By Robert Wheeler
- League leaders Arsenal play Leicester
- Manchester City faces Bournemouth
- Spurs play Chelsea in a London derby
UK – Arsenal is back at the top of the Premier League but can they remain there as the Gunners face Leicester City this weekend?
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Leicester City vs Arsenal, Saturday February 25, kick-off 15:00
Arsenal returned to the summit of the division when they defeated Aston Villa 4-2 last time out. It was a very important win for Mikel Arteta‘s side who had not won in three games and whose title hopes were being written off. The Gunners had twice trailed against Villa and had to rely on a late own goal by their former goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and a tap into an empty net by Gabriel Martinelli.
After an impressive January, Eddie Nketiah is now on a bit of a goal drought having not scored in his last four games. However, they do still have Bukayo Saka in impressive form as ever, his strike at the weekend took his league total this season up to nine.
Their opponents Leicester City have had mixed results recently. Brendan Rodgers‘ side beat Villa and Tottenham Hotspur scoring four goals in each but they lost 3-0 to Manchester United last Sunday. The Foxes are still not out of the woods yet, when it comes to their relegation battle.
Leicester is just four points above the drop zone and needs to keep on picking up more points to avoid being sucked back into it. Their current man in form is James Maddison, who has two goals and one assist in his last three games. He is also now wearing the captain’s armband for the side and looks to be enjoying this responsibility.
Score prediction: Leicester City 1-2 Arsenal
Bournemouth vs Manchester City, Saturday February 25, kick-off 17:30
After defeating Arsenal, Manchester City looked like they had gained a massive psychological advantage in the title race. However, Nottingham Forest held them to a 1-1 draw last weekend. City rued missed chances in their game. Erling Haaland failed to get on the scoresheet and missed a great chance to equalise.
Haaland has an incredible record this season with 26 goals in the league. However, when he does not score, Pep Guardiola‘s side tends to struggle. They have not won in the last three league games where he has not found the back of the net. City also drew 1-1 with RB Leipzig during the Champions League this week. It was a similar game to the match with Forest with them taking the lead but being unable to hold on to it.
Bournemouth claimed an important victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend but that was their first win in seven league games. Gary O’Neil‘s side sits just above the relegation zone by one point, they will be hoping to replicate what Forest did and claim at least a draw against City.
Marcus Tavernier got their winner against Wolves and he now has three goals and four assists this season. The midfielder will be key to their survival hopes.
Score prediction: Bournemouth 0-2 Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea, Sunday February 26, kick-off 13:30
Tottenham beat West Ham United 2-0 last weekend and they face another London derby this Sunday when they play Chelsea. Spurs are currently occupying fourth in the league and with Newcastle not in action due to them being in the EFL Cup final, Antonio Conte‘s side has a chance to put themselves further ahead in the race for a Champions League place.
Conte is unlikely to be in the dugout to face his former club Chelsea, as he is still recovering from gallbladder surgery. His assistant Cristian Stellini will still be in charge in his absence. Stellini has now won three games without Conte and made a great substitution against the Hammers, where he brought on Son Heung-min who scored to secure the victory.
Chelsea is on a very bad run of form, they have not won in their last four games and are currently in 10th place in the league. Graham Potter was brought in to be their manager for the long term but if results do not improve, then he will be facing a swift exit. Supporters turned on Potter in their defeat to Southampton last weekend, which could force Todd Boehly to make a decision soon regarding his manager’s position.
The Blues have spent a lot of money and they will need their new attacking options Joao Felix and Mykhaylo Mudryk to start making an impact soon. Potter’s side has scored just two goals in their last five games which has made grim viewing for their supporters.
Score prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Chelsea
Last weekend’s predictions vs actual results:
| Rob’s prediction | Actual result |
| Nottingham Forest 0-3 Manchester City | Nottingham Forest 1-1 Manchester City |
| Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal | Aston Villa 2-4 Arsenal |
| Everton 2-2 Leeds | Everton 1-0 Leeds |
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