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| *Wenger |
-Can Barca and Real Catch Atletico
ARSENAL manager Arsene
Wenger has faith his side will cope with a string of difficult fixtures to
extend its slim lead at the top of the English Premier League, starting with a
trip to fourth-place Liverpool on Saturday.
Chelsea takes on Newcastle
at Stamford Bridge,
looking to build on its victory over Manchester
City that left both of
them two points behind the Gunners.
City, meanwhile, hopes to bounce back with a
win at Norwich.
Tottenham hosts Everton on Sunday, with both teams battling with Liverpool for the fourth Champions League place.
Here are five things to know about the EPL
this weekend.
SUAREZ A FLAT-TRACK BULLY?
The devastating form of maverick marksman
Luis Suarez has, quite rightly, been celebrated this season. Superlatives have
been exhausted, thousands of words penned in praise and zeros attached to both
his pay packet and market value.
But here is another zero for you - the
number of times Suarez has scored against the Premier League's leading sides.
For of the 23 goals he has plundered this term,
none have troubled Manchester United, Manchester
City, Chelsea or Arsenal - last season's top four
clubs.
In fact, just four of his strikes have come
against teams currently taking residence in the top half of the table.
So is Suarez a flat-track bully? Even beyond
this season, the evidence might suggest so.
On 74 occasions the Uruguayan has kissed his
wrist in celebration and accepted the acclaim from an adoring support.
Just six of those goals, however, have come
against the aforementioned top four, and that from 23 matches.
In contrast, he has 11 against Norwich City alone. And, perhaps most galling
from a Scouse perspective, just one against Manchester United, a late
consolation at Old Trafford more than two years ago.
This season, a sizzling Suarez had scored 10 times in four matches in early December before Liverpool entered a pair of crucial away games at Manchester City and Chelsea, the festive fixtures which would go a long way to determining their title credentials.
This season, a sizzling Suarez had scored 10 times in four matches in early December before Liverpool entered a pair of crucial away games at Manchester City and Chelsea, the festive fixtures which would go a long way to determining their title credentials.
The No 7 drew a blank on both occasions and Liverpool were beaten, losing ground as we entered the
new year. He had done the same at Arsenal earlier in the season and at
Manchester United in the League Cup - again Liverpool
were losers in both.
On Saturday, they face league leaders Arsenal
at Anfield. Of course, the exploits of Suarez against the division's lesser
lights means his side are still within touching distance of the top three.
For touch to become a firm grip, however,
Liverpool need to start taking victories against their rivals and, for that to
happen, Suarez's influence - and goals - will be key.
The opponents, Arsenal, are the same club
who tried to wrestle him from Merseyside and down to north London during the summer.
With Suarez, it was said, they would again
challenge for a league crown which has evaded them for a decade - they haven't
fared too badly without him.
CITY REBOUND: Manchester City's experiment
with Martin Demichelis looks unlikely to be repeated at Norwich. The Argentine
centre back was used in a defensive midfield role with Fernandinho injured, and
the 33-year-old Demichelis was perhaps responsible for letting Eden Hazard get
clear to set up Chelsea's lone goal in a 1-0 win.
Rodwell and James Milner are expected to be back on Saturday, when City will need
to reassert its title credentials despite also missing Samir Nasri, Javi Garcia
and Sergio Aguero. "The team is motivated to get back to the level it was
at," winger Jesus Navas said. "We're on the right path."
CHELSEA'S NEW MOTIVATOR: Jose Mourinho normally
relishes taking full credit for his team's victories, but the Chelsea manager
shared it with an unlikely figure after beating Manchester City: The team's
masseuse. Mourinho said Billy McCulloch's pre-match pep talk helped the Blues
in their 1-0 win over City on Monday. "He was screaming in his Scottish
accent so much I didn't understand him. The players were clapping. It was
Billy's team talk," Mourinho said. "Billy was fantastic. I didn't
understand, but it looks like the players understood." Mourinho didn't
reveal whether McCulloch, who is actually English, has earned a steady speaking
role. Chelsea striker Fernando Torres returns from a knee injury against an
opponent which has won only once in seven games.
LAUDRUP'S SWANSONG: Michael Laudrup is taking
legal advice after he was fired as Swansea manager, saying he's asking the club
for a clear explanation. The 49-year-old Dane delivered Swansea's first major
trophy last year, winning the League Cup. But the team has been slumping in
recent weeks and is two points above the relegation zone in 12th place.
"I am deeply disappointed to have been dismissed as manager of Swansea
City," Laudrup said in a statement. "In particular, the manner in
which it happened and the actions the club has taken since notifying me in the
briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was
deemed necessary." Laudrup also revealed he was banned from Swansea's
training ground to bid farewell to the players.
CAN ATLETICO KEEP IT UP?
Real Madrid will have to do without Ballon
d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo when they welcome fifth-placed Villarreal to the
Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday as the Portuguese misses out through suspension.
Ronaldo was sent off in his side's 1-1 draw
away to Athletic Bilbao last weekend and has provisionally been banned for
three La Liga games, although the suspension could be reduced as Real have
announced their intention to appeal.
Those two dropped points against Athletic
allowed Atletico Madrid to open up a three-point lead over both Real and
Barcelona at the top the table.
Atletico are also in action on Saturday
night as they travel to relegation-threatened Almeria.
Spanish internationals Koke and David Villa
will be missing for Diego Simeone's side due to suspension and injury
respectively, but Diego Ribas could make his first league start in his second
loan spell at the club after crowning his return with a goal as Atletico moved
top for the first time since 1996 with a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad last
weekend.
Play
It was a shock defeat for Barcelona that
allowed Atletico the chance to go top as they were beaten at home in La Liga by
someone other than Real Madrid for the first time since 2010, Valencia coming
away from the Camp Nou with a 3-2 win.
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