The usual Boxing Day has undergone some changes due to the World Championship. This year, three Christmas tours surround the New Year (December 26 – January 5).
The Brits couldn’t keep up with the usual schedule of Christmas games, but no one will stop them from staging a traditional week-and-a-half sprint at the end of the two years. Only the players have returned to their club affairs, as they are waiting for three sparkling days. For some teams, they can be life-changing.
So, in the championship race, Arsenal already has a five-point lead over Manchester City, but in mid-January it will not be easy to keep them, because the Gunners have a difficult schedule: first the London derby with West Ham, then the parties. with upstarts» Brighton (seventh, on par with Chelsea) and Newcastle (third, two points behind Manchester City).
Against this background, the Citizens schedule looks much more loyal: Leeds and Everton are struggling to survive, and they are also perplexed about Graham Potter as manager and they only scored two measly points in Chelsea’s last five rounds. Josep Guardiola’s men are clearly capable of winning the most in these matches and closing the gap on Mikel Arteta’s players.
But the “magpies” were not the luckiest of all. During the New Year holidays, they have the heaviest schedule among the teams in the top half of the table. To begin with, leaving the cellar “Leicester” (four victories in the last five rounds), then the same “Leeds” and at the end of the same “Arsenal”. No matter how this meeting ends, City will win – the leader will allow you to get closer, or the pursuer will disappear around the corner.
Well, apparently Manchester United is waiting for New Year’s gifts in the form of nine points. In any case, the Red Devils have by far the simplest schedule – Nottingham and Wolves together have scored fewer points (23) in 15 games than Manchester United alone in 14 games (26 points), and they sank into the relegation zone, and Bournemouth is very close to there.
The most complicated calendar after the return awaits the Leeds players, who will play alternately with Man City, Newcastle and West Ham. The first two are firmly in the top three.
He also received the bad luck of two big clubs in a few days: Brentford (Tottenham, Liverpool), Aston Villa (Liverpool, Tottenham), Bournemouth (Chelsea, Manchester United) and Nottingham Forest (Man Utd, Chelsea).
The most intriguing match in terms of status in this segment will be the match between Arsenal and Newcastle, who surrounded Man City in the standings (January 3), and if we take only the volume of the poster, then the match between Citizens and Chelsea after two days.
COMPLEXITY OF THE EPL CALENDAR IN 17-19 “NEW YEAR” TOURS
Club
rivals
The total number of opponents’ points.
leeds
Man City, Newcastle, West Ham
76
leicester
Newcastle, Liverpool, Fulham
71
west ham
Armory, Brentford, Leeds
71
newcastle
leicesterLeeds, Arsenal
69
bournemouth
Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Manchester United
66
Arsenal
West hamBrighton, Newcastle
Sixty-five
brentford
Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool
Sixty-five
crystal Palace
Fulham, Bournemouth, Tottenham
64
Brighton
Southampton, Arsenal, Everton
63
Everton
Wolverhampton, Man City, Brighton
63
chelsea
Bournemouth, Nottingham, Man City
61
astonville
Liverpool, Tottenham, Wolverhampton
61
Nottingham
Manchester United, Chelsea, Southampton
59
wolverhampton
Everton, Manchester United, Aston Villa
58
tottenham
brentfordastonville, Glass Palace
56
Liverpool
astonville, leicester, brentford
54
southampton
Brighton, Fulham, Nottingham
53
Men City
leeds, Evertonchelsea
fifty
fulham
Crystal Palace, Southampton, Leicester
48
manchester united
Nottingham, wolverhampton, bournemouth
39
MAIN MATCHES OF THE DAY 17-19 Premier League:
December 26 (18:00 Moscow time). Leicester – Newcastle
December 26 (20:30). Aston Villa-Liverpool
December 26 (11:00 p.m.). Arsenal – West Ham
December 30 (11:00 p.m.). Liverpool vs Leicester
December 31 (8:00 p.m.). Brighton v Arsenal
January 3 (22:45). Arsenal vs Newcastle
January 5 (11:00 p.m.). Chelsea vs Manchester City
