The Premier League is back! While the English top-flight made its official return last Saturday with Burnley's nil-nil draw with Watford, in the eyes of several fans, things only get back underway now as all but two teams will be in action on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chelsea will not take to the field due to their FIFA Club World Cup obligations, but for everyone else, it is work time. City will look to maintain – or add to – their nine-point advantage at the top while Arsenal, Man United, Tottenham, and West Ham resume their heated top-four battle.
Newly-appointed Everton boss Frank Lampard will be making his Premier League debut, with the Toffees set to take on Newcastle in an interesting affair. And that's not all as the action will only pause on Friday before picking straight back up during the weekend, with round 24 and 25 set to take place in the span of six days. Here's everything you need to know about the two upcoming matchdays in the Premier League.
English Premier League standings ahead of Matchday 24 and Matchday 25?
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 32 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 76 | 32 | +44 | 73 | WWWDD | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 32 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 75 | 26 | +49 | 71 | LWWDW | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 72 | 31 | +41 | 71 | LDWWD | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 33 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 68 | 49 | +19 | 63 | WDLWD | |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 32 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 65 | 49 | +16 | 60 | LWDWL | |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 32 | 15 | 5 | 12 | 69 | 52 | +17 | 50 | WWDWL | |
| 7 | Manchester United | 32 | 15 | 5 | 12 | 47 | 48 | -1 | 50 | DDLDW | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 33 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 52 | 58 | -6 | 48 | LWDLD | |
| 9 | Chelsea | 31 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 61 | 52 | +9 | 47 | WDWDW | |
| 10 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 44 | DLDLW | |
| 11 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 32 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 46 | 51 | -5 | 43 | DLDLW | |
| 12 | Fulham | 33 | 12 | 6 | 15 | 49 | 51 | -2 | 42 | WLLDW | |
| 13 | AFC Bournemouth | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 47 | 57 | -10 | 42 | DLWWW | |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 32 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 37 | 54 | -17 | 33 | WLLDD | |
| 15 | Brentford | 33 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 47 | 58 | -11 | 32 | WDDDL | |
| 16 | Everton | 32 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 32 | 48 | -16 | 27 | LWDLL | |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 33 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 42 | 58 | -16 | 26 | DLWDD | |
| 18 | Luton Town | 33 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 70 | -24 | 25 | LWLLD | |
| 19 | Burnley | 33 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 33 | 68 | -35 | 20 | DLDDW | |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 32 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 30 | 84 | -54 | 16 | LDLDD |
Top games to watch on Matchday 24-25 in the English Premier League
Liverpool vs Leicester: Given that the last time these two clubs met, the Foxes pulled off an impressive 1-0 victory over Jurgen Klopp's giants, many would have expected this to be a clash between two deadly sides. However, expectations for Leicester are uncertain due to their terrible form. Brendan Rodgers' men recently crashed out of the FA Cup in horrendous fashion, losing 4-1 to Nottingham Forest, thus bringing an end to their title defense. This leaves them with only three wins from their last 11 fixtures. Liverpool, on the other hand, are on a four-game winning streak, including a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semifinals. The Reds are now only nine points behind Man City with a game in hand, meaning they could slash the Cityzens' lead at the top to a palatable six points. However, victory against Vardy and Co. is key to achieving that.
Wolves vs Arsenal: The Gunners have endured a horrible start to 2022, failing to win any of their first five games in this calendar year, losing three and drawing two. Then there was the January transfer window, with the north London giants making zero first-team additions last month despite letting several players leave, be it on loan or permanently, with Aubameyang being the biggest. Nonetheless, Arsenal have had just over two weeks off and will be looking to resume their top-four chase with a bang when they visit Wolves. The Midlands club have been a tough side to beat this term, with Bruno Lage's men boasting the second-best defense in the league. Man United lost to them while Chelsea only managed a draw. City and Liverpool, meanwhile, were fortunate against Wolves, triumphing by a one-goal margin. Arsenal will need to be at their very best if they wish to win this midweek.
Man United vs Southampton: Unlike the two previous fixtures, this tie will take place on Matchday 25, meaning next weekend. The Red Devils resume their Premier League campaign away to Burnley over the midweek, a game which they should win given the Clarets' fortunes this term. However, Southampton are always a tricky side, with the Saints picking up a point both home and away against Man City this season. Rangnick's men were recently knocked out of the FA Cup, and in disappointing manner, with the English giants throwing away a one-goal lead and squandering several opportunities only to lose on penalties to Middlesbrough. Bouncing back will be crucial for Man United given the heated top-four race. Don't miss their clash with Southampton.
Who's in and who's out
Here are the list of players ruled out for the upcoming round from the Premier League's top clubs (some might miss the midweek games but return in time for the weekend action):
Man City: Cole Palmer (injured); Gabriel Jesus (doubtful)
Liverpool: Origi (injured); Salah and Mane (unavailable)
Man United: Lindelof and Sancho (unfit); Fred and Telles (COVID-19); Bruno and Bailly (doubtful)
Arsenal: Tomiyasu and Cedric (doubtful); Elneny (unavailable)
Tottenham: Tanganga, Dier, and Skipp (doubtful)
West Ham: Ogbonna (injured); Antonio, Masuaku, and Lanzini (doubtful); Zouma (unavailable)
