November 20, (THEWILL) – The Premier League resumes action today after the international break, with eight games scheduled. There will be plenty to watch in the other matches, but clear favourites will definitely include Leicester against leaders Chelsea and the day’s late kick-off Liverpool taking on Arsenal.
But there are managerial debuts to sweeten the weekend’s entertainment as Dean Smith takes command of Norwich City’s first game against Southampton, the team he faced in his final match as Aston Villa manager.
And, as his replacement in the Villa Park dugout, Steven Gerrard, one of the most famous players of his time, makes his managing debut in the league against Brighton, there is a lot to be thrilled about.
Here is THEWILL Preview of what to expect in some of the day’s exciting fixtures in the EPL.
Leicester Versus Chelsea – 1:30 pm
When Chelsea travels to Leicester City for Saturday’s early start, they will look to keep or extend their three-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings. Last time out, the Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley, while Brendan Rodgers’ team earned a point against Leeds United.
The intense talk around Rodgers’ probable transfer to Manchester United is not helping matters for Leicester, who have won just two Premier League games in their last eight since the start of September and have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten league games.
Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Sean Dyche’s Burnley came as a surprise, with the Clarets doing well to halt the league leaders’ momentum in West London. Last season, Leicester won 2-0 at the King Power Stadium in this fixture during the last days of Frank Lampard’s reign before that historic FA Cup success, but Tuchel’s Chelsea defeated the Foxes 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in May.
Aston Villa Versus Brighton – 4 pm
Aston Villa welcomes Brighton & Hove Albion to Villa Park for the start of the Steven Gerrard era. During the international break, Gerrard took over as manager from Dean Smith, who had led Villa to a five-game losing streak in the Premier League.
Only two of Aston Villa’s past 12 Premier League managers – John Gregory and Gerard Houllier – have won their first game in charge of the club, so victory on Saturday would be ideal. To make that short list, Gerrard must halt Villa’s worst Premier League run since 2015/2016, those final five-game losses of Smith’s.
Brighton’s relatively high league position of seventh hides a clear dip in form recently as the Seagulls have not won in the Premier League since beating Leicester City on September 19, and they have not won any of their last six games in the competition.
Newcastle Versus Brentford – 4 pm
Newcastle United, the only team in the Premier League without a win in the 2021/2022 season, faces newly promoted Brentford at St James’ Park in the Eddie Howe era’s first game, although the manager is self-isolating after a positive COVID-19 test. Last time out, the Magpies rescued a point in a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, while the Bees became Norwich City’s first victims in a 2-1 defeat.
Newcastle appointed ex-Bournemouth coach Howe as their new manager after being unsuccessful in their pursuit of serial Europa League winner Unai Emery. But, it is crunch time as Newcastle are now level with Norwich and five points clear of safety ahead of the start of a new era.
Thomas Frank, on the other hand, is still in charge of Brentford, and he will be desperate to turn around his team’s fortunes this weekend, with the Bees plummeting to 14th in the table.
Norwich Versus Southampton – 4 pm
Dean Smith will make his debut in charge of Norwich City against Southampton at home on Saturday, as the Canaries try to make it back-to-back Premier League triumphs. Smith, who was fired by Aston Villa on November 7, has signed a two-and-a-half-year agreement at Carrow Road, and the 50-year-old will be looking to get off to the best possible start this weekend.
Despite beating Brentford before the international break, Norwich remain at the bottom of the table, while Southampton are in 13th place with 14 points from their first 11 games. Southampton, on the other hand, is coming off a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on November 5.
The Saints are only three points behind Manchester United in sixth position, and will be looking for another win ahead of a challenging trip to Liverpool in their final game of November.
Watford Versus Manchester United – 4 pm
These two sides will be looking to get back on track in the Premier League. Before the international break, United fell 2-0 to City, while Watford, who sit just outside the English Premier League’s relegation zone, lost 1-0 to Arsenal.
Ranieri’s side now has four tough games in a row, hosting Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City, as well as a trip to Leicester City before the end of the month. The Hornets may not be panicking because there is still a lot of football to be played this season, and they beat United 2-0 the last time they came to Vicarage Road in the league in December 2019.
Solskjaer’s United are only five points out of the top four and a win this weekend would relieve the pressure on the Norwegian, but the treble-winning striker is only one bad result away from another full-fledged crisis. The sword remains dangling over his career as the 20-time English champions embark on a crucial portion of this season.
Liverpool Versus Arsenal – 6:30 pm
In the late tie, Liverpool will host Arsenal at Anfield in one of the most anticipated Premier League matches of the season. After 11 games, Liverpool and Arsenal are separated by just one spot and two points in the table, with Liverpool fourth and Arsenal fifth.
The Gunners were at the bottom of the table at the end of August, having lost all three of their games and allowing nine goals without scoring a single goal themselves, while Liverpool had collected seven points from a possible nine and had conceded only once.
Fast forward to now, and the Premier League landscape has shifted dramatically. Liverpool must quickly get back on track, and the fact that they have already secured top spot in a difficult Champions League group means they can focus entirely on Saturday’s match.
Liverpool’s defeat at West Ham means Arsenal now have the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League, having taken 20 points from the 24 available since those three defeats to begin the season. Arsenal will climb into Champions League spots for the first time since October 2020 with a win.
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.
