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Arsenal Aim to Extend Lead as Premier League Title Race Heats Up

Arsenal travel to Bournemouth with an opportunity to stretch their lead at the Premier League summit after Manchester City's recent slip. Aston Villa must rebound from a heavy defeat when they host a struggling Nottingham Forest side. Bournemouth, fresh from a draw at Chelsea, could feature winger Antoine Semenyo amid transfer speculation. The weekend also features crucial clashes at the bottom, including West Ham vs Wolves and Burnley's trip to Brighton.

Key Points: Premier League: Arsenal vs Bournemouth, Villa vs Forest Preview

  • Arsenal's title push
  • Villa's recovery test
  • Bournemouth's Semenyo spotlight
  • Relegation zone battles
2 min read

Football: Arsenal visit Bournemouth as Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest in non-stop Premier League

Arsenal visit Bournemouth aiming to reopen a 7-point lead. Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest. Preview of Saturday's key Premier League fixtures.

"Arsenal have the chance to re-open a seven-point lead at the top - Xinhua"

London, Jan 2

Arsenal have the chance to re-open a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings on Saturday when Mikel Arteta's side travels to play Bournemouth in a crucial match.

Arsenal's excellent second-half display saw them put four goals past Aston Villa to strengthen their title claim, while ending Villa's 11-game run in all competitions. Manchester City's 0-0 draw at Sunderland on Thursday night saw Pep Guardiola's side slip behind in what is in danger of being a two-horse race for this season's title.

Arteta would be pleased with Gabriel Jesus' goal in midweek, and the fit-again Brazilian boosts his side's attack and options to make changes to his starting 11 at an intense time of the year, reports Xinhua.

Bournemouth drew an intense game 2-2 away to Chelsea on Wednesday and will probably have winger Antoine Semenyo in the side as the club's top scorer seems to be closing in on a transfer to Manchester City. What better way for Semenyo to impress by scoring on Saturday, which would help his current and future club.

Aston Villa have to recover from their defeat at the Emirates Stadium, with Unai Emery's side hosting Nottingham Forest, who are just above the relegation zone after three defeats.

Sean Dyche's visiting team will look to mount a rearguard action, and Aston Villa will need players such as Morgan Rodgers and Ollie Watkins to be at their best to return to winning ways.

Saturday's two remaining matches see third from bottom West Ham United visit bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers, who took a creditable point away to Manchester United in the last game, but remain winless, while Burnley have a difficult away trip to face Brighton.

Sunday's standout match sees Manchester City host Chelsea, who parted ways with coach Enzo Maresca on Thursday. Both teams will be looking forward to recovering from recent setbacks. Chelsea will look to put their campaign back on track after recent defeats, while City will be hoping to recover from the draw in their last encounter.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting to see Semenyo's situation. Playing for Bournemouth while a move to City is on the cards. Must be a strange feeling for the player and the fans. Hope the match is a good one, but my heart is with Arsenal. Arteta has built something special.
R
Rohit P
Villa vs Forest is a big one for the relegation battle. Forest have some good players but can't seem to get results. As an Indian football follower, I enjoy the competitiveness of the Premier League. Every match matters, right from top to bottom. No easy games!
S
Sarah B
The article mentions Chelsea parting ways with Maresca, but the focus should be more on the players' performance. The manager gets too much blame sometimes. The City-Chelsea game on Sunday will be a tactical feast. Hoping for a goal-fest!
V
Vikram M
Respectfully, the report from Xinhua feels a bit surface-level. It's missing deeper analysis on Villa's defensive issues after that Arsenal thrashing. Emery needs to fix that quickly. Also, the "two-horse race" narrative is premature. Let's see after the weekend. Good overview though.
K
Karthik V
Weekend plans sorted! Premier League is the best entertainment. My local club in Chennai is great, but the quality and drama here is another level. Supporting City, but Arsenal are looking very strong. Jesus being fit is a massive boost for them.

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