Three more Premier League matches kick off at 15:00 GMT this afternoon but one Double Gameweek 22 fixture, as feared, won’t be going ahead tomorrow.
The north London derby has been called off after a postponement request from Arsenal, so the Gunners now blank in Gameweek 22 and Tottenham Hotspur’s ‘double’ becomes a ‘single’ fixture against Leicester City on Wednesday.
“Following a request from Arsenal FC, the Premier League Board met today and regrettably agreed to postpone the club’s away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, due to be played at 4:30pm on Sunday 16 January.
“With Arsenal having fewer than the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper), the Board accepted the club’s application. The decision is a result of a combination of COVID-19, existing and recent injuries and players on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. All clubs are able to apply for a postponement if COVID-19 infections are a factor in their request.” – Premier League statement
Arsenal now have four outstanding league fixtures to rearrange, while Spurs have three.
Back to today’s games and a lot of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers will have their eyes and ears on the Newcastle United v Watford clash, as the Hornets are the only team in action at the traditional kick-off time who have two fixtures in Double Gameweek 22 – providing their next six-pointer against a Covid-hit Burnley goes ahead on Tuesday, of course.
Emmanuel Dennis starts for Watford as expected, having recovered from the knock he sustained in Gameweek 21. He again joins Joshua King in Claudio Ranieri’s attack, while the fit-again Ben Foster is back in goal to replace Daniel Bachmann.
The Tinkerman also hands debuts to new signings Hassane Kamara, Samir and Edo Kayembe, and Eddie Howe has done the same at Newcastle with Chris Wood. Kieran Trippier makes his league bow for the Magpies.
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Wolves have made three changes to the side that won at Manchester United, with Leander Dendoncker in for Ruben Neves in midfield, wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri replacing Marcal down the left and Tote Gomes making his first appearance for the club in the absence of Romain Saiss.
Southampton are unchanged from the side that beat Brentford in midweek.
Norwich make two changes for the visit of Everton, with Joshua Sargent and Jacob Sorensen in for Przemysław Płacheta and the ill Kenny McLean.
New Everton signing Vitaliy Mykolenko, André Gomes and Salomon Rondon all come into Rafael Benitez’s starting XI as Mason Holgate and Jason Kenny drop to the bench and Allan misses out with illness.
Fellow new recruits Nathan Patterson and Anwar El Ghazi are substitutes, along with the fit-again Richarlison.
GAMEWEEK 22 LINE-UPS
Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Trippier, Lascelles, Schar, Dummett, Fraser, Longstaff, Shelvey, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin, Wood.
Subs: Darlow, Gillespie, Ritchie, Lewis, Krafth, Murphy, Almiron, Willock, Anderson.
Watford XI: Foster, Ngakia, Cathcart, Kamara, Kucka, Kayembe, Sissoko, Samir, Dennis, King, Joao Pedro
Subs: Bachmann, , Sierralta, Sema, Tufan, Femenía, Cleverley, Kabasele, Hernández, Morris
Norwich XI: Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams, Lees-Melou, Sorensen, Sargent, Idah, Rashica, Pukki
Subs: Byram, Dowell, Placheta, Cantwell, Kabak, Tzolis, Gunn, Giannoulis, Rowe
Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Mykolenko, Doucoure, Gomes, Gordon, Calvert-Lewin, Rondon, Gray
Subs: Kenny, Patterson, Holgate, Richarlison, Mina, Townsend, Begovic, Gbamin, El Ghazi
Wolves XI: Sa, Ait-Nouri, Coady, Semedo, Kilman, Gomes, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Jimenez, Podence, Trincao
Subs: Moulden, Ruddy, Jordão, Silva, Giles, Sanderson, Traore, Cundle, Campbell
Southampton XI: Forster, Bednarek, Lyanco, Salisu, Tella, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Diallo, Perraud, Redmond, Broja
Subs: Caballero, Walker-Peters, Stephens, Long, Armstrong, Adams, Small, Armstrong, Valery
