Premier League Predictions: Arsenal to beat Manchester United, frustration for Liverpool, but wins for Manchester City and Chelsea
Sandwiched in between two decisive match weeks in the Champions League is round 23 of the Premier League. There are some fascinating tussles at the top and bottom, with the highlight being the Super Sunday offering that sees leaders Arsenal host suddenly resurgent Manchester United. Here, we take a look at the weekend games and offer some thoughts on the outcomes.
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Saturday 24th January
West Ham v Sunderland (12.30 pm)
West Ham’s last-gasp win at Tottenham last weekend has breathed new life into their hopes of remaining in the top flight. Their situation was starting to look desperate, but Callum Wilson’s goal that secured a 2-1 victory meant a first three-point haul since November 8 and provided a renewed sense of optimism. They are still five points adrift of safety, but they will view this game as a real opportunity to build some momentum.
Sunderland is everything West Ham are not: well-run, unified and moving in the right direction.
That said…
Prediction: West Ham 2-1 Sunderland
Burnley v Tottenham (3 pm)
That defeat to West Ham was a kick in the teeth for Thomas Frank. He needed a performance against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night and got it, but another setback at Turf Moor would galvanise the critics and leave the Dane clinging to his job.
Even Frank’s backers would struggle to find a defence if they do lose at Burnley. They may have picked up a backs-to-the-wall point at Liverpool last weekend, but the Clarets have won just three league games all season and appear short of quality at this level.
Prediction: Burnley 1-2 Tottenham
Fulham v Brighton (3 pm)
Brighton are unbeaten in five games in all competitions – that record kept intact by Charalampos Kostoulas’ injury-time overhead kick against Bournemouth on Monday night – but they seem to have lost a little of their sparkle this season. Perhaps expectations of year-on-year progression are unrealistic.
Fulham’s late defeat at Leeds last week was a blow, but it won’t do much to change the Cottagers’ end-of-season finishing position, which will be safely in mid-table.
Prediction: Fulham 1-0 Brighton
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Manchester City v Wolves (3 pm)
It has been a dreadful week for Manchester City. Last Saturday’s insipid 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford was bad enough, but their capitulation at Bodo/Glimt in midweek was eye-openingly bad. So bad, in fact, the players refunded the cost of the matchday tickets to the hardy folk who travelled to the Arctic Circle.
City have vowed to make amends this weekend, which is not good news for a Wolves side that has belatedly shown some fight in recent weeks. Unbeaten in four league games, Rob Edwards is starting to make an impact at Molineux, but it will be too little, too late, and they will play Championship football next season.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Wolves
Bournemouth v Liverpool (5.30 pm)
Would the real Liverpool please stand up? Unbeaten in 13 games and yet performances still swing wildly from distinctly average to very good. It was the former in the 1-1 draw with Burnley last weekend and the latter in the 3-0 win in Marseille last night. However, you dress it up, it has been a season of disappointment for Arne Slot, but securing a place in next season’s Champions League is of paramount importance. They start the weekend in fourth and have a good record at the Vitality Stadium in recent years, winning on their last two visits by an aggregate score of 6-0.
Bournemouth played well at Brighton and ought to have travelled back along the South Coast with three points in the bag.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-2 Liverpool
Sunday 25th January
Brentford v Nottingham Forest (2 pm)
West Ham’s win last weekend will have heightened the senses in Nottingham, with the gap between the sides sitting either side of the relegation line slimming. Forest battled hard to gain a point against Arsenal and will require a similar performance at Brentford’s Gtech fortress.
The Bees have the fourth-best home record in the Premier League, with their only defeat on home turf coming against Manchester City in October.
And coming on the back of a Europa League trip to Braga, this is a tough assignment for Sean Dyche’s side.
Prediction: Brentford 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v Chelsea (2 pm)
It has been quite the seven days for Crystal Palace. They have sold their captain, their star striker wants out, and boss Oliver Glasner has announced he will be leaving at the end of the season. Oh, and they also lost at Sunderland last Saturday. It remains to be seen whether Jean-Philippe Mateta will face Chelsea, and what kind of reception he will receive from Palace fans if he does.
Things look much more serene at Chelsea, and it’s not often you can say that. Liam Rosenior’s revolution looks like a slow burner, but they have the chance to gain some momentum here and capitalise on Palace’s instability.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Chelsea
Newcastle v Aston Villa (2 pm)
Two sides vying for Champions League qualification go head to head on Sunday. Villa have had the better season so far and go into the weekend in third, level on points with Manchester City but still very much on the fringes of the title race.
Newcastle’s season could swing either way from here on in. Having spent much of the season in mid-table, a decent set of results has seen them climb to eighth. They are three points from fourth and three points from 12th. Villa’s trip to Fenerbahce in midweek will be difficult, and the mental and physical fatigue from that could give the hosts the edge.
Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Aston Villa
Arsenal v Manchester United (4.30 pm)
Arsenal’s strength in depth was on full display in midweek when a much-changed side cruised to a 3-1 win at Inter. Mikel Arteta has a squad capable of challenging on four fronts, and their domestic superiority means it would be a huge surprise if they didn’t go on to win the league.
Three weeks ago, this would have looked like a fairly routine assignment, but the manner of United’s win over Manchester City suggests they enjoyed breaking out of Ruben Amorim’s rigid 3-4-3 formation.
In Bruno Fernandes, Amad and Bryan Mbuemo, they have the quality in attack to trouble any side. But can they shut out an Arsenal team with so many strings to their bow?
This could be a classic.
Prediction: Arsenal 4-2 Manchester United
Monday 26th January
Everton v Leeds (8 pm)
Everton were excellent in their win over Aston Villa last weekend, the perfect antidote to their FA Cup exit. But consistency remains an issue for David Moyes’ side. The last time they won away from home – at Nottingham Forest – they followed it up with one point from two games at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Leeds will arrive on Merseyside in a buoyant mood following the win over Fulham. They have lost just one of their last nine league games and, barring a serious loss of form, won’t be dragged into the relegation dogfight.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Leeds
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