The cluster of Premier League fixtures continues as Matchday 21 kicks off on Saturday! Dropped points by Chelsea and Liverpool saw Man City jump eight points clear at the top of the table. We’ve got you covered with tips for a huge weekend of Premier League action!
EPL Matchday 21 Betting Tips
Arsenal vs Manchester City
Saturday 1st January, 11.30pm (AEDT)
It was a dream week for Manchester City with the defending champions picking up a 1-0, while Liverpool lost and Chelsea drew, giving City a sizable lead in the title race for the first time this season. Now City have a chance to increase the gap between first and fourth place, when they travel to the Emirates on Saturday night. Arsenal come into this clash on the back of four consecutive wins, although the majority of the those wins have come against meek opposition in Southampton, Leeds and Norwich.
City have dominated Arsenal in the last six years, with a 10-2-0 record against the Gunners since 2015. Of bigger concern, those ten victories have come at an aggregate score of 26-3, including a 5-0 result earlier this season. City have won ten consecutive matches, and their attacking game has gone to a whole new level in the last few weeks. The league leaders have scored 18 goals in their last four games, and now have the number one ranked attack (51 goals scored) and the number one ranked defence (12 goals conceded).
Although Arsenal are a much improved side from the beginning of the season, there’s no doubt there’s a gulf in class between themselves and the top three. The Gunners haven’t been competitive against Chelsea (2-0), Man City (5-0) and Liverpool (4-0) so far this season, and it’s hard to see them overcoming that obstacle against a red hot Manchester City outfit.
Crystal Palace vs West Ham
Sunday 2nd January, 4.30am (AEDT)
With Arsenal facing the league leaders this weekend, West Ham have a golden opportunity to get within one point of fourth place when they take on Crystal Palace. The Hammers are coming off a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Watford and will be full of confidence heading to Selhurst Park. Palace registered a much needed win over 20th placed Norwich, but the challenge of this West Ham outfit will be much greater.
The key factor in this match looms as the battle of West Ham’s attack, against Palace’s out of form defence. The Hammers are the fourth highest scoring team in the Premier League this season (34 goals), with Crystal Palace having a defence that is ranked in the bottom half of the league. The recent form of their back four has been particularly alarming, Palace have conceded 27 goals this season, with 13 of them coming in their last eight games.
This West Ham side has shown all season long their ability to pile on goals with their free flowing ball movement under David Moyes. With the likes of Antonio, Benrahma and Lanzini, the Hammers have the players to stretch this vulnerable Crystal Palace defence.
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Monday 3rd January, 3.30am (AEDT)
Arguably the most important clash of the season so far takes place at Stamford Bridge on Monday morning. Liverpool’s loss to Leicester saw them drop to third place and nine points behind Man City, while Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Brighton saw them fall eight points behind the league leaders. With the gap City have created, the loser of this clash can kiss their title hopes goodbye.
Chelsea managed to pick up a 1-1 draw despite being down to ten men at Anfield earlier this season, but their form has plateaued in the last month, with a 1-3-0 record from their last four Premier League games. The Reds have a 2-1-1 record in their last game, but the drop off in their attacking game would have Jurgen Klopp concerned. The Reds had been the highest scoring team in the Premier League by a serious margin for the majority of the season, but after being held to one or less goal in three of their last five games, Liverpool have dropped to second for goals scored this season. Their loss to Leicester during the week was the first game the Reds have failed to score in this season.
Statistically this game sets up to be an instant classic. Second vs third on the table, Chelsea the third ranked defence and third ranked attack, against Liverpool the second ranked attack and fourth ranked defence. Liverpool have had the wood over Chelsea in recent seasons, with a 4-1-1 record from the last six Premier League meetings between the two sides. This matchup lines up much better for the Reds than it does for Chelsea, especially if they can score early. Expect Liverpool’s attacking game to get back to its best, in one of the games of the season.
Other Tips
Leicester vs Norwich - Leicester -1.0 ($2 with Sportsbet)
Tottenham vs Watford - Tottenham H2H ($1.57 with Sportsbet)
Everton vs Brighton - Under 2.5 Goals ($1.69 with Sportsbet)
Leeds vs Burnley - Under 2.5 Goals ($1.90 with Sportsbet)
Southampton vs Newcastle - Southampton H2H ($1.65 with Sportsbet)
Brentford vs Aston Villa - Over 2.5 Goals ($2.04 with Sportsbet)
Manchester United vs Wolves - Under 2.5 Goals ($1.87 with Sportsbet)
