Premier League preview: Tottenham host struggling champions Liverpool, while Brighton face relegation rivals Fulham

Clubs return to league action again this week following a round of FA Cup fixtures at the weekend, as the Premier League season surpasses its halfway point.

The biggest match of the week sees Liverpool travel to Tottenham, which is shaping up to be a key fixture in the battle for a top-four spot.

Jurgen Klopp’s side go into the clash off the back of a 3-2 loss to Manchester United and have struggled since the start of the New Year.

United now top the table and play against Sheffield United on Wednesday hoping to extend their two-point lead over rivals Manchester City.

Their opponents have won just once in the league all season but did manage to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with a win over League One outfit Plymouth.

City have the opportunity to overtake United, if only for a day, when they play against West Brom who are also struggling in the relegation zone on Tuesday night.

Leicester will also be ready to capitalise on any dropped points when they face Everton.

The Foxes sit just two points away from top spot and have been in fantastic form since the start of the year.

Elsewhere, Chelsea are without a manager after the sacking of Frank Lampard and could go into their match against Wolves with no one in charge.

Thomas Tuchel looks set to take over, but the match against Wolves may come too soon for him to have any serious influence on the game.

Southampton and Arsenal have a repeat of their FA Cup tie from the weekend when the two face-off again on Tuesday.

The Saints won 1-0 in the cup tie and will be hoping for a similar result this time around to potentially move into the top six.

Another club looking to break into the top six is West Ham, who take on Crystal Palace.

A win for the Hammers could even see them into the Champions League places, but they will need Liverpool and Spurs to draw and Everton to lose if they are to do so.

At the other end of the table, Brighton and Fulham go head-to-head in a key match in the battle against relegation.

Victory for Fulham could see them move just two points away from safety, but a loss would have them eight points away from 17th place.

Burnley are off the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Fulham in the FA Cup and will need to be at their best if they are to beat a high-flying Aston Villa side on Wednesday.

Finally, Newcastle and Liverpool play each other in what is shaping up to be an entertaining mid-table clash, with the Magpies desperately needing a win to put their season back on track.

By Ali Pollock