Under-fire Eddie Howe takes Newcastle to Liverpool, Rasmus Hojlund, Brentford, Celtic v Rangers in a Big Weekend

It’s a Big Weekend at the start of a massive month for Eddie Howe as he takes Newcastle to Anfield, while Rasmus Hojlund looks to go on a run and Brentford seek to stop theirs…

Game to watch: Liverpool v Newcastle

A trip to Anfield on New Year’s Day marks the start of a month that might finish off Eddie Howe…

The Newcastle boss, already under intense pressure after eight defeats in 12 while exiting the Carabao Cup and Champions League, goes to Liverpool, Sunderland and Aston Villa this month. Their only home game in January: Manchester City. After which Newcastle have two-and-a-half weeks off, which feels like an awfully convenient time to bed in a new manager.

Still, there are those close to the manager who suggest the noise is being generated outside Tyneside, which may have been true before the Forest defeat. There were some boos on Boxing Day and by the massed ranks of the Toon Army, reasonable questions are being asked. A debilitating injury list can only insulate Howe so far. He’s certainly not the only manager to lose key players.

Newcastle’s injury crisis is easing. Regardless, he would be wise to solve the problems within his control, like their struggles to deal with pace in wide positions. Which feels like something Howe might want to address before Mo Salah has his wicked way with Dan Burn.

Team to watch: Brentford

No one will have had an easier festive period than the Bees. Manchester City’s Club World Cup excursion gave Thomas Frank’s side an extended Christmas break, a week and a half between home games against Villa and Wolves. Not that it did them much good.

Brentford were beaten in both – battered, in fact, by Wolves – and a combination of six defeats in seven since Bonfire weekend along with teams down the bottom picking up points while they rested leaves the Bees potentially in a spot of bother.

Frank’s men are only four points above the drop zone before they go to the side directly below them, Crystal Palace, on Saturday. Half of their next six matches are against Big Six sides: Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool. Then Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City await in their next five.

At least they can bank on Ivan Toney’s return – for how long, who knows? – but Brentford’s other players need to step up to arrest this rotten run before they get sucked into a relegation battle few saw coming.

Player to watch: Rasmus Hojlund

Hojlund is finally off the mark in the Premier League and only those who had their childhood ruined by Manchester United will have begrudged the 20-year-old his palpable relief. Now we wait to see if, as Erik ten Hag suggests, the centre-forward can go on a run.

It isn’t as though Hojlund has been out of his depth. He remains one of the joint top-scorers in the Champions League and his all-round play has been perfectly competent while he sought to break his league duck. There were signs, even against Villa, that he was lacking the necessary confidence, taking a touch twice when a buoyant striker might have pulled the trigger first time.

And it can’t be easy when he has no idea if or when his deliveries might arrive from wide. Though it had no influence on the goal he scored, Ten Hag’s use of Marcus Rashford on the left and Alejandro Garnacho on the right offered more penetration, with the later far more direct and able to go down the outside of a full-back. Even Ruud van Nistelrooy would have been barren with the service Hojlund has been given for much of the season.

But with the Prem monkey off his back and some refreshing impetus and directness in United’s attack against Villa, perhaps Hojlund is no longer set up to fail.

Manager: Mikel Arteta

The Arsenal boss goes into Sunday’s trip to Fulham on the back of what he admitted was one of the most frustrating games of his managerial career.

Arteta’s side took 30 shots against West Ham on Thursday night but it will have been concerning for the Spaniard how quickly the belief seemed to drain from his attack. The Hammers were defensively outstanding – indeed, “better in both boxes,” admitted Arteta – and, alarmingly for Arteta, the hosts were reduced to flinging s*** at the Irons wall in the increasingly-forlorn hope something would stick.

Concerns over Arsenal’s attack are nothing new. Their front three carry huge individual threats but as a unit, their link-up play remains inconsistent. And, ahead of the January window, the need for a top-class, ruthless b****** of a centre-forward appears as urgent as ever for the sake of their title hopes.

There is little Arteta can do between Thursday night and Sunday afternoon to tease the necessary potency out of his attack but Arsenal can still finish the year top of the pile – only because Liverpool’s 2023 is done – if they make more of their inevitable openings against a faltering, fatigued Fulham, themselves without a goal in their last three.

EFL to watch: West Brom v Leeds

Thrash Ipswich on Saturday; chuck in at Preston on Tuesday. Leeds, that.

Such are the Whites, somehow neither result came as a huge shock. Still, questions are being asked of Daniel Farke’s side, especially of their away form – they have lost five on the road – after one win in four has left them looking over the shoulder.

Southampton have already leapfrogged them and West Brom have them in their sights. The Baggies in fifth can close to within three points of the side just above them when they meet at The Hawthorns on Friday night.

Saints versus Plymouth is also on the box beforehand, while the Championship’s double offering on New Year’s Day sees Sunderland host Preston and Hull go to Sheffield Wednesday.

European game to watch: Celtic v Rangers

The New Year weekend’s continental flavour comes from Glasgow where the Old Firm derby takes place on Saturday lunchtime.

Rangers had hoped to go top of the SPL by winning at Parkhead for the first time in six attempts, but they remain five points – with two games in hand – behind after the postponement of their clash with Ross County on Wednesday.

Celtic appear to have got over a wobble which saw them lose to Kilmarnock and Hearts, winning twice in the past week to ensure they will remain at the summit going in to the New Year. Indeed, having faced the prospect of slipping, they could now establish an eight-point advantage in front of 60,000 crowd lacking any Rangers representation.

But the Gers, revitalised by Philippe Clement, retain the momentum after a seven-game winning run and an unbeaten streak that stands at 17. despite a flurry of injuries. It could be a classic – if both sides resist the obvious temptation to settle for a point apiece.