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LONDON. — Arsenal continue their push for a first title in 19 years when they host West Ham United in the late game on Monday as the English Premier League football season resumes after the pause for the World Cup, but they must do so without injured striker Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus scored five goals and provided six assists to help Arsenal move five points clear of his former club Manchester City at the top of the table, but is not expected to play again until February after surgery to treat a knee injury sustained in Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Cameroon on 2 December in Qatar. The Brazilian had started all 14 of Arsenal’s league matches but now they must turn to English forward Eddie Nketiah as they try to stave off the pursuit of champions City, who can count on a refreshed Erling Haaland at Leeds United on Wednesday.
“It’s a huge blow for us, obviously,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of the injury to Jesus. “He’s such an important player, he’s brought something very different to the team and it’s impossible to replace him.
“But we have other players, other alternatives, and we’ll try to get that sorted. The transfer window is another option.”
Arteta said his side were stepping into the unknown as leaders heading into the new year but was invigorated by the situation. “What is coming in the second part of the season is something unprecedented, and we need to be ready for it. We should be excited, we should be embracing the opportunity that we have ahead of us,” he added.
City’s Haaland will be itching to add to his remarkable tally of 18 league goals from 12 appearances and Norway’s failure to qualify for the World Cup meant he was able to rest from a bruised ligament in his foot sustained in November.
Pep Guardiola’s side had 16 players, including newly-crowned world champion Julian Alvarez, at the finals though the manager said those involved in Qatar could have a competitive edge.
“I have the feeling those who were at the World Cup are in better condition than players who weren’t because the players who didn’t go lack the rhythm,” he said.
Third-placed Newcastle United are two points behind City after making a tremendous start to the season and boosting their chances of qualifying for the Champions League in their first full campaign since being taken over by a Saudi Arabia-backed consortium. They visit a resurgent Leicester City, who have won four of their last five matches to ease the pressure on coach Brendan Rodgers.
Tottenham Hotspur, one point below Newcastle in fourth, visit Brentford in Harry Kane’s first match since missing a penalty in England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat by France. Manchester United, who are fifth, host Nottingham Forest on Tuesday while Liverpool, in sixth, head to Aston Vila on Monday.
Very few people would have expected Newcastle United to be among the top-three at this stage and the Geordies hope to prove they are no flash in the pan when they travel to Leicester City.
The relegation scrap will begin in earnest as Wolves (vs Everton on December 26), Saints (vs Brighton on December 26) and Forest (vs Man United on December 27) all aim for a positive restart.
Here are some of the top fixtures to look out for over the next few weeks:
BRENTFORD V TOTTENHAM (December 26)
Brentford are winless in their last 13 meetings with Tottenham in all competitions (D4 L9), since a 2-0 home win in the second tier in March 1948. Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in each of their last five meetings with Brentford in all competitions (W3 D2), with Lloyd Owusu in a 1998 League Cup match the last Bees player to net against them.
CRYSTAL PALACE V FULHAM (December 26)
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last five English Premier League meetings with Fulham (W3 D2) since a 4-1 home loss in October 2013. Fulham have failed to score in three of their four English Premier League away games against Crystal Palace (W1 D1 L2), with the exception being a 4-1 victory in October 2013.
EVERTON V WOLVES
(December 26)
Everton have lost their last two English Premier League games against Wolves, as many as they had in their previous 12 (W5 D5). They last lost more consecutively against them between 1957 and 1960 (a run of five). Wolves won this exact fixture 1-0 in March last season – only once have they won consecutive league visits to Everton, doing so in February 1960.
LEICESTER CITY V NEWCASTLE (December 26)
After winning just three of their first 17 English Premier League meetings with Newcastle (D5 L9), Leicester have now won nine of their last 13 against the Magpies (L4). Newcastle have won two of their last three English Premier League games against Leicester (L1), as many as they had in their previous 10 (L8). They’ve won three of their last five at the King Power Stadium, but have lost the other two by 5-0 and 4-0 scorelines.
SOUTHAMPTON V BRIGHTON (December 26)
Southampton have lost just one of their 10 English Premier League meetings with Brighton (W3 D6), going down 2-1 at home in March 2021. Brighton have never lost away to Southampton in the Premier League, winning one and drawing four of their five visits to St Mary’s in the competition.
ASTON VILLA V LIVERPOOL
(December 26)
Aston Villa have lost eight of their last nine English Premier League meetings with Liverpool, with the exception being a 7-2 win in October 2020. No English Premier League fixture has been won by the away side as often as Aston Villa vs Liverpool (21), with Liverpool’s 15 wins at Villa Park their most at a single away ground in the competition.
ARSENAL V WEST HAM UNITED (December 26)
Since losing three in a row against West Ham between February 2006 and April 2007, Arsenal have lost just two of their last 28 English Premier League games against the Hammers (W21 D5). Indeed, the Gunners have only beaten Everton (35) more often than West Ham (34) in the competition.
CHELSEA V BOURNEMOUTH (December 27)
Chelsea have lost three of their five English Premier League home games against Bournemouth (W2) — since the start of 2015-16, they’ve only lost more at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool and Manchester City (4 each). Bournemouth have taken seven points from their last three English Premier League games against Chelsea (W2 D1), more than they had in their first seven against them (W2 L5).
MANCHESTER UNITED V NOTTINGHAM FOREST (December 27)
Manchester United have won their last six meetings with Nottingham Forest in all competitions, with this their first game against them since an 8-1 win at the City Ground in February 1999.
Nottingham Forest have lost four of their five English Premier League away games against Manchester United, with the exception being a 2-1 win in December 1994 as a promoted side. That victory accounted for 50% of the total goals Manchester United conceded at Old Trafford in the league that season.
LEEDS UNITED V MANCHESTER CITY (December 28)
Having remained unbeaten against Man City in their first season back in the English Premier League in 2020-21 (W1 D1), Leeds lost both meetings with the Citizens last term by an aggregate score of 11-0. Man City won this exact fixture 4-0 in April last season, last winning back-to-back away league games against Leeds in September 2000.
The Premier League will provide another feast of fixtures in January, including two derbies — Manchester and North London.
ARSENAL V NEWCASTLE UNITED (January 3)
Both clubs have confounded expectations with Arsenal sitting pretty on top of the English Premier League table with a five-point lead over Manchester City, while Newcastle are in third following their excellent run of five wins in a row leading up to the World Cup break.
The Magpies have only lost once this season — away at Liverpool in August — and are playing some excellent football with Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes a revelation as a playmaker and Miguel Almiron banging in the goals.
CHELSEA V MANCHESTER CITY
(January 5)
Graham Potter has endured a difficult start to life at Chelsea with three English Premier League defeats in a row going into the World Cup break, including a 4-1 loss at his former side Brighton.
While the visit of Manchester City will be daunting, it also provides Chelsea with the chance to make a statement early in the New Year and could be the springboard to regaining their form.
MANCHESTER UNITED V MANCHESTER CITY (January 14)
A Manchester Derby to ignite passions in that part of the world and likely provide the neutral with a feast of goals if recent clashes are anything to go by.
There have been 14 goals scored in the last two matches between the pair, including a remarkable 6-3 win for City in October in which both Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V ARSENAL (January 15)
A north London derby to follow the Manchester version and this one will be equally fierce, with Spurs fans no doubt bringing at the sight of Arsenal at the top of the league. Arsenal won this fixture 3-1 in October and will be favourites again, especially as Spurs’ form was indifferent going into the World Cup with three defeats in their last five English Premier League games.
But form usually goes out the window on Derby day and a strange quirk of this contest is that it has been won by the home side in each of the last seven meetings. — Reuters.
Online Reporter