LONDON, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The hectic Christmas and New Year fixtures in the Premier League get underway on Dec. 26 with the traditional Boxing Day fixtures opening the door for three rounds of matches in 10 days that stretch quads to the limit, and can be decisive in the title race.

Manchester City is not thinking about the title any more after its 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday further deepened its crisis. Pep Guardiola is without injured defenders Ruben Dias and John Stones against Everton on Thursday lunchtime.

Although Everton is stuck in the wrong half of the table, it held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw on Sunday and nobody has kept more clean sheets this season than Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, so this could be another frustrating day for City fans.

Liverpool has a late kick-off at home to struggling Leicester City and the Liverpool strikers will fancy their chances against a rival that conceded three first half goals at home to Wolverhampton.

Leicester's defense looks vulnerable at the best of times and with Mads Hemansen struggling with a groin strain, out of touch and unpopular deputy goalkeeper Danny Ward will probably start again.

Second place Chelsea was frustrated by Everton, but now has a chance to get back on track at home to Fulham in a south-west London derby.

Although Chelsea goes into the game as favorite, it will have to work hard against a side that gives nothing away and has drawn with Arsenal and Liverpool in its five-match unbeaten run.

Nottingham Forest strengthened their place in fourth with a solid 2-0 win away to Brentford on Saturday and now entertains Tottenham, who seems to lack any of the defensive virtues shown by Nuno Espiritu Santo's side - as its 6-3 humiliation at home to Liverpool on Sunday so clearly showed.

Like Liverpool, Forest also has rapid players in attack, with Hudson Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga all likely to make Spurs suffer on the break.

Four wins and a draw in its last five matches, culminating in another 3-0 demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford, have lifted Bournemouth up to fifth and Andoni Iraola's side looks for another three points at home to Crystal Palace.

There is a duel of recently appointed Portuguese coaches when Manchester United visit Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves got off to a perfect start under new coach Vitor Pereira when it won 3-0 away to Leicester at the weekend, while Ruben Amorim's 'new coach bounce' since arriving at United (if there has even been one) evaporated in its thrashing by Bournemouth and ongoing controversy over Marcus Rashford's omission from the last three squads.

Consecutive 4-0 wins have propelled Newcastle United to the edge of the European places, with striker Alexander Isak in outstanding form. Eddie Howe's side now faces Aston Villa, who is two places and two points above Newcastle after beating Manchester City.

Southampton tightened up in defense following Russell Martin's sacking last week to draw 0-0 away to Fulham, now with new coach Ivan Juric in charge, it will try to be equally Scrooge-like when they entertain West Ham.

Arsenal is without Bukayo Saka for several weeks with a hamstring injury, but he shouldn't be missed when it takes on struggling Ipswich Town on Friday. Although the visitor looks to play attractive football, it tends to be too open at the back against clinical top-flight attacks.

Brighton will be at home against Brentford, with Brighton probably eyeing its rival's poor away form as the way to end a five-game run without a win. Enditem

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