LONDON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Arsenal defends its seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League when Manchester United visits the Emirates Stadium in the biggest game of the weekend.
Michal Carrick's side travels south with the morale boost of having beaten Manchester City in last Sunday's derby, but has a difficult task to build on that against the league leader, which not only continues to look strong, but now has striker Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both fully fit and able to give relief to Viktor Gyokeres.
Meanwhile, Cristhian Mosquera has also returned from injury and gave a solid display in the impressive midweek win away to Inter Milan.
It has been a bad week for Manchester City after last Sunday's defeat was followed by a 3-1 Champions League loss to Bodo/Glint that seemed to leave Pep Guardiola's side shell-shocked.
Manchester City is suffering from injuries in defense, with Jon Stones and Ruben Dias among those sidelined, so new signing Marc Guehi will be welcomed into the team with open arms on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Wolves may be bottom of the table with just eight points and seemingly doomed to relegation, but has recovered in recent weeks with three draws and a win in its last four games. If that unbeaten run stretches to five games, it would be disaster for Guardiola.
Liverpool is unbeaten in its last 13 matches in all competitions, but that doesn't tell the whole story with four draws in the last four Premier League outings. Arne Slot's men travel to play Bournemouth, who has slipped down the table, although coach Andoni Iraola can point to the loss of players such as Antoine Semenyo as a valid excuse.
There is a south-London derby with Chelsea visiting a Crystal Palace side that seems to be falling apart amid the sale of key players and striker Jean Phillipe Mateta also putting in a transfer request.
Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner will leave at the end of the season if not sooner unless fortunes change and he will welcome back Ismaila Sarr after the African Cup of Nations.
Newcastle United hosts Aston Villa in a game between two side aiming to qualify for next season's Champions League, although both could be tired after midweek European action.
West Ham's win away to Tottenham reignited survival hopes, although they face a difficult home game against Sunderland on Saturday lunchtime and while Tottenham claimed a big Champions League win at home to Borussia Dortmund in midweek, defeat to struggling Burnley could still mean the end for coach Thomas Frank, who saw Lucas Bergvall added to an already long injury list on Wednesday night.
Fulham is at home to Brighton who should have the impressive Carlos Baleba in the starting 11 for the trip to Craven Cottage.
Brentford hosts a Nottingham Forest side frustrated by a Europa League defeat to Sporting Braga on Thursday, with the round of matches ending on Monday when Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns to play former club, Everton after netting nine league goals so far this campaign for Leeds United. ■
