London, Nov 22 (UNI) Premier League leader Arsenal returns to action Sunday afternoon with a north-London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal was held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland a fortnight ago, seeing its 10-game winning run in all competitions and eight matches without conceding a goal ended.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has a long injury list to contend with, as defender Gabriel joined Martin Odergaard, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke, among others, on the sidelines with a thigh injury.
Manchester City climbed to second after thrashing Liverpool before the international break and Erling Haaland will again lead Pep Guardiola’s side in a potentially difficult visit to Newcastle, which needs to react after consecutive defeats.
Rodri is a doubt for Manchester City with another muscle problem that has blighted his return from a torn cruciate knee ligament, while Yoane Wissa is still out for Newcastle.
Despite some inconsistent performances, Chelsea has moved up to third, but midfielder Enzo Fernandez is a doubt for the visit to Burnley which kicks off the weekend’s action. Pedro Neto
and Cole Palmer also miss out against a rival that is tough to beat in front of its home fans.
Liverpool has slipped to eighth in the standings and coach Arne Slot needs a reaction when his team entertains Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Alexander Isak is fit again for Liverpool as Slot continues to work to find the best balance for a team where most of its summer signings are struggling to adapt.
Nottingham Forest has got harder to beat since Sean Dyche replaced Ange Postecoglou as its coach, but Dyche isn’t helped by injuries to forwards Chris Wood and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Sunderland should be optimistic of continuing a brilliant return to the Premier League with a visit to play against Fulham, whose top scorers Ryan Sessegnon, Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson only have two goals each.
Bournemouth should be a good test for West Ham’s recovery under Nuno Espirito Santo. West Ham travels to the south coast still in the bottom three but with hopes of survival after winning its last two matches, while Bournemouth will look to winger Antoine Semenyo to end a run of consecutive defeats.
Veteran Brighton striker Danny Welbeck has scored six goals this season, putting himself back into contention for a recall to the England squad if he can keep it up, with Brentford offering the next opportunity to impress England coach Thomas Tuchel.
Rob Edwards makes his debut as coach of winless Wolverhampton Wanderers at bottom of the table. Facing a tough start at home to Crystal Palace, his first task is to shore up a defense that has conceded 15 goals in five matches.
Leeds United has a difficult home game against sixth-placed Aston Villa, as Daniel Farke’s side looks to improve on a run of four defeats in five games.
