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Alright then, it's time to look forward to our first full set of Premier League fixtures since the turn of the year. While teams like Liverpool will be hoping to do more of the same in 2025, the same cannot be said of their next opponents and arch-rivals Manchester United!
The Red Devils take the trip to Anfield this Sunday on the back of a serious beating. Since that incredible Manchester derby win over City, Manchester United have endured a catastrophic run of three straight defeats, conceding seven goals and failing to score any in return. And just when you think whether it can get any worse for Ruben Amorim, Manchester United begin the new year with a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.
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There's a lot to talk about this particular game and the other fixtures this weekend. So without further ado, let us dive straight into my predictions for gameweek 20 in the Premier League:
Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United
With the way both teams are playing, I have to go with a Newcastle win here. I know Manchester United aren't great, but I thought Newcastle were brilliant in that 2-0 win. They are flying at the moment and I don't expect this game to be any different.
When you look at Tottenham, they are still in the running to win a trophy. I know that some sort of silverware will be a huge relief for their fans. However, they look a million miles away from finishing in the top four and that's a problem. They are 11 points behind Chelsea and all the six teams, including Newcastle, between them and the Blues have all looked better!
The Spurs fans will not have complaints with the football they're watching under Ange Postecoglou though. They wouldn't want to go back to the old days under Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho because this is at least positive football. And when you play this kind of expansive football, it really is difficult to keep it tight at the back. If I had to pick one team to watch purely for the sake of entertainment in the Premier League, that would be Spurs - no doubt.
Newcastle have hit good form at the right moment. If they end up strengthening the squad in January, they can push Chelsea and Nottingham Forest to the end for third spot. But whether they dip into the market or not depends on Financial Fair Play (FFP) of course.
It will be interesting to see if they receive an offer for Alexander Isak too. If I was Arsenal, I wouldn't think twice and put in a massive bid to sign him in January. Isak is a real handful and is in terrific form. Even if Arsenal don't win the league this season, they will definitely win it next season, if they have him in their line-up!
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Newcastle United
Bournemouth vs Everton
Bournemouth are playing really well. When you look at their results, they have three draws in their last four games. But they are unbeaten in their last seven league games and it includes wins over Tottenham and Manchester United. Andoni Iraola's team have shown they can beat anyone on their day and this is a fixture that plays straight into their hands.
I worry for Everton. They got a draw against Chelsea but I thought they were poor. They are not a team that's set up to win games. When you are in the relegation battle, draws don't do any good. In a way, you are better of winning one and losing the next game because that's more points!
The fact that Everton managed to walk away with a point against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City is commendable. But they went and lost to Nottingham Forest and must be careful since teams like Ipswich Town and Wolves are starting to pick up more points.
I have a feeling that Bournemouth will win this game quite comfortably and put Everton in a lot of trouble in the race to avoid relegation.
Prediction: Bournemouth 3-0 Everton
Aston Villa vs Leicester City
Nothing but an Aston Villa win here, I can't see Leicester causing them any sort of problems whatsoever. Leicester enjoyed a bit of a bounce after the appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy, but now they're back to losing games 3-0 and 4-0, which is a huge problem when you're fighting for survival.
I don't expect Leicester to avoid the drop this season. If I have to back anybody from the current bottom three (Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton) to survive, I would put my money on Ipswich. I know Leicester are only just a point behind Ipswich in the table. But I don't expect Leicester to pull off a result like the one Ipswich secured against Chelsea last time out.
I'm confident that will Villa return to winning ways here and force their way back into the top four race with the three points.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-0 Leicester City
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
I personally thought Chelsea were in the title race. Then they faced Everton, Fulham and Ipswich over Christmas and managed to get just one point! If they lost to Arsenal, Newcastle or Liverpool, it was still understandable because those are tough games. You look at these fixtures they had recently and they should have got at least seven points. Look at them now, they are back to being involved in the top four race.
This is a difficult game for Chelsea at Crystal Palace, especially considering their run of form. I expect Newcastle and Manchester City to win this weekend and in that case, anything short of three points would be a big problem for Chelsea.
I think the one thing that Enzo Maresca needs to learn is that when Chelsea play away from home, he has to start with Nicolas Jackson. It was a bad mistake playing Christopher Nkunku at Ipswich. Jackson gives you the energy up front in such games and holds the ball up really well. Maresca got that selection horribly wrong and Chelsea paid the price for it!
Even Axel Disasi struggled in that game. Chelsea need a solid back four if they are to become genuine title contenders. At the moment, they only look confident at the back when Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto perform well.
I'm backing Chelsea to win but that's just my heart talking, my head still thinks they may not be able to win this one.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
Southampton vs Brentford
I think Southampton have a chance here because Brentford's record away from home is simply atrocious. To add to their awful performances on the road, Brentford have also been plagued by injuries. For a club of their size to have so many injuries, it could take a toll on them.
Southampton will definitely have a go at their opponents and believe they can get something from this game. To put things into perspective, Brentford have won just two points on the road this season and without their performances at home, they would be battling for survival at this stage.
I think this will be an open and entertaining game with plenty of goals to talk about.
Prediction: Southampton 2-2 Brentford
Manchester City vs West Ham United
You would have to think Manchester City's revival starts with that win against Leicester last time out. They were not at their best and Leicester did enjoy a few chances, but the three points is all that matters to them at the moment. City will not win the Premier League from here so they will focus on going the distance in the Champions League. But they must do it while ensuring they secure a top four finish and that is not as easy as it sounds!
I firmly believe City must and will dip into the market to strengthen their squad. Will that happen in January? I'm not entirely sure because with FFP in play, you really don't know how much they can spend this month.
Also, I can understand teams like Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest strengthening their squad in January because this is a once in a lifetime chance for them to finish in the top four. But with respect to City, whoever they sign now could end up being a panic buy.
Savinho scored in the win over Leicester but I don't expect him to become a regular started at City soon. He's still young and his performances will continue to remain up and down in terms of consistency. Except for Erling Haaland, I don't see any other forward consistently nailing down a spot in the front three at City this season.
Kyle Walker is struggling for form at the moment, but I still think he's one of their best defenders. Even though he has lost some of his pace, he is still quick enough to do his job. The way City play, they need to start him. This is a must-win game for Manchester City considering their upcoming games and I don't expect West Ham to cause them problems.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal
This is a must win game of Arsenal. If they win, they will be just three points behind Liverpool. Forget about Liverpool's games in hand because they will face two of their biggest rivals in Manchester United and Everton in those. Both United and Everton may not be at their best, but these are still big games where anything can happen.
The win against Brentford on New Year's day was massive for Arsenal. If they had lost, their title hopes would have been over in my opinion. To go behind in that game and still win 3-1 away from home, that was impressive. A draw in this fixture will do no good for Arsenal and I expect them to approach this game in the same manner. If they can get another win here, Arsenal are well and truly in the Premier League title race.
Kai Havertz missed the last game and Gabriel Jesus found the back of the net. When Havertz comes back into the line-up, I expect him to slot into midfield. If you notice Jesus closely, you can spot a change in him. He's now got six goals in four games across competitions and that's because he has started getting more into the box. The goal he scored against Brentford, how many like that has he scored before? That's the change that has happened in him and I expect him to stay in the team even after Havertz returns!
Brighton have not won a single game since going second in the league with that win over Bournemouth back in November. Fabian Hurzeler's men are on a seven-game winless run and are in desperate need of some wind in their sails. I don't expect them to get anything from this game though.
Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Arsenal
Fulham vs Ipswich Town
This is a good game. Fulham thoroughly deserved their win over Chelsea on Boxing Day. Including the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in their last outing, Fulham are now unbeaten in their last seven games, which included clashes against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. That's not a bad record by any stretch of the imagination.
I like this game from Ipswich's perspective as well. This is a game they will definitely have a swing at, especially considering they beat Chelsea at home last time out. If they play to their strengths, Ipswich can cause problems to Fulham, who have a tendency to let goals in at the back. If they manage to keep Liam Delap fit and firing, I think they have a chance when it comes to survival.
I'm going to back Fulham to get the win here because of their quality, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ipswich get something out of it.
Prediction: Fulham 2-1 Ipswich Town
Liverpool vs Manchester United
Is this a big game anymore? Let's be honest now. You're talking about one of the biggest games of the calendar in the Premier League but it's a farce. There's not a single Manchester United fan in this country who is looking forward to this game! It would be the biggest shock of the season if United win at Anfield.
I can't believe what I'm watching from Manchester United right now. The first 20 minutes against Newcastle was like an FA Cup third round game where a League Two side played at Old Trafford, United were that bad!
Christian Eriksen and Casemiro have had unbelievable careers, but they can't play together in the Premier League anymore. This isn't the Portuguese league, Ruben Amorim has to pick the team accordingly. The team he set up against Newcastle, I actually thought they did well to lose only 2-0! When I saw that line-up, I was like, 'wow, this could end up being a big loss for United'.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have been unbelievable. I've said this from day one, their front three will always get you goals every single week. If one of them fails to find the back of the net, the other steps up. You could put your hat on at least one of them to score in every game. No other team in this country have the same luxury. That is exactly why Liverpool are so dangerous.
There are reports about Real Madrid offering £20 million to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in January. No point selling him for that kind of money. They should just keep him and win the league instead. It's an absolute no for me if that's what Real Madrid are willing to offer as the final price for Alexander-Arnold!
When Alexander-Arnold leaves, we will miss him and his quality. When do Real Madrid go for someone and they don't get him? So I expect him to leave. But until then, I want everyone to leave him alone and let him enjoy his football. He's been an incredible player and it would be a fitting end, if he wins the league.
It looks like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will end up renewing their contracts. I personally thought they would lose all three of them, but if they get Salah and Van Dijk to sign extensions, that is still brilliant.
I just can't see United getting anything from this game. I also think it's inappropriate for Amorim to be saying they are close to a relegation battle. He needs to adapt quickly to the Premier League. Unless Andre Onana has an absolute blinder, Manchester United have no chance in this game. They follow this game up with Arsenal in the FA Cup and I expect them to lose that as well!
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Manchester United
Wolves vs Nottingham Forest
Wolves have had some impressive results in recent weeks. But the big problem is that Matheus Cunha is now suspended and that's a big boost for Nottingham Forest. If I'm being honest, I worry more about Everton than Wolves in the battle to avoid relegation. Wolves have shown enough to suggest they can avoid the drop, I can't say the same about Everton.
Forest have been the surprise package of the season. They're in an incredible position at the halfway point but I would be worried about how they will start reacting from now on and I'll tell you why. Six weeks ago, Brighton were second in the league and everybody backed them to break into the top four. They haven't won a game since then. It's the same with Chelsea a few weeks ago, look how quickly they have fallen from being title contenders to top four aspirants.
All eyes are on Forest now and they will be under pressure to keep this up. I personally don't think they will get top four, but you have to stand up and admire them for what they're doing. I'm backing them to beat Wolves, who will suffer from Cunha's absence.
Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Nottingham Forest
