New Delhi: Matchday 9 have delivered a range of mix results so far, setting up an exciting finale with top contenders in action today. Arsenal and Liverpool, both vying for the title are set to close out the gameweek in a highly anticipated clash that could impact the final League standings. Meanwhile, two managers under pressure will be eager to secure a win at the London Stadium, and Chelsea will look to rebound from last week’s disappointment.
As we move deeper into Matchday 9, let’s preview which teams hold the upper hand before the next round of action unfolds.
Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur ( 7:30 pm IST)
Tottenham Hotspur are all set to claim another London derby in the span of two weeks as they welcome Crystal Palace at Selhurst Part. Spurs got past the AZ Alkmaar by a goal to nil in the European League in midweek while Oliver Glasner’s men lost the same by the same scoreline at Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Spurs hold an upper hand over Crystal Palace as they have won 37 matches out of 65 matches and will look to repeat the same. On the other hand, Palace are in the 18th place in the league table and have struggled this season. The Eagles need to bounce back and can’t even afford to put a foot wrong in this fixture.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Lacroix, Chalobah, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Lerma, Mitchell; Kamada, Nketiah, Eze
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Odobert
Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea vs Newcastle ( 7:30 pm IST)
Both Chelsea and Newcastle will look to improve on their results from game week eight as they face off at Stamford Bridge. Enzo Maresca’s side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend but rebounded with a decisive 4-1 win over Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League. They will aim for a similar performance this weekend.
Newcastle United currently sit in ninth place and have struggled to find consistency this season. Following a 1-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, they will be eager to secure a victory and bounce back in this fixture.
Chelsea:Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Gusto; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
Newcastle: Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Joelinton, Tonali, Guimaraes; Barnes, Isak, Gordon
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
West Ham vs Manchester United ( 7:30 pm IST)
West Ham is all set to host Manchester United on their home turf. The two most under-pressure managers will go head-to-head and will look to secure a win. West Ham were humiliated 4-1 by London rivals Spurs while the Red Devils earned a relieving 2-1 win over Brentford before escaping Fenerbahce with a 1-1 draw in the Europa League.
West Ham will likely feel the impact of losing Kudus despite their surprisingly strong record in his absence. Fans are still questioning the team’s true identity and playing style under Lopetegui’s management. While Manchester United has had its struggles they have shown resilience defensively in away games and can lean on individual skill to find a breakthrough. This could allow the visitors to grind out a close win, giving Ten Hag some added time at the helm.
West Ham: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez; Bowen, Paqueta, Soucek, Summerville; Antonio
Man United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Evans, Martinez; Eriksen, Casemiro; Rashford, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Prediction: West Ham 0-1 Man United
Arsenal vs Liverpool (10 pm IST)
The matchday 9 will conclude with a tussle between the two giants at the Emirates Stadium when title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal butt heads. Both English giants delivered unconvincing victories in their midweek Champions League matches. The Gunners narrowly defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0, while the Reds secured a similar 1-0 win over RB Leipzig.
Mikel Arteta has a strong defense that has given only three goals so far and will definitely present a tough test for Slot’s attack. The return of Saka will aid Arsenal on the creative front and will look the repeat similar results from last weekend. Arne Slot’s side, on the other hand, will look to reclaim the first spot in the Premier League standings as they have been in excellent form this season. The Merseyside defeated RB Leipzig by a 1-0 scoreline in the Champions League this week and will be fully confident ahead of this fixture.
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, White, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Merino, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez
Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool
