Super Sunday throws up some mouthwatering games this weekend as the Premier League enters the festive period.
QPR host United; Villa play Liverpool; Arsenal go to City
Super Sunday throws up some mouthwatering games this weekend as the Premier League enters the busy festive period.
Manchester City are still top of the table but, after defeat to Chelsea last time out, they face another difficult challenge when they host Arsenal.
That game signs off the weekend, but before that on Sunday QPR welcome Manchester United to Loftus Road and Liverpool go to Aston Villa - all live on
Sky Sports 1 and
HD1.
Elsewhere, Andre Villas-Boas and his Blues play Wigan, while rock-bottom Bolton Wanderers travel to the capital where Fulham lie in wait.
It has not been a good few weeks for Roberto Mancini and
Manchester City - falling out of the UEFA Champions League before a defeat at Stamford Bridge. City's lead at the top of the table has been cut to two points and in-form
Arsenal come to town on Sunday - live on
Sky Sports 1 and
HD1 from 4.10pm. The Gunners were made to work for three points against Everton and it was once again left for Robin van Persie to score the winner - the red-hot Dutchman netting a sumptuous volley. If Arsenal win this one then they will be only six points off City and considering their terrible start to the campaign, that would be some achievement.
Depleted
Manchester United are down in numbers and Darren Fletcher is the latest player to need a lengthy lay-off. Crashing out of the Champions League was a major blow for Sir Alex Ferguson's side but they at least got back to winning ways against Wolves. A run of victories over Christmas will be the top priority for Ferguson before he possibly strengthens in the January transfer window, starting against
QPR on Sunday at 12pm, live on
Sky Sports 1 and
HD1. Rangers sit in mid-table but have not picked up a win in their last three matches - losing to Liverpool most recently.
Sunday's Christmas cracker also sees
Aston Villa host
Liverpool at Villa Park. Alex McLeish's side earned him a much-needed three points at Bolton last weekend but his antagonistic relationship with the fans shows little sign of abating. It has been a solid if unspectacular start to his tenure since switching from Birmingham City in the summer with Villa currently ninth in the table with 19 points from 15 games. McLeish's style of football has frustrated certain sections of the fans this term but if they overcome Kenny Dalglish's men then they will be just four points behind Liverpool. Watch this one from 2.05pm.
Tottenham's impressive run ended in a controversial defeat to Stoke last weekend with Harry Redknapp unhappy with the performance of referee Chris Foy. The chairman Daniel Levy has this week claimed that Redknapp is not considering the possibility of taking the England job next year, and believes that Spurs can mount a serious title challenge this season. The north Londoners are fourth in the table but have a game in hand over the teams around them. They host
Sunderland at White Hart Lane with Martin O'Neill taking charge of the Black Cats for the second time. A repeat of the gutsy comeback victory against Blackburn will be his remit.
Two important wins for
Chelsea mean Andre Villas-Boas can breathe a little easier - the pressure was mounting on the Portuguese boss a few weeks back but his side now find themselves in a much
