MATCHDAY: Everton hosts Arsenal, Newcastle welcomes West Ham

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This article was published 03/02/2023 (1325 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:

ENGLAND

Everton and new manager Sean Dyche host Premier League leader Arsenal in the first of seven league games. Everton is second from last and turned to the former Burnley boss to get it out of the relegation zone. Arsenal wants to put more distance between itself and second-placed Manchester City. The Gunners lead by five points. Behind them is Newcastle, which hosts West Ham in the nightcap. Crystal Palace visits Old Trafford with fourth-placed Manchester United looking to bolster its Champions League prospects. Liverpool travels to Wolverhampton as Jurgen Klopp’s mid-table team tries to revive top-four hopes. Sixth-placed Brighton hosts struggler Bournemouth. Last-placed Southampton is at Brentford, and Aston Villa hosts Leicester.

SPAIN

Atlético Madrid hosts Getafe aiming for a third win in a row in the league for the first time since October. A victory would lift Diego Simeone’s fourth-placed side to within two points of Real Sociedad in third. Quique Sánchez Flores is under pressure after Getafe has fallen into the relegation zone following four consecutive losses. Villarreal and Real Betis are on the heels of Atletico at just three points back as they joust for a top-four finish and a Champions League berth. Villarreal visits last-placed Elche, which is still winless after 19 rounds. Betis has just one win in its last five games overall before it hosts Celta Vigo. Osasuna will also visit an Espanyol that has reinforced its squad during the winter market.

ITALY

Cremonese will be looking to repeat its cup exploits in the league to give itself hope of avoiding relegation. Cremonese is on the bottom of Serie A and without a win but it has seen off Napoli and Roma in the Italian Cup to reach the semifinals for the first time in 36 years. It is 10 points from safety and needs a win at home to Lecce, which is only seven points above the bottom three. Roma will be looking to bounce back from its midweek cup defeat when it hosts Empoli as the capital side looks to move into the top four. Roma is sixth but just three points below second-placed Inter Milan and one behind Lazio, Atalanta and AC Milan. Atalanta visits relegation-threatened Sassuolo, which will be full of confidence after a surprising 5-2 victory at Milan last weekend.

FRANCE

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League leader Paris Saint-Germain is without injured star forwards Kylian Mbappé and Neymar for the home game against Toulouse. Mbappé is out for at least three weeks after sustaining a left thigh tear in a match on Wednesday. Neymar is having treatment for a sore adductor and misses his second straight game. Elsewhere, fifth-placed Rennes is at home to sixth-placed Lille and Lyon needs to find form as it travels to play lowly Troyes.

GERMANY

Union Berlin and Leipzig have a chance to move into first place — for a day anyway — in the Bundesliga. Second-placed Union trails league leader Bayern Munich by one point and hosts mid-table Mainz. Leipzig is a further point behind and takes an 11-match unbeaten league run to Cologne. Bayern doesn’t play until Sunday. Borussia Dortmund hosts Freiburg with both clubs three points back of Bayern but trailing by wide margins on goal difference. Eintracht Frankfurt hosts struggler Hertha Berlin, and Hoffenheim travels to Bochum.

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