It’s the penultimate round of English Premier League fixtures before Christmas this weekend and there’s a host of early festive treats lying in store for fans of the EPL.
There’s derby drama to be had among a quartet of Sunday matches, not least the Manchester derby as City host United at the Etihad Stadium.
Short of finding a time machine gift-wrapped under the tree in a few days’ time, the north west giants may well have to rely on their new year’s resolutions to rescue their respective campaigns.
New Red Devils chief Ruben Amorim has suffered back-to-back defeats to leave his team languishing 13th in the Premier League table.
City’s title defence, meanwhile, is teetering on the brink with a sequence of just one victory in their last six dropping Pep Guardiola and Co to fourth coming into the weekend.
Chelsea have been one of the lead beneficiaries of the City slump, aided no end by their own run of four league wins on the bounce.
The Blues have emerged as genuine EPL contenders in that time but must be on their guard in a west London derby with Brentford at Stamford Bridge, with the visitors holding realistic top six ambitions of their own.
Liverpool kick off the weekend with a four-point advantage and a game in hand on Enzo Maresca’s charges, with a Saturday clash at home to Fulham their next assignment.
The Reds are fresh for the Anfield clash after last weekend’s Merseyside derby was postponed thanks to Storm Darragh, with their visitors in the middle of the pack but a dangerous proposition under wily coach Marco Silva.
Arsenal are also right up there in their bid to claim the crown come the end of May, as they welcome Everton to the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were held by Fulham last time out but are five unbeaten, while their visitors also made an important return to winning ways before their rival clash fell to last weekend’s weather.
Saturday’s evening Premier League kick off also has plenty riding on it in the Midlands when Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa.
The pair are locked on 25 points and sit fifth and sixth in the EPL standings, with both recovering their composure in recent weeks to keep up the pace in the chase for European qualification heading into the new year.
It’s a grim business at the wrong end of the table, though, as Wolves take on Ipswich in a relegation six-pointer at Molineux.
Nine points apiece and three defeats in a row have left the duo adrift in the drop zone and knowing they can’t escape this weekend even if they collect a three-point haul.
Newcastle and Leicester’s game at St James’ Park wraps up Saturday’s top flight programme.
The Foxes are rejuvenated by four points from six since the arrival of new boss Ruud van Nistelrooy to pull them away from immediate danger.
And they will sense blood in the air on Tyneside, with Eddie Howe’s men in a winter slump that has seen them drop like the north east temperatures and without a win in four attempts.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou knows he can afford little more in the way of false moves, as he takes his Spurs to rock bottom Southampton on Sunday.
The Australian coach has come under heavy fire after losses at Bournemouth and at home to rivals Chelsea has seen them slip into the bottom half, although they take on a Saints side at St Mary’s Stadium that has won just five points all season.
Sunday’s action kicks off just along the south coast, as Brighton play Crystal Palace in their eccentric derby.
Contradictions abound at the Amex Stadium as the Eagles sit perilously close to relegation danger despite being four unbeaten, with the Seagulls seventh in the standings at the start of the weekend despite going three without victory.
The Premier League programme extends to the Monday night football between Bournemouth and West Ham at the Vitality Stadium.
Julen Lopetegui likely saved his job as Hammers boss with a vital win at Wolves on Monday night but faces a tough ask in Dorset, with the home team winning three in a row to make themselves unlikely continental contenders.
Fixtures and results
Latest table
All latest EPL Predictions
Arsenal v Everton
| Result prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Arsenal / Arsenal to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | B. Saka(Arsenal) |
Liverpool v Fulham
| Result prediction | Liverpool to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Liverpool to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Mohamed Salah(Liverpool) A. Iwobi(Fulham) |
Newcastle United v Leicester City
| Result prediction | Newcastle United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Newcastle United to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | A. Isak(Newcastle United) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Ipswich Town
| Result prediction | Wolverhampton Wanderers to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Wolverhampton Wanderers to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Matheus Cunha(Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Aston Villa / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace
| Result prediction | Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Brighton & Hove Albion to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Manchester City v Manchester United
| Result prediction | Manchester United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Manchester United to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Bruno Fernandes(Manchester United) M. Rashford(Manchester United) |
Chelsea v Brentford
| Result prediction | Chelsea to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Chelsea / Chelsea to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | C. Palmer(Chelsea) E. Fernández(Chelsea) Y. Wissa(Brentford) K. Schade(Brentford) |
Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur
| Result prediction | Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
AFC Bournemouth v West Ham United
| Result prediction | AFC Bournemouth to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | AFC Bournemouth / AFC Bournemouth to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | J. Kluivert(AFC Bournemouth) |