The neutral fans are favouring Leicester City for the Premier League crown and the Foxes have another hard nut to crack this weekend as they visit Arsenal.
With 13 matches to go, Leicester are five points clear at the top of the standings after a remarkable 3-1 win at Manchester City that will have given them the momentum to keep going on.
Yet, the pressure will be on the underdogs now to retain their advantage as manager Claudio Ranieri is doing his utmost to keep his players grounded and focused only on their next game.
Last week, Arsenal also registered a fine 2-0 win away at Bournemouth to join London rivals Tottenham on the 48-point mark. The Spurs are in second place though due to their superior goal difference.
Riyad Mahrez dazzled in Leicester’s win at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday.
On the day, Ranieri’s men gave the more-quoted Citizens a schooling in how to win a high-stakes game. The ‘lesson’ featured merciless harrying, scintillating pace of thought and execution.
Hotshot and man of the season Jamie Vardy has penned a new contract extension that will keep him at the King Power Stadium until the summer of 2019.
With his future often spoken about, especially over the January transfer window, this new contract still won’t stop the summer speculation on Vardy, the Premier League top scorer at the moment.
However, at least, it puts Leicester in a far stronger position when it comes to any real offers coming in and trying to tempt them to part with their prized asset.
At the Emirates, former captain Thierry Henry has questioned Arsene Wenger’s insistence that Arsenal do have the ‘nerve’ to go the distance in the league title race.
Wenger still reckons his team have the ‘quality’ to challenge for the premiership crown this season after stopping their form rot at Bournemouth.
Wenger also heaped praise on Mesut Ozil for a “top, top, top” performance after the playmaker inspired Arsenal to a 2-0 win over the league newcomers.
In only nine Premier League head-to-head encounters, Leicester only managed a draw at Arsenal’s home ground.
2015: Arsenal-Leicester 2-1
2004: Arsenal-Leicester 2-1
2001: Arsenal-Leicester 4-0
2000: Arsenal-Leicester 6-1
1999: Arsenal-Leicester 2-1
1999: Arsenal-Leicester 5-0
1997: Arsenal-Leicester 2-1
1997: Arsenal-Leicester 2-0
1995: Arsenal-Leicester 1-1
Tottenham travel up north to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City, tomorrow.
The Citizens, having lost three precious points in their previous match at home, will leave no stone unturned to please their fans and show them that they are still in the thick of things.
City want striker Sergio Aguero, who scored his 18th goal of the season in the upset to Leicester, to extend his contract at the club.
The Argentine, however, made it clear he wants to end his career with his first club – Independiente.
Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham are ready to cast off their reputation as serial under-achievers and challenge for the title.
He believes his team’s title charge has gathered the momentum after they moved up to second position following a hard-earned 1-0 win over Watford.
In today’s early kick-off, Manchester United cross swords with Sunderland, away, hoping to return to winning form after they lost two priceless points in the last minute of the match at Chelsea.
Chelsea, glad to have maintain their unbeaten run with Guus Hiddink in charge, will remain at Stamford Bridge today to play hosts to Newcastle.
Chelsea’s indifferent season appears to have taken a turn for the worse with a long-term injury to defender Kurt Zouma.
Dejected Liverpool, dumped out of the FA Cup by West Ham in midweek, play away at lowly Aston Villa tomorrow.
The Reds shot themselves in the foot again last week after seeing a 2-0 lead cancelled by Sunderland at Anfield.
The clatter of seats at Anfield could be heard and out they went in their droves. It was estimated that more than 25 per cent of the 44,179 left Anfield in the 77th minute of the damaging draw with the relegation strugglers.
On Wednesday, Fenway Sports Group, the Liverpool FC owners, decided they will keep the ticket prices down to this year’s levels next season.
UK football fixtures
Premier League
Bournemouth-Stoke City
Crystal Palace-Watford
Everton-West Brom
Norwich City-West Ham
Sunderland-Man. Utd 13:45
Swansea-Southampton
Chelsea-Newcastle 18:30
Tomorrow:
Arsenal-Leicester City 13:00
Aston Villa-Liverpool 15:05
Man. City-Tottenham 17:15
Standings: Leicester 53; Tottenham, Arsenal 48; Manchester City 47; Manchester United 41; West Ham 39; Southampton 37; Everton, Liverpool 35; Watford, Stoke 33; C. Palace 32; Chelsea 30; West Brom 29; Bournemouth 28; Swansea 27; Newcastle 24; Norwich 23; Sunderland 20; Aston Villa 16.
The Championship
Blackburn-Hull City
Brighton-Bolton Wanderers
Bristol City-Ipswich Town
Charlton-Cardiff
Derby County-MK Dons
N. Forest-Huddersfield
QPR-Fulham 13:30
Reading-Burnley
Rotherham-Birmingham
Sheff. Wed.-Brentford
Wolves-Preston NE
Monday:
Leeds-Middlesbrough 20:45
League One
Blackpool-Shrewsbury Town
Colchester-Swindon Town
Coventry City-Bury
Crewe-Walsall
Doncaster-Sheffield United
Gillingham-Barnsley
Peterborough-Bradford City
Port Vale-Fleetwood
Rochdale-Millwall
Scunthorpe-Southend
Wigan-Oldham
League Two
Accrington-Crawley Town
AFC Wimbledon-Luton
Dagenham-Barnet
Hartlepool-Yeovil
L. Orient-Northampton
Morecambe-Oxford
Newport-Carlisle 14:00
Plymouth-Mansfield
Portsmouth-Bristol Rovers
Stevenage-Cambridge
Wycombe-Exeter City
York City-Notts County