Hanging over this round of games like the Sword of Damocles are the upcoming midweek Champions League fixtures and all six EPL teams involved in the biggest club competition in the world ( despite what FIFA might say!) have difficult looking ties.....

 

Arsenal A Bilbao Tuesday.

 

Tottenham H Villarreal Tuesday......Thomas Frank's only experience of Europe was in a couple of Europa League qualifiers a decade ago.

 

Chelsea A Bayern Munich Wednesday..... Enzo Maresca has never coached a CL game.

 

Liverpool H Atletico Madrid Wednesday.

 

Man City H Napoli Thursday.

 

Newcastle United H Barcelona Thursday.

 

In this round last season Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest just days before their Tuesday CL game, they did not lose again in the EPL until week 31 and just that one time at Anfield all season and I feel all of the sextet will have one eye on the midweek fixtures and be just a little more vulnerable this weekend. That warning kind of goes double after the international break, as so many players from top teams have been away and they arrive back and suddenly there is a juggling act to prepare them for two big games in 3-5 days.

 

I was obsessed (terrified?) by that Richard Westall painting as a small boy.

 

Good luck!