The festive season is here, and as Leicester City proved, Boxing Day is sure to give us plenty of gifts.
[ MORE: Week 19 roundup ]
With that in mind, it’s time to cheat and get a look ahead at what will be waiting for us wrapped all nicely on Boxing Day for fans to open with excitement…
Can Manchester United hold a lead?
The Red Devils host Burnley at the friendly confines of Old Trafford, a thankful return for Jose Mourinho who been treated poorly by Fergie Time away from home. Manchester United has conceded a 90th minute winner at Bristol City and a 95th minute equalizer at Leicester City in its last two matches, and even going back a month, they coughed up an 89th minute winner at Basel in Champions League play as well. So now, facing a strong but beatable side in Burnley, can Manchester United not only gain a lead but hold it in front of the home fans?
Will one of the 3 teams fighting for fourth slip?
It appears – for now – that Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea will likely all be top-four teams when the season comes to a close. It would take a calamity for Pep Guardiola to lose the Premier League title, Jose Mourinho’s side is still as strong as they come in the English top flight, and it’s hard to imagine the defending champions slipping up enough to fall out of a Champions League place. That means Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham will duke it out for the final spot in Europe’s top competition, and that promises to be one of the most exciting races left in the Premier League.
On Boxing Day, Tottenham hosts 13th-placed Southampton, Liverpool welcomes basement-dwelling Swansea City to Anfield, and Arsenal travels to a somewhat revitalized Crystal Palace. Will any of the three misstep? They’re all separated by a minuscule one-point margin, so any room for error is all but gone.
Can Mark Hughes build on Stoke City’s win?
There were rumors that Mark Hughes could be sacked on the doorstep of Christmas if Stoke City did beat West Brom last time out. The Potters rose to the occasion, and they held off the Baggies at home – barely. So now, the question becomes, can he put together consecutive victories for the first time this season as they visit Huddersfield Town? The Terriers have been a completely mixed bag this season, and Hughes can catch them in the table and possibly move Stoke a game outside the top half with a win. That would surely put the rumors of his dismissal to bed for the near future.
Will Pep Guardiola help out Rafa Benitez?
This holiday season, Newcastle fans will be wishing for what could end up being one of the biggest wins in club history should they pull off the stunner against Manchester City at home during the holidays. However, that is surely one of the more unlikely scenarios looking up and down the Boxing Day fixture list. So, we take a different approach here…
Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has begged and pleaded with his bosses to bring him reinforcements in January. With the Toon set to face off against the Manchester City juggernaut, there’s an quirky angle to this daunting matchup: the harder Newcastle falls to the best team the Premier League has seen in some time, the more ammunition Benitez has to slide under Mike Ashley’s door to bolster his case for bigger spending. Obviously, every match is critical with the team just two points above the relegation zone, but in a game they’re unlikely to collect any spoils from in the first place, could now be the time Benitez truly gets his wish?
