The 18th round of the Premier League takes place at the weekend, Manchester City need to play in the Club World Cup, so there are only nine games, and the battle for the top spot between Liverpool and Arsenal is in the spotlight. CCTV will broadcast two Premier League games live, at 11 p.m. on Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur will face Everton at home, arranged on CCTV5 channel, and at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Chelsea will face Wolves away, arranged on CCTV5+ channel, fans and friends, don't miss the rare two games.
The top three teams in the Premier League are currently separated by just one point, so if Liverpool and Arsenal end in a draw, Aston Villa only need to beat bottom-placed Sheffield United to become top of the Premier League and win Christmas. However, Villa coach Unai Emery still said in a rather low-key manner that he could not talk about winning the title until the 30th round.
At the moment, Chelsea sit 10th in the table, which is not ideal. However, in the last eight of the Carabao Cup, Chelsea equalised the scores with a stoppage-time goal and beat Newcastle United on penalties to reach the last four. The semi-final opponent is Middlesbrough from the Championship, and the chances of progressing to the final against Liverpool are quite good. Perhaps this is Chelsea's favourites to win the title this season.
Chelsea face Wolves away in this round, and the recent form of both teams has been average, with two wins, one draw and three defeats in the last six rounds, not much difference. The two teams have met six times in the last three years, with Wolves winning two, drawing three and losing just once, each winning on their home turf last season. Wolves have been winless for three years without a win, two of which have come back, and this time we need to try to win away for the first time in four years.
However, with the return of injured players, Chelsea's squad is slowly getting neater. Nkunku, who had been waiting for the game, made his debut of the season in the Carabao Cup and scored his third goal on penalties in a satisfying performance. A win over Wolves would see Chelsea not move up the table, but they could cement their place in 10th place, and if they lose, they will be in the bottom half of the table.
Tottenham's form has picked up, and since the heavy defeat to Chelsea, the team has faced injuries and red card suspensions, and suffered a five-game winless run in the Premier League, with Postecoglou being the best for three consecutive months and becoming a laughing stock. However, a big home win over Newcastle and an away win over Nottingham Forest allowed Tottenham to widen the gap on the points behind Tottenham and move up to fifth, four points more than sixth-placed Newcastle.
In this round, Tottenham Hotspur hosted Everton, and the two sides have met in the last 6 times in all competitions, Tottenham has won 2 and drawn 4, remaining unbeaten and not very afraid of this opponent. Since being deducted 10 points, Everton have gone from strength to strength, winning all but four of their games, including defeats to Newcastle and Chelsea, and their form should not be underestimated. With Manchester City in their absence, a Tottenham win would surely finish in the top four of the Premier League.
However, Everton were beaten on penalties against Fulham in a Carabao Cup game in midweek and were ultimately beaten out of the last four. Perhaps, the more physical effort will have some impact on the Premier League game.
Everton's Onana have already been favoured by a number of teams and it is understood that Arsenal are hoping to acquire the young Belgian midfielder in the winter transfer window. It's not easy to get Everton to let go, and although the team has quickly come out of the bottom of the table and away from the relegation zone with four consecutive wins, it is not easy to find a replacement player.