Bukayo Saka’s game by numbers vs. West Brom:
53 touches
7 crosses
6 touches in opp. box
4 shots
2 shots on target
1 chance created
1 take-on completed
1 goal
Another sublime display from the 19-year-old. 
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Most Premier League clean sheets away from home this season:
◉ Bernd Leno (5)
◉ Emi Martinez (5)
It’s an Arsenal thing. 
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West Brom 0-4 Arsenal: Gunners ease to victory as Lacazette scores brace
A flurry of snow could not slow Arsenal as they enjoyed a third straight Premier League win, dismantling West Brom at The Hawthorns.
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Preview: Chelsea vs Manchester City
It will be a clash of the heavyweights when Chelsea welcome Manchester City to Stamford Bridge in the marquee Premier League fixture of the weekend.
Chelsea endured a difficult end to 2020, having managed to win just one of their last six games in all competitions. In the Premier League, losses in key fixtures against Everton, Wolves and Arsenal, in addition to the 1-1 stalemate last time out against Aston Villa, has sent the Blues tumbling down the table, with Frank Lampard’s men currently 6th on the table, 7 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Manchester City, on the other hand, are coming on the back-end week that has been mired in uncertainty, having seen their Monday night game against Everton being called off. To make matters worse, Pep Guardiola is missing a number of key players due to COVID-19 infection, but his team’s recent form – unbeaten in 10 across competitions – will fill him in with confidence.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Chelsea eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Manchester City in a result that officially ended City’s defence of their Premier League crown. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Frank Lampard has already been under the pump due to the recent downturn in form his side has gone through. Ahead of the visit of Manchester City, the Chelsea manager has suffered a fresh blow, this time on the team news front, with one first-team player set to miss out on Sunday.
Reece James is the said absentee for Chelsea, as he recovers from a minor hamstring injury. In some good news, though, Hakim Ziyech will be in contention to feature, having taken part in full training this week. Lampard, though, refused to comment on whether the Moroccan is ready to start when Manchester City arrive at Stamford Bridge.
Ziyech is unlikely to be risked, considering the nature of his injury, meaning Christian Pulisic should be stationed on the right side of the Chelsea attack. On the left flank, Timo Werner, who has been under increasing pressure lately, is likely to come in for Callum Hudson-Odoi, while Olivier Giroud will lead the line against Manchester City.
In midfield, the key decision will revolve around which of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho gets the nod to provide company to mainstays N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount. Havertz should be back in the side, with Kovacic and Jorginho relegated to the bench, meaning Kante will be back in his favoured holding midfield role.
Finally, at the back, Cesar Azpilicueta is a certainty owing to James’s injury. The Chelsea captain will join Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma and Ben Chilwell at the back, with Silva and Zouma returning to pair up at the heart of the Chelsea defence. In goal, Edouard Mendy ought to keep his place, despite another frustrating outing last time out.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Silva, Chilwell; Havertz, Kante, Mount; Pulisic, Giroud, Werner
Manchester City
The big talking point for Manchester City ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge is the identity of the three first-team players who, like Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus, are in self-isolation after contracting COVID-19, with Pep Guardiola refusing to reveal their names during his pre-match press conference.
Having said that, it appears as if one of the aforementioned trio is first-choice goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, who made a social post about being in self-isolation. If that is indeed the case, then Zack Steffen should be stationed in goal against Chelsea. As for the other two players, with their names not revealed yet, the probable lineup will not be created on further speculation.
Walker’s absence means that unless he is also infected with the coronavirus, Joao Cancelo will start in the right-back berth. On the opposite flank, Benjamin Mendy should be a certainty, with Ruben Dias and John Stones pairing up at the heart of the Manchester City defence.
Up ahead in midfield, Ilkay Gundogan could be preserved after having sustained a minor foot injury last time out against Newcastle United. In his stead, Fernandinho and Rodri should form the double pivot, with the duo looking to keep a check on the output of Chelsea’s creative supremo Mason Mount.
Finally, in attack, the key man for Manchester City will invariably be former Chelsea midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who will likely be flanked by Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling, while Sergio Aguero will be the central striker for the visitors in the absence of Jesus.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steffen; Cancelo, Dias, Stones, Mendy; Rodri, Fernandinho; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling; Aguero
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Key Stats
Chelsea have won their last two Premier League home games against Manchester City, last winning more matches consecutively against them at Stamford Bridge between 2006 and 2009 (4). In fact, none of the last 10 Premier League meetings between Chelsea (4 wins) and City (6 wins) have finished level, with the home side winning each of the last five.
Manchester City have only failed to score in one of their last 12 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (0-2 in December 2018), with the Citizens also keeping five clean sheets in this run.
Chelsea have failed to win their first Premier League game in each of the last four calendar years (D3 L1), since winning 3-0 at Crystal Palace in 2016. In contrast, Manchester City have won their first league game in 13 of the last 14 calendar years (L1), winning each of the last eight in a row since a 0-1 loss at Sunderland in 2012.
Manchester City have lost three of their last four Premier League games in London (D1), as many as they had in their first 19 league visits to the capital under manager Pep Guardiola (W14 D2 L3).
Sergio Aguero has scored 10 goals in his last nine appearances against Chelsea across all competitions, netting hat-tricks in this run in both April 2016 and February 2019.
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Great stats. I predict a Chelsea win.
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Preview: Newcastle United vs. Leicester City
Leicester City face Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon looking to extend their unbeaten record in the Premier League to four matches.
While the Foxes begin the next batch of fixtures in third position, the Magpies are down in 14th spot after four games without success.
Since their scrappy 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on December 12, Newcastle have only recorded two points from their last four top-flight fixtures.
With the defeat at Brentford in the EFL Cup quarter-finals added into the equation, Steve Bruce finds himself under pressure to keep his job at St James’ Park.
However, the defensive performance during the goalless draw with leaders Liverpool earlier this week highlighted why Bruce is unlikely to be replaced in the dugout in the near future.
While the club’s hierarchy would prefer to be sitting higher in the standings, holding an eight-point cushion above the relegation zone will be considered acceptable given the recent issues with positive coronavirus cases.
Leicester have won their last four Premier League away games against Newcastle, keeping three clean sheets in this run. Only at West Brom (5) have they won more consecutive away games in the competition.
Newcastle United Premier League form: WWLDLD
Leicester City Premier League form: WWLWDD
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Newcastle have lost seven of their last nine Premier League meetings with Leicester (W2), losing both against the Foxes in 2019-20 by an aggregate score of 0-8.
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Leicester haven’t lost their first league game in any of the last 12 calendar years (W8 D4), since losing 1-3 at QPR in 2008. The Foxes have kept a clean sheet in each of their last five such games, winning the last three in a row.
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Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has been involved in six goals in his last seven Premier League games against Newcastle, scoring five and assisting one. His two strikes at St James’ Park have been the opening goal of the game.
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Man City’s Kevin Debruyne scored home and away 
Chelsea in the PL last season
The last City player to score in three consecutive league matches against Chelsea was Carlos Tevez (2009/10)
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% of Chelsea FC’s Olivier Giroud’s 89 PL goals have been headers (32 of 89)
The Frenchman has scored more headed goals in the competition than any other player since his debut in August 2012 
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Lineups 
Chelsea — Mendy; Azpilicueta©, Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell; Kovacic, Kanté, Mount; Ziyech, Werner, Pulisic.
Man City — Steffen; João Cancelo, Stones, Rúben Dias, Zinchenko; Gündogan, Rodrigo; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne©, Foden; Sterling.
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Hakim Ziyech returns to the Chelsea line-up for the first time since December 2020.
Zack Steffen makes his Premier League debut for Manchester City against Chelsea.
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Newcastle United haven’t won a match when conceding first since December 2019.
James Maddison has scored in Leicester’s win against Newcastle.
It’s looking ominous for Steve Bruce’s, Magpies. 
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Youri Tielemans has now scored four goals in the Premier League this season, the most he’s managed in a single season as a Leicester City player since joining in 2018/19.
What a strike it was.
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Andy Carroll has scored his first Premier League goal since April 2018.
It’s also his first Premier League goal for Newcastle since 2010.
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Hakim Ziyech‘s 2020/21 Premier League season so far:
• 5 starts
• 1 goal
• 3 assists
• 3x MOTM
The Wizard is finally back 
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Newcastle 1-2 Leicester FT:
Goals from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans secure the three points for the Foxes as they move up into third in the Premier League table.
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