Idman.biz
The 23rd round of the English Premier League is kicking off, entering this stage with a clear intrigue at the two poles of the season's standings.
Idman.Biz reports that Arsenal, who are maintaining their lead at the top, have managed to create a small gap, while several teams behind them continue their intense fight for qualification for European cups. In the lower ranks, the struggle to stay up intensifies with each round, and any loss of points can be decisive.
"Arsenal" – "Manchester United" (January 25)
The central match of the round will take place in London. The league leader Arsenal will host Manchester United at their home ground. Mikel Arteta's team leads the standings with 50 points after 22 games, while the "Mancunians" are in fifth place with 35 points.
Manchester United will approach this game in high spirits. In the previous round, the team led by Michael Carrick defeated Manchester City 2:0. This victory was an important emotional boost for the team, as well as one of the main signals indicating the start of an upswing after the change of head coach at Old Trafford. This result also allowed Arsenal to extend the gap with their closest followers to seven points.
In pre-match statements, Arteta said that he expects a completely different game this time compared to the match in August, which ended with a 1:0 victory for Arsenal. The London club's coach emphasized that the opponent is playing more intensely and there is progress in terms of energy. This shows that the match will not be easy, despite the leading position in the standings.
The situation with the squad at Arsenal is generally assessed positively. Defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié have returned to training. The only confirmed loss is the young footballer Max Douman. Arteta also noted that Kai Havertz is close to returning to the squad and may be involved in game practice in the coming weeks.
At Manchester United, Carrick said on the eve of the trip to the Emirates Stadium that the team is in good shape after the derby and the game with City ended without new problems. However, it is certain that Matthijs de Ligt will miss the match. Striker Joshua Zirkzee did not participate in the previous game due to injury and his condition is still questionable. At the same time, the return of Noussair Mazraoui, who is participating in the African Cup of Nations, is also possible.
Other matches of the 23rd round in the EPL:
January 24
"West Ham" – "Sunderland"
"Burnley" – "Tottenham"
"Fulham" – "Brighton"
"Manchester City" – "Wolverhampton"
"Bournemouth" – "Liverpool"
January 25
"Brentford" – "Nottingham Forest"
"Crystal Palace" – "Chelsea"
"Newcastle" – "Aston Villa"
January 26
"Everton" – "Leeds"
EPL standings according to the current situation:
"Arsenal" – 50
"Manchester City" – 43
"Aston Villa" – 43
"Liverpool" – 36
"Manchester United" – 35
"Chelsea" – 34
"Brentford" – 33
"Newcastle" – 33
"Sunderland" – 33
"Everton" – 32
"Fulham" – 31
"Brighton" – 30
"Crystal Palace" – 28
"Tottenham" – 27
"Bournemouth" – 27
"Leeds" – 25
"Nottingham Forest" – 22
"West Ham" – 17
"Burnley" – 14
"Wolverhampton" – 8
