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There’s no rest for the wicked.
Typically while all other European leagues are on a holiday break, the Premier League stuffs in extra games to take advantage of people being off and wanting to watch.
Then you get the introduction of the FA Cup, which happens this weekend, for the most part a chance to give a game to those on the bench or some of your younger prospects and give your starters a breather.
But the Premier League never has seen the need to give their players a rest when money is available, and following a full FA Cup slate this weekend midweek games in the league are rolled out again next Tuesday and Wednesday.
First-place Liverpool have what should be an easy match against Accrington Stanley on Saturday and then travel to Nottingham for a clash against second-place Forest on Tuesday in the Fubo Game of the (mid) Week.
The surprise title-chasers in second face Championship side Luton in the FA Cup before hosting Liverpool.
For some, it’s straightforward. Chelsea have Tamworth in the Cup before getting Bournemouth in the league, while Arsenal — who desperately need to get wins to put pressure on Liverpool — have a decision to make. The Gunners have one of the few all-Premiership battles in the Cup, facing defending champions Manchester United before hosting a massive league clash against North London rivals Tottenham.
Does Arsenal, which sits level with Forest on points in the league, six behind Liverpool having played one more game, put stock in the FA Cup? Or does it risk going out of the Cup — maybe its best chance at silverware this season — by playing reserves to prioritize the league match with Spurs?
Make no mistake this is a huge weekend in the league, despite the Cup matches.
Liverpool were frustrated it couldn’t get all three points, drawing 2-2 with Manchester United last week, on a weekend when chasing Arsenal and Chelsea could both only manage draws themselves.
Forest remains the only team to beat Liverpool in the league this season and doing the double would not only be a massive feather in their cap, but cutting the gap to three points might be a true indicator they could “do a Leicester” and emulate the shock 2016 league champions.
Lose and it’ll be nine back with Liverpool having a game in hand and the title dream likely would be dead, though a top-four finish and Champions League spot would still be well on the cards.
Considering Liverpool lost just its second game of the season in all competitions on Wednesday, a first-leg 1-0 loss to Spurs in the Carabao Cup semifinal, on the heels of losing a lead late in the draw with United, it’s a big match for Liverpool.
Is this a minor wobble? Or has the Reds’ luck run out and the door been opened for the chasing pack?
They have looked tired, the transfer/contract sagas of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk, and injuries have been issues for a while, but they’ve found ways to win.
Dropping points against United, losing to Spurs in the Cup and then a loss to Forest, would certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons.
The game in hand for Liverpool won’t be easy as it’s against bitter rival Everton at Goodison Park, their last game at the venerable old stadium before Everton moves to a new home on the Liverpool waterfront next season.
But should the Reds get anything out of that game, it may be too much for the chasing pack as Arsenal and Chelsea just can’t put a long string of wins together.
The real race may be the one for those Champions League spots, one of the best ones we’ve seen in years. Besides the big surprise in Forest, Newcastle are the form team at the moment having won five in a row. The Magpies sit in fifth, one point back of Chelsea and one ahead of City.
City is interesting as it is two points out of the top four in sixth spot, it has won two in a row, has stabilized after a prolonged slide and already is preparing several pricey bids to bring in reinforcements for the January transfer window.
The other intriguing team to watch this weekend is Bournemouth, which has a surprisingly big match on Tuesday against Chelsea. Though there have been three draws in there, the Cherries haven’t lost in eight matches and can pull within a single point of Chelsea with a win.
The Blues haven’t won in four, with two losses and two draws. The Cherries have West Brom in the Cup, so seeing as they have one of the Premier League’s smallest squads, they might be tempted to rest most of their regular starters to rest up for the clash against Chelsea.
Keep an eye on Manchester United this weekend, too. The Red Devils put together probably their best match of the season against Liverpool.
Though the league leaders admittedly were well below their standards, United’s effort was there, players routinely getting to 50-50 balls all game, all over the pitch.
It begged the question: Where has that effort been all year? Now United faces Southampton next Wednesday, after its FA Cup date with Arsenal.
Southampton are on pace to be the worst team in Premier League history. Does United waltz through the game with no effort again or have we seen something ignited in the high-priced 14th-place team?
This week’s slate
FA Cup:Wycombe v. Portsmouth; Aston Villa v. West Ham; Birmingham v. Lincoln; Bristol City v. Wolves; Middlesbrough v. Blackburn; Liverpool v. Accrington Stanley; Leicester v. Queens Park Rangers; Bournemouth v. West Brom; Brentford v. Plymouth Argyle; Chelsea v. Morecambe; Exeter v. Oxford; Norwich v. Brighton; Nottingham Forest v. Luton; Preston North End v. Charlton; Reading v. Burnley; Sunderland v. Stoke City; Leeds v. Harrogate; Manchester City v. Salford; Coventry v. Sheffield Wednesday; Leyton Orient v. Derby; Mansfield Town v. Wigan; Hull v. Doncaster Rovers; Tamworth v. Tottenham; Arsenal v. Manchester United; Crystal Palace v. Stockport County; Ipswich v. Bristol Rovers; Newcastle v. Bromley; Southampton v. Swansea; Millwall v. Dagenham & Redbridge.
Premier League
Tuesday: Brentford v. Manchester City; Chelsea v. Bournemouth; West Ham v. Fulham; Nottingham Forest v. Liverpool.
Wednesday: Everton v. Aston Villa; Leicester v. Crystal Palace; Newcastle v. Wolves; Arsenal v. Tottenham; Ipswich v. Brighton; Manchester United v. Southampton.