Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur
Stamford Bridge, London
Saturday, 22-02-2020 @3:30pm
Ref: Michael Oliver
Chelsea and Spurs will be in a direct shootout for 4th spot when they meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
A string of poor results has seen the Blues blow-wide-open Champions League qualification and they will start the day only a point above Spurs who sit in 4th.
Chelsea will be without N’Golo Kante for three weeks due to the adductor injury he suffered against Manchester United. Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi are also absent, but Tammy Abraham, Andreas Christensen and Ruben Loftus-Cheek should be in the squad.
Tottenham’s Erik Lamela and Tanguy Ndombele could start after coming off the bench against RB Leipzig. Juan Foyth, Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko remain out.
Chelsea have only lost one of their last 33 home games against Tottenham in all competitions dating back to 1990. Tottenham have won only seven of their 55 Premier League matches against Chelsea, but three of those victories have come in the past six meetings.
They could go four league games without a win for the first time since December 2012. The Blues have lost nine of their 26 Premier League fixtures this season, having lost just eight under Maurizio Sarri in the whole of last season and 10 under Antonio Conte in 2017-18. Chelsea’s seven home defeats in all competitions is their most in a single season since 1994-95. Only 16 of their 43 Premier League goals this season have been scored at Stamford Bridge. As a player, Frank Lampard only won more Premier League matches against Sunderland (19) than versus Spurs (18).
Tottenham have won four consecutive league matches for the first time since January to February 2019. Spurs have won only three of their 13 Premier League away fixtures this season. They won at least nine top-flight away matches in each of the last seven campaigns. They have lost just twice in 10 games in all competitions since Harry Kane was injured against Southampton on New Year’s Day. Tottenham would need to win all of their remaining 12 league matches this season to equal their total of 23 league victories in 2018-19. Spurs have won only two of their 11 Premier League fixtures this season versus the other teams who begin this matchround in the top half of the table.
Burnley vs AFC Bournemouth
Turf Moor, Burnley
Saturday, 22-02-2020 @6pm
Ref: Mike Dean
Burnley manager Sean Dyche says Chris Wood has a chance of featuring despite coming off against Southampton last week with a hamstring complaint. Johann Berg Gudmundsson is available after seven weeks out with a knee injury, but Ashley Barnes and Matt Lowton remain on the sidelines.
Bournemouth welcome back Jefferson Lerma from suspension. David Brooks, Lloyd Kelly and Arnaut Danjuma are all nearing a return.
Burnley have won five of the seven Premier League meetings with Bournemouth, including each of the past three. The Cherries have won just two of their last 13 matches against Burnley in all competitions. Burnley won this season’s reverse fixture thanks to a goal from Jay Rodriguez, whose 89th-minute strike was the only shot on target of the game. It was the longest wait for a shot on target in a Premier League game since May 2009.
Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United
Selhurst Park, London
Saturday, 22-02-2020 @6pm
Ref: Peter Bankes
Crystal Palace have only beaten Newcastle three times in 17 Premier League games, failing to score in nine of those meetings. However, since earning five consecutive away league victories against the Eagles, Newcastle have won none of their past four visits (D3, L1). The six most recent goals in this fixture have come via set-pieces since Crystal Palace’s final goal in a 5-1 victory in November 2015.
Crystal Palace pair Cenk Tosun and Martin Kelly are fit to return from respective hamstring and calf strains. Two unnamed players are doubts because of illness, while Jeffrey Schlupp is not yet ready to play.
Fit-again Newcastle forwards Yoshinori Muto and Dwight Gayle could be involved for the first time since early January. Joelinton is expected to recover from a sore thigh but Christian Atsu has been ill and will be assessed, while Ciaran Clark is out with a twisted ankle.
Sheffield United vs Brighton
Bramell Lane, Sheffield
Saturday, 22-02-2020 @6pm
Ref: Graham Scott
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder says he has a fully-fit squad available to him. John Lundstram will hope for a recall after coming off the bench to score the winner in their last game.
Brighton will assess Dale Stephens’ thigh injury but the midfielder will probably be unavailable, according to head coach Graham Potter. Potter must also decide whether recent arrivals Alexis Mac Allister and Tariq Lamptey are ready for their debuts.
This will be the first time Sheffield United have hosted Brighton in a top-flight game. The Seagulls’ last match at Bramall Lane was a 3-1 defeat in the Championship in January 2006.Brighton’s only victory in the past nine league meetings was 2-1 away in January 2005 (D2, L6).
Southampton vs Aston Villa
St.Mary’s Stadium, Hampshire
Saturday: 22-02-2020 @6pm
Ref: Craig Pawson
Southampton can equal their longest Premier League winning streak versus Aston Villa: three matches from 1993 to 1994, and again between 1999 and 2000. Villa are winless in seven matches against Southampton in all competitions since a 3-2 triumph at St Mary’s in December 2013 (D3, L4).
Southampton’s on-loan defender Kyle Walker-Peters will miss Saturday’s game because of a calf problem. Sofiane Boufal is out with the ankle complaint he sustained against Burnley, while Nathan Redmond remains sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Tyrone Mings will return in defence for Aston Villa after recovering from tonsillitis. Forward Keinan Davis is due to start training on Monday following his hamstring issue.
Leicester City vs Man City
King Power Stadium, Leicestershire
Saturday, 22-02-2020 @8:30pm
Ref: Paul Tierney
Leicester are short of defensive midfielders, with Nampalys Mendy and Wilfred Ndidi both injured and Hamza Choudhury serving a one-match ban. Matty James is in contention to play his first game for 13 months, while Ryan Bennett is available after being ineligible against parent club Wolves.
Manchester City will be without David Silva, who was forced off against West Ham with a minor knee problem. Oleksandr Zinchenko is available after missing that match through suspension. Wingers Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane are nearing returns, but this game comes too soon for them.
This will be the 100th league match between the sides. Leicester beat Manchester City at home last season but have lost five of the past six league meetings. Pep Guardiola’s side have lost two of their last three top-flight matches at the King Power Stadium, though they also knocked the Foxes out of the EFL Cup there in 2017 and 2018 (both matches went to penalty shoot-outs).
Leicester have won one of their previous five league games, and just three of the last 10. This will be Brendan Rodgers’ 300th top-flight match as a manager, including 103 with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Rodgers has never lost a Premier League home game against Manchester City (W3, D1), but he is winless in all four of his previous matches against sides managed by Pep Guardiola (D2, L2). Jamie Vardy has scored five goals in his last seven league appearances against Manchester City.
The reigning champions have lost four of their 13 away league games this season, equalling their combined tally from the previous two seasons. Pep Guardiola’s side could fail to score in consecutive away league matches for the first time since January 2017. Kevin de Bruyne has 16 Premier League assists this season, four short of the record set by Arsenal’s Thierry Henry in 2002-03. Gabriel Jesus has scored in all three of his Premier League starts against Leicester, including two match-winning goals.
The other Premier League fixtures this weekend
Sunday, 23-02-2020
-Man United vs Watford @5pm
-Wolves vs Norwich City @5pm
-Arsenal ve Everton @7:30pm
Monday, 24-02-2020
-Liverpool vs West Ham United @11pm