After a crazy end to the Qatar World Cup, football fans across the globe can rejoice at the return of the Premier League. England’s top division comes back into our lives on Boxing Day.
London’s biggest teams will be taking to the field again for the traditional set of matches around the Christmas and New Year period, all of them with their own reasons to feel optimistic.
Arsenal are top of the league going into the remainder of the campaign, while Tottenham sit in fourth place. Chelsea, meanwhile, are eighth and have ambitions of climbing the table.
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Football.london takes a look at the next fixtures for the three clubs:
Arsenal
26 Dec – West Ham (H)
31 Dec – Brighton (A)
3 Jan – Newcastle (H)
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are the surprise leaders at the halfway stage of the Premier League competition, five points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
The Gunners kick off their festive fun with a tasty looking London derby with West Ham. Their ambitions will be further tested with challenging matches against Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton and the high-flying Champions League chasing Magpies.
Chelsea
26 Dec – Bournemouth (H)
1 Jan – Nottingham Forest (A)
5 Jan – Man City (H)
It has been a topsy turvy season for Chelsea. The shock dismissal of Thomas Tuchel certainly through the cat amongst the pigeons and, although Graham Potter started his tenure well, results were stagnating before the World Cup.
Potter’s efforts will be put to the ultimate test when they take on the behemoth of Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions. Back-to-back matches against Bournemouth and Forest could provide a welcome boost for the Blues.
Tottenham
26 Dec – Brentford (A)
1 Jan – Aston Villa (H)
4 Jan – Crystal Palace (A)
Tottenham started the season strongly but slumped a little before the World Cup break. They just about held onto fourth spot but Manchester United, with a game in-hand, could leapfrog them with a win.
Antonio Conte will be targeting a strong start to the resumed season with three nice-looking games on the spin. There are no favours in this division but Spurs will be liking the look of their first three matches more than their rivals.
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