Premier League Week 11 Preview

Liverpool snapped a losing run with its Anfield victory over Aston Villa last weekend. The Reds could be in danger of starting a new run, however, when they visit the Etihad to meet familiar rival Manchester City. In the past eight years only Manchester City and Liverpool have won Premier League titles, Manchester City winning six and Liverpool winning two. The current version of Manchester City is somewhat less daunting overall than some of those league champions. Erling Haaland, however, is on a torrid streak of goal scoring, already finding the net 13 times this season and Gianluigi Donnarumma was the Champions League winning goalkeeper for PSG last season. Phil Foden has also shown signs of returning to his former stellar form in recent weeks. All of which could make it premature to claim that Liverpool is back on a winning track after its defeat of a flat Aston Villa side in front of the Anfield supporters last week. City is one point ahead of Liverpool in the standings with the Citizens still six points behind Arsenal after winning four of five matches, the lone blemish coming at Aston Villa two weeks ago.

Aston Villa is back home this week to take on Bournemouth after the Cherries were summarily beaten by Manchester City last week. Despite that defeat, Bournemouth is level on points  with third place Liverpool in the Premier League table.

There are four clubs just a point behind Liverpool and Bournemouth. Two of those will face off on Saturday when Manchester United visits Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Its north London place home not been overly kind to Spurs this season as Manager Thomas Frank’s side have won but one of five home matches so far this season. Conversely, Spurs are the only Premier League club not to have lost an away match. Manchester United have already lost four of their five away matches to date but have been playing better overall in recent weeks and stole a late point at Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

Forest will be home again this weekend in a key relegation rumble with Leeds. The Whites are still four points clear of the drop but have appeared increasingly vulnerable in losing three of their last four matches, culminating in a meek 3-0 submission to Brighton last Saturday. Sean Dyche, meanwhile, is in his element battling to keep Nottingham Forest up, reminiscent of the challenges he faced in managerial stints at Burnley and Everton.

Brighton recommences its unusual “M23 derby rivalry” with Crystal Palace this weekend. Unlike other derbies, there is no geographic proximity between the clubs, just a deep-felt hostility based on battles fought in the lower divisions and animosity between long ago opposing managers. Supporters take it very seriously and emotions will be high at the Eagles’ Selhurst Park. The ninth place Eagles  are currently a point above their rival in the table.

The bottom of the table features a key match between West Ham at Burnley. A second consecutive win at London Stadium would pull currently relegation bound West Ham even on points with currently barely safe Burnley.

All the way up the table, Arsenal will visit surprising Sunderland. The match is another litmus test for the unexpected success of the Black Cats. Premier League leader Arsenal is on a ten-match winning run across all competitions after their Champions League win on Tuesday.

Other matches this weekend will have Fulham making its first visit to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton, Brentford facing Newcastle with each club coming off a loss and Chelsea hosting a Wolves side whose winless form saw their Manager Vitor Pereira sacked last weekend. Chelsea recently defeated Wolverhampton 4-3 in the EFL Cup on October 29th.