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After over a month of inactivity due to the 2022 World Cup, action will resume in the English Premier League on December 26 (Boxing Day) with Tottenham Hotspur's trip to Brentford.
The Premier League is one of the most followed leagues in the world, and fans cannot wait for the resumption of the goals, thrills, and controversies.
Here, we look at three matches to watch out for during match-week 17 of the Premier League.
#3 Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Chelsea will welcome AFC Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge on December 27. The Blues will be looking to return to winning ways after suffering three consecutive defeats in all competitions before the break.
Graham Potter's side are without a win in their last five league games, three of which were consecutive defeats to Brighton, Arsenal, and Newcastle United.
The break provided the former Brighton boss with the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize. Therefore, all eyes will be on this game to see if the team has progressed during the World Cup break.
The London based club need to start picking up wins if they want to be back in the top four. They are currently eight in the table, eight points behind Tottenham who occupy the fourth position.
Bournemouth, on the flip side, will be hoping to resume the Premier League campaign on a positive note after a 3-0 win in their last league game. The Cherries will be looking to replicate the result of thier last visit to the Bridge, a 1-0 victory in December 2019.
#2 Aston Villa vs Liverpool
One of the biggest and most mouth-watering fixtures on Boxing Day: Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will lock horns with an Aston Villa side who have enjoyed a good start to life under new manager Unai Emery.
Since the former Villarreal manager took over at Villa Park, his side have picked up maximum points in the league. They thrashed Manchester United 3-1 at home and defeated Brighton 2-1 at the Amex before the hiatus.
Liverpool will look to bounce back from thier loss to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. The Reds succumbed to a 3-2 defeat in their first competitive fixture after the World Cup.
They managed to pick up consecutive victories over Tottenham and Southampton just before the league was suspended. However, coming up against a resilient Villa side, the 2020 league champions will have to be at their best to get all three points.
#1 Arsenal vs West Ham United
On paper, this is arguably the biggest fixture of match-week 17. League leaders Arsenal welcome West Ham to the Emirates in a crunchy Boxing Day London Derby.
Both teams recorded contrasting results before the break. Arsenal picked up three consecutive victories while the Hammers lost their last three league encounters.
The Gunners still sit comfortably at the summit of the table with 37 points, five points above second placed Manchester City. Mikel Arteta's side will want to continue their impressive form and a win in the London derby would be the perfect way to achieve that.
For West Ham, who are just a point above the relegation zone, a good result against the Premier League leaders may be the spark that rekindles their season.
