The English Premier League schedule picks up on Sunday after a very entertaining week and weekend with Boxing Day and Saturday matches and the table has some big teams at the top as Everton takes on Southampton at Goodison Park and they come into the day at fifth on the EPL table and they will be looking to move up in the standings, as Liverpool and Chelsea are facing off against each other right above and the match will be streaming on NBC at 8:30 am ET online.
Everton comes into the match after a loss at home against Sunderland and that came after a win against Swansea City and a victory over Fulham. Southampton comes into the match after a nice win against Cardiff City on Boxing Day and that was a nice result for the club and the team lost the match before that against Tottenham at home and they come into the day at ninth on the league table ahead of Hull City and behind the Spurs as well as Newcastle and Manchester United. Heading into play on Sunday, Manchester City is in first place with 41 points, but Arsenal plays on Sunday and they can get back in it with a win and the Gunners are second on the league table, while Chelsea and Liverpool are next and they will be facing off.
Arsenal plays against Newcastle United on Sunday at St. James Park in one of the early games, while Everton is taking on Southampton at Goodison Park and those two matches comes after the busy Boxing Day schedule. Chelsea and Liverpool are playing the big match of the day at Stamford Bridge and that could shake things up at the top of the table standings heading into the new year and the big matches over the first week of January.
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Heading into the Sunday matches, Everton is at fifth on the table and they are just ahead of Manchester United after the results on Saturday and both clubs currently have the same amount of points, so they will be looking for a positive result in their match and Man U wants to try and continue moving up the table and the play of Danny Welbeck has helped the team along as well and here is a look back on his last good outing from Reuters.com.
Danny Welbeck made the most of a rare start for Manchester United with a first-half double in a 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday as the champions ended a run of four Premier League games without victory.
Welbeck, recalled in place of injured Robin van Persie, struck twice in three minutes for United who moved up one spot to eighth, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal.
United had suffered successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle United that followed away draws with Cardiff City and Tottenham Hotspur but outclassed the hosts and had the game safe when Tom Cleverley struck on 52 minutes.
Before kickoff Welbeck had scored as many goals for England - three - this season as he had for United but he was in the right place to make the breakthrough on 15 minutes, poking home the rebound after Adnan Januzaj headed against the foot of the left hand upright.
His first Premier League goal since his first day of the season double against Swansea was followed swiftly by a second when he linked up with the impressive Antonio Valencia, feeding the Ecuadorian and then sprinting into the box to get on the end of his return cross.
Welbeck was inches away from a hat-trick when he slid a shot past the far post from a tight angle and also went close after the break when his chip over a stranded Brad Guzan was just too high.
Cleverley said earlier this week that some of his performances had been 'average' this season, but wore a broad smile after running on to Wayne Rooney's pass to beat Guzan with a low shot at his near post. United received another boost when Scotland international midfielder Darren Fletcher, battling a chronic bowel condition, came off the bench for his first match appearance since late December last year.
The cheers from United fans for Fletcher were part-drowned out by the boos from the home end that greeted former Villa forward Ashley Young.
Villa, who began brightly but carried little threat once they had fallen behind, have won just one of their last 36 Premier League games against United.
Nathan Dyer scored for Swansea City but suffered a suspected fractured right ankle in the 1-1 draw at Norwich City.
Dyer flicked past John Ruddy on 12 minutes but was carried off on a stretcher late in the first half after a challenge with Sebastien Bassong.
"We have to wait a couple of days for an X-ray and a scan, and we all cross our fingers to hope it is not that bad," said Swansea manager Michael Laudrup. "That will overshadow everything else. It is just a game of football."
Norwich earned a point thanks to Gary Hooper's spectacular volley in first-half stoppage time.
Tottenham host Liverpool in a later kickoff (1600). A victory for the visitors would lift them back up to second spot. (Reuters)
