5 games to watch: Arsenal and Manchester United play for fourth
By Adam Stocker
Here are five of the best matches from Europe this weekend, headlined by Arsenal and Manchester United battling for fourth in the Premier League.
This weekend’s games pale in comparison to the games last weekend. The majority of top teams in Europe are matched up against teams in the bottom half of the table. The best games this weekends focus on some of the tightest races in Europe. The Premier League and Bundesliga title races look like they will not be determined until the final weeks of the season. The race for fourth in the Premier League will also come down to the wire as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea jockey for position.
5. Fiorentina vs. Lazio — Sunday, March 10, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
Seven points separate third place and eighth place in Serie A, meaning the races for the final Europa League and Champions League games will come down to the final weeks of the season. Three clubs are level with 41 points. All three clubs are tied for the final Europa League spot but if they get hot, they could possibly catch fourth-place Inter Milan.
Lazio are one of the three teams with 41 points after winning three of their last four games. With the race for Europe so close, the Eagles need to keep winning if they are going to qualify for Europe next season. On Sunday, Lazio play Fiorentina. The Viola have picked up points in seven of their last eight games but are 10th in the table. Fiorentina will try to damage Lazio’s European hopes. Luis Muriel has been excellent since joining Fiorentina during the winter transfer window on a loan deal from Sevilla. Muriel has scored five goals in his first seven games.
4. Manchester City vs. Watford — Saturday, March 9, 12:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
The Premier League title race is as close as it has been in several years. Manchester City are looking to repeat as champions and enter the weekend one point ahead of Liverpool with nine games to play. The Citizens need to keep winning or they will risking having Liverpool past them in the table. The Reds, who play Burnley, could pass City if Pep Guardiola’s team drop points against Watford on Saturday at Etihad Stadium. Watford are eighth in the table and have played some of the bigger clubs tough this season. City were only able to beat Watford 2-1 earlier this season.
3. Chelsea vs. Wolves — Sunday, March 10, 10:00 a.m. ET (NBCSN)
Chelsea are sixth in the table, one point behind Arsenal and two points behind Manchester United. With Arsenal and United playing this weekend, Chelsea could pass both clubs in the table with a victory and an Arsenal-United draw.
While Chelsea are still very much alive in the race for the final Champions League spot, it seems like the teams they are chasing are playing much better than they are. If the Blues do not qualify for the Champions League, it seems likely that Maurizio Sarri will be fired. The Italian manager’s stubborn nature has drawn heavy criticism this season. After going unbeaten in their first 12 Premier League games, the rest of the league has figured out Sarri’s system. Over the last 17 games, the Blues have lost six times.
On Sunday, Chelsea host Wolves at Stamford Bridge. Wolves are seventh in the table and beat the Blues earlier this season. In their first season back in the Premier League, Wolves are looking to qualify for a spot in the Europa League. Over their last seven games, Wolves have picked up 14 points and will look to beat Chelsea for the second time this season.
2. Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg — Saturday, March 9, 9:30 a.m. ET (FS1)
The tightest title race in Europe is the Bundesliga title race. After winning 11 of 12 games, Bayern have made up a nine-point deficit and are tied with Borussia Dortmund who have struggled over the past month. Dortmund have dropped points and were eliminated from the DFB Pokal and the Champions League on Tuesday. With Dortmund playing possible relegation club Stuttgart, Bayern will need to win on Saturday if they are going to keep pace with Dortmund. On Saturday, Bayern host Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena.
The Wolves got off to a terrible start this season, picking up only 12 points in their first 11 games. It looked liked Wolfsburg would be again near the bottom of the table after finishing 16th the last two season. However, Wolfsburg have completely turned around their season and are one of the hottest teams in the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg have picked up 27 points in their last 12 games. Saturday’s game will feature two of the hottest teams in the Bundesliga facing off with both looking to move up the table.
1. Arsenal vs. Manchester United — Sunday, March 10, 12:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
The final Premier League game this weekend is the most important game this weekend. On Sunday, Arsenal host Manchester United at Emirates Stadium. The Red Devils beat Southampton 3-2 last weekend and moved one point ahead of Arsenal after the Gunners drew with Tottenham. The draw dropped Arsenal to fifth in the table. With nine games to play, the head to head matchup between Arsenal and Manchester United will play a determining factor in which team qualifies for the Champions League.
Arsenal are one of the few clubs that have played United under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In their first game against Mourinho, Arsenal blew the lead mere minutes after scoring on two occasions. A month later, United made their managerial change and beat the Gunners 3-1 in the FA Cup.
The change in managers has done more for United than flip a result against Arsenal. It completely changed the trajectory of their season. Under Mourinho, United were in jeopardy of falling out of the top six and not even qualify for the Europa League. In 12 Premier League games under Solskjaer, United are unbeaten, picking up 32 of a possible 36 points.
The hiring of Unai Emery was met with skepticism when it was first announced. Emery has proved his doubters wrong as Arsenal have played better than many expected. Piere-Emerick Aubameyang has been great in his first full season with Arsenal. The Gabon international is third in the Premier League this season with 16 goals.