After a week which saw the reigning Premier League champs drop their manager like a lower-league backup goalkeeper, there has been an interesting contrast with the focus on Arsene Wenger's position, what with his contract expiring at the end of the season and the Alsatian not prone to releasing any clear information if he doesn't have to. With the North London side standing in an all-too familiar fourth place, and having made it to the Champions League knockout stage yet again (though on the brink of elimination), the urgency to go with a new face at the top is still as urgently felt by the fans as it is resisted by the owners. There are good young managers they could get, surely, but that would cost some money the board might not relish dishing out. Especially since with it would probably have to come in some fresh talent to renew a squad that clearly has hit a glass ceiling. And the kind of talent they could use would not come cheap.

However there is still 30% of the season left to play, and considering how competitive the top 6 spots have been, the Gunners' game against Liverpool tomorrow looms as a big marker for both teams' ambitions. With a 4-1-2 league record in 2017 Arsenal are looking a lot healthier than a Liverpool side which has only won 1 game this year. Ah, but that was against Spurs, illustrating Klopp's capacity to get his team ready for the big events, as their record v the top 6 attests. Henderson will be out due to a foot injury sustained against Leicester, and will be a big absence in the middle for the Reds. Liverpool are just a point back of Arsenal, but with United a point behind and an in-form Everton lying close-by, they can't afford too many middling results.

EPL
Sat 04 Mar 2017
07:30a Manchester United - Bournemouth
10:00a Leicester City - Hull City
10:00a Stoke City - Middlesbrough
10:00a Swansea - Burnley FC
10:00a Watford FC - Southampton
10:00a West Bromwich - Crystal Palace
12:30p Liverpool FC - Arsenal FC
Sun 05 Mar 2017
08:30a Tottenham - Everton FC
11:00a Sunderland AFC - Manchester City
Mon 06 Mar 2017
3:00p West Ham - Chelsea FC

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For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets