ZCZC
BSP-11
FBL-ENG-PR, PREVIEW
City out to settle Manchester derby score as Leicester honour Vichai
LONDON, Nov 9, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Premier League leaders Manchester City can
ensure Manchester United’s recent revival is short-lived by opening up a 12-
point gap on their local rivals on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a series of tributes are planned as Leicester return to the King
Power Stadium for the first time since club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
and four other people were tragically killed in a helicopter crash.
Here, AFP Sport looks at three things to watch out for in the Premier
League this weekend:
City with a score to settle
The champions hold just a two-point lead over Chelsea and Liverpool at the
top of the table, but have looked relentless in recent weeks and shown no
sign of a slip in standards from their record-breaking 100-point Premier
League campaign of last season, scoring 12 times in their last two outings
alone.
One of precious few blemishes from last term, though, was blowing the
chance to claim the title by beating United at the Etihad as City threw away
a 2-0 half-time lead to lose 3-2.
That result only marginally stemmed the tide in the power shift across
Manchester towards City since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
United have failed to finish above City in the league since, and are
already nine points behind the leaders.
However, Jose Mourinho’s men were also buoyed by their best result of the
season by a distance in winning at Juventus in dramatic fashion on Wednesday
to back up victories over Everton and Bournemouth.
Defensive concerns remain for Mourinho, though, with United keeping just
one clean sheet in their last 10 matches. Stopping a City side averaging four
goals a game at the Etihad in the Premier League this season is a monumental
task.
Leicester remember Vichai
Two weeks after Vichai’s helicopter crashed in the car park of the King
Power shortly after Leicester’s last home match against West Ham, the Foxes
will again pay tribute to the man who helped produce one of the greatest
upsets in sporting history as a team labelled a 5,000-1 shot won the Premier
League in 2016.
Leicester players, staff and fans united for an emotional victory at
Cardiff last weekend before the players flew to Thailand to pay their
respects at Vichai’s funeral.
More tributes will be made ahead of kick-off with an expected 20,000 fans
set to take part in a walk from Leicester city centre to the stadium in
Vichai’s honour, as well as a video tribute before kick-off and a two-minute
silence jointly in memory of the victims of the crash and Remembrance Sunday.
Super Sunday
A combination of European and television commitments mean that five of the
top seven are in action across four games on Sunday, offering the chance for
three different teams to go top across the course of the day.
Liverpool are first up as they look to make amends for a terrible result in
the Champions League in losing 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade in midweek to
jeopordise their chances of progressing to the last 16.
Fulham are therefore welcome opponents to Anfield having slipped to the
bottom of the table with a run of five straight defeats.
Chelsea then have the chance to take top spot a couple of hours later when
Everton are the visitors to Stamford Bridge, hoping to inflict Maurizio
Sarri’s first defeat as Blues boss.
Arsenal are also in action as they look to extend a 15-game unbeaten run
and at worst remain just outside the top four at home to a Wolves side who
have faded in recent weeks after a great start on their return to the top
flight.
But top billing is reserved for the battle of Manchester’s giants with City
likely to need at least a point to end the weekend where they start it — at
the top of the table.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Saturday
Cardiff v Brighton (1230), Huddersfield v West Ham, Leicester v Burnley,
Newcastle v Bournemouth, Southampton v Watford (all 1500), Crystal Palace v
Tottenham (1730)
Sunday
Liverpool v Fulham (1200), Chelsea v Everton (1415), Arsenal v Wolves,
Manchester City v Manchester United (both 1630)
BSS/AFP/IJ/1814 hrs