Saturday's Premier League action delivered a day of contrasts: Arsenal reclaimed top spot with a nervy 2-1 win over Brighton, Aston Villa stunned Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and Florian Wirtz finally found the net for Liverpool. Now, two intriguing fixtures await on Sunday as the festive football marathon continues.
Saturday's drama: title race tightens
The top of the table couldn't be tighter after a dramatic Saturday afternoon across England.
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton: Martin Ødegaard scored his first goal of the season – yes, his first – as the Gunners moved two points clear at the summit. Georginio Rutter's unfortunate own goal doubled the lead before Diego Gómez pulled one back. David Raya's superb late save from Yankuba Minteh could prove pivotal in the title race. Mikel Arteta's side face third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday in what shapes up to be a defining fixture.
Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa: Unai Emery's tactical masterclass saw the Villans come from behind at Stamford Bridge. João Pedro's first-half goal looked to have Chelsea in control, but Ollie Watkins changed everything. The England striker came off the bench to score twice – including a towering 83rd-minute header – as Villa stayed within three points of leaders Arsenal. It was their tenth consecutive win in all competitions.
Liverpool 2-1 Wolves: Finally, the moment Anfield had been waiting for. Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal, 15 Premier League appearances after his big-money move from Bayer Leverkusen. Ryan Gravenberch had opened the scoring before Wirtz prodded home from close range. Wolves pulled one back through José Bueno but remain rooted to the bottom with just two points from 18 games – the worst start in Premier League history.
Sunday preview: Sunderland vs Leeds
The early kick-off (14:00 UTC) brings a fascinating clash between two promoted sides heading in opposite directions.
Sunderland have been the surprise package of the season, sitting pretty in sixth place with European ambitions very much alive. Regis Le Bris has turned the Black Cats into a formidable outfit, particularly at the Stadium of Light where they remain unbeaten this season.
Leeds United arrive in the north-east in 16th place but with renewed confidence following a stunning 4-1 demolition of Crystal Palace. Daniel Farke's side have shown they can compete, as evidenced by their 3-1 win over Chelsea and a memorable 3-3 draw with champions Liverpool in recent weeks.
Key factors:
- Sunderland's home record stands at W7, D6, L0 – the only unbeaten home side outside the top five
- Leeds have struggled on the road, winning just once in eight away games this term
- The last six meetings are evenly split: one Sunderland win, two Leeds wins, three draws
- Leeds won 2-1 at Elland Road in February in their most recent encounter
Grant Xhaka – the Swiss midfielder signed from Bayer Leverkusen – has been instrumental for the Black Cats, providing four assists from set-pieces alone. Defender Dan Ballard could be one to watch, having scored twice since promotion and registering more goal attempts than any Sunderland player bar Wilson Isidor.
Sunday's main event: Crystal Palace vs Tottenham
The late kick-off (16:30 UTC) at Selhurst Park promises drama, though perhaps not the kind either club would want.
Crystal Palace and Tottenham arrive at this London derby in similar states of crisis. The Eagles were hammered 4-1 by Leeds last time out, while Spurs' 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool descended into chaos as Cristian Romero was sent off for yet another wild challenge.
For Palace, Oliver Glasner's men showed tremendous character against Arsenal in the League Cup quarter-final, only losing on penalties after a valiant display. Their league form, however, has seen them lose back-to-back matches to Manchester City and Leeds, conceding seven goals in the process.
Tottenham's troubles run deeper. Thomas Frank has now overseen just one win in the last eight league games, and the Lilywhites have lost four and drawn one of their last five away matches – conceding an astonishing 18 goals during that sequence. That's an average of one goal conceded every 25 minutes on the road.
Suspensions compound Spurs' woes:
- Cristian Romero (red card vs Liverpool) – their best defender and captain
- Xavi Simons (accumulated yellows) – key creative midfielder
- Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison – all injured
Palace themselves have injury concerns, with Ismaila Sarr at AFCON and Daniel Munoz, Daichi Kamada, Cheick Doucoure, and Chadi Riad all sidelined. Eddie Nketiah and Chris Richards are doubts after picking up knocks against Arsenal.
Historically, Palace won both meetings against Spurs last season, with Eberechi Eze particularly impressive. Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 23 goals in his last 31 Premier League starts at Selhurst Park and will fancy his chances against a depleted Spurs backline.
What to watch
Arsenal's pursuit of a first league title in 21 years continues to gather momentum. With Manchester City maintaining their form (six straight wins), and Aston Villa emerging as genuine contenders, the race promises to go down to the wire.
At the bottom, Wolves' record-breaking misery continues. Gary O'Neil's side are 16 points adrift of safety – only one club in Premier League history (Derby County in 2007-08) has been relegated with fewer than 18 points. Time is running out.
Between the promoted clubs, there's a stark contrast: Sunderland and Burnley have exceeded expectations, while Leeds battle to stay above the relegation places. Sunday's clash at the Stadium of Light could prove pivotal for both clubs' seasons.
The Premier League's festive fixture pile-up continues to deliver. Sunday promises two very different narratives – one of hope and ambition in Sunderland, one of crisis and uncertainty in south London.
