ENGLISH Premier League
3:30 Brighton vs Chelsea
6:00 Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
6:00 Leicester vs Watford
6:00 West Ham vs Bournemouth
6:00 Everton vs West Bromwich Albion
6:00 Stoke vs Huddersfield
6:00 Burnley vs Manchester United
8:30 Manchester City vs Newcastle United
SUNDAY
7:00 Southampton vs Tottenham
MONDAY
11:00 Swansea vs Liverpool

3:30 Brighton vs Chelsea
Brighton are the only team yet to take a point from a top-six side this season but this seems a good opportunity against a similarly shot-shy Chelsea who were forced into a long night’s work by Norwich on Wednesday. At some point a landmark result may be needed for a team that has won just once in 12 league games and has been dragged towards the bottom three. Chris Hughton hopes to add firepower by signing Jürgen Locadia from PSV, although he would not be available on Saturday; it might be some comfort that any Chelsea move for Peter Crouch will not take place in time either.

Venue Amex Stadium
Referee Jonathan Moss
This season G16 Y59 R2 3.94 cards/game

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Subs from Krul, Mäenpää, Hünemaier, Rosenior, Schelotto, Goldson, Suttner, Kayal, Skalak, Lua Lua, March, Baldock, Hemed
Doubtful None
Injured Brown (knee, unknown), Sidwell (back, unknown)
Suspended None
Form DWLDDL
Discipline Y31 R0
Leading scorer Murray 6

CHELSEA
Subs from Caballero, Eduardo, David Luiz, Ampadu, Kenedy, Scott, Palmer, Drinkwater, Barkley, Sterling, Musonda, Hudson-Odoi, Zappacosta
Doubtful Bakayoko, Barkley, Drinkwater (all match fitness)
Injured Cahill (hamstring, 24 Jan), Fàbregas (hamstring, 24 Jan)
Suspended Morata (one match), Pedro (one match)
Form WDWWDD
Discipline Y28 R3
Leading scorer Morata 10

6:00 Burnley vs Manchester United

While the Alexis Sánchez saga continues, Manchester United must put that to one side as they travel to Turf Moor hoping to continue their seven game unbeaten run in the league. The reverse fixture on Boxing Day saw Sean Dyche’s side take a two goal lead at Old Trafford, before Jesse Lingard salvaged a point for United with two goals. Lingard’s heroics have become a recurring theme for José Mourinho’s team, but Burnley have not won at home since early December so the England international may not be leaned on quite as heavily.

Venue Turf Moor
Last season Burnley 0 Manchester United 2
Referee Mike Dean
This season G15 Y55 R1 3.80 cards/game

BURNLEY
Subs from Lindegaard, Legzdins, Marney, Westwood, Wells, Nkoudou, Lowton, Arfield
Doubtful Arfield (hamstring), Taylor (rib)
Injured Ward (knee, 31 Jan), Heaton (shoulder, Feb), Bardsley (knee, Mar), Brady, Wood (both knee, unknown)
Suspended None
Form DLDDLL
Discipline Y41 R0
Leading scorer Wood 4

MANCHESTER UNITED
Subs from J Pereira, Romero, Tuanzebe, Lindelöf, McTominay, Mitchell, Herrera, Fellaini, Young, Rojo, Darmian, Rashford
Doubtful None
Injured Blind (unknown, 27 Jan), Bailly (groin), Carrick (match fitness), Ibrahimovic (knee, all Feb)
Suspended None
Form WDDDWW
Discipline Y38 R1
Leading scorer Lukaku 11
6:00 Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Arsène Wenger has described the current January window as the most disturbing and destabilising he has known and the noises around a clutch of transfer and contractual situations remain loud. Arsenal must block them out against Roy Hodgson’s resurgent Crystal Palace. What was most disturbing for Wenger’s team in last Sunday’s defeat at Bournemouth was the sterile possession and lack of creativity. Palace will look to be compact. Arsenal must find the answers.

Venue Emirates Stadium
Last season Arsenal 2 Crystal Palace 0
Referee Chris Kavanagh
This season G8 Y30 R0 3.75 cards/game

ARSENAL
Subs from Ospina, Macey, Iliev, Debuchy, Holding, Maitland-Niles, Mavropanos, Mertesacker, Elneny, Iwobi, Nelson, Akpom, Welbeck
Doubtful Maitland-Niles (ill), Özil (knee)
Injured Kolasinac (ankle, 24 Jan), Giroud (hamstring, 27 Jan), Cazorla (achilles, unknown)
Suspended None
Form WDWDDL
Discipline Y36 R0
Leading scorers Lacazette, Sánchez 7

CRYSTAL PALACE
Subs from Speroni, Henry, Souaré, Delaney, Ward, Lokilo, Wan-Bissaka, Ladapo, Lee, Cabaye, Kaikai, Townsend
Doubtful Townsend (ankle), Ward (match fitness)
Injured Sakho (calf, Feb), Loftus-Cheek (ankle), Schlupp (knee, both Mar), Puncheon, Wickham (both knee, Aug), Dann (knee, Oct), Mutch (unknown)
Suspended None
Form WDLDWW
Discipline Y45 R0
Leading scorers Milivojevic, Zaha 4

8:30 Manchester City vs Newcastle United
Three weeks after a sole Raheem Sterling strike won the reverse fixture Pep Guardiola’s side welcome Newcastle United. As Manchester United are at Burnley for a 3pm start a win would cut the gap to nine points and maybe – just maybe – apply some kind of pressure on Manchester City. Yet given how relentless the leaders are there will, surely, be only one winner.

Venue Etihad Stadium
Referee Paul Tierney
This season G8 Y23 R0 2.88 cards/game

MANCHESTER CITY
Subs from Bravo, Touré, Adarabioyo, Díaz, B Silva, Danilo, Gündogan, Mangala, Kompany
Doubtful Kompany (calf)
Injured Jesus (knee, Feb), Foden (ankle, Mar), Mendy (knee, Apr), Delph (knee, unknown)
Suspended None
Form WWWDWL
Discipline Y31 R2
Leading scorer Sterling 14

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Subs from Darlow, Mbemba, Manquillo, Shelvey, Hayden, Mitrovic, Aarons, Haïdara, Saivet, Gayle
Doubtful None
Injured Lejeune (foot, unknown)
Suspended None
Form LWLDWD
Discipline Y35 R2
Leading scorer Joselu 4

GERMAN Bundesliga
5:30 Freiburg vs RasenBallsport Leipzig
5:30 Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen
5:30 Borussia M.Gladbach vs Augsburg
5:30 Mainz 05 vs VfB Stuttgart
5:30 Wolfsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt
5:30 Hamburger SV vs FC Cologne
SUNDAY
5:30 Bayern Munich vs Werder Bremen
8:00 Schalke 04 vs Hannover 96

Cologne visit Hamburg in relegation battle

Cologne looked down and out heading into the Bundesliga’s winter break.
After winning one solitary match and recording a meager six points from 17 games, relegation looked all but certain for the Billy Goats.
However a last-gasp winner against Borussia Mönchengladbach on the Bundesliga’s return last weekend sparked hope of an improbable resurgence, and this weekend’s fixture list provides Cologne with a golden chance to gain ground on their main relegation rivals.
Victory over 17th-placed Hamburg would close the gap between them to just three points. And with 16th-placed Werder Bremen facing top-of-the-table Bayern Munich on Sunday, the idea that Cologne could pull to within touching distance (four points) of the possible safety of the relegation-playoff spot looks anything but implausible.
New signing Simon Terodde scored on his debut, providing the dramatic injury-time winner against Gladbach and the 29-year-old could be the man to solve Cologne’s goal-scoring woes.
With just 12 goals in 18 games, they are easily the worst offensive side in the Bundesliga.
Terodde was a goal machine during his last three seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, netting 66 in 98 matches.
Hamburg, meanwhile, can ill afford a slip-up against a fellow relegation candidate.
A promising two-win start to the season under coach Markus Gisdol quickly disintegrated, with the club losing 11 of their next 16 matches.
Gisdol has somehow kept his job despite the woeful run of form, but a loss to bottom-placed Cologne could test the boardroom’s patience.

— Hertha Berlin vs. Borussia Dortmund: The big news ahead of this matchup is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been left out of the squad for a second week running. All signs seem to be pointing to an imminent departure of the Gabon international.

— Hoffenheim vs. Bayer Leverkusen: The top of the table is a tight affair beyond Bayern Munich, with these two teams harboring legitimate Champions League ambitions. Inconsistent Hoffenheim need three points leading into their showdown with the defending champions on Matchday 20.

— Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Augsburg: Augsburg have surprised many Bundesliga fans with their form this season. Seventh place could potentially turn into third with a victory over Gladbach this weekend.

ITALIAN Serie A
SUNDAY
2:30 Atalanta vs Napoli
5:00 Sassuolo vs Torino
5:00 Verona vs Crotone
5:00 Lazio vs Chievo
5:00 Sampdoria vs Fiorentina
5:00 Udinese vs SPAL 2013
5:00 Bologna vs Benevento
8:00 Cagliari vs AC Milan
10:45 Inter vs Roma
MONDAY
10:45 Juventus vs Genoa

Fading Inter and Roma meet as Serie A restarts

Barely one month ago, Inter Milan against AS Roma would have been considered a clash of two Serie A title contenders, but when they meet at San Siro on Sunday, neither side will be thinking about the Scudetto.
Both teams have faded badly in the last month, leaving leaders Napoli (51 points) and second-placed Juventus (50) in a two-horse race for the title and lowering their own ambitions to a place in next season’s Champions League.

The leading pair have opened an eight-point gap over Luciano Spalletti’s third-placed Inter while Roma have dropped to fifth, a further three points behind.
Inter went through their first 16 league games unbeaten and led the table on Dec. 9 but have managed only three draws and two defeats in their last five Serie A games, scoring a paltry two goals in the process.
Roma have managed one win in their last five league games and scored three goals.
The match, the highlight of the round which re-starts Serie A following the winter break, will be the second time that Spalletti has faced Roma since leading the team from the capital to second place with a club record points haul last term.
Inter, enduring their sixth successive season without Champions League football, won the first meeting 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico at the start of the season.
The shaven-headed Spalletti suggested after Inter’s last match, a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina, that some of his players were not pulling their weight.
“We must make the effort to give something more on an individual basis, especially considering the quality that we have,” he said.
“I would like the lads involved to help contribute to the collective value of the team.”
However, he also dismissed suggestions that the January transfer window could solve his side’s problems.
“Everyone knows we cannot make big signings in this window,” he said. “We can do better by making sure that our players play to their potential. That’s how you get over difficult moments.”
Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco finds himself in a similar predicament, trying to get the best out of a team who looked superb in October and November but have frustratingly lost their way.
”The one who needs to be fired up first of all is me, trying to get in the heads of the players and making it clear that we … (must be) the side that finished first in our Champions League group and have given huge problems to all the sides currently ahead of us,” he said.

While Inter and Roma have faded, Napoli and Juventus have pressed on relentlessly, each winning their last four league games.
Juve, aiming for a seventh successive title and lurking one point behind Napoli, have an apparently straightforward home match against struggling Genoa on Monday.
Napoli, on the other hand, have a far more difficult game on Sunday away to Atalanta, who knocked them out of the Coppa Italia three weeks ago and won 2-1 at Roma in their last game.

SPANISH La Liga
3:00 Espanyol vs Sevilla
6:15 Atletico Madrid vs Girona
8:30 Villarreal vs Levante
10:45 Las Palmas vs Valencia
SUNDAY
2:00 Alaves vs Leganes
6:15 Real Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruna
8:30 Real Sociedad vs Celta Vigo
10:45 Real Betis vs Barcelona

Real Madrid back to winning ways
The term ‘crisis’ is being bandied around the Santiago Bernabeu with alarming regularity, so thank goodness for the visit of Deportivo la Coruna.
If there’s one team against whom Real Madrid can virtually guarantee a win, it’s the Galicians.
In the last 14 games home and away, Real have won 13 and drawn the other.
The last time that Depor managed a win in the white half of the Spanish capital was way back in 2004 when their dominion over their illustrious hosts was at its apex.
Only two away wins all season for Depor – both against bottom club Las Palmas in the league and cup – means that this is a home banker, even if Messrs. Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo are at their worst.

Barcelona halted at Betis
Like London Buses, Barcelona haven’t experienced defeat for ages but then two come along at once.
The air of invincibility was pierced at Espanyol in midweek, and now a tricky trip to Betis awaits.
With little to play for other than league positioning, Quique Setien’s side will give everything in one of their games of the season.
It’s true that that they’re as likely to concede as score themselves – as evidenced time and again this season – but with at least two goals in the account in every home game this season, bar the fixtures against Atletico Madrid and Athletic Club, Barcelona will have to be at their best to take the points.
Another team with a cup date of more immediate concern, Ernesto Valverde has no option to rotate his staff, and that will play into Betis’ hands.
At a ground where Barca’s form is patchy at best, and with the hosts’ support in full voice, it’ll be another difficult day for the Blaugrana.

Simeone wary of Girona
Back at the start of the season, Girona almost pulled off the result of the opening weekend, eventually drawing 2-2 with Atletico Madrid.
Their sharp and inventive attacking play clearly wasn’t a one-off either, as Pablo Machin’s team have played their way into the hearts of a legion of new admirers.
Minnows they may be, but their heart and desire has ensured a wonderful debut campaign in La Liga.
They’ll not be overawed by the Wanda Metropolitano, but Atleti won’t be in charitable mood. Diego Simeone will be wary of being caught out at the back, but will want an immediate reaction after losing to Sevilla in midweek.
This could be one of the games of the weekend with open, expansive football a feature.

Super-rotation at Espanyol
Both teams go into this match with a one-goal lead in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, and as a result, we will see both coaches drastically rotate their normal XIs.
That’s not too suggest that either are putting all of their eggs in the cup basket, but that competition, at this point, does represent a great chance for either to win silverware.
It would be a huge surprise if Vincenzo Montella were to risk the likes of Wissam Ben Yedder, Jesus Navas and Ever Banega, but the Andalusians should still have enough about them to overcome an Espanyol side who are bereft of confidence at present.
Their incredible home win against Barcelona notwithstanding, the Periquitos have been on a downward curve for a while now.
Perhaps the news that Quique Sanchez Flores is staying put will be enough for his troops to give him an extra few percent to get the hosts over the line.

Las Palmas to stun Valencia
With one eye on the second leg of their cup semi-final, Marcelino’s Valencia will also be rotated, but this isn’t really the best game to do so.
Los Che’s longest away trip of the year comes at an inopportune moment for experimentation.
Paco Jemez, after shipping 10 goals in two games as Las Palmas coach, is no under no illusions as to the task ahead of him, and if he has any aspirations concerning staying up, then this is precisely the type of game they need to win.
With that in mind, and the maniacal Jemez on the sidelines barking orders, expect to see the hosts really taking the game to their high-flying opponents.
It won’t be pretty at times, but the Canary Islanders will be doing everything possible to secure a long-overdue three points.

FRENCH Ligue 1
7:00 Nantes vs Bordeaux
7:00 Montpellier vs Toulouse
10:00 Rennes vs Angers
10:00 Strasbourg vs Dijon
10:00 Amiens vs Guingamp
10:00 Troyes vs Lille
SUNDAY
5:00 Nice vs Saint-Etienne
7:00 Monaco vs Metz
11:00 Lyon vs Paris Saint Germain

ENGLISH Championship
6:00 Sunderland vs Hull
6:00 Aston Villa vs Barnsley
6:00 Leeds vs Millwall
6:00 Bolton vs Ipswich
6:00 Reading vs Brentford
6:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Nottingham Forest
6:00 Norwich vs Sheffield United
6:00 Fulham vs Burton
6:00 Queens Park Rangers vs Middlesbrough
6:00 Preston vs Birmingham
8:30 Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff

NETHERLANDS Eredivisie
8:30 Roda vs Twente
9:45 ADO Den Haag vs VVV-Venlo
9:45 PEC Zwolle vs NAC Breda
10:45 Vitesse vs SC Heerenveen
SUNDAY
2:30 Sparta Rotterdam vs Excelsior
4:30 Ajax vs Feyenoord
4:30 Willem II vs FC Groningen
6:45 Heracles vs PSV Eindhoven

TURKEY Super Lig
1:30 Karabukspor vs Genclerbirligi
4:00 Osmanlispor FK vs Yeni Malatyaspor
7:00 Fenerbahce vs Goztepe
SUNDAY
1:30 Sivasspor vs Akhisar Belediyespor
1:30 Konyaspor vs Trabzonspor
4:00 Bursaspor vs Istanbul Basaksehir
7:00 Antalyaspor vs Besiktas

PORTUGAL Liga NOS
7:00 Maritimo vs Belenenses
9:15 Benfica vs Chaves
11:30 Portimonense vs Braga
SUNDAY
7:00 Aves vs Pacos de Ferreira
7:00 Feirense vs Moreirense
9:00 Rio Ave vs Boavista
11:15 Vitoria de Guimaraes vs Estoril

BETTING TIPS FROM OUR EXPERT

Premier League
Brighton – Chelsea-under/gg
Arsenal – Crystal Palace-1/over/gg
Burnley – Man United-2/over
Everton – West Brom-1
Leicester – Watford-1/over
Stoke City – Huddersfield-over/gg
West Ham Utd – Bournemouth-1/over
Man City – Newcastle-1/over/gg

Southampton – Tottenham-2/over

Championship
Aston Villa – Barnsley-1/over
Bolton – Ipswich Town-X/GG
Fulham – Burton-1
Leeds Utd – Millwall-1/over
Reading – Brentford-2
Sunderland – Hull City-2

Serie A
Atalanta – Napoli-X
Bologna – Benevento-1
Lazio – Chievo-1/over
Hellas Verona – Crotone-1/under
Sampdoria – Fiorentina-2/over
Udinese – SPAL-1
Sassuolo – Torino-2/over
Cagliari – Milan-X
Internazionale – Roma-X/over/gg

France – Ligue 1
Nantes – Bordeaux-X
Amiens – Guingamp-X/gg
Montpellier – Toulouse-1
Rennes – Angers-gg
Strasbourg – Dijon-1/over

Nice – St-Étienne-X/under
Monaco – Metz-1/over
Olympique Lyonnais – PSG-X/gg/over

Bundesliga
Hoffenheim – Leverkusen-
Freiburg – RB Leipzig-X/over
M’gladbach – Augsburg -over/gg
Mainz – Stuttgart-X
Wolfsburg – Eintracht Frankfurt-X/gg

Bayern – Werder Bremen-1/over
Schalke 04 – Hannover-1

Dutch Eredivisie
Roda JC – Twente-2
PEC Zwolle – NAC Breda-1
ADO Den Haag – VVV-gg
Vitesse – Heerenveen-X/gg

Sparta Rotterdam – Excelsior-1
Willem II – Groningen-over/gg
Ajax – Feyenoord-1
Heracles – PSV-2

Spanish La Liga
Espanyol – Sevilla-X/gg
Atlético Madrid – Girona-
Villarreal – Levante-1/over
Las Palmas – Valencia-2/over/gg

Deportivo Alavés – Leganés-1
Real Madrid – Deportivo-1
Real Sociedad – Celta de Vigo-2/over
Real Betis – Barcelona-2/over

BY KUSSAM KALEMA