EPL Adda Notes: Here are the numbers to ace Matchweek 21

Premier League football returns just 36 hours after a frantic midweek schedule, which saw the Manchester club switch places at the top of the points table. Everton and Newcastle kick off the first fixture of the upcoming round while Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City have relatively easy opponents.

While the Arsenal-Manchester United showdown is the box office event in the competition this weekend, we take a look at some key statistics that might help you ace the upcoming gameweek.

Manchester City vs Sheffield United

Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League standings for the first time this season, following a revival since November that has seen the Cityzens go unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s men are on a seven-game winning streak and are poised to make it eight against rock-bottom Sheffield United, who surprisingly ended Manchester United’s short-lived reign as league leaders earlier this week.

The Manchester City vs Sheffield United head-to-head is pretty one-sided, with the former winning six of the nine meetings between the clubs. The recent matchup saw the Cityzens scrape off to a 1-0 win in October, as Chris Wilder’s men put up a bold display throughout the game.

In terms of the goal output, Manchester City have been dominant in the first half than the second, scoring 12 times. The Blades, meanwhile, have leaked 10 goals in the second half; hence, they will be under immense pressure to keep the likes of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus from finding the net.

Arsenal vs Manchester United

Manchester United’s title push hit a roadblock with a 2-1 loss to Sheffield United, and they seek to bounce back when they visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. High-quality drama and goals are always on offer in an Arsenal-Manchester United game, with 13 goals scored in the last five meetings. Arsenal are unbeaten in five of their last 10 games against the Red Devils at home, and will start as slight favorites in the contest.

Both teams have been enjoying unbeaten runs in the Premier League of late, but the Gunners are currently in bright spirits with six games without defeat. Mikel Arteta’s men will take confidence from their earlier meeting this season, a 1-0 win in November, but they must not underestimate a United team that hasn’t lost 17 league games on the road.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have scored eight goals in the last 15 minutes of a Premier League game, and a whopping 24 goals in the second half. Meanwhile, Arsenal - who are ninth on the points table - have scored 11 goals in their last five games, and are tipped to spell trouble for United’s defence.

Chelsea vs Burnley

The arrival of Thomas Tuchel gave a glimpse of a new approach for Chelsea in their last fixture against Wolves, but the German expects his new club to get back to winning ways against Sean Dyche’s Burnley.

The Blues aim for a fourth successive victory against the Clarets, and are unbeaten in six against the visitors. Tuchel’s possession style of play will be put on display for the first time at Stamford Bridge, and it will be interesting to see how Dyche can respond with his Burnley team.

The Chelsea vs Burnley head-to-head record is currently in favor of the Blues, as they have lost just one of their 13 Premier League games against Burnley. Chelsea have netted 29 goals in their first 14 Premier League games this season (2.1 per game), but have scored just four in their subsequent six. Thus, the pressure is on the London club to rediscover their scoring instincts in time.

Defensively, Burnley have been the most vulnerable side given they have conceded 14 goals as opposed to Chelsea’s 11. The Clarets have failed to register a single clean sheet in 13 meetings with the Blues but are seeking to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since April 2019.

West Ham United vs Liverpool

Liverpool’s error-riden Premier League campaign got a breather when they trumped Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur this week. With their title defence fleeting by, the Reds need to avoid a loss on the road if they are to stay in the race for a top-four finish.

The upcoming Premier League fixture will be the 50th meeting between the clubs, and Jurgen Klopp’s men have won 30 times. West Ham are winless in nine league matches against the Reds, but given the Hammers have won each of their last six games in all competitions, one can fancy the hosts to give the reigning champions a tough time on Sunday.

Liverpool’s defensive crisis has been the talk of the town in recent weeks, as they conceded 14 goals away from home. With Virgil van Dijk still nursing his injury, Klopp needs to deploy a formidable defensive line to keep a certain Michail Antonio in check.

The recent loan signing of Jesse Lingard from Manchester United will bolster David Moyes’ team’s hopes to frustrate the Liverpool defense. At the same time, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are favored to open the scoring for the visitors at the London Stadium.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / Shaun Botterill