Gameweek 17 of the Premier League is upon us, and we look at some of the potential outcomes from this week’s thrilling battles including the high-octane Liverpool vs Manchester United clash.
Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest
Tottenham Hotspur travel to Nottingham Forest for their Premier League clash on Friday night, and they will look to build on their comprehensive victory over Newcastle United last time out.
Tottenham are fifth in the league table, and they are winless in five of their last six league matches. They will be desperate to put together a winning run now. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are winless in their last five league matches, and they have picked up four defeats in that time.
Both teams are in similar form, but Spurs are certainly the better team here, and they have an excellent head-to-head record against Friday’s opposition. They are unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Nottingham Forest and should be able to grind out an away win here.
Probable Bet: Spurs to win
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
Manchester City host Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend, and they will look to close the gap to the league leaders with a victory. Pep Guardiola’s men have dropped quite a few points in their recent outings, and they have picked up just two wins from their last six league matches.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are 15th in the league table, and they could easily be dragged into the relegation battle if they continue to drop points. The Eagles have lost four of their last five league matches, and they will be desperate to turn things around.
Manchester City have picked up four wins and a draw in their last six meetings against Crystal Palace, and they are a formidable side at home. They will be firm favourites to pick up all three points and given the form of the away side in recent weeks, this should be a comfortable outing for them.
Probable Bet: Manchester City to win
Newcastle vs Fulham
Newcastle United host Fulham in the Premier League at St. James’ Park, and they will look to bounce back from the crossing defeat against Tottenham. The Magpies have now lost two back-to-back games in the Premier League, and they have dropped to seventh in the league table.
They cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to secure Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, Fulham are tenth in the league table, having picked up three wins from their last four league outings. They will look to pile further misery on Newcastle and pull off an away win here.
The Magpies are unbeaten in their last six matches against Fulham. Meanwhile, both teams will be looking for the win here, and this is likely to be an open contest. Fulham have scored at least three goals in each of their last four league matches, and Newcastle will look to outscore their opposition as well. A high-scoring game seems quite likely.
Probable Bet: Over 2.5 goals
Bournemouth vs Luton Town
Bournemouth host Luton Town in the Premier League, and they will look to extend their impressive run of form with a victory here. The Cherries are unbeaten in their last five league matches, winning four of them.
They are coming into this game on the back of a sensational 3-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League, which will have given them immense confidence boost. Luton have lost four of their last five league matches, and they are 18th in the league table. The home side will look to pile further misery on them, and Bournemouth will certainly be the favourites here.
The last couple of matches between these two sides have produced a total of eight goals, and Luton have conceded 32 goals in 16 league matches. This is likely to be another high-scoring contest.
Probable Bet: Bournemouth to win/ Over 2.5 goals
Chelsea vs Sheffield United
Chelsea host Sheffield United in the Premier League, looking to bounce back with a victory at home. The Blues have lost three of their last four league matches, and they are up against the bottom-placed side in the league. Sheffield United ended their losing streak with a victory over Brentford and will look to upset the odds this week.
Chelsea have a formidable record against Sheffield United, and they are unbeaten in five of their last six meetings against the Blades. The Blues will be desperate for all three points here, and they have the quality to grind out a positive result. 20 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides, and Chelsea are likely to pick up a comprehensive victory.
Probable Bet: Chelsea to win/ Over 2.5 goals
Burnley vs Everton
Burnley host Everton in the Premier League this weekend, and they will look to get back to winning ways with a positive result at home. They will be hoping to protect their status as a Premier League club and need to win these games. Burnley are winless in five of their last six league matches.
Meanwhile, Everton are 17th in the league table, but they have picked up four wins from their last five league matches. They are on a three-match winning run, and the Toffees will fancy their chances of getting all three points against a struggling Burnley side.
The home side have failed to win 18 of their last 20 league matches, and they will struggle to contain an Everton side high on confidence. The Toffees have kept a clean sheet in their last three league matches, and they have looked quite formidable at both ends of the pitch. An away win is on the cards here.
Probable Bet: Everton win
Arsenal vs Brighton
Arsenal host Brighton in the Premier League this weekend, and they will look to bounce back from the defeat against Aston Villa. They have a poor record against Brighton, picking up just one win from the last five meetings between the two sides. Arsenal will have to be at their best in order to grind out a victory here.
Meanwhile, Brighton have been difficult to beat recently, and they are unbeaten in five of their last six league games. They have picked up three wins from the last four meetings against Arsenal, and this is likely to be a close contest.
18 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams, and both sides have got on the scoresheet in three of the last four meetings between them. A high-scoring contest seems quite likely.
Probable Bet: Arsenal to win/ BTTS
Brentford vs Aston Villa
No side has won more Premier League home games than Aston Villa since Unai Emery took charge in October 2022:
◎ 21 games
◉ 17 winsAn 81% win rate. 📈 pic.twitter.com/i70kVgOE8o
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 9, 2023
Brentford host Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend, and they will look to bounce back with the win at home. The Bees have lost four of their last five league matches, and the home fans will be expecting a strong reaction here.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are in spectacular form right now, having picked up four wins and a draw in their last five league outings. They are third in the league table and will look to continue their impressive run of form with an away win here.
The West Midlands club have failed to win five of their last six meetings against Brentford, and this is a good time for them to make amends. They are undefeated in 11 of their last 12 league matches and an away win is on the cards here.
Probable Bet: Aston Villa to win
West Ham United vs Wolves
West Ham take on Wolves in the Premier League, and the Hammers will look to bounce back from the defeat against Fulham. They have picked up three wins and a draw from the last five league matches and they will be the favourites heading into this contest. West Ham are ninth in the league table, and they will need to win these games if they want to push for European qualification.
Meanwhile, Wolves are 13th in the league table, and they have picked up two wins from their last six league games. They have a poor record against the Hammers, losing four of the last six meetings against the London club. Both teams will be looking to push for a win here and given their defensive vulnerabilities, this could be an open game.
West Ham have conceded 30 goals in 16 league matches, and Wolves have shipped out 26 in that time. Both teams have conceded freely during the season, and a high-scoring game is on the cards. The two sides are likely to get on the score sheet as well.
Probable Bet: Over 2.5 goals/BTTS
Liverpool vs Manchester United
Manchester United's potential absentees against Liverpool 🤕 pic.twitter.com/v16Nh971Iy
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 13, 2023
Liverpool host Manchester United in a blockbuster Sunday clash, and they will look to extend their lead at the top of the table with the wind. The Reds are in impressive form right now, having picked up three wins on the bounce. And they will look to pile further misery on their bitter rivals, who are going through a rough patch.
Manchester United have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, and they have struggled against Liverpool in recent meetings. The Reds have won four of the last six meetings against Manchester United, and they will be the favourites here.
The last six meetings have produced a total of 29 goals, and Manchester United have conceded at least once in each of the last five matches. A high-scoring game seems quite likely.
Probable Bet: Liverpool to win by 2 or more goals
