The festive season of football continues with a huge slate of games across the next four days which will have Premier League lovers attached to the action this week! Jack Tobin has you covered with his best bets for Matchday 19.
EPL 2023-24 Matchday 19 Preview & Betting Tips
Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Old Trafford, Wednesday 27th December, 7:00am AEDT
Manchester United host Aston Villa on Wednesday morning looking to put an end to their horror month of form. In December the Red Devils have a 1-1-3 record, with their last outing a 2-0 defeat to West Ham, as the pressure mounts on manager Erik ten Hag with United sitting in eighth place on the Premier League table. A 97th minute equaliser from Nicolo Zaniolo saw Aston Villa avoid an embarrassing defeat to last placed Sheffield United. Although Villa kept a hold of third place with the 1-1 draw, they dropped two points that could come back to haunt them later on in the season.
Manchester United’s attacking game is causing them a mountain of issues at the moment, with the Red Devils failing to score in four of their last five games. United have been held scoreless in their last three games, and it doesn’t get any easier against Aston Villa who are the equal fourth ranked defence in the Premier League. Villa have conceded just 22 goals this season, and have allowed only two goals from their last four games. To pair with their high quality defence, Villa have scored 38 goals this season which is the second most in the league, only behind Manchester City.
Aston Villa are 10-3-1 from their last fourteen Premier League games and hit this matchup at a perfect time against a vulnerable Manchester United. Villa’s recent record against United is solid with two wins and a draw from their last four Premier League fixtures against Erik ten Hag’s side. With the difference in production from an attacking standpoint between the two sides, it’s near impossible to go past Unai Emery’s men.
Aston Villa
$2.60 (1.5 Units)
Brighton vs Tottenham
American Express Stadium, Friday 29th December, 6:30am AEDT
Three wins in a row has seen Tottenham jump back into the top four, and they’ll be looking to keep a hold of fourth place when they travel south to take on Brighton. The Seagulls were held to a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Matchday 18, with Brighton now having won only one of their last five games in the league. Brighton have slumped to ninth place, and face an uphill battle in their aspirations to play European football next season.
Tottenham held off a fast finishing Everton in a 2-1 win on Christmas Eve, with Richarlison and Hueng-Min Son’s goals inside the opening eighteen minutes enough to get Spurs over the line. Tottenham’s resurgence in the last few weeks has been built on their work in the front third, which had fallen off during their five game winless run that preceded their current streak. Spurs have scored eight goals in their last three games, during their five game winless streak they only scored seven goals.
Tottenham have scored 37 goals this season, the third most in the league and will be full of confidence against a Brighton defence that has struggled this season. The Seagulls have the fifteenth ranked defence in the Premier League this season having conceded 31 goals. Brighton are still yet to keep a clean sheet from their eighteen games this season, and will have their hands full against a Spurs side that has had eleven different goal scorers this season.
Tottenham
$2.50 (1.5 Units)
Arsenal vs West Ham
Emirates Stadium, Friday 29th December, 7:00am AEDT
Matchday 19 concludes with its headline fixture in an all London clash between Arsenal and West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal maintained their spot at the top of the table after a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in a top of the table clash on Sunday, while West Ham have climbed into sixth place after their 2-0 over Manchester United. The Hammers have won two on the trot and three of their last four games, keeping their hopes of playing in Europe next season well and truly alive.
The Hammers have put together a solid six week block, recording five wins, one draw and one loss since November 12. Although it’s been excellent from a results standpoint, only one of those wins has come against a side inside the top seven positions on the table. Arsenal have performed solidly against the best teams in the league, holding a 2-2-1 record against top five opposition so far this season. Mikel Arteta’s side have handled high pressure games well this season, and will be able to draw on that during this encounter.
The Gunners' consistency at both ends of the pitch has been the key behind them being the best side in the league before Christmas, which has been a key marker for winning the league historically. Arsenal are the number one ranked defensive team (16 goals conceded) and the 5th ranked attacking team (36 goals scored). The Gunners produced an outstanding performance at the back against Liverpool just a few days ago, and if they can contain West Ham’s ball movement, they’ll have no issues getting past the Hammers.
Arsenal -1
$1.90 (1 Unit)
