Liverpool tighten grip on the Premier League as Chelsea and Manchester City drop points on Boxing Day

Happy Friday! Boxing Day was full of surprises for a handful of England’s top teams, while another has a chance on Friday to buck the trend. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a Premier League-themed update for the weekend.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Dec. 27
EPL: Arsenal vs. Ipswich Town, 3:15 p.m. USA Network

Saturday, Dec. 28
Serie A: Cagliari vs. Inter, 12 p.m. Paramount+
Serie A; Lazio vs. Atalanta, 2:45 p.m. Paramount+

Sunday, Dec. 29
EPL: Leicester City vs. Manchester City, 9:30 a.m.
Championship: Wrexham vs. Wigan Athletic, 10 a.m. Paramount+
EPL: West Ham vs. Liverpool, 12:15 p.m. USA Network
Serie A; Milan vs. Roma, 2:45 p.m. Paramount+

The Forward Line

Top teams struggle on Boxing Day

The holiday cheer did not extend into Boxing Day for the Premier League’s top sides, some of whom dropped points in closely contested games on Thursday.

Manchester City added to their woes with a 1-1 draw against Everton, which extended their poor run of form to just one win in their last 13 games. Thursday’s result was marked by Jordan Pickford’s save on Erling Haaland’s penalty, which was a squandered opportunity to pick up an elusive win. Another major, but unsurprising, result came later in the day when Wolverhampton Wanderers handed Manchester United a 2-0 loss and another stark reminder that there’s much to fix for the Red Devils – even with a new manager.

The most surprising result of Boxing Day, though, came in London, where Fulham came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1. The Blues entered the day within touching distance of first place and started strong with a goal from Cole Palmer in the 16th minute, but were eventually outplayed by Fulham. The Cottagers were rewarded with two late goals, securing a statement win in an impressive season that has them in the hunt for European berths. As James Benge writes, though, the result also raised some questions about Chelsea and their title chase.

• Benge: “This was must-view football for the many who have viewed Chelsea’s place in the title race as indisputable. Enzo Maresca would not count himself among that group, and on the evidence of the final eight minutes plus added time, you could see why. Impressive though this team have so frequently been in the last few months — a side who at their best are clearly worthy of being in the mix at the top of the table — there is a vulnerability to this team that will require the most devastating of attacks to mitigate against.”

The winner in all this, of course, is Liverpool. The Reds survived an early deficit to Leicester City and picked up a 3-1 win, serving as the only one of England’s traditional big six to win on Boxing Day. Coupled with Chelsea’s loss, Liverpool are now seven points clear atop the table and with a game in hand, maintaining their status as the favorites to win the title in the spring.

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  Midfield Link Play

Arsenal eye opportunity against Ipswich

Friday’s Premier League action is headlined by Arsenal’s game against Ipswich Town, which offers the Gunners a chance to rise up to second place as the race for European spots remains as competitive as ever.

Mikel Arteta’s side are undefeated in their last 10 games across all competitions, picking up some lopsided wins along the way. Friday’s game could be another commanding win considering Ipswich sit in 19th place and have just two victories this season heading into the matchup, but things could be complicated by Arsenal’s availabilities. The Gunners boast a mostly healthy squad but will be without star Bukayo Saka, who Arteta signaled will be out for several weeks in comments earlier this week.

• Arteta: “It’s not looking good. He’s going to be out for many weeks. I cannot be too specific because I don’t know, but it will be many weeks. It’s a huge [blow]. He’s obviously a big player for us, you just have to see the impact that he has on the team. It’s going to be a really good exercise for us to think of ways to overcome another challenge because we’ve had a lot over the season. I am putting some ideas together. I haven’t got there yet. But I have a few.”

A game against Ipswich, then, feels like an ideal testing ground for Arteta to figure out what the team without Saka looks like for Arsenal. Considering the fact that Ipswich have conceded 32 goals so far this season, the Gunners are still likely to find the back of the net often enough to survive Saka’s absence. The England international’s offensive output makes up a sizable chunk of the Gunners’ goal count this season, though, which raises concerns about the next several weeks without him.

He has nine goals across all competitions this season, second only to Kai Havertz’s 11, and there is only one other player with six or more goals – Gabriel Jesus. That’s not to account for Arsenal’s declining goalscoring numbers this year, which inspire more high-level concerns about the team’s ability to do better than second place finishes in the last two seasons. The Gunners averaged 2.4 goals per game last campaign, when the title race went to the final day, but this year are down to 2 goals per game in league play. Some of that will be attributed to Martin Odegaard’s injury, but Saka’s spell on the sidelines forces the question: Will the next few weeks be a repeat of life without Odegaard or not?

  Top Stories

Boxing Day grades: Premier League grades are out, and Manchester United might need to take the course again next season after earning an F.

Man City’s skid continues: Manchester City were a bit better on Boxing Day, but that is still far from being good enough. A draw vs. Everton raises even more questions.

Must-see goal: Did you see Wrexham star Paul Mullin’s golazo vs. Blackpool? If you haven’t, do yourself a favor. And if you have, just rewatch that fantastic, quick rifle of an effort one more time.

  The Back Line

Best bets

• Premier League: Leicester City vs. Manchester City, Sunday, 9:30 a.m.
  THE PICK: Phil Foden to score (+145) – Manchester City may not be in great form, but a game against 18th place Leicester City is a terrific chance to pick up just their second win since October. Expect a wide range of goalscorers to have their chances, including last year’s PFA Player of the Year Phil Foden. He has just four goals in all competitions this season but he could use Sunday’s game to boost his confidence as the business end of the season officially begins.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.   

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

 Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long. And don’t miss Wednesday live streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.

  Call it What You Want (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. You can catch the show streaming live on YouTube every Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.