Manchester City remain fifteen points clear atop standings, but they face a tough task in overcoming Liverpool in the headline fixture of Week 23 of the English Premier League.
Huddersfield Town vs West Ham United
Aaron Mooy’s Huddersfield will seek a return to the winner’s circle when they host West Ham on Sunday morning.
The Terriers have not found winning form in the Premier League for five weeks, but will have taken something from a 3rd round FA Cup win over Championship side Bolton Wanderers last weekend. Huddersfield remain eleventh overall following a credible run of results, largely draws, but they need to start converting three competition points at a time if they are to stay away from danger.
West Ham have again been the Premier League’s giant tamers this season. While they don’t beat the big clubs out of turn, they do enough to frustrate any given opposition and have taken a point more often than not. That was on display once again when they held Spurs to 1-1 last weekend.
The Hammers are good enough to win here and they represent terrific value as outsiders.
Tip: Back West Ham to win @ $2.90
West Bromwich Albion vs Brighton
West Brom are a club desperate for competition points and they will square off with Brighton at The Hawthorns early on Sunday morning Australian time.
It’s almost getting the point of do-or-die for the Baggies, who are languishing in 19th overall having posted only two wins. That is the lowest number of wins by any team in the Premier League this season and their inability to convert draws into victories has been costly. They will enter this fixture off the back of a loss to West Ham.
Brighton remain mid-table after a reasonably competitive run of results and can move into the top ten with a win, should other results also go their way. Brighton were frustrated by Bournemouth last week and were held to a 2-2 draw, despite being the better team.
There is no way that West Brom should be odds-on favourites here, particularly when a win appears imminent for Brighton.
Tip: Back Brighton to win @ $4.50
Watford vs Southampton
Watford will look to return to winning form at home when they host Southampton on Sunday morning.
Watford’s ill-discipline leading into Christmas saw them slowly drop away from the league-leaders and while a win over Leicester on December 27th appeared to have sparked something, they have subsequently lost their two most-recent matches. A pen can be put through their most-recent loss to Manchester City, but a 2-1 loss to the last-placed Swansea City prior was particularly disappointing.
Southampton are winless through their last nine Premier League fixtures and have fallen perilously close to the drop zone. A loss to Crystal Palace last week, in what should have figured as a very winnable match means that they are now seventeenth overall and only outside the relegation zone on for and against.
Watford can return to winning form in a low-scoring encounter here.
Tip: Back Watford to win @ $2.50
Chelsea vs Leicester City
The two most-recent Premier League champions are in action at Stamford Bridge early on Sunday morning Australian time.
It’s been business as usual for Chelsea for the most part this season, who remain third overall and only one point behind Manchester United. A typically strong run of form recently has seen easy wins over Brighton and Stoke, but a tough draw with Arsenal at their latest EPL appearance.
Leicester have produced patches of class between lacklustre showings this season and were classy 3-0 winners over Huddersfield in Week 22. Most of their good results this campaign have come against lower-positioned teams and they will need to improve tenfold if they are to test an opponent like Chelsea.
Chelsea has far-and-away been the better team this season and it will take a big effort on the part of Leicester to score, let alone win.
Tip: Back ‘No’ in the Both Teams To Score market @ $1.78
Crystal Palace vs Burnley
Crystal Palace and Burnley will lock horns in what is set to be one of the more exciting fixtures in Week 23 of the Premier League.
Palace experienced a particularly slow start to the season and were anchored to the bottom of the ladder for several weeks. They are amidst an impressive resurgence however, which has seen only one loss through their eleven most-recent fixtures. Perhaps their most impressive performance came a fortnight ago, when they became only the second club to hold Manchester City to a draw this season.
Burnley have easily been the league’s surprise packets this season and while they are winless in their last five league fixtures, they have held clubs like Manchester United to a draw and remain seventh overall.
It is tough to split these two teams in current form and a draw looms as a likely and lucrative outcome.
Tip: Back the draw @ $3.10
Newcastle United vs Swansea City
One of the week’s more interesting fixtures will see Newcastle and Swansea City face off at St James’s Park.
Newcastle have been anything but consistent this season, but they have so-far done enough to stay out of the drop zone and will line up for this match thirteenth overall. There isn’t a lot separating 12th from 20th however and they need to win wherever possible, to ensure survival come season’s end.
Swansea’s season has been disappointing to say the least. The remain last overall, having won four matches, drawn four and lost fourteen. A win over Watford two weeks ago helped, but they have since lost to Tottenham and face a big task to maintain their status in England’s first division.
They need to play with plenty of desperation, but Swansea is capable of taking something from this match and it would not surprise to see them steal a win here, at good odds.
Tip: Back Swansea to win @ $4.30
Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton
Popular clubs Tottenham Hotpsur will square off in London on Sunday, in what could figure as an interesting match from a betting perspective.
Spurs were frustrated by West Ham in their rescheduled Week 21 match last Friday, but prior to that posted a number of strong results across the Christmas period. Other than a blowout loss to Manchester City a few weeks ago which can be forgiven, Spurs have looked terrific against every other club this season and they remain on track for another Champion’s League berth.
Everton were extremely slow from the gates this season, but a continued build in form and quality has seen a good rise up the ladder and they have now entered the top ten, despite recent losses to Bournemouth and Manchester United.
Spurs look set to continue their winning ways here, but Everton can certainly compete and it would not be outside the realm of possibility to see several goals scored.
Tip: Back Over 3 goals to be scored @ $2.20
Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Bournemouth host Arsenal on Sunday night Australian time, in what looms as another terrific opportunity for the in-form minnow.
The Cherries are undefeated through their three most-recent Premier League fixtures, which included a smart 2-1 triumph over Everton at the last home fixture. The run of form has resulted in the South England club climbing to sixteenth in overall standings and while they are far from safe, they look like a team that can continue on with the task at hand.
It’s been another up and down season for Arsenal, particularly from a betting perspective. They’ll put a team to the sword one week and completely lose the plot against another the following. They should be winning this game, but they barely represent value at current odds.
Tip: No Bet
Liverpool vs Manchester City
Week 23 reaches its peak when league-leaders Manchester City travel to Liverpool early on Monday morning.
City are breaking records left, right and centre and are fifteen points clear of second-placed United leading into this match. The title is theirs to lose, but from here it would take a monumental fall from grace and given how dominant they continue to be, there is absolutely no signs of them slowing.
Liverpool continue to steadily build into a serious player in the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp, but they are really only playing for a Champions League berth this season.
The undefeated City are over the odds at their current price and they will probably just win again, at a terrific price.
Tip: Back Manchester City to win @ $2.30
Manchester United vs Stoke City
Manchester United will host Stoke City on Tuesday morning, in what is likely-to-be the most one-sided match in Week 23.
If not for their crosstown rivals finding club-best form this season, United would be challenging for another league title this season and they have been largely terrific on their way to outright second overall. A win over Everton last week means that they are now perched on 47 competition points and will be ready to strike, should something go wrong for City.
Stoke City’s campaign has been pretty disappointing again and they are firmly caught in the relegation dogfight. They are staring down the barrel of a third-consecutive loss and realistically, cannot beat Manchester United in current form.
Tip: Back over 3 goals to be scored @ $2