Last weekend in the Premier League we saw Liverpool and Arsenal make some headway at the top of the table with both winning their games against Fulham and Wolves respectively, while Manchester City were held once again, this time by Spurs and Aston Villa also found themselves drawing away to Brentford.
Newcastle’s win over Manchester United was a nice one for us as it was one of our two tips from last week that came in with Anthony Gordon scoring the goal.
The weekend was barely over before the teams were back in action for the midweek set of games this week for Matchday 15 and we had drama on the very first night as Arsenal secured a last gasp 4-3 victory over Luton thanks to Declan Rice’s header.
Liverpool followed suit with a 2-0 win at Sheffield United thanks to goals from Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai, but Manchester City went down 1-0 away to Aston Villa, who fully deserved the win given to them by Leon Bailey’s strike.
Manchester United got back to winning ways too as they narrowly defeated Chelsea 2-1.
There’s still two games to go taking place on Thursday, Everton v Newcastle and Tottenham v West Ham, but you can still check the current status of the Premier League table by clicking here.
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Let’s now take a look at a couple of the stories from the Premier League this week, before we preview the ten games coming up over the weekend.
Latest Premier League News
City “Are Struggling” Admits Guardiola After Villa Defeat
Treble winners Manchester City are struggling according to manager Pep Guardiola after they lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in midweek, their fourth EPL game without a win following three draws.
Rodri was absent and every time the Spaniard has not played this season (four times), City have lost.
“We know what our level is and as a manager we have to find a way to win games,” stated Guardiola after the game.
Rodri will turn for what looks like being a tricky trip to Luton this weekend in what has become something of a must-win game for the Citizens with Arsenal and Liverpool opening a gap on them after their wins in midweek.
Forest Boss Steve Cooper Feeling Heat After Losses To Everton And Fulham
According to reports, Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is on the brink of being sacked by Nottingham Forest after a slump in form that has seen them drop to 16th in the table.
Four straight defeats has seen Forest drop and that was compounded by a listless display at Fulham in the week where they went down to a 5-0 defeat.
Cooper is believed to have privately admitted that he will get the chop unless results improve fast. He took over in 2021 when Forest were bottom of the Championship but led them to promotion and survival in the Premier League last season.
Many feel the Wolves game this weekend may be his last chance to end the run of defeats and save his job.
Premier League Matchday 16 Fixtures And Tips
Kick off times are 3pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday unless otherwise stated.
Saturday 9th December
- Crystal Palace v Liverpool (12.30pm)
After a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in midweek, Roy Hodgson’s team have a chance to put that right against a Liverpool side who now sit 2nd in the Premier League two points behind Arsenal. The Reds won against Sheffield United in the week and they’ll feel they have a chance here. The teams drew both games last season but before that Liverpool had won all the last 11 and I think the visitors will be taking the points home here too. Tip – Crystal Palace 1-3 Liverpool – 12/1.
- Brighton v Burnley
Brighton have now won two of their last three EPL games, bringing to an end a long run without a win, but with relatively few defeats. Burnley have won just one of their last five, that being a 5-0 home win over Sheffield United. I can’t see Vincent Kompany’s team getting anything from their long trip to the South Coast here as the home side should be strong enough to win. Tip – Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) to score at anytime – 2/1.
- Manchester United v Bournemouth
An important win for Manchester United against Chelsea was not just their first against a top half team (Chelsea lay 10th at kick off) but also means that United continue their good league form which has seen them win five of the last six. Bournemouth’s form is also much improved of late so this won’t be quite as easy as it could have been for United, though I do expect them to end up winning this game. Tip – Manchester United to win and both teams to score – 15/8.
- Sheffield United v Brentford
Chris Wilder is back in the managers role at Sheffield United and after a baptism of fire against Liverpool in midweek, he now takes on a Brentford side that have lost three of the last four. Thomas Frank’s team have seen their form fluctuate over the season so far and they can be tricky to predict. There were positives for the Blades despite the loss to Liverpool, but I think that they could find this tricky against a very good counter-attacking Brentford team. Tip – Brentford to win and both teams to score – 13/5.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest
Forest’s last win over Wolves in the top division of English football was a 5-0 win back in November 1983. The teams drew last season with Wolves winning their home game 1-0 and after a 5-0 thrashing at Fulham in midweek, Forest will be keen to get a win. Manager Steve Cooper is already under pressure to pick up results but with Wolves looking solid defensively, I think they may struggle to get that here. Tip – Hee-Chan Hwang (Wolves) to score at any time – 13/5.
- Aston Villa v Arsenal (5.30pm)
This is a huge game in the context of the top of the table. If Villa can win, it would propel them right behind the Gunners in the table, just a point behind them and into the title race. An Arsenal win sees them move seven points clear of Villa, a large gap even at this stage of the season. Villa have an outstanding home record and beat Man City at Villa Park in the week. Arsenal I feel may prove a sterner test but I can’t see the Gunners winning here. Tip – Draw – 13/5.
Sunday 10th December
- Everton v Chelsea
The last 8 games between these two teams have seen three wins apiece with two draws. The Toffees have lost just one of the last six home games with Chelsea, but that did come last season in a 1-0 defeat. Chelsea come into this game on the back of yet another defeat, this time 2-1 at Manchester United and with Everton in desperate need of points to move out of the drop zone, I fancy this will be another tough afternoon for the Londoners. Tip – Everton to win – 11/5.
- Fulham v West Ham
Fulham take on West Ham in another key London derby for both teams. The home side enjoyed a fantastic 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the week and they have had an extra 24-hours to recover and prepare for this game. However, they have not beat West Ham in the league since 2014 with the Hammers winning 5 of the last 6 and I fancy them to continue that run here. Tip – West Ham to win – 19/10.
- Luton Town v Manchester City
No win in four means it is a crisis at Manchester City according to some. They now have a tricky game away to a Luton side that have drawn with Liverpool and almost held Arsenal in the week. City have found scoring goals a problem of late but I feel they will be more than capable of doing so here. Tip – Phil Foden (Manchester City) to score at any time – 15/8.
- Tottenham Hotspurs v Newcastle United (4.30pm)
What a game we have in store at the Spurs Stadium this Sunday as the home side welcome Newcastle United in what is going to be a key game for both teams. A Spurs win keeps Newcastle at arm’s length in the race for a top four spot, but a Newcastle win throws them right into the mix with the top five teams. Both teams have scored in all the last seven games between the two and Newcastle have won the last two. However, this one I feel will be a closer call. Tip – Draw – 14/5.
