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MANCHESTER, England - Boasting the Premier Leagues most dangerous attacking units, Manchester City and Liverpool should provide a glut of goals when the title challengers play during Thursdays packed Boxing Day program. Liverpool is at the top at Christmas for the first time since 2008 after scoring 42 goals. Only Manchester City has been more lethal in front of goal, with the team — a point behind Liverpool and Arsenal in third — scoring 51 goals in 17 games. With Europes leading leagues on their winter breaks, every Premier League team is in action on Boxing Day. Here are five things to know about Thursdays games: ___ TITLE FACEOFF The short trip to Manchester will be a test of the depth of Liverpools resources — as well as its title credentials — with only 17 players fit to travel across the northwest. "Our squad is very thin at the moment," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "None of the guys who have been out have returned and there is still the timeline which was set for them." Among the casualties are captain Steven Gerrard, defender Jose Enrique and striker Daniel Sturridge. Crucially, though, striker Luis Suarez is fit and in form, scoring 10 times in four straight victories. "We will need to keep him quiet," City midfielder James Milner said. "But Liverpool are a top side having a good season and its not just about stopping him, because they have plenty of other players who can do damage as well." ___ BLUES BOUNCE BACK Chelsea was 11 points behind the leaders at this time last season under Rafa Benitez, but is now within two points of Liverpool going into Thursdays match against Swansea. "We dont go to Christmas as leaders, but we go with evolution because last season the championship was already lost by this point," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said. "Now, we are there ... we are completely alive." Chelsea and Arsenal drew 0-0 on Monday to leave the Gunners two points ahead in second. Arsenal has another derby on Thursday against West Ham. ___ MERRY MARTINEZ With only one loss in 17 league matches, Roberto Martinez has spent his first season at Everton trying to downplay expectations. The Merseyside club is only out of the top four due to Chelseas superior goal difference. "I feel we havent reached our full potential and that excites me," Martinez said ahead of Thursdays match against last-place Sunderland. Last year it was Martinez in charge of a struggling team, with Wigan going on to be relegated before he was handed the Everton job. A draw against Sunderland would put Everton on 37 points, surpassing Martinezs total haul of 36 points with Wigan last season. As for the man Martinez replaced? David Moyes and Manchester United travel to Hull in eighth place, six points behind Everton. ___ JOB HUNTING West Bromwich Albion travels to Tottenham still searching for a manager almost two weeks after firing Steve Clarke. Tottenham only dismissed its manager, Andre Villas-Boas, last week, but has already replaced him. Tim Sherwood was surprisingly entrusted with his first managerial job. "Were two sides who are a probably little bit unsettled at the moment," West Brom interim manager Keith Downing said. But Sherwood isnt exactly inheriting a Tottenham team in crisis, despite the club feeling the need to fire Villas-Boas last week. While in temporary charge on Sunday, Sherwood oversaw a 3-2 victory at Southampton that put Tottenham within four points of fourth-place Chelsea. While the 44-year-old Sherwoods appointment was a surprise, given his lack of managerial experience, he does know Tottenham, having been part of the coaching setup since 2008. "Ive known it from the grass roots right up to the first team, worked at every level of the football club and played here, so I know it better than most," Sherwood said. ___ CARDIFF STAND-OFF Malky Mackay remains in charge at Cardiff for Thursdays game against Southampton. Mackay was asked to quit by owner Vincent Tan — and looked set to be fired — before being handed a reprieve on Sunday. But with Mackays fractured relationship with Tan yet to be healed, chairman Mehmet Dalman concedes the south Wales club might still have to act swiftly to bring in a new manager to restore stability. Chukwuma Okorafor Jersey . - Andre Drummond had his best night on the boards. Sean Davis Jersey . Tyrell appeared in seven games with the Lightning this year, he had no points in those appearances. The 24-year-old has seven goals and 17 assists in 132 career NHL games, all coming with the Lightning. He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, of the 2007 draft. http://www.footballsteelerstore.us/Black...Edmunds-Jersey/. - A Tuesday funeral is planned in Toronto for 20-year-old Saginaw Spirit forward Terry Trafford. Sean Davis Steelers Jersey . With the union re-formed, negotiations with owners will resume Friday on the remaining issues that would be in the collective bargaining agreement, according to a person familiar with the plans. Steelers Jerseys . - The Baltimore Ravens have hired Steve Spagnuolo to be their secondary coach and assistant head coach.NEW YORK -- When Zack Wheeler put the first two batters on in the second inning, he dialed it up with three strikeouts. When he saw how his pitch count was a bit high, he threw more to contact. Either way, everything is starting to work for the rising star. Wheeler struck out 10 in a gritty performance, Eric Campbell hit a three-run homer and the New York Mets beat the free-swinging Chicago Cubs 3-2 Friday night. "When he gets you in certain situations, those guys, they dont know whats coming," said manager Terry Collins, complimenting Wheelers assortment of pitches. "They just cant sit on one pitch." Wheeler (8-8) threw a career-high 120 pitches in 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and four hits. He walked four and hit a batter but overpowered the Cubs in winning his fifth consecutive decision. "The big thing is trying to keep my pitch count down and I really havent been able to do that," Wheeler said when talking about going deeper in games. The Cubs entered having struck out 77 times in their previous seven games, including 16 on Thursday in a loss to Milwaukee. Five of their first six outs Friday came by the K, and they fanned 14 times overall. Pitching with a hernia, Jenrry Mejia fanned one in a perfect ninth for his 18th save. "We have been facing some pretty good pitching. This guy today was pretty good, too," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "When you face arms like that, it happens. I thought we had a lot of really strong at-bats in terms of driving his pitch count up." Travis Wood (7-10) gave up three runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings to drop to 0-5 in his last 11 starts. The Mets rebounded from a dreadful three-game sweep at the hands of the NL East-leading Washington Nationals to beat the Centrals last-place Cubs for just the first time in four meetings between the teams this season. Chicago swept three games at Wrigley Field in June. "We need to start playing better, theres no doubt about it," Campbell said. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the third -- the one inning Wheeler did not record a K -- behind Anthony Rizzos run-scoring groundout and Staarlin Castros RBI single.dddddddddddd Campbell hit the second homer of his career an out after Wood walked David Wright and Lucas Duda. "Walks killed me," Wood said. TRAINERS ROOM Cubs: Luis Valbuena is being held out of the starting lineup Friday and Saturday. Renteria thinks the scuffling infielder needs a break. Valbuena also has a cold. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter to end the game to fall to 1 for 30. Mets: Right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka (elbow inflammation) will make a rehabilitation start for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday. Collins says he is not sure where Matsuzaka will fit when he returns. UP NEXT Cubs: Right-hander Dan Straily, obtained in the trade that sent Jeff Samardzija to Oakland on July 5, will make his Cubs debut. Renteria said Straily is being called up from Triple-A Iowa to give the rest of the rotation an extra days rest. The team is in a stretch of having a game on 20 straight days. OF Junior Lake is being sent to Iowa. Mets: Jonathon Niese (6-8) is 2-4 with a 5.26 ERA against the Cubs. Castro is 5 for 16 (.313) with a homer and five RBIs against the left-hander WISHFUL THINKING Some Mets fans recently have called for their beleaguered team to make a deal with the shortstop-rich Cubs for Castro. If Castro, who is signed with Chicago through 2019, has his say, hell stay right where he is. "I know a lot of teams could have me and want me, but Im here and I dont want to leave here," Castro said. THAT DIDNT WORK When Juan Lagares hit a one-out fly to right field in the sixth, Campbell took off running. Collins said he was given a steal sign, but Campbell was at third base before he turned back. Ryan Sweeney made an easy throw into the infield for the double play. Rizzo, the first baseman, dropped the ball and catcher Wellington Castillo had to pick it up and step on the base for a rare 9-3-2 double play. ITS OFFICIAL The Mets gave OF Chris Young his unconditional release. Young, who is making $7.25 million this year, was designated for assignment last week after hitting .205 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 254 at-bats. 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