pleased with his side’s solid defensive display, keeping their first clean sheet since a 1-0 win over Everton in November last year, but the Dane will be mightily aware that their form needs to improve quickly if they are to avoid slipping into a relegation battle.
The Bees currently sit 14th in the Premier League standings, seven points above the drop zone, but all six teams below them have at least one game in hand.
Brentford head to the Emirates this weekend after failing to win any of their last eight away matches in the top flight, including six defeats and two draws, and they have conceded at least twice in each game during this unwanted run.
After fond memories of facing the Gunners after their jubilant opening-day victory on home soil. Securing all three points again on Saturday would see the Bees become the first promoted team to complete the Premier League double over Arsenal since Blackburn Rovers in the 1992-93 campaign.
FUN FACT: Arsenal are unbeaten in their past 28 Premier League home matches kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday.
LEAGUE FORM:
Arsenal: WWWLDW
Brentford: LLLLLD
KEY MEN: Emile Smith-Rowe & Ivan Toney
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Arsenal: Ramsdale (GK); Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Lacazette
Brentford: Raya (GK); Ajer, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Onyeka, Norgaard, Jensen, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney
SCORE PREDICTION: Arsenal 2-0 Brentford
Aston Villa v Watford, 3:00PM
Two Premier League sides struggling for form and consistency will lock horns at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon as Aston Villa host Watford.
Steven Gerrard’s men will be seeking revenge against the Hornets, who secured a 3-2 victory at Vicarage Road in the reverse fixture on the opening day.
After a bright start to his reign as Aston Villa manager, winning four of his opening six matches, Gerrard has since endured a difficult spell, with his side claiming only the one win in their last seven across all competitions, including four defeats.
Their most recent disappointment came against a resurgent Newcastle United side, who secured a 1-0 win at St James’ Park courtesy of a Kieran Trippier free kick, which condemned Villa to their 12th Premier League defeat of the campaign.
Villa, who are currently positioned 12th in the table, are now sitting as many points behind the European places as they are above the relegation zone, with 10 points separating them from Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh and Norwich City in 18th.
Saturday’s game provides an opportunity for Villa to go back in with a small shout of claiming an unprecedented European spot or even a top table finish.
Villa, who are currently positioned 12th in the table, are now sitting as many points behind the European places as they are above the relegation zone, with 10 points separating them from Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh and Norwich City in 18th.
As a result, Aston Villa have only won two of their last eight league games on home soil.
Nevertheless, Villa will be confident of returning to winning ways against Watford, who they have only lost once against in their last nine home league meetings.
The swift appointment of Roy Hodgson is yet to reap any rewards as of yet, with the 74-year-old steering his new side to just one point from a possible nine available.
A goalless draw at Burnley and a narrow 1-0 loss at West Ham United were followed by a 2-0 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
Watford have now failed to score in their last four matches, including three under Hodgson, and have also failed to win any of their last 12 league games since beating Manchester United 4-1 in November, which is currently the longest winless run in the division.
After Newcastle United’s third win on the bounce, Watford now sit six points adrift of safety, having played the same number of games as the Magpies in 17th place.
Saturday’s fixture at Villa could boost some sort of morale as they have an impressive record against the Villans; the Hornets have won four of their last five league meetings against Villa, including a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture.
With tricky encounters against Man United and Arsenal soon to come, Hodgson will be keen to see his side claim maximum points this weekend and build much-needed momentum heading into the final third of the campaign.
FUN FACT: Nine Premier League wins for Roy Hodgson against Aston Villa – his best record against any side has faced in the English top-flight.
LEAGUE FORM:
Aston Villa: LLDWDL
Watford: LDLDLL
KEY MEN: Philippe Coutinho & Emmanuel Dennis
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Aston Villa: Martinez (GK); Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Sanson, Ramsey; Buendia, Ings, Coutinho
Watford: Foster (GK); Femenia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Kayembe, Cleverley; Sarr, King, Dennis
SCORE PREDICTION: Aston Villa 2-1 Watford
Brighton & Hove Albion v Burnley, 3:00PM
Still awaiting their first away victory of the season, basement club Burnley will travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Seagulls, meanwhile, have won only one of their last eight league home matches, and are yet to claim maximum points in front of their own fans in 2022.
Brighton’s seven-game unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday night as they suffered an unfortunate 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford, after putting in an impressive first-half showing.
Graham Potter’s side remain in the top half of the Premier League, sitting ninth and only four points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers in seventh, who currently occupy the final European spot.
Brighton have established a reputation as draw specialists this season, with 12 already to their name – more than any other team in the division – but their first of seven victories this season came at Turf Moor against Burnley back in August, with Neal Maupay and Alexis Mac Allister scoring in the final 20 minutes to help the Seagulls win 2-1.
Eight of the last 12 league games between Brighton and Burnley have finished level, but Potter’s men will be hoping to complete their first league double over the Clarets since the 2012-13 Championship campaign.
Burnley extended their unwanted run without a Premier League win to 11 games when they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at home against Liverpool last weekend.
Sean Dyche’s side remain at the foot of the table, with only one win from their 21 league matches, and they sit seven points adrift from safety, albeit with at least two games in hand on the three teams above them.
Plenty of positives can be taken from the two draws played out against both Arsenal and Manchester United in recent weeks, but with the likes of Newcastle United, Everton and Norwich City all turning a corner, Dyche’s men will soon need to turn those individual points into three if they are to keep pace and miraculously leapfrog their relegation rivals.
Burnley are one of only two teams in the top four tiers of English football without a league win away from home this season, along with Championship outfit Barnsley.
The Clarets have accumulated just five points from a possible 33 available on the road this season, which is the lowest of any team in the top flight, but having claimed eight points from their last five league visits to the Amex Stadium – including four draws and one win – Dyche’s side will be confident of a huge win this weekend.
FUN FACT: Neal Maupay needs just one more goal to overtake Glenn Murray as Brighton’s leading Premier League goalscorer.
LEAGUE FORM:
Brighton: WDDDWL
Burnley: LLDDDL
KEY MEN: Neal Maupay & Wout Weghorst
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Brighton: Sanchez (GK); Lamptey, Duffy, Webster, Cucurella; Bissouma; Moder, Gross; Mac Allister; Trossard, Maupay
Burnley: Pope (GK); Roberts, Mee, Tarkowski, Pieters; McNeil, Westwood, Brownhill, Cornet; Barnes, Rodriguez
SCORE PREDICTION: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Burnley
Crystal Palace v Chelsea, 3:00PM
Fresh from being crowned champions of the world for the first time in their history, Chelsea return to Premier League action with a London derby against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
The match will be Chelsea’s first league outing in almost a month, but they take on a Palace side still without a win in 2022.
The Eagles have only won of their last 16 Premier League London derbies, and they head into Saturday’s match in growing need of a victory.
Patrick Vieira’s men have slipped down to 13th in the table having just taken three points from 15 available since the turn of the year.
Nine points still separate them from the relegation zone and so Palace will not be looking nervously over their shoulders just yet, but the improving form of many of those behind them has marginally increased the urgency to find some form.
Back-to-back draws against promoted duo Norwich City and Brentford – both of whom are below them in the table – would not have raised too much hope that they could push for a top-half finish, although Saturday’s showdown with Chelsea may hold cause for more optimism.
Two of Palace’s five wins this season have come against teams starting the day in the top four, with Vieira’s men having already toppled Tottenham and Man City this season.
Another victory on Saturday would see them win three games against top-four teams in a single top-flight campaign for the first time ever, although they go into the weekend having lost both Premier League home games so far this year.
The faltering form of those behind them means that Chelsea remain fairly comfortable in third place – six points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United with a game in hand – despite the Blues failing to win back-to-back league games since October.
Tuchel’s men have a chance to do just that on Saturday courtesy of their 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in their last Premier League match on January 23, since when they needed extra time to see off League One Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup before going on to win the Club World Cup.
That triumph over Tottenham was their first in five league games and only their third in 10 since December 1 – a run which includes defeat to West Ham in their last away London derby.
Having won their previous seven such matches before that, Chelsea now face the prospect of losing back-to-back top-flight London derbies on the road for the first time since December 2017, when incidentally they were beaten by Palace and West Ham in succession.
FUN FACT: Chelsea’s Premier League win rate of 76% versus Palace is the highest of any team to have played the same opponent at least 20 times.
LEAGUE FORM:
Crystal Palace: WLDLDD
Chelsea: WDDLDW
KEY MEN: Wilfried Zaha & Hakim Ziyech
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Palace: Butland (GK); Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Kouyate, Hughes, Schlupp; Olise, Edouard, Zaha
Chelsea: Mendy (GK); Chalobah, Christensen, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Lukaku, Pulisic
SCORE PREDICTION: Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
Liverpool v Norwich City, 3:00PM
Two teams at opposite ends of the Premier League table meet on Saturday when title-chasing Liverpool welcome relegation-threatened Norwich City to Anfield.
The Reds come into this match still unbeaten in all competitions this calendar year, but face a Norwich side whose survival hopes have been significantly boosted in recent weeks under Dean Smith.
The relentless pace and run set by Manchester City means that every Premier League game is effectively a must-win one for Liverpool right now, and particularly home games against struggling opposition.
Saturday will be the first time in 2022 that Jurgen Klopp’s men have played before Pep Guardiola’s side in the league, giving them the chance to crank up the pressure ever so slightly ahead of Man City’s match against Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday’s evening kickoff.
The Reds may be hopeful of a favour from a Spurs side that has already beaten Man City this season, but first they must hold up their end of the bargain to close the gap on the leaders to six points – if only temporarily.
Liverpool’s game in hand, as well as the fact that they still have to face Man City, offer them hope in the title race, but they will know that they can ill-afford any slip-ups against the likes of Norwich, whom Man City hammered 4-0 at Carrow Road just last weekend.
The form book does not show many signs of such a slip-up, though; Liverpool are unbeaten in their 10 matches across all competitions since the turn of the year, winning eight of those including a stunning 2-0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro in the first leg of their round of 16 tie in midweek.
The Reds cannot afford to let their minds begin to drift towards an EFL Cup final date with Chelsea at the end of the month just yet, and despite being firm favourites for Saturday’s match, Klopp will not allow them to underestimate an improving Norwich side.
For much of the season Norwich have been regarded by many as sure-fire relegation fodder, but seven points from the last 12 on offer have catapulted them off the bottom of the table and up to 18th.
Four points still separate them from safety, and they have played more games than all of the teams around them in the table, but recent victories over Everton and Watford – doubling their tally of wins for the season – have at least offered a serious glimmer of hope.
The 3-0 Watford win was particularly remarkable for a number of reasons, not least as it accounted for half of their measly six-goal tally away from home this season, although they are still the division’s lowest scorers this season with just 14 from their 24 games – not ideal when coming up against a side on a run of three clean sheets in a row.
It also gives Norwich the chance to win back-to-back Premier League away games for the first time in more than a decade, although achieving that at Anfield would take a seismic shock considering the Reds are unbeaten in their last 15 home league games, winning the last six in a row by an aggregate score of 17-1.
Norwich themselves have only won one of their last 12 league visits to Anfield, with that coming all the way back in 1994, while they have also won just one of their last 25 away top-flight games against teams in the top three of the table.
Across all competitions Norwich have now won three of their last four away games, so there are signs of improvement on the road for the Canaries.
FUN FACT: Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has five goal involvements in his past four games against Norwich City (3 goals, 2 assists).
LEAGUE FORM:
Liverpool: LDWWWW
Norwich: LLWWDL
KEY MEN: Roberto Firmino & Milot Rashica
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Diaz
Norwich: Gunn (GK); Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams; Gilmour, Lees-Melou, McLean; Sargent, Pukki, Rashica
SCORE PREDICTION: Liverpool 3-0 Norwich City
Southampton v Everton, 3:00PM
Frank Lampard will be bidding to make it back-to-back Premier League wins as Everton boss when the Toffees make the trip to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon to take on Southampton.
Everton currently sit 16th in the table, boasting 22 points from 22 matches, while an improving Southampton are 10th, having picked up 29 points from their 24 league fixtures this season.
Southampton have been excellent in their last three Premier League matches, holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw on January 22 before winning 3-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur on February 9.
The Saints then picked up a point away to Manchester United last weekend, with Che Adams cancelling out an effort from Jadon Sancho, and the result moved the club onto 29 points, which has left them in 10th position in the table, four points behind ninth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have only lost seven of their 24 league games this term, drawing 11 times in the process, and they will need to start turning some of those stalemates into victories if they are to finish in the top half of the division this term.
Southampton have won three, drawn seven and lost one of their 11 home Premier League matches this season, and they will be taking on an Everton side with the third-worst away record, with the Toffees picking up just six points from their 11 matches on the road.
The Saints actually now have three straight home matches, facing Everton and Norwich City in the league before welcoming West Ham United in the FA Cup at the start of February, and the team appear to be finding their best form at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Everton, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 3-0 win over Leeds last weekend.
Lampard has managed two wins from his three matches in charge, overcoming Brentford in the FA Cup on February 5 before losing at Newcastle United three days later, so the victory over Leeds last time out was crucial, particularly as the Toffees have a tough run of matches ahead.
Indeed, the Merseyside giants will face Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next three league fixtures after this one, while they will take on Boreham Wood in the FA Cup at the start of next month.
A record of six wins, four draws and 12 defeats from 22 matches has left Everton in 16th position in the table on 22 points, just five points clear of the relegation zone, but they have two games in hand over 18th-placed Norwich, and another victory in this match would place them in a strong position.
The Toffees have won their last two Premier League games against Southampton, including a 3-1 victory in the reverse match earlier this season, but they lost 2-0 at St Mary’s last term.
FUN FACT: Everton forward Richarlison has scored five goals in his past six Premier League games against Southampton.
LEAGUE FORM:
Southampton: DWLDWD
Everton: DLLLLW
KEY MEN: Armando Broja & Richarlison
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Southampton: Forster (GK); Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud; Ward-Prowse, Romeu; Armstrong, Elyounoussi; Broja, Adams
Everton: Pickford (GK); Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Allan, Van de Beek, Gordon; Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
SCORE PREDICTION: Southampton 2-2 Everton
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur, 5:30PM
Manchester City will be looking to further strengthen their grip on top spot in the Premier League table when they welcome a faltering Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Citizens are currently nine points clear of Liverpool at the summit, while Tottenham occupy eight position, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth.
Man City all but secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League courtesy of a stunning performance away to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening, running out 5-0 winners in the first leg of their last-16 tie, with Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling on the scoresheet.
The Citizens are also chasing FA Cup success this term, preparing to travel to Peterborough United in the fifth round of the competition at the start of March, while they are in a strong position to retain the Premier League title, sitting top of the pile with 63 points from 25 matches.
Pep Guardiola’s side are nine points ahead of second-placed Liverpool, but the Reds do have a game in hand, so the champions cannot afford to take their eye off the ball and will be fired up to collect all three points against Antonio Conte’s team in Saturday’s late start.
Man City are unbeaten in the league since the end of October, winning 14 of their last 15 matches, which is a staggering run of form at this level of football, and they have been defensively excellent for much of the campaign, conceding just 14 times, which is the best record in the division.
The English champions lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the reverse match in North London earlier this season, but they have the best home record in England’s top flight this term, picking up 31 points from 12 matches, recording victories in 10 of their 12 matches at the Etihad Stadium.
Tottenham will be the underdogs heading into this weekend’s contest, but the capital side have won three of their last four Premier League matches against Man City, with each of the victories coming in London.
Spurs have not overcome the Citizens in Manchester since February 2016, and they will enter this match off the back of defeats in their last three Premier League games, losing at Chelsea on January 23 before home reverses to Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Antonio Conte’s side currently sit eighth in the table, seven points behind fourth-placed Man United, but they have three games in hand on the Red Devils, so a top-four finish is certainly still achievable, even if their recent form has been disappointing.
Tottenham have scored just 28 Premier League goals this season, though, with Harry Kane, who was denied a big-money switch to the Etihad Stadium last summer, finding the back of the net on just five occasions
Recent comments from Conte will not have helped improve the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and there is certainly a possibility that the Italian could walk away from the club in the coming months, particularly if their form does not improve, but a positive result this weekend could be a springboard for the rest of their season.
FUN FACT: Tottenham’s Harry Kane has failed to score in nine appearances in all competitions against Manchester City since Pep Guardiola took over – his worst record against the 30 teams he has scored against in the Premier League.
LEAGUE FORM:
Manchester City: WWWDWW
Tottenham: DWWLLL
KEY MEN: Raheem Sterling & Harry Kane
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Manchester City: Ederson (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Tottenham: Lloris (GK); Romero, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Reguilon; Lucas, Kane, Son
SCORE PREDICTION: Manchester City 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Leeds United v Manchester United, Sunday 2:00PM
Manchester United will be bidding to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to Elland Road on Sunday afternoon to take on Leeds United.
The Red Devils are currently fourth in the table, two points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United, while Leeds sit 15th, six points clear of the relegation zone heading into the next set of fixtures.
Leeds have won five, drawn eight and lost 10 of their 23 Premier League matches this season to collect 23 points, which has left them in 15th spot in the table, six points clear of the relegation zone.
The Whites were excellent on their return to this level last season, finishing in ninth position, but there is no question that they have found it tougher this term, and Leeds are one of the teams that will be looking over their shoulder, especially with Everton and Newcastle United showing signs of improvement.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side won back-to-back league games against Burnley and West Ham last month but have picked up just one point from the last nine available, drawing with Aston Villa either side of a home defeat to Newcastle and away loss to Everton.
Leeds now have three straight league matches against Man United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, and they will be desperate to get one over on the Red Devils, who ran out 5-1 winners in the reverse match at Old Trafford back in August, but the points were shared in a goalless draw at Elland Road last term.
The Whites have struggled at home this term, picking up just 13 points from 11 matches, which is the fourth-worst record in the division, while they have won just one of their last four league fixtures at Elland Road, losing at home to Newcastle in their last clash in front of their own fans on January 22.
Man United, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes on the scoresheet at Old Trafford, and the win moved the Red Devils back above West Ham into fourth spot in the table.
Reports of unrest in the camp continue to emerge, but interim head coach Ralf Rangnick has strongly insisted that there is a good atmosphere in the dressing room, while Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire, who will remain as club captain despite recent suggestions, have taken to social media to deny that there are issues.
The Red Devils were disappointingly knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough earlier this month but still have plenty to fight for this term, battling for a top-four position in the league, while they will travel to Atletico Madrid next week for the first leg of their last-16 clash in the Champions League.
Man United are unbeaten in their last six league matches, winning three of their last five, while they have not lost away from home in England’s top flight since the 4-1 reverse at Watford on November 20, which saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lose his job as head coach.
The 20-time English champions will know the importance of picking up another victory here, as they are not only battling West Ham for fourth, with Arsenal, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham also very much in the argument during a crucial stage of the campaign.
FUN FACT: Former Manchester United winger Dan James can become the first player to score a Premier League goal in this fixture for both clubs.
LEAGUE FORM:
Leeds United: LWWLDL
Manchester United: DWWDDW
KEY MEN: Dan James & Bruno Fernandes
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Leeds United: Meslier (GK); Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Firpo; Forshaw, Koch; Harrison, Rodrigo, Raphinha; James
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Fernandes, McTominay, Pogba; Rashford, Ronaldo, Sancho
SCORE PREDICTION: Leeds United 1-3 Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City, Sunday 4:30PM
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be bidding to continue their push towards an unprecedented top-four place in the Premier League when they host Leicester City at the Molineux on Sunday afternoon.
The home side sit seventh in the table, six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with two games in hand, while Leicester sit 11th, 10 points behind their opponents in this match.
Wolves are not being mentioned by too many as candidates to finish in the top four, with Man United, Arsenal, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur seemingly battling for a Champions League position.
However, Bruno Lage’s side are in a strong position in the table, sitting seventh on 37 points, just six points behind fourth-placed Man United with two games in hand, and they appear to be finding their best form at a crucial stage of the campaign.
Wolves disappointingly lost at home to Arsenal on February 10, but that is their only defeat in the Premier League since December 11, winning five of their last seven, including four of their last five, beating Man United, Southampton, Brentford and Tottenham since the turn of the year.
Lage’s team were excellent against Tottenham last Sunday, scoring through Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker to register a two-goal victory in North London, and they will now be bidding to record their 12th victory of the 2021-22 Premier League season.
Wolves have been much better on their travels this term, though, boasting just the 15th-best home record in the Premier League, while they have scored just eight times at Molineux in the league this term.
Leicester were expected to challenge for a top-four spot this season, but that has not been the case, with the Foxes struggling for consistency for much of the campaign, currently sitting down in 11th position.
The Foxes have won seven, drawn six and lost nine of their 22 league matches to collect 27 points, which has left them 16 points off the top four, while they are 10 points behind their opponents in this match.
Brendan Rodgers’s side came extremely close to picking up what would have been a morale-boosting three points at home to West Ham last Sunday, but Craig Dawson levelled the scores in the final exchanges, with the points being shared in a 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester have therefore not won in the league since overcoming Liverpool on December 28, picking up just two points from their last four matches against Tottenham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and West Ham.
However, the Foxes will enter this contest off the back of a positive result, having recorded a 4-1 victory over Randers in the first leg of their Europa Conference League knockout round playoff clash on Thursday.
FUN FACT: Wolves have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last 12 league matches, dating back to a 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in November.
LEAGUE FORM:
Wolves: DWWWLW
Leicester: LWLDLD
KEY MEN: Raul Jimenez & Harvey Barnes
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Wolves: Sa (GK); Kilman, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves, Ait-Nouri; Jimenez, Podence
Leicester City: Schmeichel (GK); Pereira, Amartey, Vestergaard, Thomas; Tielemans, Ndidi; Lookman, Dewsbury-Hall, Barnes; Daka
SCORE PREDICTION: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Leicester City
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