With eight games to play during the month of December, our fixture schedule continues to be busy as the festive period arrives. Games against Club Brugge in the Champions League and Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup are interspersed with league meetings with Brentford (H), Aston Villa (A) & (H), Wolves (H), Everton (A) and Brighton (H). The full December schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 3rd December: Brentford (H) Premier League
Saturday 6th December: Aston Villa (A) Premier League
Wednesday 10th December: Club Brugge (A) Champions League
Saturday 13th December: Wolves (H) Premier League
Saturday 20th December: Everton (A) Premier League
Tuesday 23rd December: Crystal Palace (H) Carabao Cup
Saturday 27th December: Brighton (H) Premier League
Tuesday 30th December: Aston Villa (H) Premier League

Looking at those matches, a win over Brentford on Wednesday is essential. Regardless of opponent, any time we’re at Emirates Stadium, we go in as favourites right now and despite Thiago’s form for the Bees, we should have enough there. Villa will be tough but is a game we would really like to win, having failed to do so in either of our previous two away trips, both in favourable circumstances – a goal up against Sunderland and a man up against Chelsea. Of course it’s not a disaster if we don’t win that game, but doing so would be a big boost.

Then comes Club Brugge, which is certainly the best opportunity we have to freshen up the team. After five wins from five in the Champions League and with minnows Kairat Almaty to come at home in Matchday 8, an automatic spot in the Last 16 is already all but secured. I would like to see minutes given to the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben White, Christian Norgaard, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus there, with a mix of regular starters alongside them. Wolves at home feels straightforward given their current predicament and then there is a convenient seven day gap before a tricky visit to Goodison Park. We have only won once in our last seven trips there and this is a better Everton team than some of those that we have lost to in recent seasons.

To finish the month, it’s three home games, but all against sides in the Premier League’s top half. Crystal Palace’s thin squad and relentless schedule may be starting to catch up with them as manager Oliver Glasner has hinted, but Brighton and Villa have tested and beaten us in the past so we’ll need to be ready for those games.

All in all, it doesn’t look too bad a schedule on paper. Every game is winnable – the challenge lies in being ready to deliver consistent performances three or four days after a previous match. The squad will be needed to manage this period – let’s hope Saliba and Gabriel are not too far away from a return to the starting 11. COYG