Premier League Matchweek 22 preview: Carrick debut in Manchester Derby as Arsenal eye 9-point lead

London: The Premier League enters a pivotal Matchweek 22 with the title race reaching a boiling point and the "Carrick Era" beginning at Old Trafford. Arsenal looks to tighten its six-point lead at the summit, while a depleted Manchester City visits a Manchester United side desperate for a fresh start under new management.

Manchester Derby: Carrick’s Baptism of Fire

The weekend’s marquee fixture sees Michael Carrick take charge of Manchester United for the first time in the Premier League, facing a high-stakes baptism against Manchester City. United, currently sitting 7th, are looking to snap a streak of frustrating draws and move closer to the Champions League spots.

They face a City side that has also struggled for consistency lately, recording three consecutive league draws. Pep Guardiola is grappling with a defensive crisis, with Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones all sidelined. However, City fans will be eager to see January signing Antoine Semenyo continue his hot start after two goals in his first two appearances for the club.

Check the team standings here: Premier League Points Table 

Arsenal’s Title Charge Heads to the City Ground

League leaders Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday night, knowing a win could potentially extend their lead to nine points before their rivals play. Mikel Arteta’s squad remains remarkably stable despite minor injuries to Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie.

For Nottingham Forest, the situation is dire. Sitting 17th and only seven points clear of the drop, Sean Dyche’s men are still reeling from a shock FA Cup exit to Wrexham. With Chris Wood out until February, the burden of scoring falls on Morgan Gibbs-White to navigate an Arsenal defence that has conceded only 14 goals all season.

Liverpool and Chelsea: Searching for Stability

At Anfield, Liverpool hosts Burnley in a must-win encounter. Arne Slot’s side has been the league's "draw specialists" of late, and with Mohamed Salah still away on AFCON duty (preparing for a third-place playoff), the Reds will rely on the resurgent Hugo Ekitiké to lead the line.

In West London, Liam Rosenior makes his home debut as Chelsea manager against Brentford. Chelsea has endured five consecutive draws, and Rosenior will be tasked with tightening a defence that was carved open by Arsenal earlier this month. They face a Brentford side that sits comfortably in 5th and is dreaming of European football.

Survival Stakes and London Derbies

The 8:30 PM (IST) block is packed with tension. Tottenham host West Ham in a "Pressure Derby" where both Thomas Frank and Nuno Espírito Santo are fighting for their jobs. Spurs have slumped to 14th, while the Hammers are mired in the relegation zone at 18th. Meanwhile, Leeds United looks to extend its seven-match unbeaten run against a Fulham side that recently stunned Chelsea.

Also Read: Premier League Matchweek 21 

Matchweek 22 Fixtures

Date	Home Team	Time (IST)	Away Team
Sat Jan 17	Man Utd	06:00 pm	Man City
Sat Jan 17	Sunderland	08:30 pm	Crystal Palace
Sat Jan 17	Chelsea	08:30 pm	Brentford
Sat Jan 17	Liverpool	08:30 pm	Burnley
Sat Jan 17	Spurs	08:30 pm	West Ham
Sat Jan 17	Leeds	08:30 pm	Fulham
Sat Jan 17	Nott'm Forest	11:00 pm	Arsenal
Sun Jan 18	Wolves	07:30 pm	Newcastle
Sun Jan 18	Aston Villa	10:00 pm	Everton
Tue Jan 20	Brighton	01:30 am	Bournemouth

Where to Watch the Premier League in India

Live TV Broadcast:

Premier League matches will be shown live in India on the Star Sports Select HD 1 channel.

Online Streaming:

For those preferring to stream the action, live coverage will be available on Disney+ Hotstar. Please note, access to the streaming service requires a paid subscription.

So, get set for this week’s top-flight football action and follow the site for all the latest news and updates.