November 27, (THEWILL) – Action returns to the English Premier League this weekend with an early kickoff at the Emirates between Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners, who were outgunned by Liverpool at Anfield last week, and the new moneybags of Newcastle slugging it out.
The lunch fixture will be followed by a trio of 4 pm ties that include Steven Gerrard’s second EPL game as manager against another former player-turned-manager in Crystal Palace’s Patrick Vieira as Villa make the trip to Selhurst Park.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will seek to worsen the fortunes of Ralph Hasenhuttl after his Southampton side became the first to be beaten by Norwich this season in their 4 pm matchup and THEWILL offers a preview of this Saturday’s most interesting fixtures below.
Arsenal vs Newcastle – 1:30 pm
Arsenal will look to bounce back in Saturday’s Premier League lunchtime clash with Newcastle United after their 10-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end at Anfield. Last time out, Arsenal were defeated 4-0 by Liverpool, while Eddie Howe’s reign at Newcastle began with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Brentford.
A resurgent force Arsenal missed out on a chance to move into the top four last weekend, but Mikel Arteta’s team are fifth in the table, three points behind West Ham United after their defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Arsenal, along with Manchester City and Chelsea, have the best home record in the Premier League this season.
Eddie Howe was unable to take his place in the dugout for his first game as Newcastle manager due to a case of COVID-19, but unfortunately for him, the first 45 minutes of the 43-year-rule old’s against Brentford were absolutely unmissable. They will have it all to play for against the Gunners as Arsenal have won their last six encounters without conceding, and the Magpies have not scored at the Emirates since 2014.
Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – 4 pm
When Aston Villa visit Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, they will be seeking to make it back-to-back Premier League victories under new head coach Steven Gerrard. Last weekend, Gerrard guided Chelsea to a 2-0 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, while Palace are coming off a thrilling 3-3 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor.
Prior to their trip to Burnley last weekend, Patrick Vieira’s side had won back-to-back 2-0 games against Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and they would have fancied their chances of picking up another three points against Sean Dyche is side.
Villa now sits in 15th place in the Premier League table, having won four, drawn one, and lost seven of their 12 games this season for a total of 13 points. The match on Saturday is even more important for Gerrard’s team because two of their next three league games are against title contenders Man City and Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Southampton – 4 pm
Liverpool return to Anfield on Saturday to face Southampton in the Premier League after a professional win over Porto in the Champions League. The Reds’ most recent Premier League encounter saw them defeat Arsenal 4-0, while the Saints were defeated 2-1 by Norwich City.
Klopp’s side are third in the Premier League rankings, one point behind second-placed Manchester City, after recovering from a two-game winless streak. This season, the Saints have registered the worst Premier League away record, which is not exactly comforting ahead of a trip to Anfield, where Liverpool is unbeaten.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
