Premier League Predictions: Matchweek 18
Only five Premier League matches have survived the covid pandemic this weekend, and here is my predictions on the remaining fixtures.
The covid pandemic has seen five Premier League matches already postponed this weekend, meaning it's a shortened fixture list - and that’s assuming the other five games actually go ahead!
So far, the five surviving matches are:-
Villa vs Burnley - 3pm Sat
Leeds vs Arsenal - 5.30pm Sat
Newcastle vs Man City - 2pm Sun
Wolves vs Chelsea - 2pm Sun
Spurs vs Liverpool - 4.30pm
As well as playing havoc with accumulator bets, this is also seriously disrupting Fantasy Premier League teams. I’ve managed to keep 10 players in my team…. as it stands.
Anyway, back to matters on the pitch…..and in my Matchweek 17 predictions, I suggested Manchester City might be due to hammer somebody at the Etihad.
Step forward Leeds United, and the their world renowned manager, Marcelo Bielsa.
City's 7-0 win against Leeds has seen their odds to win the Premier League trimmed from 8/13 (1.61) to 1/2 (1.50).
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool also won midweek, beating the luckless Newcastle 3-1.
The Reds remain second favourites at 11/4 - the same odds they were prior to Thursday night's win.
The big loser in the midweek round of fixtures was Chelsea.
They were held 1-1 by an Everton side so patched up, that I wouldn't be surprised if even Rafa Benitez hadn't heard of some of the Toffees playing at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel's team has now fallen 4 points behind City and 3 behind Klopp's Liverpool.
They sit 3rd in the table and are out to 7/1 to win the Premier League.
Man City 1/2 (1.50)
Liverpool 11/4 (3.75)
Chelsea 7/1 (8.0)
Man Utd 150/1 (151.0)
Spurs 175/1 (176.0)
Arsenal 275/1 (276.0)
West Ham 500/1 (501.0)
Premier League Matchweek 18 Match Predictions
Only two matches (as things stand) on Saturday, and we start with a claret and blue.... of sorts (before anybody moans)..... derby!
Aston Villa vs Burnley - 3pm Saturday
I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons and getting hysterical, but I have to say that I am becoming more and more impressed with Steven Gerrard.
Yes, he inherited a good side and squad, and yes, results - I imagine - will level off in the not to distant future.
I'm not saying he's the next Alf Ramsey, he could yet end up being the next Alf Garnett, but what I've seen so far, I've liked.
Gerrard seems to already be in complete control at Villa.
He has the team playing for him, he's got an aura about himself in press conferences, and he just looks like he oozes confidence and self-belief.
It's not difficult to see why the Villa fans love him and have already forgotten about Dean Who?
After that big build-up, his side is bound to flop against Burnley!
Sean Dyche's men have had a stop-start few weeks in the Premier League.
Will this help them? Or will it be a hindrance? The Clarets have still played four times in the last four weeks, so it's not as if they've been dormant lately.
They will probably be the fresher of the two sides, and they may well fancy upsetting Villa.
In their last six, Burnley has only lost once. But in their last five, they haven't won. You can interpret that stat whatever way you want!
One thing I can say with confidence is that Villa is in good form. And I have to go with the Villains to keep up that good form.
Verdict - VILLA WIN
Leeds vs Arsenal - 5.30pm Saturday
I keep on hearing that Marcelo Bielsa is this great innovator who has been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.
Maybe that's true. But it may be also true that he has done little to fix a Leeds side that has been awful all season.
On Tuesday night, things took a turn for the worse at the Etihad. And from what I saw, the great Bielsa did next to nothing tactically to shore Leeds up.
Will that 7-0 drubbing come back to haunt him later in the season?
Yes, anybody can get hammered at the Etihad, but the manner of Tuesday's defeat wasn't great.
The Leeds players kept going, and for that, they can't be faulted. But what is that result going to do for confidence? And will some in the dressing room be wondering if the manager is this great innovator?
As I'm sure you may have already worked out, I certainly don't think he is. Although I'm happy to be proven wrong.
Make no mistake though, Leeds is in a relegation scrap. They may survive because Bielsa proves me wrong and pulls off a masterstroke.
Or they may survive because there are three worse sides in the Premier League!
Sitting on a bucket and looking at the floor during TV interviews doesn’t make you a great manager.
Opponents Arsenal, have their own problems. Namely, the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saga.
But they did beat West Ham 2-0 in a comfortable win on Wednesday night. A win that seen them go fourth in the table!
It's been typical stuff from Arsenal lately though. They beat the rubbish sides, but lose to the big boys.
Leeds are cannon fodder at the moment.
Verdict - ARSENAL WIN
Newcastle vs Man City - 2pm Sunday
Where does Newcastle go from here? Their recent fixtures have been brutal, yet they are still only 3 points from safety.
The chances of that still being the case after Sunday's match with Man City and the Christmas fixture with Man Utd, remains to be seen.
If they are, it will probably be down to fixture postponements for their rivals.
These matches are free hits for Eddie Howe though. He won't expect much against Liverpool, City, and United.
It's the matches against Everton, Southampton, Watford, and Leeds that follow, that will define Newcastle's season.
If they can emerge from that period still intact with the rest of the Premier League, then they will have a fighting chance.
Opponents Man City, put seven past Leeds the other night….. did I mention that yet?
I can see Pep changing the team again, but I don't see it helping Newcastle. I can see City winning this match by at least a couple of goals.
Verdict - MAN CITY WIN
Wolves vs Chelsea - 2pm Sunday
The Blues have struggled quite a bit lately. Home draws to Burnley, Man Utd and most recently Everton has cost them 6 vital points.
Also of late, they struggled to beat Leeds at home, Watford away, and were beaten on the road by West Ham.
Chelsea is going through a rough patch. And if they don't arrest this slide soon, the title race will be a two-horse one.
On Sunday they visit a Wolves side who are getting harder to predict every week.
In their last five matches, Wolves have drawn with Norwich and Burnley. They have lost narrowly and unluckily to both Liverpool and Man City, and they have beaten Brighton.
So what do we expect on Sunday? Well, plenty thinks Chelsea could be there for the taking, and they may be correct.
But I'm sticking with Tuchel's Blues. I think they will snap out of this run soon, and I can see them winning against Wolves.
Verdict - CHELSEA WIN
Spurs Vs Liverpool - 4.30pm Sunday
The final match of the weekend - hopefully - is Spurs vs Liverpool.
I'm in a bit of two minds about this one. Spurs do have a win in them, they showed that against Man City at the start of the season.
If nothing else, the match will be a marker for to see what real impact Antonio Conte has had over the last few weeks.
It's okay beating Leeds and Brentford, but this is a proper test.
I expect a better performance from Spurs than the one that cost Nuno his job (the 3-0 defeat to Man Utd). But I don't think it will be enough to beat a Liverpool team that is absolutely flying at the moment!
Verdict - LIVERPOOL WIN
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