The Premier League is back in action this weekend, with some huge games in store. Chelsea will be looking to maintain top spot when they head to Leicester, with Matchday 12's biggest fixture coming on Sunday morning when Arsenal take on Liverpool. As always, we've got you covered with picks from the key games this weekend!
EPL Matchday 12 Betting Tips
Leicester vs Chelsea
Saturday 11:30pm AEDT, King Power Stadium
The first game of the Premier League's resumption sees the league leaders take on Leicester, with both sides coming off draws on Matchday 11. Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four games, while the Foxes are languishing in twelfth place, with just two wins from their last five outings. Chelsea have been the standout side this season, with their excellence in both attack and defence being paramount to the team’s success. Chelsea have the number two ranked attack (27 goals) and number one ranked defence (4 goals conceded).
Leicester’s biggest concern in this matchup is their struggling defence. The Foxes have conceded the sixth most goals in the Premier League this season (18), and haven’t recorded a clean sheet in their last ten Premier League matches. With Leicester’s mediocre 2-1-2 home record coming up against a Chelsea side that is 4-1-0 and have only conceded one goal on the road this season, it’s hard to see the Foxes stopping Chelsea’s momentum.
Leicester’s defence is a glaring issue against a side that possesses the quality that Chelsea do. Chelsea have shown they can get goals from anywhere, with a whopping 15 individual goal scorers so far this season. Leicester simply don’t have a defence that can hold out Chelsea, who will have no troubles getting past the Foxes.
Wolverhampton vs West Ham
Sunday 2:00am AEDT, Molineux Stadium
West Ham will be riding high after a remarkable win over Liverpool on Matchday 11, seeing them jump into third place on the Premier League table. The Hammers have peeled off four consecutive wins, which has them just three points off top spot on the Premier League table. West Ham head to the Molineux to take on a Wovlerhampton side that has settled nicely, with only one loss from their last five games.
The Hammers have won their last two Premier League encounters with Wolves. Wolverhampton will be looking to drag West Ham into a slow possession style of football, however it could put a lot of pressure on Wolves’ defence. With West Ham being the third highest scoring team in the Premier League, it’s hard to see Wolverhampton combating a dynamic West Ham side that loves to move the ball off the line.
Wolves have steadied the ship after a turbulent start to this campaign, however West Ham are red hot and simply too hard to go past. The Hammers defence has started to make a presence, conceding just four goals in the past four Premier League matches. Wolves are a much improved outfit, however West Ham will be too good in this encounter.
Liverpool vs Arsenal
Sunday 4:30am AEDT, Anfield
Liverpool need to produce a big bounce back after a disappointing loss on Matchday 11. The Reds take on a rejuvenated Arsenal outfit that has risen into fourth place on the Premier League table, and they will overtake Liverpool if they beat them this weekend.
Liverpool’s all conquering attack has been the standout of this season, scoring 31 goals from 11 games. The Reds get it done at the defensive end of the pitch, conceding the league’s third lowest amount of goals this season. Liverpool have won four of their last five Premier League fixtures against Arsenal, with the Reds winning margin being 2.75 in those wins. Despite Arsenal playing exceptionally well over the past six weeks, they don’t have the talent to match up against a side that has achieved the ultimate success.
Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for the Gunners, Liverpool has won five on the bounce against Arsenal, scoring at least three times in all of those matches. Anfield has been a tough place to play over the past three seasons, and Arsenal are about to find out about the gap in between themselves and the genuine contenders. This is going to be an enteraining game, but the Gunners have struggled badly against good teams this season, and Sunday morning won't be any different.
Other Tips
Watford vs Manchester United - Manchester United ($1.50 at Sportsbet)
Aston Villa vs Brighton - Aston Villa ($2.37 at Sportsbet)
Newcastle vs Brentford - Brentford ($2.70 at Sportsbet)
Crystal Palace vs Burnley - Crystal Palace ($2.62 at Sportsbet)
Norwich vs Southampton - Southampton ($2.05 at Sportsbet)
Manchester City vs Everton - Manchester City -1.0 ($1.50 at Sportsbet)
Tottenham vs Leeds - Tottenham ($1.70 at Sportsbet)
