My opinion on the upcoming Premier League fixtures

The Premier League is back on our screens this weekend after pausing for FA Cup action. There was upsets up and down the football pyramid, but most Premier League sides live to see another day.

GW22 will take place across three days; Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We kick off with a blockbuster Saturday of football, featuring seven games. First up is the Manchester derby which kicks off at 12:30pm (GMT). We then move into five fixtures at 3pm. Chelsea will be up against Brentford, Leeds will take on Fulham, Liverpool will face Burnley, Sunderland will host Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur will play West Ham. The last game of the day will be Nottingham Forest against Arsenal at 5:30pm. On Sunday we have two matches, the first of which will be played at 2pm and that will see Wolves welcoming Newcastle. Everton will travel to Aston Villa for the 4:30pm kick off. To end the weekend of football will be a Monday night fixture that will see Brighton face off against Bournemouth at 8pm.

Manchester United vs Manchester City

The second instalment of the Manchester derby will see United play the hosts. United themselves are about to go through a small transitional phase after they sacked Ruben Amorim. Darren Fletcher oversaw two matches as the first interim coach, the second interim coach will be Michael Carrick. He’ll take charge of the squad until the end of the season. It’s unclear the kind of philosophy that Carrick will bring to Old Trafford, but he had a reasonably good stint with Middlesborough. He almost got the side promoted in his first season, but gradually Middlesborough slipped down the table over the next couple of campaigns. However, United are a completely different beast and his first task is attempting to beat Pep Guardiola and his City side. The Red Devils were knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton at the weekend, which is only the second time they’ve lost since the end of November. The league table also looks favourably upon United as they sit 7th with a chance to break into the top four. Home form has been patchy, but they’ve only lost twice all season at Old Trafford.

City will be delighted with their recent EFL Cup success as they beat Newcastle away from home, in the first leg. They were able to achieve this despite the injury concerns. If you look beyond the injury issues, Antoine Semenyo looks to have hit the ground running. Two goals in two games and it should’ve been three after the debacle with VAR against Newcastle. Despite three league draws in a row, I think success in the FA Cup and EFL Cup will spark something inside this City team. Semenyo clearly will add goals, something they’ve struggled to do without Erling Haaland taking his chances. Despite the consecutive draws, City haven’t lost a league game since the 22nd November, ironically that was away to Newcastle. It’s fair to say that City needed a little spark in attack and Semenyo will provide that. United will welcome back Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbuemo this weekend which will provide some concern for Pep, but I think City will find a win here.

Predicted Result: United 0-2 City

Chelsea vs Brentford

Chelsea have also welcomed a new manager to the club. Liam Rosenior has replaced Enzo Maresca to take Chelsea in a new direction. The former Strasbourg and Hull City manager has already managed two cup games, beating Charlton 5-1 away in the FA Cup. However, Rosenior’s men were beaten 3-2 by Arsenal in the EFL Cup. Chelsea needed to stop the rut they were getting themselves into, which has seen them lose all hope of a title challenge. The Blues sit 8th in the league now, 18 points off Arsenal in top spot. This is such a fall off from the position they were in at the back end of November. Chelsea are without a win in five Premier League games and only have one win in the league since the end of November. Home form has been an achilles heel for the West London outfit. They sit 13th in the league for that metric, dropping points in six of the 10 games played.

Brentford find themselves actually above Chelsea heading into this tie. It’s rather uncharted territory for Brentford, but they’re fully deserving of their spot here. They sit 5th in the league and are able to squeeze into the top four with a win. Keith Andrews’ men have won four out of their last five league games, scoring 13 goals in the process. This is an incredible return and it doesn’t appear to be stopping. The Bee’s haven’t lost a league game since the 6th December, over a month without a loss and they’ve played six games in that span. Igor Thiago has been the name in the headlines, with 16 goals, but it’s a team effort. However, the only chip in this armour is their away form. They rank 15th in the league and have lost seven games on the road. But, of the three wins they’ve picked up on their travels, two have come in the last five games. This shows a real turnaround in fortunes. I do think Chelsea will still have that new manager bounce and will triumph, but only just.

Predicted Result: Chelsea 2-1 Brentford

Leeds vs Fulham

Daniel Farke has certainly improved Leeds since the beginning of December. They went from losing four in a row in November, to being unbeaten throughout December. Farke’s men picked up two wins and four draws in the final month of the year, a streak that looked set to continue through January. They were able to pick up a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, but were finally beaten by Newcastle. It was a seven goal thriller that needed a goal in the 112th minute to decide the game. Incredibly unlucky for the West Yorkshire side. Despite the upset of that last minute goal, Leeds still have huge breathing space between them and West Ham in 18th. Farke knows his side aren’t going to win loads of games, but they’ve accomplished the objective of being hard to beat. Leeds’ best chance of a victory against Fulham will be using the Elland Road crowd. They’ve lost just twice in front of them

Fulham have done a complete 180 degrees on their form. It’s like two different teams. There was quiet talk of relegation after the first few weeks of the season, but now they’re firmly in place to challenge for Europe. The West London side sit 9th in the league, but could drag themselves up to 5th with a win. Marco Silva’s men are unbeaten in five Premier League games now, three wins and two draws. Silva will be delighted with his side and the immense improvement. Away form has been patchy for Fulham, only picking up three wins on their travels. However, they haven’t lost a league game on the road since the 8th November, that’s an unbeaten streak of four matches. Both these sides have seen some serious improvement over the last month and a half, but it’s Fulham who perhaps look best. Having said that, Elland Road is tough to get a win from.

Predicted Result: Leeds 2-2 Fulham

Liverpool vs Burnley

Liverpool have brought steel back to their fixtures. They’re unbeaten since the 26th November which shows how tough to beat they’re becoming. It’s not all pretty, but it’s enough to see them recover a bit of pride and make a real case for earning a spot in the top four. In fact, they sit in 4th now, but still 8 points behind Aston Villa in 3rd. Three teams could leapfrog them this weekend, so a win is a must. Arne Slot’s men do have a very good record against Burnley in that they’ve won every fixture since May 2021. Since 2014, Burnley have lost 13 times to Liverpool. However, the reverse of this fixture required a last minute penalty in order for Liverpool to win. They were shut out for 90 minutes until a silly handball was given and the penalty dispatched.

Burnley are in rotten form, but got a momentary respite against Millwall in the FA Cup. They won 5-1. Their last outing in the Premier League saw them earn a 2-2 draw against Manchester United. That is a good result, but it still leaves the club without a win in 12 games. In that time they’ve drawn three games and lost nine. It’s not looking pretty for Scott Parker who had to watch Nottingham Forest expand on their gap last week. Forest were able to beat West Ham 2-1, leaving Burnley eight points behind. It goes without saying that survival is slipping away. This won’t be a weekend for Burnley to recover any points as Liverpool will likely smash them.

Predicted Result: Liverpool 4-0 Burnley

Sunderland vs Crystal Palace

Sunderland have been one of the surprise packages of the season. They’ve been excellent at game control and not letting things get away from them, aside from a couple of matches. One of those matches was the last Premier League outing in which they lost 3-0 to Brentford. That’s only the 2nd time this season that they’ve conceded three goals, the other match was against Manchester City. This Sunderland side haven’t conceded more than three goals, in a single game, in the entirety of the season. That’s an incredible achievement for a newly promoted side after 21 games. What Regis Le Bris has mastered is the art of the draw. They’ve drawn nine times, the most of any side. But, with all these draws, there is a price to pay. It’s not three points and they need to start getting three points on the board. They’ve slipped down to 10th now, but a win can see them shoot back up to 6th.

Palace are having a torrid time of it recently and that was amplified after their shock exit from the FA Cup. Macclesfield, who sit in the National League North, beat Palace 2-1. This is technically the biggest upset in the cup’s history, due to the amount of clubs separating the two sides. Macclesfield are actually struggling in their league too. It’s a humiliating result and it’s backing Oliver Glasner into a corner that he might not recover from. They sit 13th in the league without a win since the 7th December when they beat Fulham. With European fixtures on the horizon, things aren’t going to get any easier for Glasner. As many as 10 players are doubts or will definitely be out for this Sunderland game, that’s an unfathomable amount, but Palace will have to find a way. This could be where Sunderland get back to winning ways, in fact it’s quite likely they will.

Predicted Result: Sunderland 1-0 Palace

Tottenham vs West Ham

A London derby that does usually tend to deliver on the entertainment front. The reverse fixture saw Spurs win 3-0, but West Ham did have a player sent off. Spurs will be hoping and praying for a repeat of the 3-0 scoreline as they need a breather in the league. They’ve only won once in the last five league games. A more damning statistic is that between November 1st and the 7th January, the North London side have only won twice, in the league. They’ve had respite in the Champions League, but domestic form is awful right now. The last outing in the league saw them lose 3-2 to Bournemouth in what was effectively the last kick of the game. Thomas Frank also witnessed his side bow out of the FA Cup, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa. The Premier League title is out of the question for Spurs, all that’s left now is the Champions League. But, unless they want European football next season, they need to fix up in the Premiership. 14th, but only five points behind 7th.

Spurs fans can take some solace from the fact that West Ham are in even worse form. The Hammers have lost four out of their last five games, not winning a game since the 8th November. Chances of survival are also ebbing away after they lost to their main competitors last weekend. Forest were able to win 2-1, ensuring the gap was extended to seven points. It’s not impossible, but Forest have a superior squad and have the advantage. The East London side have done some recruitment this month, with their new signing scoring on his debut. A 98th minute goal to knock QPR out of the FA Cup. He’ll need to keep adding goals as only three teams have scored less than West Ham in the league. I do think Spurs will edge this one, despite the flood of injuries they’ve got.

Predicted Result: Spurs 3-1 West Ham

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal

Forest did show signs of recovery under Sean Dyche, but have since dropped off. They’ve done enough to steer clear of the relegation zone, but they know more will be required to really keep themselves safe from the drop. They suffered in the FA Cup too as they were knocked out by Wrexham on penalties, so Dyche will be looking for an instant response. They picked up three important points against West Ham last weekend, but it feels like three more points will really solidify survival. But, if they’re going to get any kind of points on to the board this weekend then they’re going to have to fix a leaky defence. Only two teams have shipped more goals than Forest at home. They’re coming up against a side that have the second highest amount of goals scored away from home.

Arsenal took a slight hit with their 0-0 draw to Liverpool last week, but will be content with that due to Manchester City also dropping points. They sit six points clear at the top still and will be looking to maintain that gap or even extend it depending on what City and Villa are able to achieve. Despite the draw to Liverpool feeling heavy, they’re still unbeaten in 10 games across all competitions. This includes a 3-2 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night. What will provide extra confidence for the Gunners is that they top the league for away form. They’ve picked up 20 points on the road, only losing twice. Mikel Arteta’s men are playing a lot of football right now, but you have to lean towards them in this fixture. I do think Forest will be well rested and up for this game, so it will be down to Arsenal to control proceedings.

Predicted Result: Forest 0-1 Arsenal

Wolves vs Newcastle

Wolves are on the resurgence. They’re unbeaten in four games now, including a 6-1 battering of Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup. Outside of this, they’ve not lost for three Premier League games. That’s incredible for them given the season they’ve had so far. They even picked up their first win within those three matches. In all honesty, they won’t survive and will get relegated, but they need to enjoy the time they have left. If that means grabbing a win here and there, then they need to do that. As I said in my last league predictor, they’re in a unique position to almost do what they like. Play youth, try new formations and have fun with it. There’s something about accepting your fate and living every day like it’s your last, Wolves are in that position.

Newcastle are not in that position at all as they’re still fighting in all four competitions. They may well be taking a 2-0 deficit to the Etihad for the EFL Cup semi final, but that’s not an impossible task. But, all this football will take its toll on Eddie Howe’s men and that was evident against City as they looked tired. It’s teams like Wolves who can hurt you as the fixtures pile up and you begin prioritising. Wolves aren’t going to be anyone’s priority, so potentially there could be something in this for the home side. The Geordie’s are on a three game winning streak in the league, this has seen them rise to 6th. Confidence will be placed in the away team picking up all three points, but this could be a banana skin.

Predicted Result: Wolves 1-3 Newcastle

Aston Villa vs Everton

Aston Villa took their defeat to Arsenal personally and haven’t lost a game since. This has seen them keep within touching distance of the Gunners. They were even able to knock Arsenal’s North London rivals out of the FA Cup. But, with attention firmly back to the league, Villa will be hoping to make use of their incredible home form. They rank 3rd and have only lost once all season, winning 8 of the 10 matches at Villa Park. It’s certainly the defensive prowess of the Unai Emery’s men that’s ensuring such good form at home, only one side have conceded fewer goals and that’s Arsenal. The reverse of this fixture saw these sides play out a 0-0 stalemate, but that was way back when Villa were at their lowest.

Everton haven’t beaten Villa since 2016, in the Premier League. That’s 10 years of Villa dominance. Given where Everton reside in the table, it probably won’t stop at 10 years. The Toffee’s have only won one game in their last five and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland, over the weekend. David Moyes needs his big hitters back, but will still be without Iliman Ndiaye, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Idrissa Gueye for the foreseeable. They’ll even be missing Michael Keane through suspension. In fairness, Everton’s away form isn’t that bad. They sit 9th in the division and have picked up points in six of the 10 games played. Do I think that’ll be enough to pick Villa apart? No. I think this will end up being quite easy for Villa.

Predicted Result: Villa 3-0 Everton

Brighton vs Bournemouth

The Seagulls might be turning a corner in terms of form. They’ve picked up more points in their last two games than they had in their previous six. Four points from Burnley and Manchester City is good, but three points from; Villa, West Ham x 2, Liverpool, Sunderland and Arsenal is pretty poor. They still sit 11th, but that’s hanging on by a thread due to an awful run of form in December. If they were to lose this tie then they could slip down to 14th. A win is imperative and home form suggests that they’re capable of doing it. Fabian Hurzeler’s men have only lost once at the AMEX Stadium, which puts them on par with the likes of Manchester City and Aston Villa. Only Arsenal and Sunderland have a better record.

Bournemouth will have to prepare for life after Antoine Semenyo which will be extremely tough. Eli Junior Kroupi is the top scorer for Bournemouth outside of Semenyo, he has seven which is a respectable number. Bournemouth’s hope for a change in form was relying on themselves outscoring their opponents. The Cherries have scored the most goals in the bottom 10, but they’ve lost a big weapon and will now have to adapt. It’s the defence that’s caused so many issues. Only three teams have conceded more and they’re all in the relegation zone. However, Andoni Iraola was able to break his side’s winless streak, they beat Spurs 3-2 last week. I do think Bournemouth will have a period of adaptation to losing Semenyo. They’re not at risk of relegation, so they can find what works and perhaps give Kroupi more minutes. This means that I do think Brighton will win this affair.

Predicted Result: Brighton 2-0 Bournemouth