Premier League football makes a welcome return as six teams grapple for superiority in the mid-afternoon kick-offs. Chelsea arguably top the bill, as they are afforded a good opportunity to banish their bad form as they play host to an Aston Villa outfit thatโs winless in seven match-ups.
The Bluesโ primary concern heading into the Villains clash will be their leaky defence: only Sunderland (18) have conceded more goals (17), while they rank third for big chances conceded (19). Productivity at the other end has also been a problem, given that only five sides tallied fewer shots on target (15) than Chelsea across the past four Gameweeks. Their quest to improve on that front is aided by the fact that Villa shipped eight goals in their previous three road clashes.
Manchester City prepare for life without Sergio Aguero for a month as they lock horns with Bournemouth on home turf. Manuel Pellegriniโs charges place top for attempts (45) and shots on target (19) over the last two Gameweeks, highlighting their sustained assault on opposing teams. Although the Cherries surrendered just 13 shots inside the box during that period, City will be encouraged that the south-coast club conceded the second most big chances (six).
Southamptonโs head-to-head against Leicester City at St Maryโs Stadium looks like a high-scoring affair on paper. Saints netted eight goals in the last three Gameweeks, while the Foxes bagged nine in their previous quartet of fixtures. However, Southampton have been considerably harder to break down in the last three Gameweeks, conceding the fewest shots inside the box (14) โ compare that to Leicester, who ranked second (39) behind Norwich City (43) in that metric.
Casting our attention towards the remaining trio of fixtures, Crystal Palace duke it out at home with a West Ham United side that sits joint-second for goals scored (17) this campaign. In the Midlands, West Bromwich Albion are pitted against Big Sam’s Sunderland, whoโve drawn blanks in four of their last five outings. Lastly, Everton attempt to extend their unbeaten streak to six matches when Manchester United roll up to Goodison Park.
