Weekend Soccer Preview

Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview! Almost all leagues are off for their Christmas break, with just Great Britain and Belgium still in action for the weekend and following week. Most importantly, a MERRY CHRISTMAS to everybody!!!!

As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.

Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
8:30 ET Sunday
(T4) Arsenal v (T12) Aston Villa
Aston Villa has already scored victories over three of the traditional “Big Four” with wins at Liverpool and Manchester United and a win at home against Chelsea on the season. A win here at the Emirates would give them the full set and would vault them above Arsenal in the standings to third place. Striker Emile Heskey is expected to be fit for the match but it is unknown how long he will play if he is, with an important match against Liverpool two days later. Arsenal is only two points back of Manchester United with a game in hand and a win here would heap even more pressure on Sir Alex’s men. Andrei Arshavin has stated the obvious, revealing that playing in the Premier League is not easy: “I expected before I moved to England, if you are a good player if you play for a big team it is easier…But even if you play against Burnley or Wolverhampton, it is not easy – you don’t have time to turn or do any dribbling, if you get two touches you are lucky.” Welcome to England buddy. This is a vital game for both teams and will be a factor in deciding who gets the lucrative Champions League spots next season.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2, Arsenal 1

Top of the Table Clashes
Northern Irish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Crusaders v Cliftonville
Glentoran v Linfield
14:45 ET Tuesday
Linfield v Crusaders
Currently Crusaders are at the top of the table with 40 points, while Glentoran is in second with 39, Linfield is in third with 38 and a game in hand, with Cliftonville in fourth with two games in hand. As such, this is a massive set of matches for the IFA Premiership.

English Premier League
7:45 ET Saturday
Birmingham City v (3) Chelsea
8:00 ET Saturday
Fulham v (11) Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United v Portsmouth
9:00 ET Saturday
Burnley v Bolton Wanderers
10:00 ET Saturday
(17) Manchester City v Stoke City
Sunderland v Everton
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers
12:30 ET Saturday
Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers
8:30 ET Sunday
(T4) Arsenal v (T12) Aston Villa
11:00 ET Sunday
Hull City v (T4) Manchester United

7:45 ET Monday
(11) Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
10:00 ET Monday
Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland
(3) Chelsea v Fulham
Everton v Burnley
Stoke City v Birmingham
14:45 ET Monday
Wolverhampton Wanderers v (17) Manchester City
14:45 ET Tuesday
(T12) Aston Villa v Liverpool
15:00 ET Tuesday
Bolton Wanderers v Hull City
14:45 ET Wednesday
Portsmouth v (T4) Arsenal
15:00 ET Wednesday
(T4) Manchester United v Wigan Athletic

Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Celtic v Hamilton Academical
Dundee United v Kilmarnock
Falkirk v Heart of Midlothian
Motherwell v St. Johnstone
St. Mirren v Aberdeen
7:00 ET Sunday
Hibernian v Rangers

14:45 ET Tuesday
Aberdeen v Falkirk
14:30 ET Wednesday
Kilmarnock v Celtic
14:45 ET Wednesday
Hamilton Academical v St. Mirren
Heart of Midlothian v Motherwell
Rangers v Dundee United
St. Johnstone v Hibernian

Belgian Juliper League
8:30 ET Sunday
KAA Gent v Anderlecht
14:30 ET Wednesday
Anderlecht v Zulte-Waregem
Roeselare v KAA Gent

Northern Irish Premiership
10:00 ET Saturday
Crusaders v Cliftonville
Glentoran v Linfield
14:45 ET Tuesday
Linfield v Crusaders