Overview
- Aston Villa travel to Chelsea on December 27 before visiting Arsenal on December 30, sitting third and three points off the leaders after a 10-match winning run that is their first such top-flight streak since 1914.
- England midfielder Morgan Rogers has driven Villa’s surge with 11 goal involvements across his past 15 appearances and seven league goals from just 2.86 expected goals.
- Despite Villa’s form, Opta’s projections still give Unai Emery’s side roughly a five percent chance of winning the title this season.
- Liverpool face an attacking shortfall as Alexander Isak is out for at least two months with a fractured leg and Mohamed Salah is away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, even as a run of three wins and two draws has lifted them to fifth ahead of Wolves’ visit.
- Manchester United will be without captain Bruno Fernandes for Friday’s match against Newcastle after he pulled up with a hamstring problem, manager Ruben Amorim confirmed.