Here are five key storylines to feast on as you enjoy the Premier League Festive Fixtures.
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Congested title race
Up to five teams are in the title race and Liverpool host Arsenal in a huge game, while Man City being in the Club World Cup means they’ll have to play catch-up in 2024. Can Aston Villa, Tottenham and even Manchester United, Newcastle and Brighton muscle their way into the title race?
Can Tottenham, Chelsea recover?
Tottenham will always go for it under Ange Postecoglou and know a few injured players should return soon. Spurs have a kind set of fixtures they must take advantage of. Chelsea must improve defensively and have three winnable games against Wolves, Crystal Palace and Luton but they’ve struggled against these kind of teams.
Big boys on upset alert...
Burnley vs Liverpool, Luton vs Chelsea and Fulham vs Arsenal all have a whiff of an upset about them. If Burnley can press high, they’ll cause problems. Luton will launch counters and whip in dangerous set-pieces and Fulham’s Joao Palhinha will likely dominate midfield. Alarm bells should be ringing.
Golden Boot contenders
Erling Haaland leads the way but Mohamed Salah, Heung-min Son and Hwang-Hee chan are just behind him. With City’s Club World Cup exploits impacting their festive fixtures and Guardiola wrapping Haaland in cotton wool due to his injury, Salah and Co. can close the gap. Will anybody else emerge as genuine contenders for the Golden Boot?
Rotation is key
With three games in about a week this is when rotating expertly counts. The big boys have more strength in depth and should prevail but players love to be in a rhythm and getting the balance of rotating right will be key. There are always some really strange results at this time of the season.
