1) Ljungberg was not given the tools to succeed
Unless Mikel Arteta decides there really is no time like the present and, without even taking a training session, oversees Arsenal’s visit to Goodison Park from the dugout this will be Freddie Ljungberg’s final match in temporary charge. It is easy to feel some sympathy with Ljungberg given that, throughout his five games so far, he has had to operate with no coaching staff to speak of and little certainty about the length of his tenure. Arsenal had made clear upon Unai Emery’s departure that they would be open to giving Ljungberg a run until the end of the season but failed to equip him with the tools required to show what he could do. Was this meant to be a kind of audition or not? In fairness to the Swede, he has cut a dignified figure throughout the process and stressed he is aware that, in the end, this is all strictly business. Ljungberg will presumably join Arteta’s backroom staff and keep an eye out for future managerial opportunities elsewhere; what a nice touch it would be, though, if one of Arsenal’s most beloved former players could sign off his brief return to the spotlight with a crucial win to set up the new head coach’s reign. NA
• Everton v Arsenal (Saturday, 12.30pm, all times GMT)
2) Leicester have chance to go seven clear of Man City
The Etihad was where, in February 2016, “They couldn’t … could they?” became “They really, really can”. Leicester’s 3-1 win, inspired by Riyad Mahrez and the less likely form of Robert Huth, showed their title credentials were deadly serious and Saturday’s fixture offers an excellent chance to hammer home the present vintage’s virtues. Chasing Liverpool down looks too big a task for Brendan Rodgers’ side, even though they host the leaders on Boxing Day, but three points this time around would put them seven clear of City in third spot as the season nears halfway. They have a fair chance: City were not at their best against Arsenal last week despite the emphatic nature of their win and Jamie Vardy’s form is such that Pep Guardiola may find fresh reason to curse his lack of specialist centre-backs. If Leicester, not short of a few rough edges themselves in their last two assignments against Norwich and Everton, can click once again then Champions League football will, even at this early stage, appear a certainty. NA
• Manchester City v Leicester City (Saturday, 5.30pm)
3) A testing examination for Lampard on Mourinho reunion
Fans of one of London’s most famous derbies have been starved of their fix of late. It’s been almost 300 days since Tottenham and Chelsea last locked horns, at Stamford Bridge at the end of February in the fourth match between the two clubs in the space of 95 days. Luckily, the latest edition of a fixture that was first played in 1909 should be worth waiting for, with Jose Mourinho welcoming his former golden boy Frank Lampard to north London for a much-anticipated showdown. Chelsea lost only twice against Spurs with Mourinho in charge – albeit one of them a 5-3 thumping in 2015 – with his nine victories including the Carabao Cup final two months later. Having stealthily moved to within striking distance of their rivals over the last few weeks, Tottenham know that victory will take them into the top four. No pressure then, Frank. EA
• Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (Sunday, 4.30pm)
4) Ancelotti will benefit from Ferguson’s cameo
Nobody around Everton will forget Duncan Ferguson’s short-lived tenure, which has realised a dream for their former centre-forward while injecting fresh belief and vigour into players and fans. Perhaps there is something to be said for quitting – or moving aside – while you are ahead and the watching Carlo Ancelotti will be encouraged by the effect a little extra motivation has had on his future charges. But the hard work will start after that: hiring Ancelotti is well and good but there is no escaping that Everton have ripped up a long-term plan and plumped for a glitzy, probably short-term appointment at the first sign of real trouble. It is hard to know what the endgame really is but Ancelotti, from on high, will be hoping to see signs he can coax even more improvement out of a broadly talented squad. NA
• Everton v Arsenal (Saturday, 12.30pm)
5) More empty seats at St James’ despite upturn in form
Steve Bruce’s side may have surprised many pessimistic Newcastle supporters with their position in mid-table as the halfway point of the season approaches but their relative success has not prompted an upturn in attendances at St James’ Park as fans continue to protest against the owner, Mike Ashley, with their feet. Having always averaged well over 50,000 even when they were in the Championship, Newcastle have exceeded that mark only once this season – against Manchester United in October – while the win over Southampton in their last home game was watched by only 42,303 fans. Some have predicted that figure could be even lower on Saturday against Crystal Palace, with Ashley and Bruce reported to have come up with the scheme that will give away 10,000 season tickets for the final 10 games of the season to avoid any further embarrassing pictures of empty seats. EA
• Newcastle United v Crystal Palace (Saturday, 3pm)
6) Saints need a win before tricky run of fixtures
After Saturday Southampton will have enjoyed a run of seven games of which only one has been against opposition currently in the top half of the table – and that’s 10th-placed Arsenal – and five have been against opponents in the bottom six (the one they haven’t played being themselves). After Villa, however, they don’t meet a bottom-half team until February. During this sequence, as forgiving a run as any team will enjoy this season (and one they will pretty much repeat in February and March), they have beaten only the two teams beneath them and despite it they remain in the bottom three. Given their recent and future fixtures, their league position might be a little inflated. The opposite is true of Villa, who so far have played only one game against the bottom three and between now and the new year play them all, in reverse order of hopelessness. SB
• Aston Villa v Southampton (Saturday, 3pm)
7) Norwood fired up for Brighton return
Oliver Norwood will be the focus of attention as he returns to the club that jettisoned him after their promotion in 2017 without giving him a chance of top-flight football – he then went on a season-long loan to Fulham, with whom he won promotion again, before joining Sheffield United, initially on loan, in the summer of 2018. Brighton fans might not be unduly worried about the prospect of him exacting the traditional footballer’s revenge, because they are the only club he has played for more than five times without scoring – his one season with the Seagulls is the only one he has played without a league goal – even if he did score against them for Huddersfield in 2014. Norwood has more than proved his Premier League credentials this season, is the Blades’ captain and heartbeat from his deep-lying midfield role – he has played over 200 more passes than any other United player – and will certainly not lack motivation this weekend. SB
• Brighton & Hove Albion v Sheffield United (Saturday, 3pm)
8) Depleted Norwich may still wound Wolves
After an excellent defensive display led by Ben Godfrey that stopped Leicester in their tracks last week, Norwich will be without the highly-rated England Under-21 defender for Wolves’ visit to Carrow Road due to a knee problem. Daniel Farke must decide between Alex Tettey and Ibrahim Amadou to partner Christoph Zimmermann – the only recognised central defender available to him as the Canaries’ injury record continues to handicap their attempts to stay up. A Wolves team still licking their wounds after Tottenham’s smash-and-grab victory ended their unbeaten run last week will fancy their chances against the makeshift backline but with Todd Cantwell in exceptional form and Teemu Pukki back in the goals, don’t rule out a home victory. EA
• Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Saturday, 3pm)
9) Watford’s new arrival could learn from Greenwood
The 18-year-old striker João Pedro arrived in Hertfordshire this week following his move from Fluminense to Watford, and is free to make his debut in the new year. Last week’s defeat by Liverpool, in which the Hornets set a new benchmark for comic chance-missing, demonstrated how badly they need a natural finisher, and perhaps he will meet that need. In the meantime Watford can glimpse the kind of impact a young forward can make when Mason Greenwood – 2cm shorter and five days younger than the Brazilian – visits on Sunday. Greenwood has scored five goals in his last 10 outings (that’s two more than Watford’s entire squad have managed in their previous 10 games), despite most of them coming as a substitute, but has now started three of Manchester United’s last four games and Ole Gunnar Solskjær admits it is “hard for me to leave him out”. He might well have another fruitful afternoon at Vicarage Road, though at least João Pedro will be watching and, hopefully, learning. SB
• Watford v Manchester United (Sunday, 2pm)
10) Time for Fraser to step up for Bournemouth
Bournemouth arrested a concerning run with their win over Chelsea and Eddie Howe will view their meeting with Burnley at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday as an opportunity to take another big step towards survival. The loanee Harry Wilson returned to Liverpool for assessment after suffering what Howe described as a “strange” dead leg injury, with the Welshman now a major doubt for the weekend. Wilson is Bournemouth’s top scorer this season with six goals so perhaps it is time for Ryan Fraser to recapture some of last season’s form that saw him linked with a big-money transfer? The Scotland international showed flashes of his best against Chelsea but could be the key to unlocking Burnley’s stubborn defence. EA
• Bournemouth v Burnley (3pm, Saturday)