Saturday
Arsenal (4) v Manchester City (1)
Kick-off: 12.30pm. Venue: Emirates Stadium. On TV: Live on BT Sport 1.
Arsenal will again be without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The striker has been absent since a disciplinary breach saw him dropped and stripped of the captaincy and he has been allowed to leave early to link up with Gabon ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. Manager Mikel Arteta will be watching from home having tested positive for Covid-19.
Kyle Walker could return for Manchester City after missing the last four matches. Riyad Mahrez sat out against Brentford in midweek and is set to start his last game before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations. Joao Cancelo will be in the squad despite being assaulted during a recent burglary at his home.
Last season: Arsenal 0 Manchester City 1, Manchester City 1 Arsenal 0
Last five league matches: Arsenal L W W W W; Manchester City W W W W W
Top scorers: Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) 9; Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) 12
Match odds: H 5-1 D 10-3 A 1-2
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Watford (17) v Tottenham (7)
Kick-off: 3pm. Venue: Vicarage Road. On TV: Live on Premier Sport 1.
Tom Cleverley could return for Watford on New Year’s Day. The midfielder is back in training after hamstring trouble. But the Hornets will be without Kiko Femenia, who has picked up his own hamstring problem, while Danny Rose has a knee injury.
Tottenham are likely to be without Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon. Bergwijn (calf) picked up an injury against Crystal Palace on Boxing Day while Lo Celso suffered a similar problem in training. Sessegnon has a hamstring injury.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Watford L L L L L; Tottenham W W D W D
Top scorers: Emmanuel Dennis (Watford) 8; Son Heung-min & Harry Kane (Tottenham) 9
Match odds: H 2-1 D 12-5 A 13-10
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside)
Crystal Palace (11) v West Ham (5)
Kick-off: 5.30pm. Venue: Selhurst Park. On TV: Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Crystal Palace are waiting on the results of routine PCR tests but are set to have Joachim Andersen fit. Wilfried Zaha is also expected to play after suspension but James McArthur (hamstring) is still sidelined while uncertainty remains over Nathaniel Clyne, Conor Gallagher, Michael Olise and Ebere Eze, who all missed the last match amid talk of unnamed members of the squad contracting Covid-19.
West Ham can welcome back Declan Rice from suspension. Pablo Fornals also missed the 4-1 win at Watford, through Covid, but boss David Moyes has reported no new cases. Defenders Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna are still out injured.
Last season: Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 3, West Ham 1 Crystal Palace 1
Last five league matches: Crystal Palace L W D L W; West Ham W D L L W
Top scorers: Odsonne Edouard (Crystal Palace) 7; Said Benrahma (West Ham) & Michail Antonio (West Ham) 8
Match odds: H 2-1 D 12-5 A 13-10
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Sunday
Brentford (14) v Aston Villa (12)
Kick-off: 2pm. Venue: Brentford Community Stadium. On TV: Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Brentford’s Vitaly Janelt could be involved after recovering from coronavirus. Rico Henry is definitely out through injury but Christian Norgaard is back from suspension.
Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings is banned after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on Boxing Day. John McGinn should be available after missing the Chelsea loss and returning to training on Friday but Ashley Young (fractured toe) is a major doubt.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Brentford L D W L L; Aston Villa L W L W L
Top scorers: Yoane Wissa, Ivan Toney & Marcus Forss (Brentford) 5; Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) 5
Match odds: H 19-10 D 9-4 A 29-20
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Everton (15) v Brighton (10)
Kick-off: 2pm. Venue: Goodison Park.
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is expected to make his first appearance since August. The England international has returned to fitness after a thigh problem but manager Rafael Benitez has to decide whether to start him or introduce him from the bench.
Leandro Trossard could return for Brighton after hamstring tightness forced him to miss the 1-1 draw at Chelsea in midweek. Fellow forward Danny Welbeck is pushing for a start after scoring as a substitute at Stamford Bridge on his second appearance following a three-month injury absence.
Last season: Brighton 0 Everton 0, Everton 4 Brighton 2
Last five league matches: Everton L L W L D; Brighton D D L W D
Top scorers: Richarlison (Everton) 8; Neal Maupay (Brighton) 7
Match odds: H 17-10 D 21-10 A 17-10
Referee: John Brooks (Leicestershire)
Leeds (16) v Burnley (18)
Kick-off: 2pm. Venue: Elland Road.
Leeds will be boosted by the return of at least three players. Boss Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Junior Firpo would be back after suspension and joined in the squad by Diego Llorente and Daniel James following their recent struggles with illness and injury respectively. Jack Harrison will also be fit after he was forced off in their last match with Arsenal two weeks ago while Patrick Bamford (hamstring) will be assessed.
Burnley could have Maxwel Cornet, who sustained a thigh injury earlier this month and then tested positive for coronavirus, back in action at Elland Road. Nick Pope, Jay Rodriguez, Josh Brownhill and Kevin Long all missed the 3-1 loss at Manchester United on Thursday following positive Covid-19 tests — Long has returned to training and the Clarets are waiting to see if Pope and Rodriguez can, while Brownhill is still unable to.
Last season: Burnley 0 Leeds 4, Leeds 1 Burnley 0
Last five league matches: Leeds W D L L L; Burnley D D L D L
Top scorers: Raphinha (Leeds) 8; Chris Wood & Maxwel Cornet (Burnley) 5
Match odds: H 11-10 D 12-5 A 12-5
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Chelsea (2) v Liverpool (3)
Kick-off: 4.30pm. Venue: Stamford Bridge. On TV: Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Reece James’ hamstring injury will hand Chelsea a major wing-back problem. The England right wing-back faces an extended spell on the sidelines. Chelsea were already without left wing-back Ben Chilwell, who is out for the season with knee trouble, but Thiago Silva and Timo Werner trained fully on Friday.
Liverpool have had three as-yet unnamed players test positive for Covid. Midfielder Thiago Alcantara (hip) and forward Takumi Minamino, who has only just returned to light training after a muscle injury, will not make the trip to Stamford Bridge. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Roberto Firmino were absent from training on Thursday while left-back Andy Robertson completes his three-match ban so Kostas Tsimikas will deputise again.
Last season: Liverpool 0 Chelsea 1, Chelsea 0 Liverpool 2
Last five league matches: Chelsea W D D W D; Liverpool W W W D L
Top scorers: Jorginho (Chelsea) 9; Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 22
Match odds: H 21-10 D 12-5 A 5-4
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Monday
Manchester United (6) v Wolves (8)
Kick-off: 5.30pm. Venue: Old Trafford. On TV: Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes will return from suspension for Manchester United. Ralf Rangnick hopes to have Victor Lindelof back after testing positive for Covid-19 and Raphael Varane looks set to start instead of Eric Bailly, who is soon off to the Africa Cup of Nations and picked up a knock. Paul Pogba remains out with a thigh injury.
Wolves boss Bruno Lage is still to learn who he will have available after coronavirus. Wolves’ game at Arsenal on Tuesday was called off after an outbreak within the squad and he will use the weekend to assess them.
Last season: Wolves 1 Manchester United 2, Manchester United 1 Wolves 0
Last five league matches: Manchester United W W W D W; Wolves D L L W D
Top scorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) 14; Hee-Chan Hwang (Wolves) 4
Match odds: H 11-20 D 29-10 A 11-2
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
