Leader Arsenal will close matchday 19 by hosting West Ham on Thursday
MADRID, 25 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The traditional 'Boxing Day' in the English Premier League will begin this Tuesday (1:30 p.m.) with the match between Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, during a St. Stephen's Day that will also feature Burnley vs Liverpool (6:30 p.m.) and the Manchester United vs Aston Villa (9:00 p.m.), while this matchday 19 will end next Thursday with leader Arsenal hosting West Ham United (9:15 p.m.).
In St. James' Park, the locals will seek to get out of a slump that has already made the start of Christmas sour for them. Their defeat on December 13 against AC Milan left the 'magpies' out of the Champions League and all European competition during this season, creating a crisis that recently saw another episode with their elimination in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup, against Chelsea in the penalty shootout.
With 29 points in seventh place in the standings, Newcastle wants to beat Forest to put pressure on West Ham (30 points) and get closer to Manchester City (34 points), which has played one less day than its competitors in the Premier since he has just been crowned champion of the Club World Cup in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
Having beaten Fluminense by a resounding 4-0, Pep Guardiola's pupils extended their dream 2023 and debuted their record in the last 'Mundialito' before FIFA changes the format, includes more teams and moves it to summer dates. in a domino effect that will bring the Intercontinental Cup back to the football calendar.
In this context, the 'citizens' will face Everton this Wednesday (8:30 p.m.) with little margin for error in their assault on higher positions, where they have Tottenham Hotspur (36 pts.), Aston Villa (39 pts. ), to Liverpool (also 39 pts.) and at the top to Arsenal (40 pts.). Of all of them, 'the reds' will be the first to go into action.
Jürgen Klopp's pupils will visit Burnley this Tuesday (6:30 p.m.), with the aim of improving their league goal. After drawing at Anfield against Manchester United (0-0) and then against Arsenal (1-1), Liverpool missed two good opportunities to hit the table. Now, at least, they will face a relegating rival with 11 points.
Also in Tuesday's round, Aston Villa will visit Old Trafford with the aim of picking at the wound of a Manchester United that has accumulated one draw and three defeats in its last four games, bringing together all competitions. That bad streak, the same case as for Newcastle, has meant that the 'red devils' have been left out of both the Champions League and the rest of the UEFA tournaments.
Finally, regarding the 28th, Brighton & Hove Albion will host a Tottenham team that is irregular in autumn but effective at the gates of winter. The 'Spurs' have three consecutive victories, having scored eight goals in them, and will also play against a rival without enthusiasm in December, at a rate of two draws and one defeat in their last three Premier games.
–SCHEDULES FOR DAY 19 IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE.
-Tuesday, December 26.
Newcastle – Nottingham Forest 13.30.
Bournemouth – Fulham 16.00.
Sheffield United – Luton 16.00.
Burnley – Liverpool 18.30.
Manchester United – Aston Villa 21.00.
-Wednesday 27.
Brentford – Wolverhampton 20.30.
Chelsea – Crystal Palace 20.30.
Everton – Manchester City 20.30.
-Thursday 28.
Brighton – Tottenham 20.30.
Arsenal – West Ham 21.15.