The Premier League returns this weekend following a break to accommodate domestic cup fixtures.
Liverpool resume as league leaders, and will be looking to extend their buffer over Arsenal with a victory against Wolverhampton.
Elsewhere, Brighton host Chelsea for the second time this week, Man City face Newcastle in the middle eastern derby, while Tottenham and Man United battle it out in the bottom half of the table.
The Offside Oracle has previewed all 10 Premier League fixtures over the weekend, providing his best betting plays below.
Brighton are out to see off Chelsea for the 2nd time this week, after knocking the Blues out of the FA Cup in their round 4 tie at the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls will be eager to bring their cup form to the league, after getting humbled 7-0 on the road to Nottingham last time out, following a 1-0 home defeat to Everton.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have a case of the post-Christmas blues, winning just three of nine fixtures across all comps (2D,4L), including a victory over Morecambe in the FA Cup.
The Blues are winless across their last five away fixtures in all comps (2D,3L).
I’m giving the home team the edge here, and am happy to take them at what looks to be overs in the H2H market.
Arsenal were knocked out of another cup competition last time out, allowing them to put more energy towards their title challenge.
The same can be said for Leicester, who were recently knocked out of the FA Cup by the same side that sent the Gunners packing in the 3rd round, Man United.
Though unlike Arsenal, the Foxes are now solely focusing on league survival, currently sitting 18th in the PL, two points adrift from safety.
The Gunners saw off Leicester 4-2 in the reverse fixture, with Trossard, Martinelli and Havertz all finding the back of the net.
Concernedly, both Havertz and Martinelli have picked up injuries across the last week, and will join Saka and Jesus in the Physio room.
Despite a growing list of injuries, I still have the Gunners taking all three point on the road, in what cold be a low-scoring contest.
Two largely mediocre sides take to the field at Olympic Stadium, when the Hammers host the Bees.
Brentford’s only two away wins this season (2D,7L) have come in their last two appearances on the road, seeing off both Southampton and Crystal Palace.
West Ham are still finding their feet under the leadership of Graham Potter, picking up four points across their last five games, while conceding 11 goals across the trip.
Neither side inspires enough confidence to back them outright, instead I’ll be jumping on both sides to score, combined with over 2.5 total goals, a market that has hit in 17 of Brentford’s 24 league games.
Villa went full manager mode in the January transfer window, signing the likes of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen to bolster their already handy forward line.
One of Ipswich’s 16 league points this season came in a home draw to Aston Villa in the pair’s reverse fixture, a game which the Tractor Boys had every right of winning.
A point will be much harder to come by at Villa Park, where Emery’s side have lost just one of 12 fixtures (6W,5D).
I’m taking the Villans at home, combined with the overs hitting.
The Sky Blues host the Magpies in what is shaping up as match of the round.
Man City’s weaknesses have been exposed again in recent fixtures, with Arsenal putting five past them in the league, before Real Madrid came from behind to claim a 3-2 victory at the Etihad in their mid-week UCL match-up.
Meanwhile, the Toon have bounced back from a league defeat to Fulham with wins against both Arsenal in the EFL Cup semi, and Birmingham in round 4 of the FA Cup.
Both Man City and Newcastle enter this fixture with 41 competition points and a +13 goal difference, with the top four within touching distance.
Newcastle have the physicality to trouble the Sky Blues’ feeble midfield, and I’m backing them to hand the Citizens back-to-back home defeats.
Another game week, another round of the bookies sleeping on Notts Forest.
The Trees are just three points back from Arsenal in 2nd place and are coming into this fixture off the back of humbling Brighton (a top 10 side) 7-0!
Forest won’t mind traveling to the capital for this fixture, they currently hold the 2nd best away record in the league, with seven wins from 12 fixtures (2D,3L).
Meanwhile, Fulham have only managed to win four of their 12 fixtures at Craven Cottage this season (5D,3L), and have failed to win in their last five home league games.
$3.30 for Forest, thank you very much.
The Saints host the Cherries in a match which should produce a bagful of goals.
Despite losing last time out, Bournemouth has collected 10 competition points across their last five games (3W,1D,1L), with only Arsenal and Liverpool claiming more (11).
The Cherries saw off the Saints 3-1 earlier this season, with both Semenyo and Ouattara finding the back of the net.
Over 2.5 total goals have been scored in the each of Southampton’s last six league fixtures, five of which were accompanied with a defeat (1W).
I’m backing the Cherries to take all three points on the road, combined with at least three goals.
Everton are out to build on three straight league victories when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on the Eagles.
The Toffees have already bettered Crystal Palace this season, a victory which extended their dominance over the Eagles to eight games without defeat in all comps (5W,3D).
The Eagles are in decent touch themselves, losing just once across their last nine game in all comps (6W,2D).
Two of the previous three meetings between this pair at Selhurst have finished as stalemates, and I’m happy to take the juice on offer for the Draw.
Liverpool are set to play their third fixture in seven days, after getting bundled out of the FA Cup by Plymouth last weekend, before taking on crosstown rivals Everton in the mid-week.
They’ll take on a Wolves outfit who they have bettered in the last four league meetings, with an aggregate scoreline of 9-2.
Wolverhampton broke a spell of three straight league defeats with a surprise 2-0 victory over Villa last time out, before comfortably winning their FA Cup fixture against Blackburn.
The Wolves last league victory at Anfield came in 2010, a game in which Stevie G and Fernando Torres started for the Reds.
Liverpool have only dropped points in three of their 12 home league fixtures this season (2D,1L), and have conceded a league-low nine goals across the trip.
I have the Reds winning this one, combined with over 2.5 total goals, one of which to come off the boot (and/or head) of Mo Salah.
Two clubs in crisis are set to meet in London, as Tottenham host Man United.
The Red Devils have found a way to win five of their last seven games across all competitions, despite their football looking anything but competent and/or attractive.
Saying that, the two defeats have come over their last three league starts, with defeats to Crystal Palace and Brighton.
Meanwhile, Ange’s hopes of securing trophy in his second season in charge have tanked, after his side crashed out of both the EFL and FA Cups across their last two games.
The Spurs have had the better of Man United under the management of Postecoglou, going unbeaten in four games across all comps (3W,1D), scoring 2+ goals in each of those fixtures.
A loss here could spell in end of Aussie Ange, a result I for one do not want to see materialise.
Tottenham for the win!