The English Premier League picks up the pace in the last week of the year as teams are pitted against each other in a hectic schedule. Much to the dismay of the players, the fans have some thunderous encounters to look out for as Liverpool play in hostile conditions away from home against second-placed Leicester City while reigning champions Manchester City might have to face the full wrath of Wolves over the weekend.   

La Liga will be going on a winter break but the action in the Indian subcontinent continues with Indian Super League (ISL) entering matchday 10. ATK take on Bengaluru FC, while table-toppers FC Goa play Chennaiyin FC.

Jorge Costa’s Mumbai City will be looking to carry their unbeaten run of five games while in a clash of east meets south, NorthEast United will be playing away against Kerala Blasters. 

Leicester City vs Liverpool

The clash between the top two placed teams in the Premier League this season so far is bound to send the fans soaring high. Liverpool are back in England after lifting their maiden FIFA Club World Cup title where they have a wounded Leicester City waiting for them.

The Foxes endured a 3-1 loss against Manchester City while the Reds remain undefeated in the Premier League this season. Jurgen Klopp’s men have scored 42 goals in the league so far which is only behind City’s record of 50 goals. Courtesy of their water-tight defence, the Reds have conceded just 14 goals which is at par with Leicester’s record as well.

Read | Can Mikel Arteta turn things around at Arsenal?

Both teams are defensively well built but Liverpool have an edge when it comes to their attacking prowess. Although, Brendan Rodgers can unleash his number nine who is slowly emerging as the player to lift the Golden Boot this season.  

Watch out for:

Jamie Vardy: The English forward is free from all shackles and seems to be scoring goals at will. Having scored 17 goals in 18 appearances, Vardy is the leading goal scorer in the league as of now. 

Further, the striker has provided three valuable assists and has completely outwitted defenders with his presence on the flanks. Averaging almost a goal per match, Vardy loves challenges which was evident from his strike against Manchester City. The 32-year-old is fresh from the oven and will be eagerly waiting to strike first against the Reds.

ATK vs Bengaluru FC

With just one defeat in the season, Bengaluru FC are steaming ahead like never before, while two-time champions ATK have been relying on individual brilliance mostly to propel them through. Bengaluru and ATK are separated by just a point with Bengaluru having an edge and currently reside on the second spot in the league table.   

Bengaluru will be entering the competition on the back of an impressive victory over NorthEast United, while ATK just scraped a point in their last outing against Hyderabad FC away from home. ATK usually like to play in the comfort of their home as they still stand undefeated in their own backyard at home. Their biggest win came in the second matchday at home when they put five past Hyderabad’s defence. 

Read | ATK’s Roy Krishna and David Williams have a secret to their ISL success

Watch out for:

Roy Krishna: ATK have Roy Krishna to thank for their positive outcomes this season. Krishna has eight goals under his belt which includes a 90th-minute equalizer against Hyderabad FC in their last match. The lethal striker has been leading the attack at ATK and has paired up well with his ex-Wellington Phoenix teammate, David Williams. ATK’s unbeaten record is at stake with an in-form Bengaluru FC coming their way but given Krishna’s form, one can surely expect a couple of goals from the Fijian forward. 

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Feature image courtesy: Twitter / IndSuperLeague

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