The 16th round of the English Premier League will take place on December 13–15 and could significantly affect the balance at the top of the table.
As reported by İdman.Biz, several teams from the top seven will face each other, while the league leaders will be under pressure from their closest rivals.
Crystal Palace - Manchester City (December 14)
The headline fixture of the round sees the teams placed fourth and second meet: Crystal Palace have 26 points, Manchester City 31, with Arsenal leading the table on 33 points.
The match is also notable as a rematch of last season’s FA Cup final, when Palace won 1:0 at Wembley to claim the first major trophy in the club’s history.
The hosts are dealing with squad depth issues due to injuries, with the participation of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr remaining in doubt. The official Premier League injury list for Palace includes Daniel Munoz, Cheick Doucoure, Caleb Kporha and Jaidy Canvot.
City will again be without Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones. In terms of form and goal threat, the reference points are clear: Erling Haaland leads the visitors’ attack with 15 goals, while Mateta is Palace’s top scorer with seven. A home win would allow the hosts to close in on the top three, while an away victory could even lead to a change at the top if Arsenal slip up.
Other Matchday 16 Premier League fixtures
Chelsea - Everton (December 13)
Liverpool - Brighton (December 13)
Burnley - Fulham (December 13)
Arsenal - Wolverhampton (December 13)
Nottingham Forest - Tottenham (December 14)
Sunderland - Newcastle (December 14)
West Ham - Aston Villa (December 14)
Brentford - Leeds (December 14)
Manchester United - Bournemouth (December 15)
Premier League table before Matchday 16
1. Arsenal – 33
2. Manchester City – 31
3. Aston Villa – 30
4. Crystal Palace – 26
5. Chelsea – 25
6. Manchester United – 25
7. Everton – 24
8. Brighton – 23
9. Sunderland – 23
10. Liverpool – 23
11. Tottenham – 22
12. Newcastle – 22
13. Bournemouth – 20
14. Brentford – 19
15. Fulham – 17
16. Leeds – 15
17. Nottingham Forest – 15
18. West Ham – 13
19. Burnley – 10
20. Wolverhampton – 2
Teymur Tushiev
