Premier League preview: Pressure mounting on Hammers, managerless Chelsea face huge test and old rivals clash at Elland Road

The Premier League heads into 2026 with a bang this weekend with a number of crucial games at both ends of the table.

Arsenal will look to build on their stunning win against Aston Villa when they head to Bournemouth while Manchester City host managerless Chelsea and old adversaries Leeds and Manchester United face off at Elland Road.

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

Nuno feeling the heat ahead of must-win Wolves clash

After eight Premier League games without a win, West Ham’s hopes of survival are slipping.

They lie four points adrift of safety heading into Saturday’s trip to rock-bottom Wolves, who could yet go down as the worst team in Premier League history.

That title currently belongs to Derby County who slid back into the Championship with a pitiful record low tally of 11 points in 2007/08.

Rob Edwards’ Wolves, though, have just three points at the halfway stage and the Hammers will see this as a golden opportunity to kickstart a charge to safety.

Wanderers picked up their first point under Edwards with a spirited 1-1 draw at Manchester United on December 30 – but all the pressure will be on West Ham tomorrow.

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Gunners ready to fire again

Arsenal flexed their muscles in some style on Tuesday by reducing Aston Villa to so much rubble at the Emirates.

The 4-1 victory has left Mikel Arteta’s men with a four-point advantage over nearest challengers Manchester City ahead of their trip to Bournemouth on Saturday teatime.

With Pep Guardiola’s side not in action again until Sunday, when they host Chelsea, the prospect of moving seven points clear at the summit is a tantalising one for Arsenal.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, could use a win themselves having failed to register a victory in their last 10 Premier League games.

With Antoine Semenyo seemingly set to join City, the Cherries will be wary of sinking any closer to the relegation zone.

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Elland Road set for white-hot showdown

Sir Alex Ferguson wrote in his 2013 autobiography of the “most incredible hatred” his Manchester United would face during trips to Leeds United.

The Scot has vivid memories of the way the deep-seated, historical rivalry can spill over and Leeds boss Farke will now witness that bitterness for the first time.

Ruben Amorim’s men head to West Yorkshire on Sunday lunchtime to face a Leeds side unbeaten in their last six Premier League games.

They have not beaten their Roses rivals since September 2002, however, and both sides will be missing key players through AFCON commitments, injury and suspension.

With the atmosphere set to be cauldron-like, it should be some scrap.

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Chaos reigns at Chelsea ahead of acid test

You cannot write the scripts of Chelsea Football Club.

Last summer, Enzo Maresca basked in the glory of winning the FIFA Club World Cup in the US.

His men thumped Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final, which followed an impressive first season in charge which saw the Italian win the Conference League and qualify for the Champions League.

Fast forward six months and Maresca is gone after clashing with the club’s hierarchy.

The Blues have won just one of their past seven league matches and took only six points from six games in December to fall 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Now they face a title-chasing Manchester City side at the Etihad on Sunday evening.

Things could get worse before they get better for Chelsea, with Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior heavily tipped to take over from Maresca.

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Frank still struggling to win over Spurs fans

During Tottenham’s goalless draw at Brentford on New Year’s Day, visiting supporters chanted ‘Boring, boring Tottenham’.

It was a damning indictment of the way fans have been turned off by Thomas Frank’s pragmatic style of play.

Forget the fact it secured a hard-earned point at a club who have beaten Aston Villa, Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle, Spurs followers want more.

The onus is on Frank to conjure just a third home win of the season when Sunderland visit on Sunday afternoon.

Ex-Brentford boss Frank said after the stalemate against the Bees: “Of course the offensive part needs to be better.

“There's no two ways about that. I'm very aware that we are not where I want us to be. Very aware.”

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How to watch the Champions League in Canada on DAZN

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