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Competition for places is always cutthroat in the Chelsea FC first team, so individual footballers will do what they have to do in order to get/retain playing time. Christian Pulisic, an attacking midfielder or winger, played three different positions in Chelsea’s win at Watford last night.
Included among those three was wing back, and that itself is fascinating, the concept of a forward moving over to a defensive position.
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West Ham United host Chelsea in a London derby that kicks off the next weekend of Premier League action. Winless in their last three, they’ll host the league leaders as heavy underdogs. Google Result Probability projects a 56% chance of a Chelsea win, 25% chance for a draw and 19% for a West Ham win.
That said, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel was open about how unimpressed he was with his own side’s victory over Watford last night. The German admitted that he felt very fortunate to escape with all three points against the Moose Men. If they play like that again versus the Hammers, well, they’ll likely drop points.
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It’s that time of year again. The time of year where the fixtures come thick and fast. The time of year where squad rotation is a must. The time of year that can make or break your season.
That’s right, it’s the wild Christmas period in the English Premier League. Hot on the heels of Gameweek 14, Gameweek 15 kicks off with a London derby that pits league leaders Chelsea take on 2021/22 season surprise packets West Ham United.
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A season that promised so much for the Hammers is now in danger of slipping away from them. After their incredible victory against Liverpool, just prior to the international break, West Ham has only secured one of nine points available in the league.
This terrible run of form has seen them slip from 3rd place to the possibility of dropping out of the top four. This scenario would be realized if Arsenal gets maximum points against Manchester United in their game in hand.
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Tomorrow night sees Arsenal visit Manchester United in a match that could convey indications of which club is further along in their rebuild. Both of these traditional big six powerhouses have been down in recent years, but the Gunners seemed to have recently turned the corner.
The Kroenkes were patient with Mikel Arteta, and it seems like the manager’s youth movement is paying dividends now. The North Londonders may find themselves back in Europe next season.
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Other than a disastrous 4-0 loss to Liverpool, Arsenal FC have blanked their last four opponents across all competitions. Winners of four in their last five, and now on the cusp of the top four, the Gunners are nevertheless underdogs when they travel to Manchester United tomorrow night.
The bookies are backing them at the price of +260, the same amount that one would collect for a draw. Meanwhile United are favored to win to the tune of -106. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the latest fitness updates for the North Londoners.
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It’s festive period fixture congestion time my friends! You know the song: “it’s the most, wonderful time, of the year!” With that in mind, the headliner fixture of the Premier League midweek slate is Manchester United hosting Arsenal FC.
Ralf Rangnick won’t be officially cleared to coach, due to international employment paperwork requirements, but he’ll certainly have influence on what Michael Carrick and United do here in shaping the team and approaching the game.
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Although Ralf Rangnick is already in Manchester, and he toured United’s home ground today, he won’t be able to take charge for the first time tomorrow night when the Red Devils face Arsenal. He is still waiting for his work visa to be officially approved.
That means Michael Carrick will have at least one more game in charge, when these two traditional big six rivals meet in midweek. Let’s look at the rest of the MUFC team news now.
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Antonio Conte must be wondering what he has got himself into- a Spurs season that promised so much has lurched from one crisis to another. It seems the rot has set in, and it has set deep.
At least with the Italian at the helm they have one of the finest football brains in the game to help them find their way back to their best. There were always going to be teething problems as Conte ingrains his new players into his new way of doing things. However, nobody saw the capitulation in Slovenia coming.
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In what has been nothing short of a dumpster fire of a season so far, Spurs had a reprieve last Premier League matchday when their fixture with Burnley was postponed due to inclement weather. Due to that cancellation, their last competitive fixture remains that embarrassing defeat against the lowest-ranked side in European club competition, NS Mura.
I’m sure the bitter taste of that defeat is one the first-team squad is itching to wash out of their mouths. They couldn’t have asked for better opposition to bounce back against. This matchday they face Brentford in a unique London derby.
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The 239th Merseyside Derby takes place on Wednesday evening at Goodison Park. Liverpool have back-to-back league wins coming out of the international break, and they will look to keep that streak going against Everton.
Liverpool may not have any major changes from Saturday’s 4-0 win over Southampton.
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After a straight-forward 4-0 win over Southampton, Liverpool heads across Stanley Park to face Everton on Wednesday.
The Reds currently sit third in the table, two points behind league leaders Chelsea, with Everton 14th. But records never really matter in this fixture, and bragging rights will be on the line between the two longtime rivals.
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