The Premier League is difficult enough when there’s just one game a week. At this time of the season every top flight manager has to deal with tired legs and injuries as well as trying to stop the opposition. The effects of a heavy workload have played out in the form of some surprise results recently and we may be in line for more of them in the final round of fixtures before Christmas.
Crystal Palace, West Ham and Everton will each be hoping their recent revival can continue through Christmas and into the New Year while at the opposite end of the table, Man City are showing no signs of slowing down. With a full round of fixtures on Friday and Saturday we’ve picked out the best bets to hopefully provide some pre-Christmas profit to your betting balance.
- Arsenal v Liverpool – Over 3.5 Goals (5/4 with Betfair)
- Brighton v Watford – Brighton to Win (17/10 with BetVictor)
- Man City v Bournemouth – Man City to Win to Nil (5/6 with Betfair)
- Swansea v Crystal Palace – Crystal Palace to Win (13/8 with Betfred)
- West Ham v Newcastle – Under 2.5 Goals (4/5 with Coral)
- Southampton v Huddersfield – Match Result Draw (16/5 with Betfair)
- Burnley v Tottenham – Burnley/Draw Double Chance (8/5 with Bet365)
- Leicester v Man Utd – Man Utd to Win and Both Teams to Score (27/10 with BetVictor)
Premier League
Will anybody get the better of Man City in the Premier League this season? Everybody knows about the frightening quality of Pep Guardiola’s side going forward but they proved they’re up for a fight recently in their battling wins against Man United and Tottenham. While City are running away at the top of the table, Stoke, Newcastle and West Brom find themselves in trouble at the bottom. Which of the struggling teams – if any? – will make a move up the table this weekend?
Arsenal v Liverpool – 22nd December
It’s fifth against fourth at the Emirates on Friday night in one of the Premier League’s most hotly anticipated fixtures. Although Arsenal have been struggling for goals lately (the Gunners have scored just three in their last four league matches) the last four meetings between these two have averaged over five goals.
Liverpool were back to their fluent best against Bournemouth. Jurgen Klopp’s men will head to North London ready to inflict another drubbing on Arsenal having beaten them 4-0 at Anfield earlier in the season. The away side will make life tough for Arsenal on the counter but the Gunners will create chances of their own so look to profit from a Christmas cracker by backing over 3.5 goals at 5/4 with Betfair.
Over 3.5 Goals – 5/4 with Betfair
Brighton v Watford – 23rd December
Two of the most out of form teams in the league meet at the Amex on Saturday afternoon. Having won a huge amount of praise for their impressive early season form, Marco Silva’s Watford have lost four of their last five. Brighton’s recent form is even worse with just six points amassed from eight matches.
Every team (with the possible exception of Man City) will go through tough spells this season and it’s the response to adversity that managers are most interested in. In that respect, Brighton may prove to be the value bet at 17/10 with BetVictor. The Seagulls always expected to struggle in their first Premier League campaign and their ability to scrap for points could see them through against the Hornets.
Brighton to Win – 17/10 with BetVictor
Man City v Bournemouth – 23rd December
Bournemouth sometimes look like a side who don’t know whether they’re coming or going. Eddie Howe has a preference to play attractive football, looking to take the game to the opposition. Unfortunately that’s seen the Cherries well beaten at times, after which Howe’s team tend to go back into their shells.
Bournemouth were unlucky not to get a point at Old Trafford recently but by opening up against Liverpool they were hammered 4-0 at home. Howe surely won’t be overly ambitious against Man City away but is his defence good enough to sit back and soak up the home side’s pressure? Moreover, is his attack good enough to worry Man City’s backline? Manchester City look very good value to win to nil at 5/6 with Betfair.
Man City to Win to Nil – 5/6 with Betfair
Swansea v Crystal Palace – 23rd December
Swansea will need to turn the form book upside down to avoid the ignominy of being bottom of the Premier League at Christmas. More often than not, the team occupying at the foot of the table on Christmas Day ends up playing Championship football the following season and it really is hard to envisage the Swans getting out of the mess they currently find themselves in.
While the Swansea board has so far remained patient with Paul Clement, the man who got them out of trouble last season, Crystal Palace, made the opposite call by removing Frank de Boer after just four league games. That decision is now paying dividends as Roy Hodgson has guided the Eagles out of the bottom three.
The combination of Hodgson’s defensive acumen and the high quality attacking players available to him should be enough for Crystal Palace to avoid the drop. It should also be enough for them to pick up three points at the Liberty Stadium where they are the 13/8 favourites with Betfred.
Crystal Palace to Win – 13/8 with Betfred
West Ham v Newcastle – 23rd December
The smile on David Moyes’ face at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday told you everything you need to know about West Ham’s recent improvement. Having already showed significant signs of improvement in defence, the Irons turned it on going forwards against Stoke last weekend to the delight of their new boss.
While Moyes is winning fans over at West Ham, Newcastle fans are starting to wonder whether Rafa Benitez is able to keep the Magpies up. Benitez remains a popular figure amongst the Toon Army but he is struggling to get a decent performance out of a Newcastle squad that looks well short of quality at this level.
Benitez is not one to give up and he’ll ensure Newcastle are very well drilled when they take to the pitch at the London Stadium. West Ham should continue their recent good form but don’t be surprise if they are frustrated for large parts of the game. You can profit from a defensive Newcastle performance by betting on under 2.5 goals at 4/5 with Coral.
Under 2.5 Goals – 4/5 with Coral
Southampton v Huddersfield – 23rd December
After winning promotion in 2012, Southampton have never really been threatened with relegation from the Premier League. The Saints are an established top flight club who get many things right behind the scenes but they look very much like a side without a footballing identity on the pitch at present.
Repeated changes in management have left Southampton with an unbalanced squad whilst Mauricio Pellegrino doesn’t seem to know what style of football to play. In stark contrast, the Huddersfield squad are very much aware of their task under David Wagner. The Terriers don’t always get it right but they always arrive with a solid game plan and that could be enough for them to leave St Mary’s with a point on Saturday.
Match Result Draw – 16/5 with Betfair
Burnley v Tottenham – 23rd December
It’s not often that you’ll get odds of 6/1 about a Premier League side to win a home game against a side who are below them in the table. But that’s exactly what we’ve got ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Turf Moor to take on Burnley.
Burnley are the surprise package of the season so far. After 18 matches they are one point ahead of Spurs in sixth and just two points shy of Liverpool’s tally in fourth. The big improvement for the Clarets is their away form as they displayed when picking up a point against Tottenham at Wembley at the end of August.
A similarly hard working, organised performance should provide another positive result against Mauricio Pochettino’s side who looked very frustrated at times against Man City on Saturday evening. The 8/5 that Bet365 are quoting on the Burnley/Draw double chance is perhaps the best value bet of the weekend.
Burnley/Draw Double Chance – 8/5 with Bet365
Leicester v Man Utd – 23rd December
Leicester went into last weekend’s home match against Crystal Palace in fine fettle. Claude Puel’s team were scoring goals for fun and defending well but it all fell apart in the 3-0 defeat against the Eagles. The Foxes will be desperate to put that defeat behind them and what better way to get everybody at the club fired up than with the visit of Man United.
United were forced to hang on in the closing stages of their win over West Brom on Sunday. It was far from a vintage performance from Jose Mourinho’s men but a win is a win. Man United so far average 2.28 points per game, a tally which would have seen them finish second in most recent seasons. That marks an improvement which Mourinho should be happy about but there is no question the Red Devils compare unfavourably against local rivals, Man City.
Despite a defensive style of play, United have kept just one clean sheet in their last five league matches. Leicester should be able to extend that run by scoring at the King Power Stadium. However, Man United’s quality in attacking positions means a bet on the away side winning and both teams scoring could pay out nicely at 27/10 with BetVictor.
Man United to Win and Both Teams to Score – 27/10 with BetVictor