The coldest month comes to a close in the English Premier League this weekend, just as the heat cranks up on the charge for continental qualification come the end of the season.
It’s a battle no more keenly felt than at the home of reigning champions Manchester City, who welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
Both heavyweights are looking like overcoming recent slumps in EPL form, returning to winning ways to leave Pep Guardiola’s hosts fifth in the table, one place and two points shy of the visiting Blues.
No one can touch leaders Liverpool whatever happens at Anfield or elsewhere.
Arne Slot’s Reds are in command thanks to a six-point lead at the top, a game in hand and the visit of shellshocked Ipswich to look forward to.
The Tractor Boys take a deep breath and head to Merseyside off the back of a 6-0 home trouncing at the hands of Manchester City last weekend, leaving them mired in the relegation zone.
Arsenal are the nearest challengers at the Premier League summit and will fancy their chances of keeping up the charge when they go to Wolves.
The Gunners’ Molineux hosts have lost three in a row and sit outside the drop zone only on goal difference.
Sunday could see the EPL stress levels hit crisis point for a pair of fallen giants, if they haven’t already.
Manchester United will have to twiddle their thumbs all the way through until Sunday night and their visit to dangerous Fulham.
The Red Devils start the weekend just ten points above the unthinkable nightmare of relegation after their latest Old Trafford humiliation last Sunday, leaving them ten points adrift of their tenth-placed west London hosts.
It’s even worse for Tottenham, whose beleaguered coach Ange Postecoglou is battling it out with his north west counterpart Ruben Amorim for the title of Most Miserable Manager.
Spurs are 15th in the table, in the grip of an interminable injury crisis and with the atmosphere turning decidedly sour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
One glimmer of hope comes in the shape of visitors Leicester, who have lost seven on the bounce and are in danger of being cut adrift in the scrap for top flight survival.
Back at the right end Aston Villa could climb as high as fifth if they can fashion a home win over West Ham.
Villa are four unbeaten and going well on their Uefa Champions League return, too, while new Hammers boss Graham Potter has overseen a nervy win and a dispiriting defeat, both at the London Stadium, to open his tenure.
A genteel capital city derby rounds off Sunday’s Premier League action, when Crystal Palace play Brentford.
It’s an all-London affair with midtable written all over it, which will quietly suit the home side more than the ambitious Moneyball visitors to Selhurst Park.
There’s plenty more to go at on Saturday as well, not least with the staggering idea of a continental qualification battle between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
Who would have thought it?
Forest head to the Vitality Stadium level on points with Arsenal above them in second, while the Cherries are only three points away from fourth spot in a fascinating tussle at the top.
Newcastle had been the form team in that particular mix, only for coach Eddie Howe to come ignominiously unstuck against his former club last weekend, as Bournemouth came away from St James’ Park with an eye-catching 4-1 success.
The Toon Army are down the road from their Dorset vanquishers on Saturday and expecting a much more straightforward task at Southampton.
St Mary’s Stadium gathers with little hope or expectation with the Saints sitting on a sad six points well into the second half of the season, with no new manager bounce anywhere to be seen despite bringing in Ivan Duric.
Everton will have to be right at the races if they’re to earn returning boss David Moyes a second victory, when they go to Brighton.
The Seagulls are finding form following a tricky spell over the festive period, with a European push still within reach and with a booming victory at Manchester United fresh in the memory ahead of the Amex Stadium contest.
Fixtures and results
Latest table
All latest EPL Predictions
AFC Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest
| Result prediction | AFC Bournemouth to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Nottingham Forest / AFC Bournemouth to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | J. Kluivert(AFC Bournemouth) C. Wood(Nottingham Forest) |
Brighton & Hove Albion v Everton
| 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 |
Liverpool v Ipswich Town
| Result prediction | Liverpool to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Liverpool / Liverpool to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | Mohamed Salah(Liverpool) C. Gakpo(Liverpool) |
Southampton v Newcastle United
| Result prediction | Newcastle United to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Newcastle United / Newcastle United to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | A. Isak(Newcastle United) A. Gordon(Newcastle United) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal
| Result prediction | Arsenal to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Arsenal / Arsenal to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Manchester City v Chelsea
| Result prediction | Manchester City to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Manchester City / Manchester City to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | E. Haaland(Manchester City) P. Foden(Manchester City) C. Palmer(Chelsea) |
Crystal Palace v Brentford
| Result prediction | draw |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Brentford / draw |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | J. Mateta(Crystal Palace) Y. Wissa(Brentford) B. Mbeumo(Brentford) |
Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City
| Result prediction | Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | Tottenham Hotspur / Tottenham Hotspur to win |
| Team to Score prediction | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | n/a |
Aston Villa v West Ham United
| Result prediction | Aston Villa to win |
| Over/Under prediction | under 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | West Ham United / Aston Villa to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | O. Watkins(Aston Villa) |
Fulham v Manchester United
| Result prediction | Fulham to win |
| Over/Under prediction | over 2.5 goals |
| HT / FT prediction | draw / Fulham to win |
| Team to Score prediction | both teams |
| Anytime Goalscorer prediction | R. Jiménez(Fulham) H. Wilson(Fulham) A. Diallo(Manchester United) |