Saturday (all kick-off times 3pm, unless stated)
Arsenal (5) v Newcastle (20) – 12.30pm (live on Bt Sport 1)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has no new selection problems. He has also been boosted by the news that midfielder Granit Xhaka could return before the end of the year after making good progress in his recovery from a knee ligament injury. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Sead Kolasinac is still missing with an ankle problem picked up on international duty earlier this month.
Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle is a doubt with a hamstring injury. Gayle will be assessed after resuming light training on Thursday, but could join defender Paul Dummett (calf) on the sidelines. Head coach Eddie Howe will be in the dugout after returning a negative Covid-19 test and faces a decision over whether to restore goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to the starting line-up following his return from a foot problem in place of Karl Darlow, who endured a difficult afternoon in last Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Brentford.
Last season: Newcastle 0 Arsenal 2, Arsenal 3 Newcastle 0
Last five league matches: Arsenal D W W W L; Newcastle L D L D D
Top scorers: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) 7; Callum Wilson (Newcastle) 4
Match odds: H 4-9 A 11-2 D 18-5
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Crystal Palace (10) v Aston Villa (15)
Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur will again be absent, with his recovery from a hamstring injury being managed on a week-by-week basis. Nathan Ferguson is the only other first-team absentee and he is building up fitness following a near two-year spell out following knee, thigh and Achilles problems.
Villa will have Douglas Luiz back after a hamstring injury. Trezeguet (knee) also returned to training but is still at least a week away from being back in contention and has been pencilled in to feature for the under-23s next month. Bertrand Traore, who has a thigh injury, is the other absentee and is still “some weeks away”, according to manager Steven Gerrard.
Last season: Crystal Palace 3 Aston Villa 2, Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 0
Last five league matches: Crystal Palace D D W W D; Aston Villa L L L L W
Top scorers: Odsonne Edouard (Crystal Palace) 6; Cameron Archer (Aston Villa) 4
Match odds: H 23-20 A 12-5 D 12-5
Referee: Michael Salisbury (Lancashire)
Liverpool (3) v Southampton (13) (live on Premier Sports 2)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will not have any of his injured players back. The Reds boss will select from the same squad which featured against Porto in the Champions League in midweek, with Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho and Diogo Jota all set to return after being rested. Andy Robertson and Jordan Henderson could return to the starting XI after coming off the bench against Porto.
Southampton will have Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo back in contention. Redmond missed last weekend’s 2-1 loss at Norwich due to the birth of a child, while fellow winger Djenepo has overcome a knock. Defender Jack Stephens is back in training following more than two months out with a knee injury but is not expected to feature. Midfielder Stuart Armstrong remains sidelined with a calf issue.
Last season: Liverpool 2 Southampton 0, Southampton 1 Liverpool 0
Last five league matches: Liverpool W W D L W; Southampton W D W W L
Top scorers: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 17; Mohamed Elyounoussi & Armando Broja (Southampton) 4
Match odds: H 2-7 A 10-1 D 9-2
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
Norwich (19) v Wolverhampton (6)
Norwich midfielder Kieran Dowell could be back in contention, having resumed training after missing the win over Southampton through illness. Centre-half Ozan Kabak has stepped up his own rehabilitation following glandular fever, while full-back Sam Byram (hamstring) is set to play for the under-23s again to get more match fitness and defender Christoph Zimmermann continues his recovery from ankle surgery.
Wolves will be without defender Willy Boly. The centre-back is sidelined after sustaining what boss Bruno Lage described as a muscular problem. Bruno Jordao, Pedro Neto, Jonny and Yerson Mosquera all continue their own recoveries.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Norwich D L L W W; Wolverhampton W D W L W
Top scorers: Teemu Pukki & Josh Sargent (Norwich) 4; Hee-Chan Hwang (Wolverhampton) 4
Match odds: H 12-5 A 6-5 D 23-10
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
Brighton (9) v Leeds (17) – 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports Main Event and SKy Sports Premier League)
Brighton have goalkeeper Robert Sanchez available again following suspension. Sanchez was sent off late on against Newcastle before the international break, so Jason Steele deputised against Aston Villa last weekend. Midfielder Enock Mwepu could be in contention again following a muscle strain, while forward Aaron Connolly has recovered from a heel problem.
Leeds will be boosted by the return of Raphinha and Rodrigo, who both missed last week’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham. Raphinha has recovered from illness and Rodrigo is back in contention after a foot injury, while Jamie Shackleton is also available after missing the last two matches. Patrick Bamford (ankle), Robin Koch and Luke Ayling (both knee) remain unavailable for first-team action.
Last season: Brighton 2 Leeds 0, Leeds 0 Brighton 1
Last five league matches: Brighton D L D D L; Leeds L D W D L
Top scorers: Neal Maupay & Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) 4; Raphael Raphinha (Leeds) 5
Match odds: H 21-20 A 27-10 D 5-2
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Sunday (all kick-off times 2pm, unless stated)
Brentford (14) v Everton (11) – (live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League)
Yoane Wissa and Mathias Jensen will return to the Brentford squad. Jensen missed last week’s 3-3 draw at Newcastle due to being quarantined after contracting Covid, while Wissa has spent over a month out with an ankle problem. However, defender Matthias Jorgensen is likely to be sidelined once again with an unspecified leg injury.
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure could make his comeback from a broken metatarsal which has kept him out for a month. Forward Demarai Gray has made a quicker-than-expected return from a groin issue sustained last weekend but this game may come too soon. Defender Mason Holgate and Richarlison are both suspended, while Yerry Mina (hamstring), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh), Andre Gomes (calf) and Tom Davies (knee) are all absent.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Brentford L L L L D; Everton L L L D L
Top scorers: Marcus Forss & Yoane Wissa (Brentford) 5; Andros Townsend (Everton) 5
Match odds: H 5-4 A 23-10 D 23-10
Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire)
Burnley (18) v Tottenham Hotspur (7)
Burnley will be without suspended pair James Tarkowski and Ashley Westwood. Defender Tarkowski and midfielder Westwood will both serve one-game ban after reaching five bookings. Boss Sean Dyche expects Jay Rodriguez and Matej Vydra to overcome “a bit of muscle tightness”, but Ashley Barnes will be out for several weeks due to a torn thigh muscle.
Tottenham will check on their squad following their Thursday night humiliation in Europe, where they lost to Slovenian side NS Mura. Oliver Skipp returns to Premier League action after being banned for the win against Leeds last weekend. Cristian Romero (hamstring) is out, while Giovani Lo Celso (knock) and Steven Bergwijn (illness) will be assessed.
Last season: Tottenham Hotspur 4 Burnley 0, Burnley 0 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Last five league matches: Burnley L D W D D; Tottenham Hotspur W L L D W
Top scorers: Maxwel Cornet (Burnley) 5; Harry Kane & Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) 5
Match odds: H 13-5 A 21-20 D 5-2
Referee: Peter Bankes (Merseyside)
Leicester (12) v Watford (16)
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is hopeful Jonny Evans will be fit. The defender pulled out of Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League win over Legia Warsaw following the warm-up with a thigh issue. Daniel Amartey stands by to deputise again, while the rested Jamie Vardy will return. Youri Tielemans (calf), Ricardo Pereira (hamstring), James Justin (knee) and Wesley Fofana (broken leg) remain out.
Watford duo Ismaila Sarr (knee) and Nicolas Nkoulou (hamstring) are out after sustaining injuries in last weekend’s win over Manchester United. Juraj Kucka returns to contention following a one-match ban, while defender Christian Kabasele (hamstring) is back training but not expected to feature. Ken Sema (knee), Francisco Sierralta (hamstring), Kwadwo Baah (ankle) and Peter Etebo (quad) remain sidelined.
Last season: No Corresponding fixture
Last five league matches: Leicester W W L D L; Watford L W L L W
Top scorers: Jamie Vardy (Leicester) 7; Ismaila Sarr (Watford) 5
Match odds: H 8-13 A 9-2 D 16-5
Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire)
Man City (2) v West Ham (4)
Manchester City will give fitness tests to midfielders Jack Grealish and Phil Foden. The England pair have both been sidelined with knocks, with Grealish absent since the international break and Foden missing Wednesday’s win over Paris St Germain. Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is still out with coronavirus, while winger-turned-striker Ferran Torres (foot) could be absent until the new year.
West Ham boss David Moyes made eight changes to the team for Thursday night’s Europa League win away to Rapid Vienna so is expected to recall his regulars. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, midfielder Declan Rice and forward Michael Antonio are among those set to return to contention. Defender Angelo Ogbonna remains out as he starts his rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury.
Last season: Man City 2 West Ham 1, West Ham 1 Man City 1
Last five league matches: Man City W W L W W; West Ham W W W W L
Top scorers: Riyad Mahrez (Man City) 8; Michail Antonio (West Ham) 7
Match odds: H 1-3 A 17-2 D 9-2
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
Chelsea (1) v Man Utd (8) – 4pm (live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League)
Ben Chilwell has been ruled out for at least six weeks with a right knee ligament injury. N’Golo Kante will also miss the game with a minor knee knock. Romelu Lukaku will be in the matchday squad but is not fit enough to start after a niggling ankle problem.
Manchester United caretaker boss Michael Carrick will check on Fred and Luke Shaw. Fred played on after twisting his ankle during Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League win in Villarreal, a match Shaw missed having gone through concussion protocols for a second time this month after taking a blow to the head in the 4-1 loss at Watford. Captain Harry Maguire is suspended, joining Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane on the sidelines, with doubts also over Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani.
Last season: Chelsea 0 Man Utd 0, Man Utd 0 Chelsea 0
Last five league matches: Chelsea W W W D W; Man Utd L L W L L
Top scorers: Reece James (Chelsea) 5; Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) 10
Match odds: H 6-10 A 24-5 D 3-1
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
