Premier League fans will be wondering if this weekend will see any more twists and turns in what is turning out to be one of the closest and most dramatic title races in history.
Arsenal returned to the top of the table on goal difference last weekend, ahead of Liverpool, with Manchester City just a point behind.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City’s weekend games are sandwiched between their Champions League quarter-final games against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with both teams drawing their respective first legs, the results are very much in the air.
Manchester City are first in action when they entertain Luton Town. Manager Pep Guardiola will welcome back Kevin de Bruyne, who missed his side’s 3-3 draw in Madrid with sickness.
Kyle Walker should also be able to take part in the game and Guardiola is certain to continue his squad rotation policy, with Julian Alvarez likely to start.
Arsenal have a tougher game when they host Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, with the timing unlikely to please Mikel Arteta ahead of his side’s visit to Bayern Munich.
Villa have struggled for consistency in recent matches and have slipped to fifth in the table, but after watching his side make some important defensive errors at home to Bayern on Tuesday night Arteta knows his players have to be wary of opposition forwards, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey.
Liverpool will probably have returned to the top of the table before Arsenal kick-off, as they entertain Crystal Palace.
Jurgen Klopp will also have to juggle his side after Thursday’s shock Europa League defeat at home to Atalanta. He will certainly want to see more effective finishing than in that game and last weekend’s 2-2 draw away to Manchester United.
Other key games will see Tottenham face a difficult visit to Newcastle United with Europe at stake for both teams.
Newcastle need to keep winning to have a chance of playing in next season’s Europa League and will look to in-form Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak, while a win would keep Spurs fourth and pile the pressure on Aston Villa.
Manchester United visit Bournemouth and will certainly remember the 3-0 home defeat back in December, which confirmed both their problems and Bournemouth’s impressive recovery under Andoni Iraola.
Brentford will view the visit of bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United as the chance to claim three vital points in their efforts to avoid relegation but need to be wary of a team that twice came back from behind last week to draw with Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest also desperately need a win from their home game against Wolverhampton, as they go into the weekend level on points with Luton, who occupy the last relegation spot.
Burnley look to have too much to do now to avoid relegation, but any slim chance of survival rests on their winning at home to Brighton, whose season is in danger of fizzling out, while Fulham’s campaign is also in danger of running out of steam as they visit seventh place West Ham in a London derby.
The round of matches ends on Monday with Chelsea at home to Everton, whose survival hopes got a boost last week with their first league win of 2024, but who still have work to do before they can consider themselves safe.
