The Times - UK (2021-12-18)

Aston Villa have thrived since Steven Gerrard
became manager and he has achieved that
with a more counter-attacking approach.
Aston Villa possession in Premier League
this season:
Under Dean Smith
(11 games)

Under Steven Gerrard

(6 games)

47.3% 39.7%

Aston Villa v Burnley
Today, 3pm

Aston Villa (4-3-2-1)
E Martínez — M Cash, E Konsa, T Mings,
M Targett — J McGinn, D Luiz, J Ramsey
— E Buendia, A Young — O Watkins.
Injured/Covid-related M Nakamba,
L Bailey, K Davis, M Sanson, A El Ghazi,
B Traoré, J Steer.
Doubt A Young.

Burnley (4-4-2)
N Pope — M Lowton, J Tarkowski,
B Mee, C Taylor — J B Gudmundsson,
A Westwood, J Cork, D McNeil —
C Wood, J Rodriguez.
Injured M Cornet, A Barnes, C Roberts.

Referee A Madley 0 2 0 14
Odds Draw 11-4

Arsenal have experienced a big gap between

their home and away results this season. Their

past seven matches have produced four

home wins and three away defeats.

Biggest drop from home to away results

(points per game):

Arsenal

Tottenham

Everton

Crystal Palace

Southampton

Aston Villa 0.63 (h 1.63, a 1.00)

0.71 (h 1.38, a 0.67)

0.81 (h 1.56, a 0.75)

0.96 (h 1.63, a 0.67)

1.08 (h 2.25, a 1.17)

1.56 (h 2.44, a 0.88)

Leeds United v Arsenal

Today, 5.30pm. TV: Sky Sports PL

Leeds (4-1-4-1)

I Meslier — L Ayling, R Koch, D Llorente,

S Dallas — AForshaw — Raphinha,

T Roberts, M Klich, J Harrison —

J Gelhardt.

Injured J Shackleton, D James,

K Phillips, P Bamford, L Cooper, Rodrigo,

P Struijk Suspended J Firpo.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1)

A Ramsdale — T Tomiyasu, B White,

Gabriel, K Tierney — TPartey, G Xhaka —

B Saka, M Odegaard, G Martinelli —

A Lacazette.

Injured S Kolasinac, B Leno.

Referee A Marriner 0 2 0 40

Odds Away win 17-20

Most dribbles completed for Newcastle in

league this season:

Allan Saint-Maximin

Joelinton

Joe Willock

Miguel Almirón

Callum Wilson

Isaac Hayden

70

16

15

10

10

9

Newcastle United v Manchester City

Tomorrow, 2pm. TV: Sky Sports PL

Newcastle (4-4-2)

M Dubravka — J Manquillo, F Schär,

J Lascelles, M Ritchie — J Murphy,

J Shelvey, J Willock, A Saint-Maximin —

Joelinton, C Wilson.

Injured F Fernández, P Dummett,

J Lewis.

Man City (4-3-3)

Ederson — J Cancelo, R Dias, A Laporte,

O Zinchenko — K De Bruyne, Rodri,

B Silva — R Sterling, P Foden,

J Grealish.

Injured F Torres.

Doubt K Walker.

Referee M Atkinson 0 2 0 24

Odds Away win 1-7

Jorginho is Chelsea’s second highest league

scorer over the past season and a half yet his

only goals have come from penalties.

Most Chelsea league goals since start of last

season:

Mason Mount

Jorginho

Timo Werner

Kai Havertz

Ben Chilwell

Christian Pulisic

Tammy Abraham

13

11

7

6

6

6

6

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea

Tomorrow, 2pm

Wolves (3-4-3)

J Sá — M Kilman, C Coady, R Saïss —

N Semedo, J Moutinho, R Neves, Marcal

— D Podence, R Jiménez, Hwang

Hee-chan. Injured/Covid-related

R Aït-Nouri, F Silva, Y Mosquera, Jonny,

P Neto. Doubt Hwang Hee-chan.

Chelsea (3-4-3)

É Mendy — T Chalobah, T Silva,

A Rudiger — C Azpilicueta, R James,

N Kanté, M Alonso — M Mount,

K Havertz, H Ziyech. Injured/Covid-

related R Lukaku, C Hudson-Odoi,

B Chilwell, T Werner. Doubt Jorginho,

R Loftus-Cheek.

Referee D Coote 0 2 0 51

Odds Away win 11-20

Harry Kane has averaged 24 league goals per

season since 2015 yet he has scored just once

this term ahead of Tottenham’s last match

before Christmas.

Harry Kane’s longest periods with only one

league goal since Jan 2016:

Current run 1 goal in 13 games

Apr-Aug 2016 1 goal in 7 games

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Tomorrow, 4.30pm. TV: Sky Sports PL

Tottenham (3-4-3)

H Lloris — D Sánchez, E Dier, B Davies —

E Royal, P-EHojbjerg, H Winks,

S Reguilón — L Moura, H Kane,

Son Heung-min. Injured/Covid-related

C Romero, O Skipp. Doubt Son Heung-

min, L Moura, B Gil, E Royal.

Liverpool (4-3-3)

Alisson — T Alexander-Arnold, J Matip,

I Konaté, A Robertson — A Oxlade-

Chamberlain, J Henderson, Thiago —

M Salah, D Jota, S Mané. Injured/Covid-

related V van Dijk, Fabinho, C Jones,

N Phillips, H Elliott, Adrián. Doubt D Origi.

Referee P Tierney 0 0 0 46

Odds Draw 16-5

12 1GS Saturday December 18 2021 | the times

BILL EDGAR’S GUIDE TO THE

PREMIER LEAGUE WEEKEND

Wolves games

since conceding

a first-half goal

10

League penalties

in row converted

by Liverpool

21

Tottenham

Hotspur games in

hand on 13 teams

3

Away days are not always

straightforward, but one

group of Leicester City

fans went to

extraordinary lengths for

their side’s Europa League

match against Spartak

Moscow in October.

A combination of tickets

being released late,

expensive visa

applications and the cost

of flights to Moscow

meant only 25 Leicester

supporters made it to the

Otkritie Arena. Jamie

Barnard was one of the

‘Moscow 25’ and estimates

he spent close to £1,000 on

the trip.

Once they had reached

Spartak’s stadium, Barnard

and his fellow fans found they

had been joined in the away

end by around 20 Zambians

keen to show their support for

striker Patson Daka. Neither

group was disappointed: Daka

scored four in a 4-3 comeback

win for Leicester, although

Barnard said it was a “losing

battle” in terms of noise.

endbyaround20Z bi

CLASSIC KITS WEST HAM UNITED, 1985 to 1987 FANS OF THE DAY

West Ham United’s traditional

claret and blue made way for

something much closer to

pure claret as they began the

1985-86 season, with blue

sleeves replaced by pinstripes

that went across the jersey.

The top also featured a

badge which had changed

from simple crossed hammers

to a more pleasing design. The

players seemed happy enough

in this kit, challenging for the

league title until the

penultimate match of the

season before ending in what

remains their highest finishing

position of third. The prolific

goalscoring of Tony Cottee,

right, and Frank McAvennie, left

— who scored 54 goals

between them in 1985-86 —

ensured the shirt would stay in

the memory.

1976

In 1976 manager Alan Dicks guided

them into top flight for first time since

1911.

League runners-up to Newcastle United

in 1907 and lost to Manchester United

in 1909 FA Cup final.

City share their Robins nickname with

south-west neighbours Swindon Town

and Cheltenham Town.

They have won the

Football League

Trophy a record three

times.

John Atyeo, the

1950s England

forward, hit a

record 350 goals

for City. Louis

Carey, active until

2013, made the

most City

appearances, 645.

A brief history of

Bristol City

Formed in 1894 as Bristol South End,

they changed to Bristol City three years

later and joined the league in 1901.

Became first club to fall

from top to fourth tier

in successive seasons,

dropping in 1980, 1981

and 1982.

Guess the season answer: 2015-16