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Liverpool is entirely in control of the first position with eight ahead of second-place Leicester City, who started the month with a home win against Watford.
Here are the topmost awaited matches in the EPL as the December grind mode continues to unfold this weekend.
Everton Vs Chelsea – Goodison Park (07/12)
After receiving five goals on Wednesday night Merseyside derby against Liverpool, Everton is now in the relegation zone. It was another bad day for them at the field, with substantial defensive frailties highlighted during the game. Meanwhile, Chelsea was victorious at home, shaking off Aston Villa in the midweek grind.
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On Wednesday, Everton needed a competitive and cohesive night at Anfield ahead of their game with Chelsea, but that didn’t happen. As a result, they suffered their third consecutive defeat in the league, conceding five goals and scoring only two. The Saturday rivals, the blues seemed better than the scoreline suggests while playing Aston Villa, boosting their confidence after losing the previous two matches against Manchester City and West Ham.
Manchester Derby – Etihad Stadium (07/12)
With the two rivals boasting of star players, matches between Manchester City and Manchester United always offer an incredible thrill. Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez (Rodri) has already warned that the team have their confidence and strength back ahead of the derby. The Blues put an end to their sequence of bad runs, with one win in five games, by blitzing Burnley 4-1 in an away game.
The young Spanish star, Rodri put in an incredible goal, with Gabriel Jesus returning to his form by recording two superb goals. As a team, all the players performed beautifully to cripple the usually feisty Clarets. Their Saturday night rivals, Manchester United also feel confident about the match after winning their Wednesday match against Tottenham.
While the win might have boosted their spirits, it will be hard for United to win the match at Etihad. Manchester United Coach Ole Gunnar has already confirmed that red devils will miss the services of Anthony Martial following his injury last weekend. Mason Greenwood is set to take his place as the striker, though things don’t look good for United.
New Castle vs Southampton – St. James’ Park (08/12)
Following a brilliant performance at home on Wednesday, the 17th place holder, Southampton feels very confident about the Sunday game with Newcastle. Currently, New castle is standing several teams above Southampton, holding the 14th place. However, they’ve only won one out their last three matches, while Southampton has claimed two victories.
Despite their recent performance, Steve Bruce believes Newcastle United still has a lot to offer, and their style of play could eventually change. Bruce has fancied the 3-4-2-1 format since suffering a humiliating defeat in September at the hands of Leicester City. The coach was concentrating on getting the wing-backs higher up in the field, previously fearing he didn’t have the right players. However, Bruce believes now there’s a platform to build on, with their Sunday home game being the perfect start.