Man City host Man Utd in crisis derby, Newcastle need win
Manchester City and Manchester United are both in urgent need of a victory as they face off in the Premier League this Sunday (JUSTIN TALLIS).
The struggling clubs of Manchester will compete in the Premier League this Sunday as City takes on United. Meanwhile, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is in dire need of a victory against Leicester at St James' Park.
Liverpool, currently at the top of the league, will be hoping to increase their advantage when they face Fulham at Anfield. This comes just one day before Chelsea, sitting in second place, goes up against Brentford.
AFP Sport highlights the key topics to consider as we approach the weekend games.
Match day for the struggling football teams in Manchester.
Manchester City has experienced a significant downturn, with only one victory in their last 10 matches across all competitions. This is an unusual struggle for the English champions under Pep Guardiola's leadership.
Guardiola acknowledged that he was having doubts about himself following the team's recent loss, a 2-0 defeat against Juventus, which put them at risk of not advancing to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
Among several striking statistics, City has allowed more goals than any other team in Europe's top five leagues, giving up 21 goals in just nine matches since the beginning of November.
Despite their tough season, Manchester City's performance still keeps them eight points ahead of Manchester United, who have dropped to 13th place in the standings.
Since becoming the new manager of United, Ruben Amorim has secured only one victory in his first four Premier League matches at Old Trafford. However, he does come into the role with recent success against Guardiola's team, having guided Sporting Lisbon to a resounding 4-1 win over them in his last home game as the head coach of the Portuguese club.
Still, City probably isn't too worried—United has been struggling lately, especially at the Etihad, where they've conceded 13 goals in their last three Premier League games, suffering three significant losses in the process.
Slot doesn't require any concession from Liverpool.
Liverpool's coach Arne Slot called for more from his team following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Girona, which helped maintain their flawless run in the Champions League.
In their latest Premier League match, Liverpool drew 3-3 with Newcastle. Additionally, last weekend's Merseyside derby against Everton was postponed because of strong winds.
Slot is eager to see his team bring back the same level of intensity they displayed in their victories at home against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
"I'm really not happy with the way we performed," the Dutchman remarked, expressing his frustration over his team's inability to maintain control during the match against Girona earlier in the week.
Chelsea, currently performing well, capitalized on Liverpool's lack of action last weekend, narrowing the gap to the top team to just four points.
The Blues have the strongest offense in the league and will aim to worsen Brentford's poor away performance when they face off at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal, playing at home against Everton, are two points behind.
Having gone four matches without a victory, Newcastle finds itself in a disappointing 12th position in the Premier League standings.
The expectation that the Magpies could focus on competing for a top-four finish this season, given their absence from European competitions, has turned out to be overly optimistic, especially considering their success in achieving that goal during the 2022/23 season.
Inconsistency has been at the heart of the challenges faced by Eddie Howe's team.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham have all struggled to secure points on Tyneside, but losses at home to Brighton and West Ham, along with only two away victories, have intensified the pressure on Howe.
The Englishman is said to be in a precarious position following shifts in the club's leadership, as important supporters have moved on. Sporting director Dan Ashworth left earlier this year and has already made an appearance at Old Trafford since then. Meanwhile, former co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi sold their minority shares in the club back in July.
"Howe is under the spotlight," stated Alan Shearer, the former captain of Newcastle, in an interview with The Athletic. "In the end, he's accountable for the team's results and their performance, and neither one is looking very good."
Saturday (3:00 PM GMT, unless mentioned otherwise)
Arsenal will be facing Everton, Liverpool is set to play against Fulham, Newcastle will compete with Leicester, Wolves will challenge Ipswich, and Nottingham Forest is scheduled to take on Aston Villa at 5:30 PM.
Brighton takes on Crystal Palace at 2:00 PM, while Manchester City faces Manchester United at 4:30 PM. Additionally, Chelsea will compete against Brentford, and Southampton will go up against Tottenham, both kicking off at 7:00 PM.
Bournemouth versus West Ham (2000)
