The first match of the 15th round of the Premier League was played at midday on Saturday, with Arsenal away to Aston Villa. The Gunners took a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half, and although they had a slight problem in the game that followed, they maintained their attacking advantage to take the first three points. After this game, the Gunners are temporarily top of the table with 29 points from nine wins, two draws, four losses and fifteen games, followed by Chelsea and Manchester United with a game less, and they are very tight in the standings.

This was followed by seven simultaneous matches, two of which were in the spotlight.

First up is the fourth-placed Manchester City team at the Britannia Stadium to take on eighth-placed Stoke City.

The second is the battle between Violence Ben and Manchester United, which can be said to be the focus of this round and could disrupt the pattern of the top few places in the table.