London (AFP)
No time to gamble for Manchester United, eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday but who will host their neighbor City on Saturday for the poster of the 12th day of the Premier League between two teams just recovering in the league.
While the first phase of the C1 has come to an end and the European championships are all eyeing a well-deserved winter break, the Premier League will not know, like every year, no respite with 5 more days to go before December 31 .
A period when you do not win a championship, but where you can quite lose it, according to English footballing wisdom.
And the Manchester United-Manchester City derby, Saturday at 6.30 p.m., has all of those matches that can undo a season.
Respectively 5 and 6 points behind the Tottenham / Liverpool duo who dominate the standings, but both with one game less, the two Manchester are in ambush.
They remain on positive dynamics, especially the Red Devils who have just chained 4 victories in the last 4 days, with 10 goals to the key, to move from 15th to 6th place.
The main unknown of the game will be the reaction of the players to the European disillusionment of the midweek, in what looks like another chopper for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The home advantage hasn't even really been one for United since the start of the season, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men have only taken 4 points in 5 matches.
And opposite, they will find a City who delivered two successful performances to get rid of Burnley (5-0) and Fulham (2-0) and who had a tough game to play against Marseille on Wednesday in C1 (3- 0).
Pep Guardiola's men will also be keen to restore their local supremacy a little after losing 3 of the 4 confrontations last season: the 2 in the league and one in the semi-final second leg of the Coupe de la Ligue, even if the qualification was at the end.
In the other matches of the day, Chelsea will try to temporarily regain the lead of the standings, in case of success on the road to Everton, Saturday at 9 p.m.
Currently 3rd 2 points behind the coleaders, the Blues also had an undemanding game in midweek in C1 and intend to capitalize on the Toffees who have taken only 4 points over the last 6 days.
Sunday, it will be the turn of the Spurs, traveling to Crystal Palace (3.15 p.m.), then the Reds to Fulham (5.30 p.m.) to battle remotely for the first place, while the following day announces an explosive Liverpool-Tottenham on Wednesday (9:00 p.m.).
Friday:
(9 p.m.) Leeds - West Ham
Saturday:
(1:30 p.m.) Wolverhampton - Aston Villa
(4:00 p.m.) Newcastle - West Bromwich Albion
(6.30 p.m.) Manchester United - Manchester City
(9 p.m.) Everton v Chelsea
Sunday:
(1:00 p.m.) Southampton v Sheffield United
(3.15 p.m.) Crystal Palace - Tottenham
(5.30 p.m.) Fulham - Liverpool
(8:15 p.m.) Arsenal - Burnley
Leicester - Brighton
Ranking: Pts JGNP bp bc dif
1. Tottenham 24 11 7 3 1 23 9 14
2. Liverpool 24 11 7 3 1 26 17 9
3. Chelsea 22 11 6 4 1 25 11 14
4. Leicester 21 11 7 0 4 21 15 6
5. Southampton 20 11 6 2 3 21 17 4
6. Manchester United 19 10 6 1 3 19 17 2
7. Manchester City 18 10 5 3 2 17 11 6
8. West Ham 17 11 5 2 4 18 14 4
9. Everton 17 11 5 2 4 20 18 2
10. Wolverhampton 17 11 5 2 4 11 15 -4
11. Crystal Palace 16 11 5 1 5 17 16 1
12. Aston Villa 15 9 5 0 4 20 13 7
13. Newcastle 14 10 4 2 4 12 15 -3
14. Leeds United 14 11 4 2 5 16 20 -4
15. Arsenal 13 11 4 1 6 10 14 -4
16. Brighton 10 11 2 4 5 15 18 -3
17. Fulham 7 11 2 1 8 11 21 -10
18. Burnley 6 10 1 3 6 5 18 -13
19. West Brom 6 11 1 3 7 8 23 -15
20. Sheffield United 1 11 0 1 10 5 18 -13
Editor's note: The first four qualified for the Champions League.
The 5th qualified for the group stage of the Europa League.
The last three are relegated.
© 2020 AFP