Chelsea versus Arsenal represents the headline clash in the Premier League this weekend as two sides with no love lost between them look to claim all three points from a top-six rival. Over the years, the dominance of this fixture has continually swayed and even last season, despite claiming the English crown, the Blues managed to beat the Gunners just once from three attempts. So, how will Sunday’s game pan out and where will it fit into the rich tapestry of this fixture? We can’t predict the future unfortunately, but we can provide you with everything you need to know before kickoff…

What history tells us

Once upon a time, this fixture was essentially a foregone conclusion – Chelsea failing to beat Arsenal for nearly a whole decade in the Premier League between 1995 and 2005. But that latter date is particularly significant; the Blues win that broke the trend came during Jose Mourinho’s second full season at Chelsea, after twice drawing with Arsene Wenger during 2004/05, and signified a dramatic shift in the balance of power. Since then, Arsenal have bettered the west Londoners just five times in the top flight, losing a whopping 14. And while Chelsea have gone on to claim titles domestically and in Europe, the Gunners have only managed a succession of FA Cups since the days of the Invincibles. Perhaps the other point of note is the sheer number of red cards – a whopping 13 from 50 encounters – including an infamous two for Arsenal during the 2015/16 campaign.

Referee influence – Michael Oliver

Without trying to sound too dramatic, Michael Oliver really does spell bad news for the Gunners. Arsenal have won just four and lost eight of the Premier League matches the 32-year-old has officiated, picking up 32 yellow cards and two red cards. More pertinent to Sunday’s game, Oliver’s surprising leniency when it comes to fouls awarded plays directly into Chelsea’s hands; they’ve committed the most fouls of any Premier League side this term and also average more tackles per match than Arsenal – that aggressive style might go largely unpunished on Sunday. Additionally, Oliver also had the biggest home win bias of any referee to officiate more than ten games last season at a whopping 67% – something hosts Chelsea can surely draw confidence from on Sunday.

Team News

Antonio Conte’s starting XI is relatively predictable at this moment in time, Chelsea becoming synonymous with the 3-4-3 setup during their successful title charge last season, and the Blues’ only injury concern heading into the weekend is Danny Drinkwater who probably wouldn’t have started against the Gunners anyway. However, the Chelsea boss does have a few important decisions to make, namely whether he should disrupt a back three that conceded just twice in three games to reinstate captain Gary Cahill following his suspension, and whether Eden Hazard has overcome his recent injury problems well enough to start. The Belgium international featured from the bench against Qarabag in midweek but didn’t look particularly sharp.

With Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin injured and Jack Wilshere still on the mend, Wenger’s hands are relatively tied in central midfield but his options are open in the other departments and after scoring his first goal of the season on Thursday night, Alexis Sanchez looks almost certain to start despite a poor performance at Anfield prior to the international break. However, if there’s one lingering doubt, it’s whether Arsenal will actually set up with 3-4-3. Liverpool ripped that formation apart with their pace down the flanks and after going 1-0 down to Koln in the Europa League, Wenger switched to a far more effective 4-2-3-1 formation in the second half. That being said, matching up against Chelsea has worked for Arsenal during their last two attempts, winning in the FA Cup final and the Community Shield.

According to reports in the Newcastle Chronicle, Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu will miss Ghana’s crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier against Uganda following the news that he has been playing through the pain barrier, and Magpies fans have been quick to have their say on the situation.The Chronicle says that the 25-year-old has been struggling with a niggle for the last three weeks, which has prompted him to pull out of representing his nation during the international break.The report adds that the local media in the African country suggested that Atsu was to be handed the captain’s armband for the Uganda clash, but the Tyneside outfit and the player have decided his fitness comes first with a tough Premier League campaign ahead.Newcastle supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the news, and while some said “he can be rested to recover”, others think they “might be playing next week” with Matt Ritchie also picking up a knock.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Dele Alli and Harry Winks have become well-known faces in the Tottenham Hotspur squad.While 21-year-old Alli has become a regular in Mauricio Pochettino’s lineup, Winks, who is the same age, is beginning to find his feet in the team.So far this season, the midfielder has made seven appearances in all competitions and has started one Premier League game and another in the Champions League.At the weekend, the young player made his full England debut by starting against Lithuania in the nation’s final World Cup qualifier.Overall, it was not the most thrilling of matches from Gareth Southgate’s side, but thanks to Harry Kane’s winner against Slovenia earlier in the week, the Three Lions had already booked their place in Russia.Kane scored the winner again as his first-half penalty earned a 1-0 triumph over Lithuania, but another Harry impressed on the pitch.After the game, Alli congratulated his teammate by posting an old photo of the pair from their England youth days.

Both will now switch focus back to the Premier League when Tottenham face Bournemouth this weekend.

According to reports in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen has hinted that goalkeeper Felix Weidwald’s spot between the sticks isn’t under threat for the clash against Reading at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Yorkshire outfit signed the German stopper from Werder Bremen during the summer, and he quickly became the first-choice keeper with last season’s number one Rob Green eventually leaving to join Premier League side Huddersfield in August.

Christiansen moved to bring former Whites goalkeeper Andy Lonergan back to the club as cover towards the end of the summer transfer window, but the 33-year-old has played back-up to Wiedwald in the league ever since.

The 27-year-old’s spot had been called into question after Leeds lost three of their last four Championship fixtures and conceded nine goals in the process to drop them down to fifth in the standings, but Christiansen has come out and shown public support for his signing.

However, here are three reasons Wiedwald should be dropped for the visit of the Royals…

He is yet to win some fans over

While Wiedwald and Christiansen can certainly point to the six clean sheets in a row earlier in the season as proof that the German goalkeeper isn’t doing too much wrong right now, it wasn’t as though he was kept busy during those fixtures and in fact he often had very little to do.

The nine goals conceded in four Championship matches since then means that there are still more than a few question marks over his head, with his distribution and lack of command of his six-yard box just a couple of aspects of his game that have come under scrutiny from the Elland Road faithful this term.

Following a bit of a horror show in the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last time out, now may be the ideal time to drop the 27-year-old.

He needs to be kept on his toes

It is never a good situation to have a player that thinks they are undroppable, and sometimes taking them out of the firing line can make them more motivated and determined to work harder and improve to win their spot back in the side.

With Wiedwald perhaps not being as effective in the last few Championship fixtures as he had been earlier in the season, maybe now is the time for Christiansen to drop the German to the substitutes’ bench and bring Andy Lonergan into the fold.

Andy Lonergan’s experience

Having played at Championship level for the majority of his playing career – including the 2011/12 season with Leeds previously – Lonergan knows all about the division, how to deal with opponents and what is needed to be successful there.

While sometimes it can be seen as a bit of a risk to thrust your second-choice goalkeeper into the action, that certainly wouldn’t be the case with the 33-year-old and there is no doubt that he would be an experienced and calm figure between the sticks following a tough run of results for the Yorkshire outfit.

Having also been one of the heroes of Leeds’ penalty shoot-out win against Burnley in the EFL Cup last month, perhaps he has earned his opportunity to start in the league.

Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.

Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday in what could turn out to be a pivotal match in the Premier League title race.

As it stands, United sit second and Spurs third in the table but both are on 20 points, with Manchester City leading the way on 25.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are flying high following last weekend’s 4-1 thumping of Liverpool, but they will be without prolific striker Harry Kane on Saturday due to a hamstring injury.

United need to get back on track after suffering a 2-1 loss to Huddersfield Town and they also have their own injury problems to contend with.

In this fixture at White Hart Lane in April 2016, Tottenham destroyed United in six minutes during the second half, with Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Erik Lamela securing a 3-0 triumph for the hosts.

To get the fans geared up for the match, Spurs posted a reminder of this game on Twitter, and despite the absence of Kane, the supporters are hoping that they can get one over United at Old Trafford.

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Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has revealed that he looks to ’emulate’ Brazilian superstar Ronaldo on the field.

Rashford, 20, is widely regarded as one of the best young players in world football, and is already a key player for both Man United and England despite his youthful age.

The attacker is expected to start England’s glamour friendly against Brazil on Tuesday night, and ahead of the match, revealed who he looks to style his game on.

Rashford told reporters:

“He (Ronaldo) always played free. No matter where he was playing, he played free and went out there and expressed himself. When you do that, that’s when you play your best football.

“When you’re young you watch clips of the best players in the world and try and emulate them – it just tends to happen naturally.”

Ronaldo – seen as one of the greatest centre-forwards in the history of the sport – started his professional career with Cruzeiro in 1993 before going on to represent the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.The now 41-year-old scored 62 times in 98 appearances for the Brazilian national team, landing two World Cups in the process.Only Pele (77) has scored more times for Brazil than Ronaldo, who ended his professional career in 2011 following a two-year spell at Corinthians.

Former Everton player Phil Neville appeared to take his rage to Twitter following the team’s result on Sunday.

The Merseyside outfit were beaten 4-1 by a Southampton side that had mustered just nine goals in 12 Premier League games prior to the weekend’s action at St Mary’s.

David Unsworth has been in temporary charge of the Everton first team since Ronald Koeman was sacked over a month ago.

The Under-23s coach has overseen five defeats in seven games in all competitions.

Sunday’s result followed a 5-1 thumping at the hands of Atalanta in the Europa League.

The club sit just two points above the relegation zone, but they have still not appointed a new man to take over.

Neville initially backed Unsworth for the full-time job in a piece that he wrote for BBC Sport last month.

Yesterday on Twitter, even though the TV pundit did not mention Everton directly, it seems as though he is fed up with the current situation at Goodison Park.

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has revealed that Christian Atsu, Paul Dummett and Jamaal Lascelles are edging closer to fitness, reports the Chronicle.

What’s the latest?

Dummett has not featured for the Magpies since August, while Atsu and Lascelles have been on the sidelines for a month.

Both played in the team’s 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at St James’ Park, but neither have been recalled due to injuries.

Benitez has now revealed, though, that Atsu and Dummett could be ready in time for Saturday’s match against Leicester City on home soil.

With regards to Lascelles, the manager is expected to make a late decision ahead of the crucial fixture.

The Chronicle quotes Benitez as saying:

“I don’t know. We will see this week. Atsu was very close, Dummett was very close, Jamaal was better but we will see how he feels during the week. They are closer but we will see on Tuesday how they feel. They are getting better.”

Will this news be the much-needed boost?

The North-East outfit are having a torrid time of late given that the team have suffered five defeats in their last six Premier League games.

During the early stages of the season, the Magpies moved into the top half of the table, but they have since dropped to 15th.

The club are not quite in a relegation battle, but they are only five points above the drop after 15 fixtures.

The return of injured players is always a welcome boost, but the importance of Lascelles being passed fit is paramount.

The club captain has been a rock at the back for Newcastle and in his absence the team have conceded 12 goals in the top flight.

Having the 24-year-old back in the setup is sure to ease some nerves.

Liverpool will certainly fancy their chances of beating Everton in this Sunday’s Merseyside derby. The Toffees haven’t actually beaten the Reds in the top flight since 2010 or done so at Anfield since 1999.

More than just history being on their side though, the Reds are currently enjoying a blaze of potent attacking form, whereas Everton are still recovering from a disappointing start to the season.

Indeed, Liverpool are the firm favourites this weekend but to ensure his side live up to that billing, Jurgen Klopp must find the right answers to these three key questions…

Can Liverpool’s fab four fit into the same side?

Sadio Mane’s recent absences against Chelsea and Brighton were incredibly telling. While the Liverpool gaffer will welcome a situation where he can rotate his attacking options without significantly impacting the quality of his side, it also suggests Klopp has some doubts over whether the fab four – Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah – can all operate in the same team without exposing the Reds’ defensive weaknesses.

Interestingly, all four started in the 7-0 win over Spartak Moscow on Wednesday night and only Firmino was subbed off, hinting at least one will be benched for the derby this weekend. Currently, Mane appears to be the most expendable of the four – but he’ll still have a big part to play even if he doesn’t start.

Who replaces Alberto Moreno at left-back?

While his injury may not be as bad as first feared, Alberto Moreno remains a doubt for Sunday’s game – which inevitably begs the question of who should replace the Spain international at left-back. There are two obvious and most likely candidates; summer signing Andrew Robertson, a natural No.3, and versatile veteran James Milner.

The latter’s experience could be crucial in what will likely be an incredibly feisty affair at Anfield, but Robertson is highly-rated and has waited patiently for his chance since arriving from Hull City – winning over the fans with an impressive performance against Everton could provide the confidence the Scotland international needs to truly ignite his Liverpool career.

Considering Liverpool’s defensive weaknesses though, albeit not so much at home this season, Klopp has an important decision to make.

Who starts in central midfield?

Perhaps the most contentious part of Liverpool’s starting XI is the engine room, something highlighted by the fact even captain Jordan Henderson found himself dropped for the Reds’ most recent outing on Wednesday night. Midfield battles are often crucial in bitter-fought derbies and Klopp’s selections in the middle of the park will say much about the mentality he wants his side to take into Sunday’s game.

While the obvious suggestion is to favour the power and brawn of Emre Can, Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum, a more delicate presence may be in order to break down what will likely be an incredibly compact Everton side.

That could mean a first start of the season for Adam Lallana; he’s just recovered from a lengthy injury layoff but an outing in the derby would catch Sam Allardyce off guard and cause Everton’s defence a few problems.

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According to reports in The Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur are set to reluctantly allow attacker Son Heung-Min to miss the start of the 2018/19 season, and some Spurs fans have been quick to react to the rumour.

The 26-year-old’s failure to win the 2018 World Cup with South Korea means he has still not earned a reprieve from the country’s mandatory 21-month national service laws, but he has an opportunity to do as one of his nation’s overage players at the Asian Games.

The Evening Standard report that Spurs are ready to allow him to take part in order to try and help him miss out on the military service that he needs to undertake before his 28th birthday in just over two years’ time, even though he will miss the start of the new campaign in their brand new stadium.

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Some Tottenham supporters, others of whom who are unimpressed by a potential £27m summer deal, have taken to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one labelled it as “a good opportunity for Moura”, another said “more good news” thinking South Korea could win it and Son then won’t have to leave Spurs in the future.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…