SATURDAY:
ASTON VILLA V ARSENAL
Aston Villa won this fixture last season 1-0 which played a huge role in them staying up thanks to a goal from Trezeguet. It was arguably the game that kept them up as it was the penultimate game of the season and it gave them the platform to get a result in their final game against West Ham which they did. Villa had an off day in midweek against West Ham because they weren't at their best overall and keeper Emiliano Martinez had a surprisingly poor game. He should've saved at least two of the goals that Villa conceded because he got a touch on the ball as it went in but the save wasn't strong enough to push the ball away. Dean Smith will want a reaction from his players in his one because he always expects his players to bounce back from a defeat and having already beaten Arsenal away this season, he'll believe that his side can beat them again.
Arsenal's 7 game unbeaten run came to an end in midweek as they were beaten 2-1 by Wolves with 9 men. David Luiz's red card shouldn't have been given because he barely touched Willian Jose as he went down and he wasn't trying to win the ball as he was rushing back. Bernd Leno's red card however was the right decision because he handled the ball outside the area as he was trying to help his defenders out. With Leno suspended for this one, I do worry for Arsenal in the goalkeeping department because new signing Matt Ryan whose on loan from Brighton is not fully fit and I'm not sure about Alex Runarsson. I watched him in their Carabao Cup defeat at Man City back in December and he didn't look very comfortable as he gifted City two goals in a 4-1 defeat. With him likely to start, I do fear for Arsenal at the back unless he's put that game behind him and move on.
I'm going for a Villa win because Arsenal are without their first choice keeper in Leno and with Runarsson likely to start, I don't think Arsenal's defence will be as assured. Due to the mistakes he made on his last start, I can see him make some in this one. Especially when he faces players like Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish.
PREDICTION: 2-0
BURNLEY V BRIGHTON
Burnley will want to get back to winning ways in this one after back to back defeats to Chelsea and Man City. They were games they weren't expected to get anything out of, but they'll still want to avoid a third straight defeat because Sean Dyche will not want his team to be drawn back into the relegation mix. They'll once again be without Chris Wood for this one due to a thigh injury and they may also be without Ashley Barnes. The Clarets missed the pair of them against City because they're the best strikers at the club and they work well as a partnership whenever they're on the pitch. Burnley are the lowest goal scorers in the league and if they're to score more, they need to get Wood and Barnes back fit as soon as possible. Matej Vydra and Jay Rodriguez are good strikers, but Wood and Barnes are more effective on the pitch than Vydra and Rodriguez.
Brighton are on a good run at the moment and are also full confidence after back to back wins over Spurs and Liverpool. They were excellent in all departments against Liverpool in midweek by causing problems going forward and being very solid at the back. They made vital interventions whenever Liverpool were near their goal and they gave it a real go when they went forward which is a huge credit to them and Graham Potter. It was an excellent performance throughout and they'll be looking to carry that performance into their next number of games so they can pull themselves further away from a relegation battle. They looked like they were in trouble a month ago and they now appear to be turning it around with three wins from their last four games which has given them some much needed confidence.
I think this one will be a draw because both sides don't score many goals but can be strong defensively. Burnley are the lowest scorers in the league and Brighton miss a lot of chances and I can see that being the case in this one.
PREDICTION: 1-1
NEWCASTLE V SOUTHAMPTON
Newcastle have put in some promising displays recently and have been more on the front foot than they were a few weeks ago. They started well against Crystal Palace by scoring in the second minute of the game and had many chances to add to that. But Palace stole the game from them by coming from behind and going ahead making Newcastle pay for the chances that they missed. The Magpies are definitely playing better than they were during that long spell without a win and the performances they've been putting in are more encouraging than they were one or two weeks ago. Steve Bruce was under a lot of pressure this time last week and the Everton game was a must not lose for him and his side. His side got the three points on that day to ease the pressure on him and a result in this one could ease the pressure further.
How will Southampton come back from another 9-0 defeat? The next few games could show us. The first sending off changed the game against United because red cards often change games and as it was in the second minute of the game, it set the tone for a very one sided game. The players appeared to give up after the second red because they conceded two goals in added time and when a player gets sent off when you're losing by a bag full of goals, you want to be a bit more defensive so you don't concede more goals. The second red itself shouldn't have been given because Bednarek barely touched Martial as he went down and Martial was going down before Bednarek made slight contact with him. At least the suspension for Bednarek was overturned because it was never a red card and overturning it was the right decision.
I'm going for a Newcastle win in this one because they're playing on the front foot more and their performances are more encouraging. Southampton have a lot of players out injured and that has contributed to their poor form so Newcastle for the win.
PREDICTION: 2-1
FULHAM V WEST HAM
Fulham chances of staying up were dealt a huge blow last week as they drew with West Brom on Saturday and lost to Leicester in midweek. The Cottagers are without a win in 11 games and with their last win coming in November away at Leicester. They're not scoring enough goals which I've said a lot over the last few weeks and that is the main reason why they're in this position and why I think they'll go down. They're not terrible defensively like they were earlier in the season but going forward they're almost as bad. The strikers appear to have no confidence and especially Aleksandar Mitrovic who is without a goal since September. He was supposed to be the man to fire Fulham to safety at the start of the season because of the amount of goals he scored in the Championship last season and he hasn't brought that goal scoring prowess into the Premier League like most of us expected him to. Scott Parker will want him to find his shooting boots soon if Fulham are to stay up this season.
West Ham could move into the top four with a win in this one as they're currently two points behind 4th placed Liverpool. Jesse Lingard had a dream debut as he scored twice in their 3-1 win at Aston Villa in midweek and David Moyes has already backed him to make a return to the England squad for the Euros. That is a very bold move by his manager as its early on in his West Ham but if he can play like he did against Villa on a more consistent basis, he has a chance of returning to the England fold but it will be tough due to the options England have in that area. David Moyes has to be a contender for manager of the season because of the job he's done at West Ham and where they are in the table. He deserves a lot of credit for the job he's done and he has proven a lot of people wrong by leading West Ham into this good position.
I'm going for a West Ham win in this one because they've won every away game so far in 2021 and Fulham are not on a good run of form. Because of this I can see the Hammers win this one comfortably without any serious problems.
PREDICTION: 0-2
MAN UNITED V EVERTON
Man United will be full confidence after their record equalling 9-0 win over Southampton in midweek. Southampton may have ended the game with 9 men which influenced the score line but United will still be full of confidence because they scored plenty of goals and put in a good performance on the day. This game could put their title credentials to the test because they're up against a more difficult opposition than the last one the their opponents themselves are having a decent enough season. If United are to challenge for the title, they need to beat teams like Everton because teams in Everton's position do have the ability to pull off a result when no one expects it. United don't have any serious injury concerns going into this came which will be good news for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because he wants his best team available for this one as they're up against a tough opponent with some top players in their team.
Everton had Robin Olsen to thank for in their win at Leeds in midweek as the Swedish keeper made countless saves to keep the score at 2-1 and earn Everton themselves the three points. Dominic Calvert Lewin ended his seven game scoring drought in that game by scoring the second goal which will give him the confidence to score more because goals give strikers like him confidence and he's scored a lot of goals already this season in 12. Gylfi Sigurdsson impressed in the win against Leeds and stepped up in the absence of James Rodriguez by scoring the first goal and creating chances for his teammates from the no.10 position. This shows how strong Everton's squad is because they have players like Sigurdsson who can come in and do a job for the team when one of the regulars is either unavailable or being rested like James was in midweek. With a squad like this, Everton have a strong chance of having a successful season.
I'm going for a Man United win because they won the reverse fixture and will be full of confidence after the Southampton game. Everton will make it a tough game for them but with the quality they have going forward, I think they'll just edge it.
PREDICTION: 2-1
SUNDAY:
TOTTENHAM V WEST BROM
This is a game that Spurs have to win because they've lost their last three games and will not want to lose four on the spin. They're missing Harry Kane a lot because he's an important part of the team and Heung Min Son doesn't play as well without him. Son was usually the one who steps up in Kane's absence because of how versatile he is. But now he appears to be suffering without him because of the partnership they have on the pitch which has been very influential for Spurs this season. Spurs aren't the same team when one of them is unavailable and that has been shown in their last two games against Brighton and Chelsea in which they lost both. The other attacking players need to step up because Spurs have relied a lot on Kane and Son this season and they need their other attacking players like Gareth Bale, Steven Bergwijn and Vinicius Junior to contribute a bit more. They still have Dele Alli in their squad, but will Mourinho pick him?
Sam Allardyce's task of keeping West Brom in the Premier League was made even more difficult in midweek as they were beaten 2-1 by fellow strugglers Sheffield United. The Baggies are now one point off the bottom and 10 points from safety which is putting Sam Allardyce's record of never been relegated under threat. I can't see the Baggies stay up from this position because the teams above the relegation zone are pulling themselves away and that is making it more difficult for the teams in the bottom three to fulfil their task is avoiding relegation. The Baggies will hope their new signings will help with two looking to make their debuts in Ainsley Maitland Niles on loan from Arsenal and Okay Yokuslu on loan from Celta Vigo. Whenever Big Sam makes signings in January, they usually make an impact and that is what he'll wanting from them over the next few games if West Brom are to stay up.
I think Spurs will win this because West Brom don't offer much going forward. Spurs may not have been at their best in recent weeks, they should still have enough to beat a struggling West Brom team.
PREDICTION: 2-0
WOLVES V LEICESTER
Wolves ended their nine game winless run in midweek by coming from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1. Nuno Espirito Santo must have breathed a huge sigh of relief after the final whistle because his side were desperate for a win after going so long without one and it was they needed in order to boost their confidence and restart their season. The first sending off changed the game because Arsenal were in control in the first half and in the second half Wolves scored a few minutes after the restart and went on to win the game. They will be hoping that the win over Arsenal will kick-start their season because the manager has set his team high standards since he's been at the club and he'll be hoping that his team return to those standards by winning more football matches to get themselves back in the top half of the table. A Europa League place is beyond them but a top half finish is definitely achievable because of the squad and manager they have.
Leicester will be delighted to have Jamie Vardy back for this one after missing the last three games through injury. The foxes missed their talisman whilst he was out because they didn't have someone who can run in behind like he does. Kelechi Iheanacho took his chance in midweek by scoring the first goal in their win at Fulham in midweek plus he linked up really well with James Maddison like Vardy does. Iheanacho looks a better option up top than Ayoze Perez because he's more of a goal scorer and plays like a number 9 unlike Perez who I think is more of a no.10 as he doesn't make the runs in behind defences like Vardy does. Now that Vardy is back, Leicester will have more of a threat going forward because his pace is key to the way they play and that will enable the likes of Maddison and Albrighton to play balls in behind defensces for Vardy to run onto.
I think Leicester will win this one because they have Vardy back and they're good away from home. Wolves will make it close but with Vardy back for the Foxes, I can see them edge it.
PREDICTION: 1-2
LIVERPOOL V MAN CITY
After going 68 games at home without defeat, Liverpool have suddenly lost two homes on the spin in losing to Burnley and Brighton. They were looking more like themselves in the games leading up to their defeat to Brighton by being clinical in attack and devastating on the break. They were not that against Brighton because they missed a lot of chances and they struggled to find a way past a rigid Brighton backline who restricted the reds to just one shot on target. Jurgen Klopp said his players looked mentally and physically fatigued after the game because he felt that side weren't fresh enough enough after two intense games including the win over West Ham. He'll want a reaction in this one because they're playing the league leaders and will want his boys to be at it for whole 90 minutes. If not they'll be punished because that is what City do whenever they're out there on the pitch.
Man City haven't won at Anfield since 2003 which is their only success there in Premier League history and Phil Foden was just 2 years old. This makes the game a must win for them because they would love to break their Anfield hoodoo and they feel that this is a good opportunity for them to do that because of Liverpool's recent form at home since new year. This game last season was the match that pretty much ended City's title hopes as Liverpool went nine points clear of City and then went on to win the title itself. With City leading the way this time round, they'll be looking to end their Anfield hoodoo by winning this one and ending Liverpool's title hopes in the process like City did in this fixture last season. With the form City are currently in, they'll believe that they can finally get a win at Anfield after many unsuccessful attempts.
I'm going for a draw in this one because of City's poor record at Anfield and Liverpool not quite firing at home yet. Both sides will give it a go because the way they both play but as they both have key players missing, I can't see a winner from either side.
PREDICTION: 1-1
SHEFFIELD UNITED V CHELSEA
Could Sheffield United pull off the great escape? Well, they've given themselves a chance of doing that with 3 wins from their last 5 and they appear to have more belief now than they did a couple of months ago. A draw or a win in this one will could move them off the bottom because they're 1 point behind and have a better goal difference than 19th placed West Brom. Their win over West Brom in midweek increased their points tally to 11 which equalled Derby's total from 2007/08 meaning that the Blades won't be the worst team in Premier League history. I couldn't see them get more than 11 points at one stage because they were losing games and had no confidence in them to get results. They've turned that around since new year by winning games which have given the team the confidence and belief to win more games and hopefully stay up at the end of the season. There is still a long way to go but if they can win more games between now and the end of the season, they might pull off the unexpected.
Thomas Tuchel was made a decent start as Chelsea manager with two wins from his first three games with clean sheets kept in all of them. It looks like he's going with the three at the back after using it again in their win over Spurs in midweek and it appears to be working having won both of the games they've used it in against Burnley and Spurs. There were questions whether he would use the youngsters enough and he's doing that with Callum Hudson Odoi playing every game since since arrival, Mason Mount playing the last two including a man of the match performance against Spurs and Reece James making his first start under him in the win in midweek. Hudson Odoi looks to be a key part of his plans having been man of the match in the first games under Tuchel and Mount is taking the opportunities he's been given by putting in good performances in the last two games in which he has started both.
I'm towards a Chelsea win in this one because they've started well under Tuchel and I can see that good start continuing in this one. They've kept clean sheets in all their games under him and are playing some decent stuff which I can see them bring into this game.
PREDICTION: 0-2
MONDAY:
LEEDS V CRYSTAL PALACE
Leeds had a lot chances to rescue a point against Everton in midweek, but they were denied several times by Robin Olsen who kept Everton in front by making loads of saves. Leeds have probably been the most entertaining team to watch this season because they commit loads of men forward when they attack but do concede some goals at the other end. They're a great to watch and have brought plenty of excitement to the Premier League by playing some breath-taking football. They have been inconsistent which is probably what you expect from a newly promoted team but at the same time they're always playing on the front foot looking to cause their opponents all kinds of problems. A win in this one could see them move into the top half of the table because they're two points behind 10th placed Arsenal in 11th and for them to move up there they need Arsenal to lose to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Crystal Palace have a long list of players including talisman Wilfired Zaha who could be out for a while with a hamstring injury. The Eagles usually struggle without their main man because he brings so much to the team and without him Palace are not the same side. As he is likely to be out for a long time, Roy Hodgson will need to find a way of winning games without him in the side because he'll want to show that Palace are not a one man team and that others are capable of stepping up when the Ivorian is not there. Palace have won twice when Zaha has been unavailable which shows how important he is to this team and what they lack when he isn't around. They do have someone who is capable of stepping up in Eberechi Eze, but he still has work to do on his end product. He's been an excellent signing for Palace since arriving from QPR in the summer but if he's to step up in the absence of Zaha, he needs to add more goals to his game.
I'm going for a Leeds win in this one because Palace are without Zaha and they could do with him in a game like this. With the players that Leeds have in forward areas and Palace without Zaha, I think the whites will have just enough to win this one.
PREDICTION: 2-1
Σχόλια