Idman.biz
The 22nd round of the English Premier League (EPL) football matches will kick off on Saturday, January 17.
According to Idman.Biz, the race for the championship in the EPL is accelerating: Arsenal is maintaining its lead with 49 points, while its closest followers, Manchester City and Aston Villa, have each collected 43 points.
The density at the top of the tournament table remains in the lower positions as well. Liverpool (35), Brentford (33), Newcastle (32), and Manchester United (32) have also joined the fight for a place in the European Cups.
"Manchester United" – "Manchester City" (January 17)
The central match of the round will be the Manchester derby held at "Old Trafford". Here, the seventh and second teams of the championship will face each other. "United" has 32 points and the team continues to remain in the group of contenders for European Cups. "City", on the other hand, is moving forward with a championship pace with 43 points and is chasing "Arsenal".
This match will be the 198th official match held within the framework of the Manchester derby. According to statistics, "United" has 80 victories, "City" has won 63 times, and the remaining matches ended in a draw. The teams have scored 278 goals against each other so far.
The home side is approaching the derby with a serious personnel intrigue. Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick confirmed at the pre-match press conference that Matthays de Ligt is still out due to injury, but the club hopes that the defender will return to the squad soon. In addition, there is also positive news at "United": Amad and Bryan Mbeumo have returned to the team after the African Cup of Nations, and Harry Maguire has already played his first game after injury. Overall, according to Carrick, the team had a "good week" and will approach the derby in a businesslike manner.
"Manchester City", on the other hand, is heading to "Old Trafford" with serious problems in the defense line. According to club sources, three central defenders at the same time - Josko Gvardiol, John Stones and Ruben Dias - will not be able to play due to injury. Mateo Kovacic is also still out. Pep Guardiola separately noted that Dias may return sooner than the others, while the situation with Gvardiol is more complicated. In addition, the "cityzens" are working to fill the personnel gaps: Mark Gehi's transfer is being discussed, but the transfer is not expected to be formalized before the match. At the same time, Rodri has already returned to the squad after the break, while Oscar Bobb is not ready to play.
In the rhetoric of the head coaches on the eve of the derby, maximum caution is felt. Guardiola openly stated that, regardless of the current form, "United" is always an unexpected opponent. Carrick, in turn, emphasized that the team is trying to "put aside the noise" around the club and focus only on the work.
Other matches of the 22nd round of the EPL:
January 17
"Chelsea" – "Brentford"
"Leeds" – "Fulham"
"Liverpool" – "Burnley"
"Sunderland" – "Crystal Palace"
"Tottenham" – "West Ham"
"Nottingham Forest" – "Arsenal"
January 18
"Aston Villa" – "Everton"
"Wolverhampton" – "Newcastle"
January 19
"Brighton" – "Bournemouth"
Current EPL standings:
"Arsenal" – 49
"Manchester City" – 43
"Aston Villa" – 43
"Liverpool" – 35
"Brentford" – 33
"Newcastle" – 32
"Manchester United" – 32
"Chelsea" – 31
"Fulham" – 31
"Sunderland" – 30
"Brighton" – 29
"Everton" – 29
"Crystal Palace" – 28
"Tottenham" – 27
"Bournemouth" – 26
"Leeds" – 22
"Nottingham Forest" – 21
"West Ham" – 14
"Burnley" – 13
"Wolverhampton" – 7
