My predictions for the upcoming round of fixtures

The Premier League is on our doorstep again with fixtures still coming thick and fast. Arsenal managed to extend their gap at the top last weekend, despite dropping points. Manchester City and Aston Villa both fighting for 2nd place right now. At the other end, Wolves still sit at the bottom and are joined by Burnley and West Ham.

This weekend will see fixtures on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Up first is a 12:30pm (GMT) kick off that will feature West Ham up against Sunderland. There’ll be three fixtures kicking off at 3pm, starting with Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham will take on Brighton and Manchester City will host Wolves. To conclude Saturday’s events will be Liverpool traveling Bournemouth. On Sunday we have four fixtures; Brentford vs Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace vs Chelsea and Newcastle vs Aston Villa will kick off at 2pm. At 4:30pm will be Arsenal against Manchester United. The final fixture of the weekend will be Everton vs Leeds and that will take place on Monday night with kick off at 8pm.

West Ham vs Sunderland

West Ham have finally returned to winning ways. A stretch that lasted 10 games, ending against QPR in the FA Cup. They were also able to end their winless streak in the Premier League and were able to do it against bitter rivals. Spurs were unable to prevent the Hammers from claiming just their fourth win of the league campaign. Nuno Espírito Santo will be delighted to get three points on the board, but it doesn’t change a great deal in terms of league position. What it did mean for West Ham is that they closed the gap to Nottingham Forest to just five points. They’ve also opened up a three point gap between themselves and Burnley. Things are still looking pretty bleak for West Ham, but the win over Spurs shows there’s fight left in them. Although, that win at Spurs’ ground means that the East London side have a better away record than on home turf. They’ve lost eight times at home which is the worst in the league, tied with Wolves.

Sunderland have been on a streak that shows they’re difficult to beat, but actually struggling to win games. Prior to beating Crystal Palace last weekend, Sunderland had drawn four and lost one of their last five fixtures. Those four draws came in a row. Regis Le Bris needs to find a way to turn draws into wins. They sit 9th in the table, but three teams can leapfrog them and push them down into the bottom 10. However, looking the other way, a 5-0 win could land themselves in the top four. When you look at the away form, that’s not looking likely. They’ve only scored five away from home in 11 games. Having said that, just a simple 1-0 win is enough to catapult them into 5th. Sunderland’s inflated position is largely down to home form as they’ve only won two away from the Stadium of Light. I think the win for West Ham, against Spurs, will have done wonders for the morale and I can see them piecing together a small run of form. Sunderland will of course make themselves tough to beat though, a draw seems likely here.

Predicted Result: West Ham 1-1 Sunderland

Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur

Burnley have been stringing together some fairly decent results in the last few games. They were able to squeeze a draw out of Manchester United and then thumped Millwall 5-1, following that they held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Scott Parker knows that his side needs to win in order to survive, but avoiding defeat to Manchester United and Liverpool is very impressive. Burnley now have another of the traditional ‘big six’ to face in the form of Spurs. Turf Moor has been a more pleasurable experience for the fans, but just two wins from 11 matches puts them as the second worst in the division. Wolves are bottom with one, Burnley are tied with Spurs in 2nd. Burnley need this win to keep in touching distance of West Ham, which will be more urgent if the London side win.

Spurs were able to grab a breather in the week as they dispatched Borussia Dortmund with ease. That win has left the North London side 5th in the Champions League table which is a whole different world compared to their domestic campaign. Thomas Frank is under immense pressure to start building momentum and putting points on the table. If Spurs can’t salvage their form then they’ll likely be looking at no European football next season. Unless they can perform a miracle and win the Champions League. Frank’s men sit 14th in the league, six points behind 7th. This is the usual cut off point for European qualification. They’re not worlds away from breaking into the top 7, but they’ve only won once in their last five league games. Although playing away from home is where Spurs have thrived, still sitting 2nd in the league for that metric. Burnley have seemingly found an approach that can help them keep the big teams at bay. Turf Moor is a tough ground to visit and the European hangover is always problematic for Spurs.

Predicted Result: Burnley 0-0 Spurs

Fulham vs Brighton

Fulham have been in fantastic form recently, picking up wins and some big draws. However, they stuttered against Leeds in a tense away fixture. The defeat meant that the West London side dropped out of the top 10. All is not lost though as a win can catapult them back up the table, 7th place on offer. Fulham will be happy to land back at Craven Cottage as they have far superior form. Of the 11 games, Marco Silva’s men have picked up six wins, which is the joint highest from 8th and below. They’re also sixth in the league on form, only one defeat in five games. Silva knows his side have another level to reach and a win over Brighton can begin that process.

Fabian Hurzeler feels his side are victims of fine margins and he might have a point. They’ve drawn three games recently and each one could’ve resulted in a victory, even the Manchester City tie saw Brighton squander chances. Away from that, the Seagulls sit in 12th place and desperately need rake in some points. Brighton have a great opportunity to work their way into European spots. However, they must address their away form first as it’s pretty dismal. They’ve won just two games away from the AMEX Stadium. They beat Manchester United in the FA Cup a couple of weekends ago, but, you have to look back to November 30th for the last time that Brighton won an away fixture in the league. I do think Fulham can punish Brighton’s awful away record, but the latter have a tendency to bring excitement to the pitch. I’m expecting goals.

Predicted Result: Fulham 3-2 Brighton

Manchester City vs Wolves

Pep Guardiola will finally be able to parade his new signing, Marc Guehi. He’ll slot straight into the side that have suffered in the last week. His first challenge is probably the easiest he could’ve asked for, despite Wolves’ resurgence. The injuries that have plagued City came to a head midweek against Bodo/Glimt. The Manchester giants were on the receiving end of a 3-1 pasting that saw Rodri sent off. This came off the back of losing the Manchester derby, a game that saw United put the ball into City’s net five times. It finished 2-0, with three disallowed goals. If City can beat Wolves then they can sit four points behind Arsenal which shows that the title race is far from over. Since the turn of the year, City have won just two games which were against Exeter, in the FA Cup, and Newcastle in the EFL Cup. The remainder of the games feature three draws and two defeats.

Wolves, as mentioned above, have seen a resurgence in form. They’re now unbeaten in five games, in all competitions. Coming off the back of such an awful run of form, draws are considered amazing results. Of course, nothing has changed in terms of league position, but Rob Edwards has engineered a system that is generating results. They’re becoming harder to beat. They sit 9 points behind West Ham now and 14 points behind Nottingham Forest. Mission impossible for sure. First up is avoiding defeat to a Manchester City side that have been left bruised in recent weeks. They’ll be needing a response, it could end up being a massacre. Having said that, this is the kind of banana skin that, if not dealt with, can derail an entire season. It leaves Arsenal open to expanding the gap to 9/10 points and the emotional damage could irreparable. I do think City will comfortably win.

Predicted Result: City 3-0 Wolves

Bournemouth vs Liverpool

Bournemouth are living a life without Antoine Semenyo now and it’s generated two draws. One in the league and one in the FA Cup, which they ended up losing in a penalty shootout. Ultimately, nothing has really changed for the Cherries. Their victory over Spurs is the only win since the 26th October. This has landed Andoni Iraola 15th, 10 points ahead of West Ham in 18th. It’s unlikely they’ll be dragged into a relegation battle, but that cloud is looming larger with every passing game week. Bournemouth have modest form at home, picking up five wins at the Vitality Stadium, losing just twice. So, all is not lost for the Dorset side.

Liverpool picked up an extremely encouraging win during the week as they beat Marseille 3-0 at the Velodrome. That victory means that Liverpool are now unbeaten in 13 games, in all competitions. That sounds amazing on surface level, but take a plunge and it’ll reveal some worrying signs. Arne Slot’s men haven’t won in the league since the turn of the year. They’ve registered four draws on the bounce, with the most recent coming in a home fixture against Burnley. Liverpool have patchy form away from Anfield, winning four and losing as many. They’ve also conceded 18 goals on the road, level with Wolves and Fulham. Only six teams have a worse goals conceded record away. This is something that will concern Arne Slot. But, going the other way, only four teams have scored more on their travels. This fixture is promising goals, but I think it might lean Liverpool’s way, especially with Mohamed Salah back in the squad.

Predicted Result: Bournemouth 2-4 Liverpool

Brentford vs Nottingham Forest

Brentford have probably been the most surprise package of the season, tied with Sunderland. Keith Andrews has transformed this side into a much stronger unit than he even had last season. They lost Bryan Mbuemo, Yoane Wissa, Cristhian Norgaard, Ben Mee and Mark Flekken. That was the core of the squad and the star forwards lost in one window. But, Andrews used the market strategically and has assembled a squad that is full of hard working players. Igor Thiago has been a revelation, scoring 16 goals. This has placed Brentford 7th in the league. However, an away defeat to Chelsea ruined a five game stretch without defeat. That run included four wins. Home form has been exceptional for the Bee’s, sitting them fourth in the division. They’ve scored the third highest amount of goals and only four teams have conceded less than them. One defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium this campaign.

Forest were able to halt their losing form against West Ham the other weekend, the unbeaten streak continued into the next game as they drew with Arsenal. While avoiding defeat is great, anything less than a win can be damaging, especially if West Ham win. The Hammers did win at the weekend which closed the gap to five points again. A win is imperative for Sean Dyche. Forest do have a decent away record, but it’s far from bulletproof. They have three wins, which puts them middle of the pack, but have dropped points in eight games. Dyche will have to make sure that the away form picks up, along with the home form. I do feel as though Brentford will be too strong for Dyche’s side, especially after a midweek clash away in Portugal. Tired legs will be hard to overcome.

Predicted Result: Brentford 2-0 Forest

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea

Palace have had an odd season. They started by winning the Community Shield and embarked on a huge unbeaten run that landed them in the top four for many weeks. However, things have taken a turn for the worse and it’s getting more challenging. They’ve lost Marc Guehi in last the few days who was a huge influence on the team. There’s also talk of Jean-Philippe Mateta leaving too. Palace have added Brennan Johnson to their ranks, but there’s concern over their defensive cover. Oliver Glasner’s men haven’t won a game since the 11th December and that was in the Conference League. The last league win did come just before that on the 7th December, a 2-1 win over Fulham. Palace will need to start adding goals again as they only have three goals in seven league games.

Chelsea have had a respectable start to life under Liam Rosenior. Despite defeat in the EFL Cup to Arsenal, it’s been a winning start. They’ve beaten Charlton, Brentford and Pafos. These aren’t the toughest games in the world, but they need to be won and Rosenior has done just that. Rosenior does have a challenge on his hands, though, as he would like to crack into the top four, he can do that with a win here. However, even with a win, they’ll sit seven points outside the top three. That won’t concern Chelsea too much as the season is long. Although, they’ll need to maintain a winning mentality as they move forward. The win over Brentford is their first since they beat Everton on the 13th December. I do feel like Palace are going to struggle more without Guehi than they would without Eberechi Eze. They’re already in bad form and have got weaker, so I can see Chelsea winning this one.

Predicted Result: Palace 0-2 Chelsea

Newcastle vs Aston Villa

Newcastle will be disappointed this isn’t a Champions League game as they sit in the top 8. Technically they sit in the top 8 in the Premiership, but circumstances dictate that 8th is not great. This makes more sense given Newcastle’s lofty ambitions. They could break into the top four with a win, but they need to improve consistency. If they’re going to crack into the Champions League spots then they’ll need to maintain their home form. It’s been one of the best in the division, winning seven of the 11 fixtures. Eddie Howe’s men also have the fourth highest tally of goals scored on home turf. Goals clearly aren’t an issue right now, but the concession of goals is worrying. They’ve conceded 15 at St James Park which is the fourth highest in the league, tied with Burnley and Everton. Howe needs to find control as it’s too chaotic.

Villa have been incredible this season, but the machine might need some repair work. They’ve dropped points in their last two league fixtures, losing against Everton at Villa Park last weekend. Unai Emery did guide his side to an away victory over Fenerbache in the Europa League, but another difficult away test awaits. They’ve just lost Boubacar Kamara to injury which is a devastating blow, but Emery will have to find a way to adapt. Villa have the third best away form in the league which will be encouraging heading into this tie. They’ll need the win to keep within touching distance of Arsenal and Manchester City, but to also try and extend the gap between themselves and 4th. I do feel like this tie will feature two sides nursing European hangovers, so the energy won’t be off the charts. Newcastle perhaps will benefit from having a home fixture midweek, compared to a trip to Turkey for Villa.

Predicted Result: Newcastle 2-1 Villa

Arsenal vs Manchester United

Arsenal managed to extend their lead at the top to seven points despite actually dropping points against Forest last weekend. The Gunners are in a good place right now and a win over United will be the cherry on top. They return to the Emirates after four away games in a row, the final of the four was a trip to the San Siro to play Inter Milan. They won 3-1. This put Mikel Arteta’s men in pole position and has guaranteed them a top two finish. However, focus must return to the Premier League and they find themselves without a win in two fixtures now. Two 0-0 draws in a row has been disappointing to say the least, but they’ll be thankful that City and Villa have dropped points too. The Gunners are unbeaten in 12 matches and haven’t lost at the Emirates this season, in any competition.

United seem to have two modes, incredible or average. There’s no solid middle ground this season and it’s resulted in a few more dropped points than they’d like. But, they can boast some extremely encouraging performances over the course of the campaign. Last weekend, for example, they were able to beat Manchester City 2-0. But, 2-0 doesn’t tell the whole story as United hammered the City goal. This proves that there’s an extremely dangerous team in United and Arsenal will have to be on their best form to carve out a win. Under new management in Michael Carrick, they could move within five points of 3rd place if they’re able to beat Arsenal. It’s going to be a tense game with minor battles all over the field, but you can never bet against Arsenal at the Emirates. The Red Devils have had a week’s rest and saw Arsenal travel to Milan, so there could be some tired legs for the Gunners. In reality, Arsenal rotated for the Milan game and still won 3-1. Everyone is playing their part right now and it should see them dispatch United.

Predicted Result: Arsenal 3-1 United

Everton vs Leeds

Everton will see the welcome return of Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye after their success at the African Cup of Nations, with Senegal. It’s not clear whether they’ll go straight into the side, but David Moyes won’t want to waste time. They were able to pick up a brilliant 1-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend, but Moyes knows consistency is the key to Premier League success. The Toffee’s have only lost once in their last five league games which shows that the team are pulling together. They sit mid-table right now, but could move into 6th with a win. Although, it’s away form that has been Everton’s strong point this campaign. The Hill-Dickinson Stadium has only seen four wins which is the 14th worst in the division.

Leeds could take advantage of Everton’s poor home form, but they themselves are terrible on the road. Daniel Farke’s men have only won once away from Elland Road. That’s a genuinely terrible return, but two other teams share that misery. Burnley and Bournemouth. Outside of away form, Leeds have been quietly impressive since the start of December and still remain with just one defeat since the start of that month. That’s nine league games and only one defeat amongst it. So, despite sitting 16th in the league, recent form suggests that could change for the better in the near future. With Everton struggling at home and Leeds unable to grab a win away from home, it seems likely that they’ll cancel each other out.

Predicted Result: Everton 1-1 Leeds