Title race intensifies, Liverpool's resurgence set to continue as pressure mounts on three struggling managers

The Premier League festive schedule always delivers plenty of drama and there is a mouthwatering set of fixtures to feast upon, starting with Manchester United's home clash with Newcastle on Boxing Day.

The title race intensifies on Saturday with Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa all in action and resurgent Liverpool looking to maintain their upward mobility.

At the other end of the table, pressure is mounting on Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, Burnley's Scott Parker and West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo while in-form Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will look to continue his white-hot form. 

Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall takes a look at the key storylines heading into this weekend’s Premier League games.

Amorim feeling the heat ahead of Boxing Day clash

It is getting on for 30 years since Manchester United famously reeled in Newcastle United to win the league in 1995-96.

Much has changed since those heady early days of the Premier League, but the rivalry endures as the sides prepare to clash at Old Trafford on Boxing Day's only game.

Ruben Amorim has yet to truly convince since he took the reins at United last October and pressure is mounting on the Portuguese after failure to beat Everton, West Ham and Bournemouth in their last three home games.

Newcastle have hardly been a picture of consistency themselves, but the onus is on Amorim's men to secure a first home win since October 25 following last week's 2-1 loss at Aston Villa.

 

Arne Slot's in-form Reds aiming for a magnificent seven unbeaten

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Whisper it very softly indeed, but Liverpool are on the march.

Yes, a side stuffed 3-0 at home by Nottingham Forest just a month ago can now not stop winning.

Unbeaten in six games in all competitions, Arne Slot's men will aim for a fourth straight win at home to rock-bottom Wolves on Saturday.

Although Alexander Isak is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a broken leg, Hugo Ekitike can take centre stage and continue the form which has seen him score five goals in his last four games.

 

Aston Villa look to continue impressive winning run at Chelsea as title race hots up

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Nothing, it seems, can stop Aston Villa right now. Unai Emery's men racked up a 10th straight win in all competitions last Sunday when beating Manchester United 2-1 at Villa Park.

It left them three points behind leaders Arsenal and now they head to Stamford Bridge to take on a Chelsea side who lie one place behind Villa in fourth.

Enzo Maresca's men came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Newcastle last weekend, but they are a whopping 10 points behind the table-topping Gunners.

If Villa win this one then they really will have to be taken seriously as genuine title contenders and, with Morgan Rogers in such red-hot form, you wouldn't bet against them.

The title race is certainly hotting up as Arsenal play host to Brighton and second-placed Manchester City travel to Nottingham Forest.

 

Managers under pressure as Frank, Parker and Nuno feel the heat

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Two wins in nine in all competitions is simply not acceptable for a club of Tottenham Hotspur's size, stature and ambition.

Something has to change pretty quickly if the Dane is to keep the wolves from the door and stay in position heading into Sunday's tough trip to Crystal Palace.

Pressure is mounting on the former Brentford boss and Burnley counterpart Scott Parker is also struggling with his side winless in eight and seven points from safety.

The Clarets host Everton with Parker desperate for a first win in over two months as he battles to turn around an increasingly sticky situation.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo has not made much of an impact since replacing Graham Potter in late September.

The Hammers are winless in six and five points from safety as they prepare for a pivotal home clash with Fulham on Saturday.

Surely nothing less than victory will do for Nuno.

 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin pressing claims for an England recall

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The goals just keep on coming. The calls for a surprise England return in a World Cup year get louder by the week.

And the argument is beginning to look compelling.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s predatory first-half brace during last week's 4-1 home win over Crystal Palace continued a renaissance which simply must be grabbing Thomas Tuchel’s attention right now.

It is now six goals in his last five Premier League games for a player who won the last of his 11 Three Lions caps in July 2021.

In-form Leeds, unbeaten in four, head to Sunderland on Sunday and Calvert-Lewin will aim to stay on the goal trail and give Tuchel another nudge.

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