As we wave goodbye to 2017 there is still one final round of fixtures in the Premier League to look forward to. Southampton could do with some cheer to end the year after enduring an awful patch of form but a tough test away to Manchester United awaits them. Relegation threatened West Brom could also do with something to celebrate having gone four months without a win. Facing them on New Years Eve are top four hopefuls Arsenal.
Fellow top four contenders Liverpool are in action against a Leicester side who have gone off the boil a little just lately. This cannot be said of Manchester City who will be looking to stretch their incredible winning streak in the league to 19 games when they travel to Crystal Palace for Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off.
Saturday 30th December 2017
Liverpool v Leicester City (15:00) – Over 3.5 goals (6/5 with Betfair)
It’s now been over two months since Liverpool last lost a match and their top-four credentials will only continue to grow while their unbeaten run continues. The two home draws earlier in the month against Everton and West Brom were disappointing but performances either side of that have been much better. Not only has Jurgen Klopp shored up the Reds’ backline but their attacking options have continued to find the back of the net. Their last three matches have seen them score 12 goals and last time out against Swansea, their 5-0 demolition job could have easily been a lot more.
Five of Liverpool’s last seven matches have now seen over 3.5 goals thanks to their goalscoring exploits and it’s worth backing more of the same here. Leicester will not travel to Anfield looking to employ West Brom’s defensive approach, rather they will be looking to hit Liverpool on the break whenever they can.
Jamie Vardy has a fantastic scoring record against the top six clubs and despite Liverpool’s defensive improvements of late, it would be no shock to see him score. The last four meetings between these two clubs have produced a total of 16 goals and with the Foxes looking defensively suspect of late, we should be in for more goals here.
Manchester United v Southampton (17:30) – Man United to win with -1 handicap (21/20 with BetVictor)
After his side’s 2-2 draw with Burnley on Boxing Day, Jose Mourinho said that United simply haven’t spent enough to compete with their city rivals. The Portuguese boss was clearly not in the best mood after seeing his side waste a hatful of chances in a game they ought to be winning.
It was a similar story against Leicester three days earlier as his side wasted some big opportunities to put the game to bed and were punished by a late equaliser. Not only are the Red Devils being wasteful in front of goal but defensively things have declined too. In just one of their last nine games in all competitions have they kept a clean sheet.
As annoyed as Jose Mourinho must be right now, the Southampton faithful seem to be suffering more. Their side are just two points clear of the drop zone having won just one of their last 11 league clashes. Even without the suspended Charlie Austin, the Saints offered a reasonable attacking threat against Tottenham on Boxing Day but it was otherwise a horrible performance. Five went past Fraser Forster in the Southampton goal and it could’ve easily been more. Virgil Van Dijk won’t be playing after agreeing a £75m move to Liverpool and Cedric Soares remains injured so another wobbly defensive display should pave the way for a comfortable home win.
Sunday 31st December 2017
Crystal Palace v Manchester City (12:00) – Man City to win by one goal (16/5 with Betfair)
There were no surprises when Man City took on Newcastle in Wednesday evening’s clash, a game which extended their winning run in the Premier League to 18 matches. An invincible season could well be on the cards for them, even if Pep Guardiola insists that is not on their list of objectives. Although they were wasteful in front of goal against the Toon Army, their 61 goal tally this season is by far the best in the English top-flight. On top of this they even boast the best defensive record too and they come into this game with three clean sheets from their last five league clashes.
The one goal win over Newcastle was the fifth time in their last eight league outings that they’ve won by just a goal. Often Pep Guardiola’s men have been made to work hard for their wins lately and Roy Hodgson’s side look capable of giving them a tough time. Palace have lost very rarely since the former England boss took over and his confidence-full side will pose a real danger in attack, largely thanks to the eye-catching Wilfried Zaha. Their defensive record at home is far from the best though and this is likely to prevent them securing what would be a very satisfying point from this match.
West Brom v Arsenal (16:30) – Draw (3/1 with Betfred)
West Brom still are yet to win a league game since 19th August but one here could be enough to pull themselves out the relegation zone. It was hoped that replacing Tony Pulis with Alan Pardew might be enough to spark a change in fortunes for the Baggies but this has not been the case. That said, there have been some decent showings since the former Palace boss took over.
Their defence was hugely impressive during the 0-0 draw at Anfield and they had enough chances to beat Everton on Boxing Day during another goalless draw. Defence first is the likely approach here and they look like being able to frustrate the Gunners frontline, much like they did Liverpool’s.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal would have to be backed here but playing away often sees them far from their best. Draws against Southampton and West Ham earlier in the month were quite typical of their showings on the road this season. Up against lower half opposition once again, it’s not difficult to see them failing to find top gear. The Gunners have lost their last two visits to the Hawthorns and the Baggies in-your-face approach often unsettles the London side. With the hosts out of form at the moment, a third consecutive win is likely asking too much but a draw is not.