SATURDAY (BOXING DAY)
LEICESTER V MAN UNITED
Leicester have struggled a bit at home this season with just 3 wins and four defeats whereas away from home they've won all but one of their games with their only loss coming at Liverpool. They got a good win at Spurs last time out and played well as they hit them on the counter a few times during the game. I don't know why they're not as good at home as they are away because they're second in the league and if they got points out of the games they lost at home, they might even be top of the table. They're having a fantastic season, but they need to get more points at home. This was the game that ended the Foxes' chances of a Champions League spot last season as they lost 2-0 and ended the season in fifth place. Brendan Rodgers will want his team to redeem themselves by getting a win in this one and begin improving their form at home.
Man United are a bit like Leicester because they've been brilliant on the road but not as good at home. But they did look like they're turning a corner with their home form with that thumping win over Leeds on Sunday. They started straight out of the blocks and scored twice in the first three minutes which set the tone for the rest of the game. They started brightly against Everton in the Carabao Cup in mid-week and got the win to put them in the semi finals. Solskjaer will want his team to start well in this one because they've gone behind in all their away games this season before going on to get the win. The pressure has eased off of Solskjaer in recent weeks with some good results which gives the players confidence and you can see that they're looking confident by the way they've started their last two games. But they need to stop conceding first away from home because it will catch up with them at some stage and especially in the big games like this one.
I think this one will be a United win because they're good away from home and Leicester aren't as good at home as they're away. With they way they've played their last two games and the players they have in forward areas, I think they'll have enough to beat Leicester.
PREDICTION: 1-3
ASTON VILLA V CRYSTAL PALACE
Villa haven't been as strong at home as they should be this season. They haven't won on home soil since the 7-2 win over Liverpool losing three and drawing one since that big win. They've been excellent away from home winning all but one of their games but at home they've been struggling recently. They missed a lot of chances in their last home game against Burnley and in the other games didn't do enough to claim the three points. They're still having a good season and Jack Grealish is still doing what he does, but their home form needs to improve if they want to finish in the top half this season. They won't be in a relegation battle this season because of where they are in the league and the team that manager Dean Smith has built this season. But they still need to improve at home so they can have no worries between no and the end of the season.
Crystal Palace will definitely want to put their last game behind them. They were not themselves against Liverpool because they were not as organised as they usually are and were completely blown away by a very good Liverpool side. They might've seen it as a free hit because it was against the champions, but Roy Hodgson would've wanted to see his side put in a better performance than they did on the day. He'll expect a reaction from his players after that result and I think anyone will expect a reaction from them because Palace themselves will want to show that they're still a good side and the Liverpool game was just a blip. They definitely have the players who can help them do that in Zaha and Eze and if they can show up in this one Palace have a every chance of getting something.
I'm going for a Palace win in this one because Villa haven't won at home in a while. The Eagles may have lost their last game 7-0, but I can see them react in this one by getting the three points in a game which I think will be pretty close.
PREDICTION: 1-2
FULHAM V SOUTHAMPTON
Fulham will be without manager Scott Parker for this one as he is isolating due to a member of his household having a positive test for COVID-19. He'll want his team to do him proud by winning this game. The Cottagers have drawn their last three games and now they need to turn those draws into wins so they can give themselves a good chance of staying up. They've looked more difficult to beat since the opening games of the season by being organised defensively and well disciplined in midfield as well as a team. But if they're to be a Premier League club next season, they need to start winning games consecutively because draws aren't enough to keep you in a league. They need to get Aleksandar Mitrovic firing because he's only got two goals this season and after scoring loads of them in the Championship last season, they'll want their talisman to start scoring with some big games coming up for them.
Southampton will be without some key players for this one in Danny Ings, Nathan Redmond, Yannick Vestergaard and Oriol Romeu. Ings will probably be the biggest miss for them because he's their main goal getter and Redmond has impressed off the bench in recent weeks by scoring big goals. They do however have players who can step up like Che Adams, James Ward Prowse and Theo Walcott because all of them have delivered when they've needed to this season. They'll need to step up if the likes of Ings and Redmond are out because both them give a lot to the team and they both make the Saints a dangerous side going forward. If Southampton win this won, they could be high as second which would be incredible considering where they were a year ago. Their revival from the 9-0 defeat to Leicester last season started around this time last year and they've gone from strength to strength ever since.
I think this one will be a Southampton win despite the key players they have missing. Fulham have been looking resolute this season, but I think the Saints have enough to secure the three points in this one.
PREDICTION: 0-2
ARSENAL V CHELSEA
This is a big game for both clubs and especially Arsenal. The team look low confidence and simply don't know how to win a game by looking at the way they've been playing over the last month. The pressure is on manager Mikel Arteta to get results because at the moment Arsenal appear to be in a relegation battle and if they don't want to be there they need to start winning games so they can push themselves up the table. The main problem they have at the moment is creativity in midfield because as a team they're not scoring goals and goals come through creativity in the midfield. It was a mistake to leave Mesut Ozil out of the squad because he's a player who can provide creativity in the midfield. He won't improve Arsenal's team instantly, but he'll make them slightly better by being there and creating chances which is what he does when at his best. If Arsenal lose this one, Arteta will be under more pressure than he already is.
Chelsea returned to winning ways as they beat West Ham 3-0 on Monday night. That win put them up to 5th and one point outside the top four as well as six behind leaders Liverpool. They'll once again be without Hakim Ziyech along with Ben Chilwell who will both be missed because they've both been good signings for Chelsea this season. They do have Callum Hudson Odoi back who will be hoping to feature in this one so he can show his manager what he can do and how effective he can be on the pitch. He's a player who is very talented and if he's to start more games for Chelsea, this is game where he needs to deliver so he can put himself in the managers thoughts and show how good is. Frank Lampard will have a decision to make in whether to start Tammy Abraham or Olivier Giroud. Tammy Abraham will want to start after netting twice against West Ham but Giroud will also want to start with the game being against his former club. Whoever starts up top, they'll be effective on the pitch for sure.
I'm going with a Chelsea win here because of the form that Arsenal are in. Chelsea are looking a better team than the Gunners and I think they'll win this game comfortably.
PREDICTION: 0-2
MAN CITY V NEWCASTLE
Man City looked like themselves in their Carabao Cup win in mid-week against Arsenal as they won 4-1. Sergio Aguero is building up match fitness which is good news because City have missed him a lot this season which I have said a lot this season. Gabriel Jesus may have scored in mid-week and played well but Aguero is still the main man for CIty in terms of goals. Finishing teams off this season has been a concern for City this season but at the other end they're looking more solid than they were last season. Ruben Dias has been a good signing whilst John Stones is arguably been in the form of his life. He's looked solid in every game he's played for City this season by taking a good look at himself and wanting to prove a point to his manager which he has done this season. He could be back in the England squad if he carries on like this between now and March which is the next International break.
Newcastle continue to be a team who have a good result one week and a bad result the next. Despite getting a draw against Fulham last weekend, the performance was not great as they started the game slow and didn't do enough to win the games itself. They didn't put in a good performance in mid-week as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Championship Brentford despite fielding a strong team. They always play well one week and then play poorly the next which for me has been the story of Newcastle's season. They look comfortable in 12th place but the fans want to see more from this Newcastle side because they have good forward players and the football is not the best to watch at times. They'll have enough to stay out of a relegation battle, but the fans will want consistency in their performances and results.
I think City will win this one because they have more quality than Newcastle. They have struggled to kill teams off this season, but I can still see them put in a performance like the one they produced in mid-week.
PREDICTION: 4-0
SHEFFIELD UNITED V EVERTON
Sheffield United stopped the rot with a draw at Brighton last weekend and they put in a decent performance. They were defensively solid throughout but sadly didn't hold on for their first win of the season. Chris Wilder will be glad that they didn't lose that one because of the amount of games they've lost this season and he'll hope that his players carry that performance into this game as they look to claim their first win of the season. I thought Wilder was facing the sack after their defeat to Southampton a couple of weeks ago but the board are showing that they have faith in him to turn things around and they're hoping that he can do that soon so they can get some more points on the board. If the blades don't get anything from with one, they're hopes of staying up will be done.
Everton are in good form going into this one despite going out of the Carabao Cup in mid-week. They beat Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal in their last three games and those games were not easy as they were all against tough opposition. They were defensively solid in all those games and having Seamus Coleman back in the team is huge because of the experience he has and what he offers this current Everton team both defensively and offensively. They'll probably be without Richarlison for this one after the Brazilian picked up a head injury in mid-week which is a big blow for them because they missed him whilst he was out earlier in the season as they dropped points. With James Rodriguez also likely to be out as well, it could be a tough evening for the toffees.
I think this one will be an Everton win because they have more quality than Sheffield United. They may be without the likes of James Rodriguez and Richarlison for this one, but at least they'll have top scorer Dominic Calvert Lewin available to them and I can see him scoring in this one.
PREDICTION: 0-2
SUNDAY:
LEEDS V BURNLEY
Leeds have been one of the teams to watch this season all because of the way they play. That however comes at a cost like it did against Man United last week. They tried to play on the front foot like they have done all season but were exposed time and time again with Kalvin Phillips receiving no help from his fellow midfielders as United went on to win the game 6-2. Starting games on the front foot is why Leeds have been one of the teams to watch this season only to then be exposed later on. They'll play like that every game because that's how the manager wants them to play and its the only way they can play because of the manager they have. As we're now in the busy Christmas schedule, we could see Leeds being burned out because of the intensity they play at which leads to the players being absolutely exhausted. They'll probably be looking knackered by the end of the month because of how they play and the amount of games they've got to play within the next couple of weeks.
Burnley are beginning to gather some momentum after beating Wolves on Monday which extended their unbeaten run to four games. They're picking up results at a good time because we've entered the busy part of the season and with some winnable games coming up for them, they have a great chance of pulling themselves further away from the relegation zone. They're looking like the Burnley we know in being difficult to beat and well organised which has served them well since they've been in the Premier League. Having both Tarkowski and Mee back at the back has been huge because they're better defensively when both of them are in the team and with Nick Pope behind them, Burnley have a better chance of keeping clean sheets against the teams around them. If they can win their next two or three games, they should stay up because they have a manager who can get them away from trouble and have a good enough squad to stay in this league.
I think Burnley will win this one because I can see them hold on and hit Leeds on the counter. Leeds will play how they play, and because of how Burnley play I can see the Clarets go up the other end and nick it.
PREDICTION: 0-1
WEST HAM V BRIGHTON
West Ham haven't won this fixture since Brighton have been in the Premier League and that is something they'll want to put right. They've drawn two and lost one of their three meetings with the Seagulls over the last three seasons and with their position in the table, they'll see themselves as the favourites. The Hammers sacked Manuel Pellegrini around this time last year with the club heading into a relegation battle for the rest of the season. Since then David Moyes has steadied the ship and has got them into the top 10 in which no one thought they would be at this stage of the season. They've looked solid at the back and decent up top even though Michail Antonio has been out injured. He'll hopefully be back for them soon and that would be a big boost for them because he offers more as a striker than Sebastian Haller does. If West Ham can get him back soon, they should have a comfortable second half to the season.
Brighton look to be in a relegation battle because of one thing. They don't finish their chances. The Seagulls are only two points off the relegation zone making this game a must win for them. Graham Potter will hopefully be looking for a striker in January because they need one and with the amount of chances they don't take, they'll want someone who is clinical in front of goal. They have two good frontmen in Neal Maupay and Danny Welbeck, but the rest of the team aren't helping them out by chipping in the odd one from time to time. They could bring back Glenn Murray from his loan spell at Watford because a striker of his experience could really help them massively. He was an important player for Brighton in their first two seasons in this league and they could with someone like him to help the other strikers in the squad out.
I think this one will be a West Ham win because they look more likely to score than Brighton. They're both in defence and in midfield plus they have forward players who can chip in when they need to. I can see that in this one.
PREDICTION: 2-0
LIVERPOOL V WEST BROM
Liverpool are probably title favourites as they're six points clear and spent Christmas top of the tree again. Roberto Firmino is scoring goals again with three in his last two games whilst Mohamed Salah is looking like the player he was in his first season with the amount of goals he's scored and the way he's been playing this season. Their 7-0 win at Crystal Palace last weekend showed why they were favourites because of how clinical they are in attack and the strength of the rest of their squad. They're coping fairly well without Virgil Van Dijk with Fabinho stepping in and playing well during the Dutchman's absence. I think the reds should still buy a centre back in January with Joe Gomez also out, but they're doing better than I thought they would without Van Dijk.
Sam Allardyce did not get off to the best start last week as West Brom were beaten 3-0 by Villa. He realised how tough a job he's got to do in order to keep the Baggies in the Premier League because of the defeat and the nature of it as well. It didn't help with Jake Livermore getting sent and I think that changed the game because Villa went on to win it comfortably even though they were 1-0 up before the sending off. Big Sam will be looking forward for the January transfer window to open because he'll be able to bring in some players to help him keep the Baggies in the league. He'll need to get through some tough games first with Leeds and Arsenal to follow this one.
I think this one will be a Liverpool win because they have too much for West Brom. With the way that they played against Crystal Palace, I can see the reds win this one fairly comfortably like they did last weekend.
PREDICTION: 3-0
WOLVES V TOTTENHAM
Wolves' defeat to Burnley showed how much they're missing Raul Jimenez. His presence up top was missed because they could've done with him on the day because of how organised Burnley were on that day. Last time Wolves faced one of the big boys they beat Chelsea which was a week ago. I didn't think they would win that game, but they did and they won it well. Nuno Espirito Santo will want his side to play like they did in that one in this game because he always goes into the big games thinking that his side will get something from it and that has worked since Wolves have been in the Premier League. Evenm if they're without Raul Jimenez, they still have players like Traore, Neto and Podence who can cause Spurs damage. Neto and POdence were like that against Chelsea in their last home game.
Spurs have been a bit Spursy in recent games having dropped 8 points in their last three games. Those games saw them fall off the top of the Premier League and down to 6th where they now find themselves six points behind leaders Liverpool. They got a good win against Stoke in the Carabao Cup in mid-week and now Jose Mourinho will want his side to carry that result into this one so they can stop the slide they're currently on. Serge Aurier was back to his old ways against Leicester last week by conceding a silly penalty which was scored by Jamie Vardy to put Leicester 1-0 up. He's a bit like David Luiz in that he has a mistake in him and is bound to let his team down at some point. He let Spurs down on that particular day. Mourinho will not want him to make a similar mistake in this one because he wants to get his side back to winning ways and back into the top four so they can push Liverpool.
I think this one will be a close game because they both like to play on the counter. With Spurs in the middle of a blip and Wolves being a tough side to play against, I can see Spurs dropping points again. I'm going for a draw.
PREDICTION: 1-1
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