Manchester City Vs Chelsea.
The Blues travel to the Etihad to face a bruised Manchester City side in a crucial top-four Premier League clash.
This encounter pits fourth against fifth in a battle between master and apprentice.
When Enzo Maresca took the reins at Chelsea, few would have expected him to be locking horns with Pep Guardiola in such high-stakes circumstances, especially after Chelsea’s defeat to City in their opening league game of the season.
However, the current standings reflect an unexpected dip in City’s domestic dominance.
Chelsea endured a rough patch, going five league games without a win before bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over Wolves on Monday.
Meanwhile, City’s recent league form has improved, but their fragility was exposed midweek in a 4-2 Champions League loss to PSG, where they squandered a two-goal lead.
City are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League meetings with Chelsea, with their last defeat coming at home in May 2021 (2-1).
Chelsea have managed just one clean sheet in their last 16 league visits to City and failed to score in seven of those matches.
After a poor run of one win in nine Premier League matches since November last year, City have rediscovered form with three wins in their last four outings.
Ruben Dias remains a doubt after being substituted against PSG due to a knock.
New arrivals Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis could make their debuts, while John Stones is available again.
However, Rodri, Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake are expected to miss out.
Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill could return for Chelsea after missing the Wolves clash, while Cole Palmer is expected to feature against his former club following recovery from an ankle scare.
Wolves vs Arsenal.
Title-chasing Arsenal travel to Molineux on Saturday evening, aiming to get back to winning ways and reignite their Premier League title push while also possibly convincing Matheus Cunha, who has been linked with a potential move to the Emirates.
After squandering a two-goal lead in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, Arsenal will look to avoid another costly slip-up in the title race.
Mikel Arteta’s men have dropped four points in their last three games and now trail league leaders Liverpool by six points, with Liverpool holding a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Wolves have struggled under new manager Vítor Pereira, losing their last three league matches while conceding nine goals in the process.
Since completing a Premier League double over Arsenal in the 2020-21 season, the hosts have lost seven consecutive league meetings with the Gunners.
Arsenal boast their best away win rate against any Premier League opponent at Wolves, securing victory in eight of their 10 visits.
The Gunners have scored in each of their last 34 matches against Wolves across all competitions, with their last blank in this fixture coming in a 1-0 defeat in 1979.
Arteta is set to be without several key players. Myles Lewis-Skelly is awaiting scans on a knee injury sustained against Aston Villa, while William Saliba remains sidelined with a thigh problem but is expected to return next week.
Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are out with knee injuries until next month, and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus are still recovering from longer-term setbacks.
Wolves could welcome Tori back into the squad this weekend, but Sasa Kalajdzic remains weeks away from fitness.
Mario Lemina’s future remains uncertain during the transfer window, casting doubt on his involvement in the game.
GARNACHO TRANSFER.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has sent a message to want-away forward Alejandro Garnacho as transfer rumours swirl around the Argentine.
Garnacho's name continues to be linked with moves to Chelsea and Napoli, who are reportedly ramping up their efforts to secure his signature before the January transfer window shuts.
Despite the uncertainty, Amorim started Garnacho in United’s 2-1 Europa League victory over Rangers, where the 19-year-old delivered an impressive performance, striking the post in the second half.
Garnacho’s high sell-on value has made him a prime candidate for a potential sale, as United look to alleviate financial pressures stemming from heavy spending in recent seasons. However, his journey under Amorim has been far from smooth.
The winger clashed with Amorim just a month into the Portuguese coach’s tenure and was dropped for the Manchester derby due to training ground issues.
However, he has since redeemed himself in the manager’s books, and Amorim had only good things to say about Garnacho’s progress following the win over Rangers.
When asked about the winger’s potential departure, he said, “No, I’m focused on the games, and he’s here; he’s a player for Manchester United. He was really important for us today, and let’s see in the next days.
“I think he’s improving in every aspect of the game. He was better today playing inside and also outside, changing positions; he’s improving the recovering position. You can see it until 90 minutes; he’s always there recovering and helping, sometimes showing some frustration, and that is good because he wants more. I think he has the potential to be so much better in every situation in the game.
“What I can say is he understood what I was trying to do; it was really clear. I just want to help them, but in the end, it’s them that do the job.”
Following Ganarcho’s performance in United’s victory over Rangers, Amorim will hope the winger is still with the team by the time they face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday, aiming to bounce back from a humbling defeat to Brighton.