Premier League Predictions > Dec 26th & 27th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

Check out the latest odds and ratings for the Premier League fixtures that are coming up on Boxing Day and the day after. It's a packed week of fixtures next week with just a couple of days until their next games after this so please bear that in mind when making your predictions. Tell us your thoughts below so we can pool our knowledge and tips! 

[StevieDay1983]

Leicester vs Manchester United

The EFL Cup corpse of Everton isn't even cold yet and we're talking about Manchester United's next game as they kick-off the festive frolics with a 12:30pm GMT start against Leicester away in the Premier League at the King Power Stadium on Boxing Day. It's a battle between 2nd and 3rd in the table with the winners of this clash certain to have a confidence boost in their title push.

Leicester bounced back from their 2-0 defeat at home to Everton with an impressive 2-0 victory away to title rivals Tottenham last weekend. Brendan Rodgers could not have asked for a more resounding response from his players. The win has lifted the Foxes up to 2nd in the table and it's now 3 wins from their last 4 league games. Home form remains a concern for Rodgers with Leicester already losing 4 of their 7 league matches at home. It also doesn't help that they've not beaten Manchester United in their last 12 meetings in all competitions. The last Leicester win in this fixture being a 5-3 victory at home back on 21st September, 2014.

Manchester United took a step into the EFL Cup Semi-Finals tonight by beating Everton 2-0. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be delighted that his team continued their incredible away form. It's 9 wins from 9 away games in domestic competition for the Red Devils this season. The team has now won 10 away league games in a row stretching back from last season and haven't tasted defeat on the road in the league since 19th January, 2020. You can see United growing in confidence with every passing game. Scoring 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 7 league games also shows how dangerous this United team is going forward.

I'm interested to see how Leicester approach this game. If they sit back and play a similar game that they did against another counter attacking team in Tottenham then this match could pose problems for Manchester United. Right now, United are looking like a free-flowing attacking team who are manipulating the spaces left by opposition teams. Leicester won't afford them such space and I think this could be a tough game to call a winner. I'm going to have to back a Manchester United win purely based on the fact Leicester have been so inconsistent at home.

Manchester United to Win @ 2.45 with Unibet

BTTS @ 1.60 with Betway

[StevieDay1983]

Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

There are two 3pm GMT kick-offs in the Premier League on Boxing Day and the first one we're previewing here is between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park. The home side are looking to continue their resurgent form against a visiting team that will be completely demoralised after suffering a humiliating hammering at the hands of the reigning champions last weekend.

Aston Villa are still enjoying life at the right end of the table with the club in 9th place and only 3 points off the top four with 2 games in hand on a number of teams around them. Dean Smith has navigated his side through a troublesome patch of results to get them back on track. A watertight defence has found its resilience again to earn three clean sheets with the Villains earning 2 wins and 1 draw during that period. The fact that those two wins came against relative local rivals Wolves and West Brom will have done wonders for the morale around the club. Unfortunately, home form is a persistent worry for the club with the winless run at this venue extending to 4 league games now.

Crystal Palace come into this game having just lost 7-0 to Liverpool at home. It's up there as one of the heaviest defeats in Premier League history and you have to wonder how the Eagles can bounce back from that pasting. Roy Hodgson's side are in 13th place and 8 points clear of the relegation zone so the panic button won't have been pressed yet but any team that loses by that margin will have concerns. It's now 3 league games without a win for the London club and with just 1 win from their last 4 away matches in the league there's a worry that the drought could go on.

Meetings between these two clubs over recent years haven't exactly been exhilarating affairs. 7 of the last 8 encounters have seen less than 2.5 goals scored. Given Aston Villa's recent defensive displays and Crystal Palace undoubtedly keen to focus all their attention in training this week on shoring up their back-line I can see a similar case happening here. I just think Villa should have too much for Palace in this one.

Aston Villa to Win @ 2.00 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 2.10 with BetVictor

[StevieDay1983]

Fulham vs Southampton

The second 3pm GMT kick-off on Boxing Day in the Premier League that we're previewing is the clash between lowly placed Fulham and high-flying Southampton at Craven Cottage. This is a strange one because it feels like this is between two teams that are playing well right now but when you look at their recent results you soon realise that they could both really do with a win in this game.

Fulham might have only lost 1 of their last 5 league games but the club remains in 18th place and cemented inside the relegation zone. That has to be a worrying thought for Scott Parker. Admittedly, it's also just 1 win in those 5 league matches with the past three games ending in draws. It does feel like the Cottagers, and Parker himself, are adapting to life at this level but is it enough? Scoring goals remains a problem with the West London club still only managing to score more than 1 goal in a game in 4 of their 14 league games so far. It's also just 2 goals scored in their last 4 league matches. Just 1 win from their 7 home league games this season is also a big concern. If they're to stay up then they need to start winning those games at home.

Southampton had been flirting with the Champions League qualification places in recent weeks. Clearly, the reality of doing it has got in their heads. Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are now down to 7th and 2 points off that pace now having failed to win either of their last two league games. The Saints will be frustrated that conceding a single goal in both of those games has been enough to deny them an additional 5 points. That's the ruthless nature of the top flight in English football. In their defence, the 1-1 draw away to Arsenal could have been 3 points on another day. The 1-0 loss at home to Manchester City was probably just short of being anticipated. This remains a Southampton team that has only lost 1 of its 7 league games away from home though.

I feel that this will be a game where we see how these two sides react to their stuttering form. I think that a win is far more urgent for Fulham than it is for Southampton. It's also a bigger challenge for the hosts who will face a visiting team that is playing better than they have in a long time under Hasenhuttl. I'm fully expecting us to see the difference between a side that is likely to get relegated this season and a team that has every chance of qualifying for European football this season. I'm wary that Southampton will be without top scorer Danny Ings but it feels like the team is adapting to dealing with his absences more now. A narrow away win is on the cards.

Southampton to Win @ 2.42 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.87 with SportNation

[Gedkip]

Arsenal vs Chelsea

Out of form Arteta's side(Arsenal) go head to head with Chelsea(under Lampard) at Emirates on 26/12/2020(Boxing day). This is a derby and two teams have met 5 times on boxing day,with Arsenal(3wins) and chelsea(2wins). The last time the blues won 1-2 on boxing day at Gunners was  1974.

26/12/2001: Ars vs Chel 2-1

26/12/1977: Ars vs Chel 3-0

26/12/1974: Ars vs Chel 1-2

26/12/1967: Chel vs Ars 2-1

26/12/1956: Ars vs Chel 2-0

The blues have transformed tremendeously with addition of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech,  Mendy et al. Additionally, Chelsea fire power is lethal with the likes of Abrahams, Giroud, Mount, Jorginho, pulisic etc and can easily punish a weak defensive set up teams like Arsenal who are currenly struggling to regain their form. 

The gunners have failed to win the last 5 EPL games at Emirates with later ending 1-1 against Southampton, and Arsenal finishing the game 10men after Gabriel was redcarded.  Arsenal's turmoil could be extended if they dont rectify their discipline on pitch and play well as expected.  However,  Chelsea did lost the last two away EPL matches and  this could give Arsenal some morale and opportunity to return to winning ways. 

Arsenal to win 2-1FT

[StevieDay1983]

Arsenal vs Chelsea

The big game on Boxing Day in the Premier League is coming up at 5:30pm GMT when local London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea go up against each other at the Emirates Stadium. You can feel the pressure growing on both sets of managers as results are starting to get away from them but can either side walk away from this encounter with all 3 points?

Arsenal crashed out of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night with the fans piling more pressure on Mikel Arteta after certain elements of his squad selection, namely back-up goalkeeper Runar Runarsson, were criticised after the defeat to Manchester City. The Gunners are down in 15th place and now without a win in 8 domestic matches including their last 7 league games. Only 2 wins have come from their 7 home league matches and it's becoming hard to fathom why the Arsenal board are sticking with a man who has turned the team into "relegation rivals" (according to new West Brom manager Sam Allardyce!). 4 wins and 1 draw from their last 5 home league matches is an awful return and it makes you wonder where the team that won 3 of their opening 4 league games has gone? Where is this FA Cup winning team from last season?

Chelsea were starting to look like genuine Premier League title contenders too but just 2 wins from their last 5 league games has seen them drop off the pace down into 5th spot. The 3-0 win over West Ham was perhaps a flattering result given the manner of the two Tammy Abraham goals but it was a shift back onto the right track after the back-to-back losses to Everton and then Wolves. The win over the Hammers was also a first clean sheet in 3 league games for the Blues. Frank Lampard will be keen to get another win here to put his side back into the top four over the Christmas period.

This is a massive game for both teams but you feel it's more of a pivotal one for the hosts. Arteta needs a win now more than ever before. Some are saying he's still living off money in the bank from the FA Cup win last season but time is running out. The Spaniard is unbeaten against Chelsea in their last two meetings. I felt until the Runarsson error on Tuesday night that they weren't playing too badly but the Runarsson mistake did happen so you can have all the what ifs in the world but they won't change the facts. I can see Chelsea winning this one and it'll leave Arteta staring right down the barrel.

Chelsea to Win @ 1.99 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.82 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Manchester City vs Newcastle

OK, so if you had to choose one team that you didn't want to play on Boxing Day in the Premier League then one of those candidates would have to be Manchester City away. Unfortunately, that's exactly who Newcastle have been drawn to play in these festive fixtures. In the 8pm GMT kick-off, the two teams face-off at the Etihad Stadium and it'll be interesting to hear anyone who doesn't think it's going to be a massacre.

Manchester City are looking more like the team of old having risen to 8th in the league table after an unbeaten run of 5 league games. That run was accompanied by the 4-1 destruction of Arsenal in the EFL Cup Quarter-Finals on Tuesday night. Pep Guardiola knows there is still a lot of work to do with his team still 8 points off the title pace but they do have a game in hand on most of their title rivals ahead of them. However, this remains City's worst points tally under Guardiola and their 19 goals scored from 13 league games is their worst scoring record at this stage in a league season since 2008/09. That being said, City do now boast the best defensive record in the Premier League this season with just 12 goals conceded in 13 games.

Newcastle crashed out of the EFL Cup in embarrassing fashion on Tuesday night when Championship side Brentford put Steve Bruce's side to the sword with a 1-0 win. The Magpies have now failed to win their last 3 competitive games. The team is still in a comfortable mid-table position in 12th place and 8 points clear of relegation but they'll want to avoid this barren run turning into an extended points drought. Away form is a big problem for the Toon Army with the club winning just 1 of their 7 away games in all competitions. Their last victory on Boxing Day came back in 2013 in a 5-1 win over Stoke. I'm not sure even Callum Wilson with his 8 goals in 12 games can save them here. It also doesn't help that the team are likely to still be without captain Jamal Lascelles and star player Allan Saint-Maximin due to them suffering from the impact of coronavirus.

I'm not really sure we can debate on this game much apart from wondering how many Manchester City are going to win by. Newcastle have looked off the pace since they returned from their covid-19 outbreak and that's understandable given the viscous impact it had on them. City have won each of their last 11 home league games against Newcastle. I can see that continuing here and it could be by 3-4 goals.

Manchester City -2 @ 2.10 with Betfair

Manchester City HT/FT @ 1.73 with SBK

[Gedkip]

Leicester city vs Manchester United

Early kick off sees In form teams the Red devil side(under Ole Gunnar solskjaer)go head to head with Leicester (under Brendan Rodgers) at King Power on 26/12/2020(Boxing day). The two have met once on boxing day with Manchester winning at home.

26/12/1938: MUD vs Lei 3-0

The last domestic meeting on 26th July 2020, saw Manchester united triumph at King Power to secure Top 4 at the expense of foxes.  Solskjaer has enjoyed winning against the foxes thrice and without conceding a single goal,  one win against Claude Puel and twice against Brendan Rodgers. Additionally, the red devils are having an excellent away form in all compétitions, and coming to King power where the host lost 0-2 to Everton last EPL match.  MUD have a lethal fire power( Bruno, Rashford, pogba, Martial, Cavani et al) and lately do play entertaining,attacking football with much confidence. 

Manchester United to win 0-3FT

[Gedkip]

Fulham vs Southampton 

Boxing day sees In form team Southampton(Under Ralph Hasenhuttl) and promoted Fulham(Under scott Parker).The two have met 5times on boxing day with Fulham(1win),Southampton (2wins) and 2 draws. However,  all meetings have seen Under2.5 goals and no team has won as the visitor. 

26/12/2012: Ful vs Sou 1-1(EPl)

26/12/2003: Ful vs Sou 2-0(EPl)

26/12/1952: Ful vs Sou 1-1(champ)

26/12/1933: Sou vs Ful 2-0(champ)

26/12/1924: Sou vs Ful 1-0(Champ)

 Ralph Hasenhuttl has enjoyed winning against Fulham twice and without conceding a single goal,  on 27/08/2019 winning 0-1 once at EFL cup against scott parker and on 27/02/2019 winning 2-0 vs Fulham(under Ranieri).

 Fulham have not lost the last 3 games and drew 1-1 at home vs the defending champion Liverpool. Furthermore,  the host are coming to this game with an aim to keep up with their positive mentality and momentum.  On the other hand,  Southampton  lost narrowly last game 0-1 against Manchester city.  Despite the defeat,  Sotton are consistent and playing confidently with the likes of  Walcott, Djenepo,Ward Prowse, Adams and Danny Ings on form. The visitors will find the net once and avoid defeat at fulham but taking 1 point  to St Marys.

Fulham vs Southampton  1-1FT

XFT(3.42) BTTS yes (1.77)Under 2.5(1.85)

[Gedkip]

Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

Boxing day sees improved Villa( under Dean Smith) vs inconsistent Palace (under Roy Hodgson).The two have met once on boxing day, with Palace emerging victorious.

26/12/2013: Ast vs Cry 0-1

 Aston Villa were fighting for Relegation last season and escaped narrowly, and surprisingly enough started 2020/2021 season on a high note.Both teams won at their home ground in the reverse fixtures but it was villa that needed the win desperately.However, things at villa Park lately have not been good for Dean Smith side as they have struggled for a win. On the other hand,Palace did suffer a 0-7 humiliating loss at home to Liverpool but will be keen to avoid another defeat. The visitors away  EPL matches have yielded positive results and the presence of on form Benteke and Wilfred  Zaha could boost their confidence as they visit Villa Park. 

Crystal Palace 0-1FT

2 FT(3.96) BTTS no (2.20)Under 2.5(2.10)

[Gedkip]

Manchester city vs Newcastle united

The citizens(under Pep) faces Newcastle(under steve Bruce) at Etihad on boxing day.The two have met thrice on boxing day, with Mancity(2wins) and new castle(1win). All the meetings have produced over 3.5 goals and last time Newcastle won at Etihad was 1905.

26/12/2010: NEW vs MAC 1-3

26/12/1977: MAC vs NEW 4-0

26/12/1905: MAC vs NEW 1-4

 Pep Guardiola's side with inconsistent results and struggling to score goals have been able to obtain positive results. The citizens are really missing their talisman Kun Aguero who has scored 254 goals since his arrival at Etihad. Despite that Gabriels Jesus,Riyad Mahrez,Feran Torres,Sterling,Gundogan,Foden and De Bruyne are available and helping the citizens to score goals. Newcastle(under Steve Bruce) did suffer a huge defeat away to Leeds when they were thrashed 5-2. The citizens are better in attack and defense than Leeds and will show no mercy at Etihaf to the visitors.

Manchester city 5-0FT

1 FT(1.13) BTTS no (1.62)over3.5(1.93)

[neilovan]

I really struggle to make sense of the league so far this season. Liverpool at home look invincible. Man United on the road are getting it done.

Leicester v Man United

Have been really impressed with United in the last couple of games. They were very good against Leeds, getting off to a flyer and winning easily. Most had really good games. OK, Leicester won at Spurs but Tottenham, contrary to popular belief, are not very good. Forget about poor old Dele Ali ... Jose needs to take a look at himself. Spurs are still playing a version of negative, dour, let's stop the opponent football. Why not just go all out and outscore them and win?

Are Leicester that good? In my opinion no, they are about as good as they were last year. I think if Man United come out firing (which they did against Leeds and Everton), they could blow this Leicester side off the park. An early goal and the flood gates open here. What I like about United is that they are finally losing their over-dependence on Fernandes. The more players that score goals the better balanced the team is.

Suddenly they are looking confident, with belief. The ability to pass and move through the press is now there, and players look far more settled in their roles.

I think United could win 1-3 or 1-4 here, but an early goal is critical. If Leicester have to chase the game they could get buried!

Arsenal v Chelsea

This Chelsea team is so talent packed it is crazy. They have a squad that is jammed with super players. For whatever reason (my feeling is lack of on-field leadership), they are under performing. The last 2 results (both losses) against Wolves and Everton were stinkers. To give up 3 goals and 2 points against WBA is ridiculous. Lampard should be playing Giroud. With Cavani, probably the two best headers of a ball in the EPL. He gives them an aerial threat which is just missing when he is on the subs bench.

I really expect this team to bounce back, especially those guys playing for their Chelsea careers, and give Arsenal a real beating. Quality wise these teams are miles apart, but scoring goals and winning is never straight forward. Chelsea get an early goal here, and it probably a knockout blow. Hard to look beyond a Chelsea win, with goals.

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by neilovan

[malabgd]

Leicester City vs Manchester United

 

 

Leicester City

Doubtful: Caglar Soyuncu (4/0 d)

Out (injuries/other): Ricardo Pereira (0/0 d)

Suspended:

 

Manchester United

Doubtful: Scott McTominay (11/2 m), Luke Shaw (9/0 d), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (12/1 d)

Out (injuries/other): Marcos Rojo (0/0 d), Phil Jones (0/0 d)

Suspended: -

 

Interesting facts based only on statistics

Manchester United scored at least one goal in 100% of away games.

Manchester United scored at least two goals in 100% of away games.

Manchester United scored in both halves in 67% of away games.

84% chance that Manchester United will win this game.

75% chance that Manchester United will win and over 1.5 goals will be scored.

65% chance that both Leicester City and Manchester United will score in this game.

41% chance that both Leicester City and Manchester United will score in first-half.

65% chance that both team will score and goal count will be over 2.5 goals.

59% chance that Manchester United will win and both teams will score.

86% chance that there will be more than 1 goal in this game.

79% chance that there will be more than 2 goals in this game.

57% chance that there will be more than 3 goals in this game.

41% chance that there will be more than 4 goals in this game.

93% chance that there will be at least 1 goal in the first-half.

70% chance that there will be at least 2 goals in the first-half.

17% chance that Leicester City will lead at half-time and Manchester United will win a game.

 

 

 

Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace

 

 

Aston Villa

Doubtful: -

Out (injuries/other): Trézéguet (9/0 m), Wesley (0/0 f)

Suspended:

 

Crystal Palace

Doubtful: -

Out (injuries/other): Gary Cahill (5/0 d), Mamadou Sakho (4/0 d), Martin Kelly (0/0 d), Wayne Hennessey (0/0 g), Connor Wickham (0/0 f), Nathan Ferguson (0/0 m)

Suspended: -

 

Overall Stats
Aston Villa 6 home games	Crystal Palace 7 away games

2.0	Goals scored per game	1.6
1.8	Goals conceded per game	1.6
33%	Clean sheets	0%
67%	Team scored	57%
33%	Team scored twice	43%
17%	Scored in both halves	43%
50%	Goal in both halves	57%

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more then 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[StefanBB]

Leicester City vs Manchester United

 

Leicester fans have been on a real rollercoaster lately, as their team celebrated in three games while losing twice in the last five rounds. If a defeat against Everton was not too surprising, the one against Fulham at King Power Stadium certainly was. Brendan Rodgers’ side hasn’t been impressive at the home ground, as they won just three times in addition to four defeats. However, Jamie Vardy and the lads booked a vital victory away to Tottenham last weekend, which kept them in the 2^nd spot. The hosts have been very good in the front, while their defense is one of the tightest in the league. They are four points behind Liverpool, and a victory would keep them in the race for a while.

Manchester United had a very slow start in the season, but their excellent run launched them right behind their upcoming rivals. Although they failed to secure a place in the Champions League eight finals, United fans still dream big as they are five points behind Liverpool, with one game in hand. After losing to Arsenal at Old Trafford, the Red Devils booked six victories and a draw against their local rivals Manchester City. They have been real comeback kings lately, as they were managing to pick up three points after trailing at some point in the game. Manchester United comfortably beat Leeds United last weekend after a goal-galore as the score on the board was 6:2. Scott McTominay and the lads also managed to get to the EFL Cup semis after celebrating at Goodison Park 2:0. The visitors have been perfect when playing away from home as they haven’t dropped a single point in six away games. Another victory from this one would see them getting closer to the top spot.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

A great battle is ahead of us, and we believe football fans should enjoy an exciting clash. Both sides are capable of winning, but since the hosts are insecure at home, and Manchester United is full of confidence, we believe they will get back home with another three points.

Goals Market Prediction

Although head to head matches between these two teams have been pretty tight lately, we don’t believe either side will keep the clean sheet in this one.

Manchester United to win @ 2.30

BTTS Yes @ 1.60

Correct score 1:2 @ 10.00

[StefanBB]

Arsenal vs Chelsea

Arsenal continues to sink after losing to Everton last weekend, and now, they dropped to 15^th place. The home fans couldn’t have dreamt a worse campaign, as their favorite team is just four points clear from the relegation zone. Making things worse, Mikel Arteta’s side picked up only two points in the last seven rounds. The hosts were kicked out of the EFL Cup as they lost to Manchester City 4:1 at Emirates Stadium. Despite scoring in the previous three games, Arsenal couldn’t avoid a defeat. They had a decent start to the campaign, but the latest displays show many weaknesses of the home side. Another tough challenge is ahead of them, as one of the fiercest rivals are coming in a very delicate moment for the Gunners.

On the other hand, Chelsea sits in 5^th place, being just two points behind the second-placed Leicester City. After losing twice in a row against Everton and Wolves, respectively, Frank Lampard’s side managed to get back on the winning track by beating West Ham United last weekend. Masin Mount and the lads are the second most efficient team in the league. At the same time, their defensive work improved significantly after Edouard Mendy and Thiago Lilva found their place in the starting lineup. However, the Blues suffered two consecutive defeats at away grounds, and they want to stop that losing streak by capitalizing on their rivals’ appealing run at home. Chelsea had some extra time to prepare for this derby clash as they were not involved in the mid-week action.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

Derbies are always tricky to predict, but in this case, we believe the visitors are favorites. They should meet the expectations and book a very important victory.

Goals Market Prediction

Head to head clashes between these two teams have been very exciting lately, and the crowd was able to enjoy a lot of goals. We believe nets won’t remain still in this one.

Chelsea to win @ 2.00

BTTS Yes @ 1.75

Correct score 1:3 @ 17.00

[newjack]

Man this season is really wierd. I havent been posting much but thats mostly because i cant make heads and tails of whats what. 

One thing i noticed is there are alot of pens awarded, in fact avg odds on pen os 2.75 to 3.75, match dependant. Every week we get pen in probably 5/10 matches. See where im going with this?

 

[harry_rag]

Hills flash odds of evens both teams to score worth taking to the tenner allowed in the Leicester v Man U game.

[harry_rag]

A few with PP where the odds may be generous, shame I can't say the same about the stakes allowed! 

Vardy assist 15/2, Fernandes 2+ shots on target from outside the box at 11/2, Fernandes to score from outside the box at 9/1 and Fernandes and Maddison both to have a shot on target from outside the box at 13/2.

[harry_rag]

Finally, matched on Martial to score at 3.6.

[StevieDay1983]

Sheffield United vs Everton

The last preview for the Boxing Day games in the Premier League is another 8pm BST kick-off when bottom-placed Sheffield United will face a rejuvenated Everton at Bramall Lane. At face value, it feels like this is a guaranteed narrow away win but we know that the home side are starting to get closer and closer to notching up there first league win of the season. Will it happen here?

Sheffield United might be placed bottom of the top flight but the 1-1 draw away to Brighton in their last game showed how they are not letting themselves become demoralised by their league position. It can be argued that Brighton only snatched a draw because of red card given to John Lundstram. The Blades have now picked up 2 points from their opening 14 league games and they are 10 points adrift of safety. Chris Wilder will be without the talented Sander Berge due to injury Lundstram is suspended and Oli McBurnie is unlikely to be fit to play. United are only the third team in the top division to be without a league win at Christmas with only Burnley in 1889/90 and Bolton in 1902/03 matching the unwanted feat. The good news is that last week's draw ended a run of 8 straight league losses for the club.

Everton might have been eliminated in gut-wrenching fashion from the EFL Cup just before Christmas to Manchester United but there is still plenty for Carlo Ancelotti and his players to be optimistic about. The Toffees are in 4th place and only 5 points off the pace of the league leaders Liverpool. It's the first time in 16 years that Everton have been positioned in the top four on Christmas Day. Boxing Day has also proved a fruitful period for the Merseysiders over recent years with them having gone unbeaten in the last 7 years on this day. It's now 4 league games undefeated including winning their last 3 of those matches.

I've been taking on the role of the eternal optimist for Sheffield United this season but even I'm starting to feel like the candle is burning out. I have no doubt that they'll take points off teams this season and will be a stern fight for anyone but the lack of a potent striker and the now absent Berge could hit them hard. I'm going to back a valiant display again here but I think Everton will just have too much.

Everton to Win @ 2.22 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.87 with SBK

[harry_rag]

Started well enough with the btts but all went pear shaped from there; big thanks to Paddy for limiting the stakes! 

[StefanBB]

Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur

Wolves sit in the middle of the table, however, they are only six points behind the top four. Nevertheless, lately, they haven’t enjoyed good form, as the hosts suffered three defeats in the last five rounds. Although Nuno Espirito Santo’s side celebrated against Arsenal and Chelsea, they lost to Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Burnley. Their current schedule has been pretty tough, and that trend continues with the match against another powerful opponent. The home side has been pretty good in the back, but Pedro Neto and the lads should have been more efficient as they scored only 14 times. Wolves need to pick up some points from this match since they will play away from home in the upcoming two rounds.

After sitting on the top of the table until recently, Tottenham Hotspur slipped down to the 6^th spot after two consecutive defeats. First, they conceded a late goal away to Liverpool, although they deserved to win at least a point. It was their first defeat after 11 rounds in the Premier League that saw them dropping to 2^nd place. The Spurs then suffered another loss against Leicester City last weekend, and Jose Mourinho’s side needs to get back on the winning track if they want to get back to the title race. Harry Kane and the lads celebrated just once in the last five rounds, but they could definitely have won more points. After four straight away victories, Tottenham’s winless streak when playing away from home extended to three games, and they will look forward to breaking it.

Full-Time Winner Odds & Prediction

It is going to be a tight clash in which both sides have the chance to remain undefeated. Therefore, we wouldn’t be surprised if this game ends in a draw.

Goals Market Prediction

When these two teams face each other, football fans can see many goals. Although the hosts have been playing pretty tight so far in the season, we expect to see goals in both nets, as it was the case in their last five clashes.

Draw @ 3.25

BTTS Yes @ 1.95

Correct score 1:1 @ 7.00

[StevieDay1983]

Leeds vs Burnley

Over a long period during the past 14 years, this fixture has been taking place in the second tier of the English football system but on this day Leeds and Burnley go head-to-head as Premier League teams in a 12pm GMT kick-off on Sunday lunch-time from Elland Road. Can either of these two teams loitering precariously above the relegation zone take the win here?

Leeds are still keeping hold of their admirers for their bold style of high press and intense tempo but it's now 3 defeats in their last 4 league games after the 6-2 hammering away to rivals Manchester United last weekend. Marcelo Bielsa's team are now down in 14th place and 7 points above the relegation places. The Whites are hoping to have their defensive unit bolstered with a potential return of Diego Llorente but Robin Koch is still out injured and captain Liam Cooper needs to be given a fitness test after suffering a stomach muscle injury in their last game. Leeds games are certainly exciting at the moment with 22 goals scored in their last 4 games and the team getting off a league-best of 31 shots per game. They are also the only top flight team to face and take over 200 shots on goal this season. Their defence is the worst in the division though with 30 goals already considered. The optimistic statistic is that they are unbeaten against teams placed lower than them in the table this season.

Burnley are continuing on their resurgent run of results after beating Wolves 2-1 last weekend. That win made it 4 league games unbeaten to move the side up to 16th in the table and 3 points above the drop zone. The Clarets defence has been pivotal in this run having only conceded 2 goals in that period. Sean Dyche will be delighted with his teams effort but he faces an opposition that could arguably test his side's defence more than any other this campaign. The defensive record away has been impressive with the club keeping 4 clean sheets from their 7 league matches on the road. However, their record away against newly promoted sides can only be described as poor with them bagging just 2 wins from their last 16 encounters. Striker Chris Wood scored 24 goals in 44 games for Leeds before his move to Burnley... and you know what they say about former players coming back to haunt their old clubs? Could be worth an anytime scorer bet.

I think this is a game that could be a big challenge for Burnley. Leeds are rampant on the front foot and their 5-2 win over Newcastle in their last home game showed how they can dismantle teams when they get going. I'm sure Burnley won't afford them as much space and time on the ball as the Magpies did so it won't be a one-sided affair but I can certainly see why Leeds are the firm favourites. I think they'll have too much for the Burnley defence and I'm not sure Burnley have enough in attack to nullify that threat.

Leeds to Win @ 1.81 with SBK

Anytime Scorer: Chris Wood @ 2.78 with SBK

[harry_rag]

22 hours ago, harry_rag said:

Hills flash odds of evens both teams to score worth taking to the tenner allowed in the Leicester v Man U game.

My only winner (spreads aside) yesterday. Hopefully history doesn’t repeat but 7/2 for Leeds to win and both teams to score looks worth taking.

[StevieDay1983]

West Ham vs Brighton

One of the more interesting matches in the Premier League schedule this weekend is the 2:15pm GMT kick-off on Sunday afternoon from the London Stadium where mid-table West Ham play a relegation battling Brighton. These two teams have been playing decent football but the home side have still been managing to tally up some points to move them up the table where as the away team continue to miss out on points they really deserve from games.

West Ham had been moving nicely up the table over recent weeks but failure to win their last two games has seen progress halted. The Hammers are now in 10th place and 5 points outside the top four after a 3-0 loss away to Chelsea left a sour taste in their mouth just before Christmas. David Moyes is hoping to have both Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini back for this game. The most worrying part of the loss to Chelsea was that they failed to register a single shot on goal. This game also brings up an ominous stat for Moyes who hasn't earned a win over Brighton since 2002 when he was manager of Preston and it was in the FA Cup.

Brighton managed to snatch a 1-1 draw at home against 10-man Sheffield United last weekend but failure to get all 3 points meant the winless run increased to 5 league games. It's now just 1 win from their last 12 league matches and the club are down in 17th place and just 2 points above the relegation places. The fact that Graham Potter's side have drawn their last 2 league games gives hope that they've stopped the losing rot. The fact those two draws came against two of the three teams in the relegation zone doesn't matter! 

I was very disappointed with how West Ham played against Chelsea. Even though I backed a Chelsea win I still felt it was the sort of game that a Moyes team thrives in. That result will seem even more painful after Chelsea's performance against Arsenal last night. Brighton don't deserve to be where they are but then if they can't turn draws into wins and defeats into draws then this is what happens. I can't see them winning this one. West Ham will be out to bounce back and I think they edge this.

West Ham to Win @ 2.42 with SBK

BTTS @ 1.78 with Betway

[sajtion]

leeds is naive defensively so it's gotta be burnley win today

[Gedkip]

Westham vs Brighton

The hammers have never won against Brighton(under Graham Potter) since their arrival to Premier League on 10 Feb 2017. All that said, Graham Potter has drawn 2 games vs Westham, inclusive one managed by David Moyes.

The host has failed to win the last two games at London stadium with the visitors experiencing poor form and no win in the last five. However, Brighton did manage to pick draws in the last two matches . Scoring  lately has become an issue in both teams and today that trend will continue.

Westham vs Brighton 0-0FT

X FT(3.32) Under2.5(1.95)

[Gedkip]

Liverpool vs West Bromwich

Liverpool have a high flying momentum at Anfield as well as Away from home, and are fine favourites to lift Epl trophy second time in a row. The host have 64 undefeated home run and the Anfield atmosphere is unfriendly to many teams if not all. The last time Liverpool were defeated at Anfield in the English top-flight was way back in 2017 against Sam Allardyce's Crystal Palace.

West Bromwich under new management by Sam Allardice did manage to pick a shocking 1-1 draw at Etihad during his first game in charge. However, the Citizens form is not comparable to Liverpool high flying form, and magpies during Big Sam second game lost at home.

 

 

BTTS Yes(2.3 4)

[StevieDay1983]

Liverpool vs West Brom

The reigning champions are in action at 4:30pm GMT on Sunday afternoon as Liverpool play West Brom at Anfield in the Premier League. These sides might be at opposite ends of the table but this is a time of year when squads become stretched and the intense festive fixture schedule can begin to enforce a lot of changes amongst the teams. Who will prevail victorious?

Liverpool are looking in a strong position to defend their league title with the club currently 4 points clear at the summit of the table. That lead will extend to 7 points if Jurgen Klopp's team take the win here. The Reds have had to contend with rumours circulating about the alleged unhappiness of star player Mohamed Salah. These allegations have been dismissed by the club and manager but they've obviously come from somewhere. It's been 7 wins from 7 home league games for Liverpool as their undefeated home league record has moved to 66 league games. Under Klopp, Liverpool have won each of their 14 home league games against newly promoted opposition. The club's last home defeat to a newly promoted was against Blackpool back in 2010.

West Brom will look to get their first win under new manager Sam Allardyce here. The 3-0 loss at home to Aston Villa last weekend was hardly the start the former Bolton and England manager wanted to his reign. However, if any Baggies fans needed inspiration and optimism ahead of this game then they only need to know that Allardyce was actually the last Premier League manager to earn a win at Anfield in the league. Unfortunately, the rest of the stats work against them. The club have lost 29 of their last 34 league games against the reigning champions in the top division. They have also only won 1 of their last 17 games against teams starting the day at the top of the table. It's looking a tall order in all honesty.

I don't think there'll be many people out there backing a West Brom here if we're being truthful. Liverpool are starting to find their rhythm now and with key players returning from injury they aren't any weaker than they have been over recent weeks. I think we'll see a standard Liverpool win to see them extend their lead at the top of the table and Allardyce will learn a lot more about his team as they're picked apart by a far superior opposition.

Liverpool -2 @ 2.28 with RedZone

Liverpool to Win to Nil @ 1.74 with SportNation