5 blockbuster Premier League fixtures to look out for in December

December is always the busiest time of the year for Premier League clubs and 2017 will be no different with a massive 70 games scheduled to take place next month.

With such a high volume of games over a short period of time, the final month of the calendar year can often have a significant bearing on the eventual finishing positions of the Premier League sides.

As luck would have it, the fixture list has thrown up a whole host of big matches in December that could make or break a number of teams’ chances of achieving their goals for the 2017/18 campaign.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at 5 blockbuster Premier League fixtures that you should look out for in December…

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Saturday, 2nd December – Arsenal vs. Manchester United

Will Mourinho mastermind another victory over Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side?

Arsenal vs. Manchester United is historically one of the great fixtures of the Premier League, and while neither side are as strong or as dominant of a force as they were in the early 2000s, this is still a big game and has to be considered a blockbuster fixture.

The outcome of the upcoming match this Saturday is tough to call with both sides being very inconsistent over recent weeks. Jose Mourinho will not be afraid to set his side up defensively to nullify Arsenal’s attack and hope for a decisive goal on the counter-attack.

However, if Arsenal can produce a repeat of their impressive performance in the North London derby from a couple of weeks ago, then they may have too much for United to handle.

When the two sides met at the Emirates last season, Arsene Wenger’s side came away with a 2-0 win, which was Wenger’s first victory over Mourinho in the Premier League. The Arsenal manager will be hoping for a similar result this time around in order to close the gap on United to just one point.

Sunday, 10th December – Liverpool vs. Everton

Everton will be looking to record their first victory at Anfield in 18 years

The Merseyside Derby is always an entertaining encounter and will be the first game that fans of Everton and Liverpool looked for when the fixture list was released at the start of the season.

The Anfield fixture, in particular, is one that the Everton faithful will look to in the hope of getting one over their rivals and finally ending their 18-year barren spell without a victory on Liverpool’s home turf. However, this year’s match may fill the Toffees’ fans with dread rather than hope as they will fear being on the receiving end of a rout if their recent form is anything to go by.

The more optimistic Everton supporters will be looking at the game as a potential turning point in their season if they are able to get something out of the game. But after losing both Merseyside derbies last season and making a poor start to the current campaign, many fans will be fearing the worst for the Toffees.

New Everton boss, Sam Allardyce, will have to whip his side’s shoddy defence into shape in the coming weeks if they hope to stop Mohamed Salah from adding to his already impressive goal tally for this season.

Sunday, 10th December – Manchester United vs. Manchester City

The managerial foes come face-to-face yet again on December 10th

The match following the Merseyside derby on Sunday 10th December is not only a Manchester derby but also the current top two teams in the Premier League going head-to-head.

Add to that the fact it will be the next chapter in the Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho rivalry and you have a recipe for a fixture that simply can’t be missed.

Manchester City have looked almost unstoppable in the league up to this point, with Everton remaining the only side to take points from the league leaders thus far after their 1-1 draw at the Etihad back in August.

Mourinho will be looking to mastermind a plan to inflict defeat on United’s arch rivals for the first time this season, but he will have to find a way to stop City’s stellar front-line, who have scored an incredible 44 goals in the league already in this campaign.

It could also be argued that United simply have to win if they are to mount a serious title challenge. But after failing to pick up three points in either of their meetings with City last season and Guardiola’s side looking like an even stronger force this campaign, that will be easier said than done.

Saturday, 16th December – Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Pochettino has waved goodbye to the Premier League title for another year

All football fans would agree that Tottenham Hotspur are one of the strongest teams in the Premier League. But frustrations are starting to grow amongst the Spurs’ faithful that they can’t seem to win any silverware.

After another disappointing result at Wembley last weekend against West Brom and a surprise defeat to Leicester on Tuesday, Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino conceded that his side are already out of the title race, despite still only being in November.

However, you can see where Pochettino is coming from with there being a 16-point gap between Spurs and league leaders Manchester City already. With City showing no signs of slowing down, that gap could well grow before the sides meet each other on December 16th.

Tottenham were able to come from down 2-0 down to salvage a draw at the Etihad last season, but after a poor run of form recently and an apparent lack of confidence in the side, Spurs could well crumble to an embarrassing defeat if faced with a similar situation next month.

When this blockbuster fixture does eventually come around, it will be a real test of character for Tottenham. A defeat against City next month could start to raise the question of just how far Spurs are from mounting a serious title challenge in the Premier League.

Friday, 22nd December – Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Liverpool thrashed Arsenal 4-0 at Anfield earlier this season

Arguably, the pick of the games over the busy festive period takes place on the Friday before Christmas as Arsenal host Liverpool.

Arsenal will be hoping to exact some revenge on Liverpool after struggling in this fixture the last couple of seasons, including suffering a 4-0 thrashing at Anfield back in August.

With neither side looking likely to lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the season, both teams will be desperate to finish the current campaign in the top four and secure Champions League football for next season.

One of, if not both, Liverpool and Arsenal could easily fall short of their target this year as Chelsea, Spurs and both the Manchester clubs are also fighting for the top four spots. Not to mention the likes of Burnley and Watford, who are looking to upset the top six sides this season.

With that in mind, a draw would not be good enough for either side and this is shaping up to be a must-win fixture for both Arsenal and Liverpool.