The New Year in England traditionally passes without a break in the championship.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Matchday 20 of the Premier League is spread over two days, kicking off today, January 3, and concluding on January 4 in Manchester.
At the halfway point of the season, the title race looks intense. Arsenal lead the standings with 45 points, followed by Manchester City on 41, while Aston Villa remain close behind with 39. Just below them is a tightly packed group of contenders, where the margin is even thinner and any slip-up can instantly change the picture in the race for European qualification.
It is worth noting that the previous Matchday 19 was one of the most draw-heavy rounds of the current Premier League season, with seven of ten matches ending level.
Manchester City vs Chelsea (January 4)
The central fixture of the round will take place at the Etihad Stadium on January 4 and will kick off at 21:30 Baku time.
Manchester City go into the match in second place and missed the chance to close the gap on the leaders after a 0–0 draw with Sunderland. In that game, Pep Guardiola’s side saw their six-match winning streak in the league come to an end, while Arsenal gained a comfortable four-point advantage.
Chelsea, meanwhile, travel to Manchester in a highly turbulent state. Following Matchday 19, the game against Bournemouth proved to be the last for Enzo Maresca, after which the club parted ways with him by mutual agreement. Chelsea U21 coach Callum McFarlane is expected to take charge on an interim basis.
The overall background for the London side is also worrying. Under Maresca, the team made a large number of costly mistakes and suffered from systemic defensive problems, including from set pieces. Against this backdrop, the trip to Manchester City will be a test not only of playing quality, but also of the psychological state inside the dressing room.
Other matches of Premier League Matchday 20
January 3
Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Brighton vs Burnley
Wolverhampton vs West Ham
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
January 4
Leeds vs Manchester United
Everton vs Brentford
Fulham vs Liverpool
Newcastle vs Crystal Palace
Tottenham vs Sunderland
Premier League standings at the moment
1. Arsenal – 45
2. Manchester City – 41
3. Aston Villa – 39
4. Liverpool – 33
5. Chelsea – 30
6. Manchester United – 30
7. Sunderland – 29
8. Everton – 28
9. Brentford – 27
10. Crystal Palace – 27
11. Fulham – 27
12. Tottenham – 26
13. Newcastle – 26
14. Brighton – 25
15. Bournemouth – 23
16. Leeds – 21
17. Forest – 18
18. West Ham – 14
19. Burnley – 12
20. Wolverhampton – 3
