FRIDAY:
BRENTFORD V WATFORD
Brentford will again be without Ivan Toney in this one due to a positive COVID test from the week before. They did ok without him in their draw with Leeds last weekend as Sergi Canos stepped up as their main attacker but the Bees will still miss him because of what he offers at the top end of the pitch.
The Bees took four points off Watford in the Championship last season and will believe that they can take point off them again. But without Ivan Toney in their attack, they could struggle in this one.
I've said many times that Watford have been a strange team under Ranieri because of the inconsistency of their results and performances. This might be a game that they can win as its a winnable game for them which will be good news after a tough run of fixtures in recent weeks. They occasionally nick the odd win at times and this could be a game where that will happen.
PREDICTION: 1-2
As Brentford are without Toney I'm going for a Watford in here. They have looked indifferent under Ranieri and because of that I can see them nick a win here.
SATURDAY:
MAN CITY V WOLVES
Mistakes cost City in their midweek defeat to RB Leipzig where its fair to say that they were not at their best. They sat off Leipzig when they were near their penalty area and although they had some decent chances on the night, it was still a disappointing performance from them.
They'll be happy to have Kevin De Bruyne back after returning to action in midweek and he's come back at a good time with this stage of the season being the busiest. They'll need all their best players available if they're to stay in touching distance at the top because the games will be coming in thick and fast and they won't want to lose any of them to injury.
Wolves have hit a stumbling block in recent weeks having not scored in any of their last 3 games. They were ticking along nicely under Bruno Lage prior to those games but now it appears that their goal scoring problems have returned to bite them.
They put in a good shift against Liverpool last time out where they defended well for all game by being organised and getting in the way of attempts on goals. They'll be disappointed that they didn't get at least a point but they'll be happy with the defensive performance that they put in.
PREDICTION: 3-0
I'm backing City to show a reaction in this one as they're good at bouncing back from defeats. With Kevin De Bruyne back from injury and other players in good form, I can see them be too strong for Wolves.
ARSENAL V SOUTHAMPTON
It's back to the drawing board for Arsenal following 3 defeats from their last 4 four games which has in turn brought them back to reality. They have improved over the course of the season but their recent results suggest that they're still a long way off where they want to be.
They missed Emile Smith Rowe against Everton on Monday night because they missed his creativity which was clearly lacking as they struggled to get in behind Everton's stubborn defence. They did have Odegaard on the pitch, but without Smith Rowe they're not the same team as they are with him.
Southampton are that team who just can't see games out. They've dropped 14 points from winning positions this season which is more than any other side and one of the reasons for it could be down to their high pressing style of play. They work hard out of possession so they can try and win the ball back. But doing that for the entire 90 minutes can tire the players out because of the amount of energy they've used up.
The Saints will still play the same way as it's been their identity ever since Ralph Hasenhuttl came to the club. But they need to start tweaking it if they're to avoid another collapse like season.
PREDICTION: 1-0
Arsenal may still be without their most creative player in Emile Smith Rowe for this one, but I still think they'll get the win here. They have players going forward who can win them a game and if they can step up, they should win here.
CHELSEA V LEEDS
Chelsea had a bit of a wobble recently following their defeat to West Ham last weekend and their draw with Zenit in midweek. They didn't look as solid as they usually are in those games which could be down to the chopping and changing of personnel in that area over the last few games. Changing personnel in your defence can have a negative effect on a team and Tuchel needs to decide what his best backline is soon.
Leeds have been dealt a triple injury blow going into this one with Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford all picking up injuries. Bamford did make his return against Brentford last weekend where he scored the crucial equaliser, but is sadly again side-lined. Phillips on the other hand is set for a lengthy spell out which is a massive blow for them because of how much they miss him when he's not available.
They were beginning to be get their season restarted following a win and a draw in each of their last two games but the injuries they've picked up have brought them back down to earth.
PREDICTION: 3-0
With Leeds missing a couple of key players through injury, I've got to hand Chelsea the win here. They have had a wobble recently but with Lukaku back among the goals, they should win this one.
LIVERPOOL V ASTON VILLA
Liverpool had to be patient in their win over Wolves last weekend and that patience eventually paid off with Divock Origi scoring the winning goal from the bench. The Belgian will be full of confidence after getting another one against AC Milan in midweek and he's hit form at a good time because of how quickly the games are coming over the next few weeks.
The reds will have the majority of their big hitters back for this one after most of them were rested in midweek apart from Mane and Salah. With the likes of Alexander Arnold, Van Dijk, Fabinho and Henderson set to return, the reds should get something here.
Steven Gerrard will be returning to Anfield for the first time since he left Liverpool in 2015 and I'm sure that he's going to get a good reception from the home fans because of the player he was for them during his time at the club. He'll definitely be looking forward to this game.
Gerrard has done a good job since he's been at Aston Villa as he's taken them from a point or two above the relegation zone to the top half of the table. The players have enjoyed working under him since he's been there and he's clearly got a tune out of them with the strong start he's made.
PREDICTION: 2-0
I've got to go for a Liverpool win here because I think they'll have enough quality to win the game. Gerrard will of course want a win on his Anfield return but the reds will still have enough to win the game because of the quality they have compared to Villa.
NORWICH V MAN UNITED
Norwich weren't terrible in their defeat to Spurs last time out but they'll still feel disappointed as they had some good chances which they didn't take. Goals have been a problem for them all season and their defeat to Spurs showed that their issues are still there. They have looked a bit more resolute since Dean Smith has come in but their goal scoring problems still exist.
Man United looked a bit sloppy in midweek against Young Boys as they gave the ball away quite a few times. The defenders didn't look comfortable in possession when the Swiss team closed them down and they gifted them some good chances as a result of that.
They made wholesale changes in midweek and the players rested will be expected to return in this one. As a result of that they'll be feeling refreshed and ready to go which is what Ralf Rangnick will want because of his high pressing style of play.
PREDICTION: 0-2
I've got to give United the win here because I think they'll have more than enough to win this game. With their big players back after being rested in midweek, they'll hopefully have no problems in getting a result here.
SUNDAY:
BURNLEY V WEST HAM
Burnley need to start winning games and quickly because this is the stage of the season that they need to get results. I've been confident all season in saying that they'll stay up but at the moment I do worry for them a bit because of their lack of wins.
The Clarets have a decent record against West Ham with 4 wins from their last 7 against them in the Premier League. But given the season they're having compared to their opponents, continuing that record here will be tough.
West Ham looked back to their best against Chelsea last weekend where they showed great character to come from behind and win the game. They lost a bit of momentum going into that game with their previous results going against them and now they have the opportunity to restore the momentum they had earlier in the season.
This will be the stage of the season where the Hammers' squad depth will really be tested because of the amount of games coming up between now and the end of the month. Their current squad isn't the biggest on paper and although they've coped well with the Europa League distraction, their squad depth will still be tested.
PREDICTION: 0-2
I'm backing West Ham to win this one because I can see them carry the confidence gained from their win over Chelsea. Burnley will try and make it difficult for them but I think Michail Antonio's energy up top will cause them problems.
LEICESTER V NEWCASTLE
Leicester have not looked convincing defensively this season and especially from set pieces. They've conceded more goals from set pieces than any other team this season and their defeat to Aston Villa was an example of how poor they have been in that area. Both of the goals they conceded came from set pieces and they need to sort that problem out fast if they're to push up the table.
Despite their struggles defensively the Foxes do still pose a threat going forward which they have shown occasionally this season. They looked brilliant in attack in their last home game against Watford a couple of weekends ago and with Newcastle not looking watertight at the back, they could punish them like they did to Watford.
Newcastle finally got off the mark with their win over Burnley last weekend and now they need to follow it up so they can build some momentum and consistency. The result will give them some much needed confidence but following it up won't be straight forward as they have some tough games coming up before New Year including this one.
PREDICTION: 3-1
Newcastle will be feeling confident after getting their first win of the season last weekend. But I think Leicester will win this one because I can see their attack being too much for the Magpies. With the creative ark of Maddison and the pace of Vardy up top, I can see them cause Newcastle's shaky defence all kinds of problems.
CRYSTAL PALACE V EVERTON
Crystal Palace are in some sticky form at the moment having lost their last three and not won any of their last four. They haven't been on a run like this all season despite the amount of draws they had earlier in the season and now they need to pick themselves up again so they don't get dragged into a relegation battle.
They never looked in the game against Man United last weekend with United having more of the ball and the better chances on the day. They'll have more of the ball in this one as they're up against an Everton side who will set up to be hard to beat. But they'll need to be ruthless when they get some chances.
Everton picked up a massive win on Monday night against Arsenal and it was a result they needed. They needed a response after the derby defeat to Liverpool and they got one by putting in a disciplined and organised performance. That along with the result will give them a massive confidence boost.
The pressure on Rafa will still be there as they need to get more results like the Arsenal one if they're to push themselves further up the table. But those results may have to wait with Calvert Lewin and Yerry Mina still out injured.
PREDICTION: 1-1
There have been a lot of draws when these two sides have met over the last few seasons and I can see that trend carry on here. Palace aren't always clinical in front of goal whilst Everton are missing their best striker in Dominic Calvert Lewin. With that thrown into the mix I can only see this game going one way.
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