Matchday 24 of the English Premier League season is upon us, with some crucial clashes in the battle for European football. A top four clash between Arsenal and Manchester headlines this weekend’s slate, and the Before You Bet team has you covered with our best bets!
EPL 2024-25: Matchday 24 Preview & Betting Tips
Nottingham Forest vs Brighton
City Ground, Saturday 1st February, 11:30pm AEDT
Matchday 24 kicks off with a battle of third versus ninth as Nottingham Forest and Brighton face off at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest’s nine game unbeaten run came to a shocking end at the hands of Bournemouth, copping a 5-0 hiding in their worst worst performance of the season. Remarkably Forest had more shots on goal than their opponents, however their defence which has been so good all season long, were an absolute rabble. Brighton also come into this weekend on the back of a horror loss, going down 1-0 against 16th placed Everton.
Prior to their Matchday 23, the Seagulls had won their previous two games by an aggregate score of 5-1, and despite their inconsistency this season, they continually show they are a dangerous side in the front half. The issues for Brihgton have largely been in the back third, conceding 31 goals this season, ranking 10th in the Premier League. In their last fifteen Premier League games, Brighton have only recorded two clean sheets, which simply doesn’t stack up with the best teams in the league.
Forest’s horror show last week has seen them slip from the third best defence in the league to fourth, but you can’t ignore what they have done from a defensive standpoint this season. Given their performance last week, it’s likely they play with a heavy defensive emphasis, and it wouldn't be surprising if this becomes a dour affair. Three of the last six games between these two sides have ended in a draw, including their matchup earlier this season. 10 of Brighton’s 23 games this season have ended in a draw, and this game is shaping up to follow that trend.
Arsenal vs Manchester City
Emirates Stadium, Monday 3rd February, 3:30am AEDT
Two sides who have battled for the title over the past two seasons face off in a massive clash on Monday morning, as they look to stay in touch with Liverpool. Arsenal (2nd) sit six points behind the league leaders, while Manchester City have moved into fourth, but are still twelve points adrift from top spot. The defending champions have hit a strong patch of form, going unbeaten in their last six games, with four wins and two draws. Pep Guardiola’s side were outstanding in a 3-1 win over Chelsea, controlling the game for nearly the entirety of the 90 minutes.
Arsenal grinded their way to 1-0 win over Wolves, overcoming being down to 10 men for the final 47 minutes of the game. The Gunners are unbeaten in their last thirteen league fixtures, with a 8-5-0 record over that timespan. Arsenal haven’t been in a league fixture since the second of November, and continue to keep themselves in the title race, although they will need some slip ups from Liverpool. Arsenal will need to be at their best in the middle of the ground given City’s form in winning the possession battle over their last four games, as they are averaging 59% possession.
Both teams rank in the top five for goals scored, top four for possession and top seven for defence. Last season it was clear Mikel Arteta wanted to take a different approach to playing against Manchester City, to turn around their poor record against the defending champions. In their last three games against City, Arsenal have been vastly more defensive than usual, which has resulted in the last two matches between the two sides ending in draws. Arsenal have played in eight draws this season, the third most of any side, and this battle between two evenly matched up sides will finish in a similar result.
Chelsea vs West Ham
Stamford Bridge, Tuesday 4th February, 7:00am AEDT
The final game of Matchday 24 sees an all London clash at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea hosting West Ham. Chelsea have now fallen to sixth after a 3-1 defeat against Manchester City, which sees them with just one win from their last seven matches in the Premier League. Fortunately for Chelsea, they come up against a West Ham side that is just as bad form, with only two wins from their last eight league matches.
The last time these sides met in a Premier League fixture, back in September, it was evident the gap in attacking potency between the two sides. The Hammers had more shots on goal, shots on target and possession, however Chelsea won 3-0 in a clinical performance at the London Stadium. Chelsea are the fourth highest scoring team in the league with 45 goals in their 23 games, while West Ham ranks 15th in the league with only 28 goals.
Chelsea have a 6-1-2 record in their last nine Premier League games against West Ham, and their last two games against the Hammers have been particularly one sided, with 3-0 and 5-0 results. Cole Palmer scored in both of those games and sits equal fourth in the Golden Boot race with 14 goals, he is going to be an absolute nightmare for the Hammers to contain. West Ham are the fifth worst defence outfit in the league having conceded 44 goals this season, and things could get ugly very quickly in this clash.
Chelsea -1
$1.95 (2 Units)
