Preview: Matchday 23 in the Premier League
- Mayank Srivastava
- Jan 24
- 8 min read
The Premier League will enter into its 23rd matchday of the season tomorrow. Matchday 23 will kick off with a 5-game goal rush at 8:30 pm IST (4:00 pm BST), where the league leaders Liverpool will also be seen as they continue their title charge.
The match in focus in matchday 23 is the derby game between Manchester City and Chelsea as the reigning Premier League champions aim to bounce back strongly after a terrible start to the current campaign.
Talking points about the games in matchday 23 of the Premier League
Saturday
Liverpool vs. Ipswich Town—Anfield—8:30 pm IST (4:00 pm BST)
Liverpool will take on Ipswich Town tomorrow at Anfield as they will continue their title charge as the current league leaders. Currently standing at the top with 50 points in 21 games, the Reds’ possibility of winning the title appears to be increasing with every passing gameweek.
In a delightful previous matchday, Arne Slot's men secured a late win against Brentford, away from home, to overcome a great challenge and, most importantly, secure 3 crucial points. On top of that, challengers Arsenal dropped points in their clash against Aston Villa, allowing Liverpool to go 6 points clear at the top while having a game in hand.
Liverpool will be hoping to secure all 3 points again in what looks like a favourable fixture for them. However, the season so far has given moments of surprises from Ipswich Town, who could potentially cause yet another shock at Anfield if the Reds are not careful in dealing with Kieran Mckenna’s side's blistering counterattacks.
Brighton vs. Everton - Amex Stadium - 8:30 pm IST (4:00 pm BST)
Brighton vs. Everton at the Amex provides David Moyes with a big challenge in only his 3rd game in charge of the Toffees since his return.
In a decent start to his 2nd stint, losing to Villa and then beating Tottenham, David Moyes has managed to improve Everton significantly in a very short period of time. According to the official Premier League stats, Everton’s possession stats, xG stats, and xG goals against stats have improved significantly since Moyes’ return.
However, Moyes' improvements will be put to a major test as they take on Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton, who themselves have improved dramatically over the last few matchdays, including a sensational 3-1 win at Old Trafford last week.
Everton will particularly be put to test on the wings, where their defence will have to deal with the in-form Kaoru Mitoma on one side and Yakuba Minteh on the other, who have been pivotal in
Brighton’s recent run of results.
Bournemouth vs. Nottingham Forest - Vitality Stadium - 8:30 pm IST (4:00 pm BST)
Nottingham Forest’s visit to Bournemouth marks the beginning of a difficult and crucial run of fixtures for them. In their next 6 games, Forest will only face teams that are currently in the top half of the table, which also includes back-to-back games against Newcastle, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
While these fixtures will be a great challenge for Nuno’s men, the Bournemouth clash also provides them with significant challenges. The cherries’ high pressing and high intensity, which saw them secure an emphatic 4-1 win at St. James Park last week, could also cause major problems for the Forest midfield and defence.
However, Nuno’s game plan, which worked brilliantly against Liverpool as well a few weeks ago, will allow Forest to deal with Bournemouth’s high-intensity playing style as well. The deep-positioned midfielders, along with rapid wingers on both wings, allow Forest to launch quick counterattacks in order to catch out their opponents’ high line.
Southampton vs. Newcastle United - St. Mary’s - 8:30 pm IST (4:00 pm BST)
Southampton will host Newcastle United in their 23rd match of this season's campaign. Sitting at the bottom of the table, with just 6 points from 21 games, it seems almost confirmed that the Saints will get relegated at the end of the season.
Southampton’s defensive vulnerabilities overshadow their fighting attacking displays, which was also seen in the Forest match last week, where they managed to score 2 goals against one of the best defences in the league but also ended up conceding 3.
For Newcastle, who saw their winning streak come to an end after a shocking 4-1 loss to Bournemouth last week, a trip to St. Mary’s offers them the perfect opportunity to bounce back strongly. In-form players like Isak and Gordon will be looking to extend their tremendous form by taking advantage of this vulnerable Southampton defence.
Wolves vs. Arsenal - Molineux Stadium - 8:30 pm IST (4:00 pm BST)
The match at Molineux in matchday 23, is an extremely crucial game for both teams as they continue to fight in their respective battles, with the intensity beginning to increase.
Following a wasted opportunity to narrow the gap between them and Liverpool, the Wolves clash is an absolute must-win for Arsenal in order to continue their title charge. With Liverpool being potentially 9 points ahead of them, Mikel Arteta’s men now need to put up their best performances in the upcoming gameweeks in order to keep applying pressure on Liverpool, hoping that the Reds will provide them with a window of opportunity again.
For Wolves, every game from now on is extremely crucial as they sit right at the edge of the relegation zone. With 16 points in 22 games, Wolves stand just ahead of Ipswich Town because of a better goal difference, signifying their need to pick up at least a point from their difficult clash against Arsenal.
Manchester City vs. Chelsea - Etihad Stadium - 11:00 pm IST (6:30 pm BST)
The derby game between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium is the match in focus in matchday 23.
Pep Guardiola’s men were looking to be coming back to their best with 4 wins in their last 5 matches across all competitions. However, the disappointing defeat against PSG 2 days ago was a setback in their quest for a comeback.
For Chelsea, it's a crucial game to stay in the top 4, as City are breathing down their necks, being just 2 points behind them. With 3 wins in 4 games in the Premier League, City have bounced back and have begun fighting for the top 4.
Tactically, Enzo Maresca would be looking to exploit Manchester City’s vulnerability in the wings, especially down the right-hand side, as Guardiola is currently without a full-time right-back following Kyle Walker’s departure.
With Jadon Sancho and Marc Cucurella on one wing and Noni Madueke and Reece James on the other, City need to cover their wings in order to deal with the formidable Chelsea attack. However, they also need to make sure that they don't allow a lot of space in the middle, with Chelsea’s star man Cole Palmer, who is not shy of taking on the defenders and even taking shots from distance.
Sunday
Crystal Palace vs. Brentford - Selhurst Park - 7:30 pm IST (3:00 PM BST)
Crystal Palace and Brentford will face each other at Selhurst Park on Sunday with just a point separating them. Palace currently stand in 12th place with 27 points, while Thomas Frank’s side stands in 11th place with 28 points.
Brentford and Crystal Palace have had a very contrasting run of results. While Palace have won 4 of their last 5 games, Brentford, on the other hand, have managed to win just 1 out of their last 5 games.
The run of results since the beginning of December has seen Palace rise up the points table, now being just 6 points from the top half of the table. On the other hand, the Bees’ disappointing run of results since the beginning of December has resulted in them falling from 9th place to 11th place now.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leicester City - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - 7:30 pm IST (3:00 pm BST)
Tottenham Hotspur’s matchup against Leicester City will provide both sides with a great opportunity to secure their first win of 2025 in the league. Both teams have had the worst possible start to the new year, losing all of their games so far.
While Tottenham have had sparks with good results in other competitions, their run of results in the league has been horrible. With only 1 win in their 7 games, with the pressure continuing to pile on Ange Postecoglou, who now appears to be heading towards a potential sacking.
It's been an even worse situation for Leicester City, who have lost all of their last 8 games played in the league. Both teams’ defensive vulnerabilities offer an opportunity for them to end their losing streak and secure their first league win in 2025.
Aston Villa vs. West Ham United - Villa Park - 10:00 pm IST (5:30 pm BST)
West Ham’s visit to Villa Park provides them with a great challenge as Graham Potter takes charge in only his 4th game since arriving at the London club.
In their previous meeting just 13 days ago in the FA Cup, Aston Villa cruised to a 2-0 victory over West Ham. The result and even the flow of the match clearly highlighted the difference between the two sides.
Villa will surely be the favourites to win this clash, with Unai Emery’s men pushing for a place in the top 4. An in-form Ollie Watkins will be looking to exploit the spaces in the middle left by the West Ham defence, which still appears quite disorganized and vulnerable despite a change of manager.
Apart from an in-form Watkins, Villa also have Jhon Durán back, which gives more strength and force to their attack, which is quite contrasting to West Ham's situation, where Graham Potter does not have a single no. 9 available for the Villa clash.
Monday
Fulham vs. Manchester United - Craven Cottage - 12:30 am IST (Sunday, 8:00 pm BST)
It's been a very tough few weeks for Manchester United, with the poor run of results and the recent breakdown of their manager, Ruben Amorim. Amorim would hope that his strong words ignite some kind of spark in his players as he hopes to put an end to his team’s misery.
=Currently standing at 13th place, being 7 points behind Fulham at 10th place, United will hope to win this crucial clash against Fulham to bounce back strongly after a disappointing defeat against Brighton at home while also trying to close the gap between them and the top half of the table.
However, facing Marco Silva’s men at Craven Cottage will be a big challenge for United. Having rapid and skilful wingers in the form of Harry Wilson and Adama Traore, along with a creative maestro like Andreas Pereira and a clinical striker like Raul Jimenez, gives Marco Silva’s 4-2-3-1 formation the dynamism that makes it very difficult to understand and deal with for the opposition.
Comments