As we head into December in the English Premier League, the schedules are getting tighter and a lot of matches are to be played; it’s a critical period for teams chasing the title.
We take a look at the Game Week 13 Fixtures with local TV Listings:
The game week begins with a cracking encounter where West Ham host Leicester City at London Stadium. Newly appointed manager David Moyes lost his first match as the Hammers boss and things can get worse if he loses this one too. Poor finishing cost West Ham in their last match. Andy Caroll and Lanzini need to fire in this one.
Leicester City are on a good run of form but a defeat against table toppers Manchester City in their last match put a halt to their run. They played well last time and had the referee give Vincent Kompany a red card for his challenge on Jamie Vardy, we might have had a different result. Vardy would be raring to get back on winning terms. Expecting a good match with Leicester on top of it.
Crystal Palace host Stoke City where both teams are struggling for form and points on the table. Both teams have identical results in their last 5 PL games (1W, 2D, 2L). For Palace to survive in the Premier League, they need to get points and they need it right now.
Manchester United host Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford. The last time these sides met in the league was way back in 1983 with the match ending as a draw. However a draw looks unlikely this time around. United would be looking to bounce back quickly after the Champions League defeat away at FC Basel.
2 defeats in their last 5 PL matches has taken the steam off their engine and Jose Mourinho needs a winning run to have a shot at the title. Brighton have impressed everyone with their organized and well structured style of play. Pascal Gross has been involved in 8 (3G, 5A) of Brighton’s 13 league goals and is the man to watch out.
The return of Pogba, Zlatan & Rojo has bolstered the United squad and Lukaku must be feeling the pressure of scoring goals as Zlatan will be breathing down his neck. Expecting a comfortable win for Manchester United in this one.
Newcastle United welcome Watford at St James Park. Watford broke their 3-match losing streak with a win against West Ham in their last match while Newcastle are currently on a 3-match losing streak in the Premier League. Watford are playing great attacking football and would be hoping to put more misery on Rafa Benitez and co.
Brazilian forward Richarlison who’s only 20 has been a revolution for Marco Silva and his team. With 5 goals and 2 assists, he is Watford’s star man so far. Silva has instilled a great philosophy into his team and the results are for all to see.
Rafa Benitez must be a worried man at the moment, with a great start to the season Newcastle was placed 4th in the table at one point. However a poor run of results has slipped them to 11th place. Newcastle have been very disciplined so far in maintaining their shape and structure which is the core of Rafa’s management. Anticipating a great match with some crazy goals.
In another game, Swansea host Bournemouth. How quickly things can change in the Premier League. Just a couple of matches ago, Bournemouth were below Swansea in 19th place in the table. A couple of wins on the bounce and Bournemouth have leapfrogged the Swans to be in 13th place!
Swansea are playing terribly at the moment and their boss Paul Clement is walking on thin ice, another defeat can well be his last match. 5 managers have been sacked already this season. Bournemouth have turned around their season is some style with 3 wins in their last 4 PL matches. Another win will set them well into the top half of the table. A win for Bournemouth looks likely but can Swansea cause an upset here?
A demoralizing defeat in the North London derby has pushed Tottenham to 4th position in the league and Spurs need to get back on winning terms as they chase table topper Manchester City. Spurs play West Brom at Wembley, a team that is on a run of 4 losses in the PL. It’s a perfect opportunity for Spurs to bounce back in style.
Having sacked Tony Pulis, Gary Megson would be taking charge of the West Brom first team for the upcoming matches until the new manager is unveiled. West Brom is a team in distress at the moment and need some inspiration to get back on track.
Tottenham won at Borussia Dortmund midweek in the UEFA Champions League with Kane getting on the score sheet once again. Another goal involvement would be his 100th in the Premier League (86 goals, 13 assists). Expecting a comfortable victory for Spurs in this one.
LIVERPOOL VS CHELSEA
Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield which is our Game Of The Week. It’s about two teams who play great attractive football, something that the fans love to watch. Both teams have fabulous managers in Klopp and Conte respectively, two managers who are known for their tactical and man management prowess.
Chelsea and Liverpool are both flying at the moment with 4 and 3 consecutive wins in the league respectively. Chelsea would love to make it 5 in a row for the first time this season but that’s not gonna be an easy task at all.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 5 PL meeting with Chelsea but Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 5 visits to Anfield.
- Morata has had a hand in 12 goals(8G,4A)in his first 11 PL matches for Chelsea, most by any Chelsea player.
- Salah has scored 9 goals in 12 matches, most by any Pool player in their first 12 PL appearances.
Here’s a look at the last 5 meetings between these sides:
Liverpool have all the potential to be a title challenging side but their defensive instability has cost them in quite a few matches now and its pretty evident that Klopp needs to fix it if he wants to challenge for titles. The recent Champions League match against Sevilla where they blew a lead of 3-0 at halftime to end the game 3-3 is a testimonial for that fact.
As usual Klopp would be looking to attack in this game right from the start and they need to take their chances quickly to get a hold in this match. Salah has a chance to show the Chelsea faithful what they missed out on. Kevin De Bruyne has already scored a winner against Chelsea, can Salah do the same?
Chelsea can sit down, absorb pressure, play on the counter- they have it all in their bag. Conte’s men usually perform well against the big teams and this is another opportunity for them to prove their title credentials. A win at Anfield will raise their morale and confidence ahead of the busy Christmas schedule. Expecting a great match with Liverpool to be slight favorites.
Everton visit Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium. Both teams have struggled so far this season and have been a disappointment especially Everton after the amount of money spent on transfers in the summer. Both teams have just 1 win in their last 5 PL matches. The Saints are on a 2 game losing streak but a home win can up the dipping morale of the players and the supporters alike.
Scoring goals has been their problem so far this season and the club fans are getting frustrated about the boring style of play. They need a win to set things in motion. Everton on the other hand have conceded 24 goals in their 12 PL matches so far. With the squad that they have, they should be targeting the Europa League play-off spots but that hasn’t been the case so far. A win and a draw in their last 2 matches has lifted the spirits of their fans but that’s not enough for the Toffees. Expecting a good match with Everton to win.
Burnley host Arsenal at Turf Moor as both teams are equal on points (22) at the moment. Sean Dyche’s Burnley have been the surprise package so far and with 3 wins on the trot, they are looking quite dangerous. They have a very strong defensive approach to their game and Arsenal will need to find a way to break their defense.
Arsenal have won their last 5 matches against Burnley but this time I am sure there won’t be any easy sailing for the Gunners. Expecting a solid match with Burnley to stand strong and earn a point.
The game week ends with Huddersfield hosting table toppers Manchester City. The last time Huddersfield met Manchester City was in the second tier league way back in 2000! Manchester City have been absolutely relentless this season and with a goal average on 3.33 in the PL, they look devastating in front of the goal.
David Wagner has already won his home match against Manchester United and a Manchester double win would look quite impressive on his CV but I don’t think that’s gonna happen this time around. City are a well oiled machine, winning game after game.
Pep has finally got his team play the way he intends them to. It would take a herculean effort to stop City. City have won 10 consecutive away matches in all competitions, another win will be a new English top-flight record. Expecting a big win for Manchester City.
That’s it for the weekend guys. If you like what you’ve read, check out more stuff from:
Cheers!
