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City and Manchester’s crisis-hit teams square off against United in the Premier League on Sunday, with Eddie Howe desperately needing a win over Leicester at St James’ Park.

Leaders Liverpool, playing Fulham at Anfield, will expect to stretch their lead at the top of the table a day before second-placed Chelsea take on Brentford.

Prior to the weekend action, AFP Sport examines the main discussion points.

Derby Day for struggling Manchester clubs

Under Pep Guardiola’s leadership, Manchester City have won just one game in 10 games overall, which is an unprecedented slump for the English champions.

After the club lost to Juventus to lose 2-0, Guardiola acknowledged that he was doubting himself and that he was running the risk of missing out on the Champions League knockout stages.

Among a series of eye-catching statistics, City have conceded more goals across all competitions than any other team from Europe’s big five leagues (21 in nine games) since the start of November.

Despite their horrifying run, Manchester’s blue team is still eight points clear of a United team, who are currently 13th in the table.

Ruben Amorim, who led Sporting Lisbon to a 4-1 Champions League victory in his final game at home against the Portuguese champions, has only won one of his four Premier League games since taking over at Old Trafford.

City may not be quaking in their boots, though, because they have scored 13 goals in their last three Premier League games and suffered three humiliating defeats. Misfiring United have an embarrassing recent record at the Etihad.

READ ALSO: Guardiola ‘ Questioning Self ‘ After Latest City Loss At Juve

Slot demands no dip from Liverpool

After winning 1-0 against Girona to maintain their perfect Champions League record, Liverpool manager Arne Slot demanded more from his side.

In their most recent Premier League game, the Reds were held 3-3 by Newcastle, with the Merseyside derby at Everton being postponed last weekend due to high winds.

Slot wants to see his team play again at home, beating Real Madrid and Manchester City, with the same intensity they showed.

“I’m far from pleased about the performance”, said the Dutchman, bemoaning his side’s lack of control against Girona in midweek.

Last weekend, Liverpool’s inactivity allowed Chelsea to move four points clear of the leaders.

When the Blues and Brentford play at Stamford Bridge, the Blues expect to extend their miserable away record.

Arsenal, who host Everton, are a further two points back.

Howe under scrutiny
Newcastle are currently in 12th place in the Premier League table without a win after four games.

Hopes that the Magpies ‘ lack of European football this season would free them for another challenge for a top-four finish, which they achieved in the 2022/23 season, have so far proved over-optimistic.

The struggle of Eddie Howe’s men has been largely driven by inconsistency.

Although Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal have each lost points on Tyneside, Howe has been put under pressure from Brighton and West Ham at home, with just two victories on the road.

The Englishman is reportedly vulnerable after changes in the club’s hierarchy, with key allies departing. Former co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi sold their minority stake in Old Trafford in July, while sporting director Dan Ashworth left early this year and has since since been fired.

“Howe cannot escape scrutiny”, former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer told The Athletic. “Ultimately, he is responsible for results and performances and neither look great”.

Fixtures

Saturday (1500 GMT unless stated)

Arsenal v Everton, Liverpool v Fulham, Newcastle v Leicester, Wolves v Ipswich, Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa (1730)

Sunday

Brighton v Crystal Palace (1400), Manchester City v Manchester United (1630), Chelsea v Brentford, Southampton v Tottenham (both 1900)

Monday

Bournemouth v West Ham (2000)

Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United rallied to a 2-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.

The hosts took the lead shortly after half-time, but Hojlund levelled on 62 minutes, six minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford, when the Danish striker tapped in Amad Diallo’s deflected shot.

After Bruno Fernandes had found him inside the box with a clever free kick, he beat Plzen goalkeeper Martin Jedlicka with a clinical finish.

Matej Vydra, a former Watford, West Brom, Reading, Derby and Burnley forward, opened the scoring for the hosts with a close-range finish three minutes after half-time.

After intercepting United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s pass inside the box, Pavel Sulc found Vydra facing an empty net.

The goal was a wake-up call for United manager Ruben Amorim, who made three replacements in its wake, including Hojlund.

“It was not a great game”, said Amorim, before praising the substitutes.

“They changed the game. I’m pleased that they are able to accomplish that.

He continued, “It was important not to give up because that is a great message.”

The chilly evening in Plzen demonstrated that United still have a way to go after Eric ten Hag was fired in the sack in November under the former Sporting Lisbon boss.

Both teams had to work up their pace to start the match with nine points from their first five Europa League games.

Half an hour into the game, Fernandes’ first shot was on target, but Jedlicka parried his low, right-footed effort from the edge of the box.

Two minutes before the break, Onana watched Cheick Souare’s shot scurr just past the top corner of his own goal.

Jedlicka denied Mason Mount and Antony in the second half, with Mount failing to score the goalkeeper twice from close range.

Hojlund turned the game around for United, putting them in a strong position for direct passage to the last 16.

“We didn’t have so much time to work on this type of game. We were controlling the game but didn’t have the pace (in the first half)”, said Amorim.

“We want to improve and we want to improve really fast”, he added.

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has called for tough action to tackle online abuse after he received a “vile, racist and threatening” message following Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at Juventus.

Walker was unable to prevent Pep Guardiola’s side from falling to third place in ten games in Turin despite playing the entire Champions League game.

The England international posted a screenshot of a racist message the unnamed user sent to his social media accounts on Thursday that used obscene language.

According to Walker, “No one should ever be subjected to such hateful, racist, and threatening abuse as I have received online since last night’s game,” according to his X and Instagram accounts.

In order to protect all those who are suffering this abuse, Instagram and the authorities must stop this. It is never acceptable.

“To our fans, we will continue to work as a team to do better, to improve and to turn the corner together. ”

READ ALSO:  With Astana’s victory, Chelsea Can Keep Their Perfect Conference League Record.

City condemned the racist attack. Following last night’s game, a club statement read, “Manchester City strongly condemns the racist abuse Kyle Walker was subject to online.”

Whether it is in the stadiums or online, we will not tolerate discrimination of any kind. ”

A Premier League statement read: “The Premier League condemns all forms of discrimination. Racism is not acceptable in society or in our game. We counsel anyone who encounters or hears discriminatory abuse to report it so that legal action can be taken.

In an effort to combat online hate, Kyle Walker and the club will support the Premier League. ”

With a 3-1 victory over Astana in Almaty on Thursday, Chile won the fifth of its five Europa Conference League games.

A much-changed Chelsea side triumphed in Kazakhstan’s frigid conditions, defeating only to earn a top-eight finish in the league phase, which would guarantee automatic round-eight qualification.

Legia Warsaw, the only other side with a perfect record in the competition, are three points clear of Chelsea at the top of the standings.

When Lugano of Switzerland takes on the Polish side later on Thursday, they will attempt to match Chelsea.

READ ALSO: &nbsp, Guardiola ‘ Questioning Self ‘ After Latest City Loss At Juve

The defeat leaves Astana in the final knock-out play-off spot with four points and at risk of elimination.

Marc Guiu and Renato Veiga’s goals gave Chelsea the lead in the first half.

On the stroke of half-time, Marin Tomasov restored the hosts’ lead, but Enzo Maresca’s side never looked unharmed in the second half.

Guiu scored a brace in the opening 20 minutes to give Chelsea the perfect start, bringing his total to three goals in five appearances this year.

His first, which came in 14 minutes, showed the ex-Barcelona attacker’s budding talent as he passed a defender on the right flank before striking home from a close range.

Pedro Neto’s good wing play saw the 18-year-old Spaniard score a striker’s goal four minutes later when he forced the ball home at the front post.

Renato Veiga, 21, headed in Chelsea’s third from a corner on 39 minutes.

In the 45th minute, Croatian veteran Tomasov stood up Renato Veiga in the box and fired a fine left-footed shot in off the far post.

Prior to that, Sweden’s Djurgarden clinched a 2-1 victory over Vikingur Reykjavik, finishing with just 10 men.

As his Manchester City team suffered yet another defeat at Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola admitted that he is unsure of his own abilities.

With a 2-0 defeat in a icy Turin, City’s seventh successive defeat in ten games would put their fate in the last 16.

Asked by reporters whether he was questioning his management, Guardiola replied: “Yeah, of course”.

“Of course I question myself in the good moments and the bad moments”, said Guardiola.

“I was stable in the good times and I’m stable in the bad,” according to the statement. “My biggest challenge is when they give me the opportunity to work as a manager and get results,” he continues.

” If I would miss the big challenge in the first season, the second season, I wouldn’t be here. “

READ ALSO: Juve Deepen Man City Crisis, Barcelona Into Champions League Knockouts

City, the English champions, are only one point above the bottom 12 spots that result in Champions League elimination.

With only matches left in their league phase campaign against Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge, City is automatically qualified for the last 16 after a five-point gap with the top eight spots.

In the Premier League on Sunday, Guardiola’s team travels to local rival Manchester United, where they are eight points clear of Liverpool.

According to a prosecutor in Sweden, there is insufficient evidence to conclude an investigation into alleged rape and sexual assault against French football player Kylian Mbappe.

In a statement that didn’t mention Mbappe by name but noted that he had “not been notified of suspicion of a crime,” prosecutor Marina Chirakova stated, “My opinion is that the evidence is not sufficient to proceed and the investigation is closed.