Here are five key storylines to help you enjoy the Premier League’s festival matches.
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Closely fought title race
Up to five teams will be in the race for the title, with Liverpool facing Arsenal in a big game, but Man City will have to play catch-up in 2024 as they are in the Club World Cup. Could Aston Villa, Tottenham and even Manchester United also be in the mix? Will Newcastle and Brighton jump into the title race?
Can Tottenham and Chelsea recover?
Tottenham will always aim to do that under manager Ange Postecoglou and they know several injured players should be back soon. Spurs have a series of games they must take advantage of. Chelsea must improve defensively and have three winnable games left against Wolves, Crystal Palace and Luton, but they struggle against these types of teams.
The big boys are on alert…
Burnley vs. Liverpool, Luton vs. Chelsea and Fulham vs. Arsenal all look like upsets. If Burnley can press high then there will be problems. Luton will attack on the counter and play dangerous set-pieces, with Fulham’s Joao Parinha dominating the midfield. Alarm bells should be ringing.
golden boot candidate
Erling Haaland leads the way, with Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan close behind. With City’s performance in the Club World Cup having an impact on the Festival fixtures and Guardiola wrapping Haaland in wool, Salah and the team could close the gap. Will Alexander Isaac and Ollie Watkins also emerge as serious contenders for the Golden Boot?
Rotation is the key
At this time of year, when three games are played in about a week, skillful rotation is important. The big boys have depth and strength and should win, but the players love to get into a rhythm and getting the right rotation balance will be key. Really strange results always happen at this time of the season.