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The Champions League finalists meet, Manchester United begin a daunting run and Wolves face their bogey team
A fixture that could see Manchester City seal the Premier League title and is vital to Chelsea’s pushfor the top four has taken on the status of dress rehearsal. Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel both devour great long dossiers on what their opponent might be doing, so there could yet be some subterfuge in advance of the Champions League final. With City having plenty in hand at the top and Chelsea three points ahead of West Ham in fifth, there would seem little point inrisking an entire tactical hand. Of the Premier League’s “big six”, these two have never quite hit on a white-hot rivalry to compete with City’s recent power struggle with Liverpool, or Chelsea’s collisions with Manchester United in the 2000s. But it is also worth considering how different English football might have been had Roman Abramovich landed the signature of Guardiola, as was once his desire. JB
Manchester City v Chelsea, Saturday 5.30pm, all times BST
Leicester v Newcastle, Friday 8pm
Liverpool v Southampton, Saturday 8.15pm
Related: From broken to brilliant, Chelsea have been transformed by Thomas Tuchel | Jacob Steinberg
Aston Villa v Manchester United, Sunday 2.05pm
West Ham v Everton, Sunday 4.30pm
Leeds United v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm
Arsenal v West Brom, Sunday 7pm
Related: Solly March: ‘The aspiration is always to play for as big a club as you can’
Wolves v Brighton, Sunday 12pm
Sheffield United v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm
Fulham v Burnley, Monday 8pm
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A fixture that could see Manchester City seal the Premier League title and is vital to Chelsea’s pushfor the top four has taken on the status of dress rehearsal. Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel both devour great long dossiers on what their opponent might be doing, so there could yet be some subterfuge in advance of the Champions League final. With City having plenty in hand at the top and Chelsea three points ahead of West Ham in fifth, there would seem little point inrisking an entire tactical hand. Of the Premier League’s “big six”, these two have never quite hit on a white-hot rivalry to compete with City’s recent power struggle with Liverpool, or Chelsea’s collisions with Manchester United in the 2000s. But it is also worth considering how different English football might have been had Roman Abramovich landed the signature of Guardiola, as was once his desire. JB
Manchester City v Chelsea, Saturday 5.30pm, all times BST
Leicester v Newcastle, Friday 8pm
Liverpool v Southampton, Saturday 8.15pm
Related: From broken to brilliant, Chelsea have been transformed by Thomas Tuchel | Jacob Steinberg
Aston Villa v Manchester United, Sunday 2.05pm
West Ham v Everton, Sunday 4.30pm
Leeds United v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm
Arsenal v West Brom, Sunday 7pm
Related: Solly March: ‘The aspiration is always to play for as big a club as you can’
Wolves v Brighton, Sunday 12pm
Sheffield United v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm
Fulham v Burnley, Monday 8pm
Continue reading...
More...