The penultimate day of the year sees one of this season’s 10 Friday evening kick offs, this time between Hull City and Everton. Both sides could really use a win here given their recent struggles but especially Hull who are in real danger of finishing the year at the bottom of the Premier League. The following day and there’s a huge clash towards the top of the table between Liverpool and Manchester City. Both sides are very much still in the race for the title so there’s a huge amount at stake when they meet on Saturday evening.
There are two matches on the first day of the New Year to get 2017 underway, the first of which is Watford versus Tottenham. These two sides played out an action packed match the last time they met at Vicarage Road and more of the same would be a great way to start the year. Following this there is a London derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace. It’s Sam Allardyce’s second game in charge for his new side and he’ll be looking to celebrate his first win after having to settle for a point on his return to football.
Friday 30th December 2016
Hull City v Everton (20:00) – Under 2.5 goals (4/5 with BetVictor)
December has been a difficult month for Hull who have collected just one point in their five matches this month. A win here would bring them just one point from safety so they are by no means dead and buried just yet. Scoring goals looks like being a problem for them again here though and it’s something they need to address in the transfer window. No side in the league has scored fewer goals than the Tigers who have netted just 14 times in 18 matches and they look set to be without Abel Hernandez again following a hernia operation.
Everton ended a run of four straight away defeats with victory over struggling Leicester last time out. Playing on the road hasn’t brought the Toffees much joy this season and it would be a surprise to see them playing at their best here. They are facing a Hull defence that can be more solid than recently results suggests. The five man defence was able to keep Manchester City quiet for over an hour last time and gave West Ham very few chances the week earlier. Everton may well struggle to find too much success in front of the Hull goal and so a low scoring affair looks worth backing here.
Saturday 31st December 2016
Liverpool v Manchester City (17:30) – Draw (2/1 at Betfred)
Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to welcome back Philippe Coutinho for this crunch game and he will also hope that the Brazilian isn’t distracted by the speculation regarding his future. He could help give his side an extra attacking edge against a team that has managed just three away clean sheets in all competitions this season. Liverpool should again be able to cope with his absence if he’s not available though. Sadio Mane has helped fill the boots of the Brazilian as has Divock Origi. Whatever side Klopp plays Liverpool look set to continue their scoring run at home to seven consecutive matches.
For Manchester City, there is little doubt that Sergio Aguero will be making a return to the starting line-up now that he has served his suspension. The clinical Argentine is nicely rested in a match in which there will be a few tired legs and he could well mark his comeback with a goal or two. Defence has been a big problem for the Citizens this season but there are signs they are turning the corner. One goal conceded in their last three matches makes for good reading. With things looking good at both ends of the pitch, it’s hard to see them not getting a point despite Liverpool’s strong home record.
Sunday 1st January 2017
Watford v Tottenham (13:30) – Tottenham to win (3/4 with Sky Bet)
You won’t find many Premier League sides more out of form than Watford at the moment. Walter Mazzarri’s men have won just one game in six, although it must be added that their recently home record is better than their away one. It’s a lack of goals that seems to be their biggest problem at the moment. A 3-2 win over Everton in December was far from the norm as it’s the only time in their last six games they’ve managed to score more than one goal. They could well have a hard time scoring again on Sunday as they face the second strongest defence in the league.
While Tottenham haven’t hit top gear so far this season, certain players have been talking up their chances of producing the goods this season. The contract extension of Hugo Lloris is a real statement of intent and the captain committing his future could act as a huge boost to his fellow teammates. Belief is something they need in a tricky match like this as Spurs have had a hard time away from home the past two months. Their squad is too good to continue this poor run however and against a fairly out-of-sorts Watford side then they are well priced to claim victory.
Arsenal v Crystal Palace (16:00) – Crystal Palace to win with a +2 handicap (19/20 at Betfair)
Arsenal had to work very hard to claim a late winner against West Brom on Boxing Day and they’ll be hoping for a more comfortable ride against one of the league’s relegation candidates. The Gunners will at least take confidence in the fact that against the Baggies it was only an excellent goalkeeping performance that frustrated them rather than an inability to create chances. Against a defence that has managed just one league clean sheet in their last 23 fixtures, you’d fancy Arsenal to find the back of the net once again here even if Wenger decides to rest a couple of players.
While it’s hard to see Crystal Palace grabbing themselves a very rare clean sheet, it’s fair to expect them to be tighter defensively than they were under Alan Pardew. His replacement, Sam Allardyce, is known for making his sides tough to breakdown and he has publically stated his focus will be on improving Palace’s defence. The 62-year-old looks like being an excellent appointment and he was unlucky not to begin his new job with three points against Watford. Under the ex-England manager, the south London side should be relishing this match and are good value to win with a +2 goal handicap.