It’s the final Premier League matches this side of Christmas, and between 20th and 21st December there are four blockbuster matches to get stuck into before the big day.
Third-placed Aston Villa have won their last nine matches and face a Manchester United side that still have hopes of securing a Champions League spot next season. The hosts, however, are firmly in the Premier League title race, sitting only three points behind Arsenal.
Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City face relegation-threatened West Ham, while Spurs entertain reigning champions Liverpool.
The Premier League is wide open after 16 rounds – at both ends of the table – and there are plenty of key fixtures heading into the hectic festive period. But who will come out the other end with key points, and who will fall short heading into the New Year?
Below, Tonybet previews four of the biggest Premier League matches the weekend before Christmas and provides four best bets for each game. Let’s dive in, starting at Villa Park.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United – 20th December
Unai Emery’s side are flying at present. In fact, no other side has picked up more points over the last 10 Premier League matches, which is why Aston Villa are only three points behind league leaders Arsenal.
At home, Villa have picked up 19 points from a possible 24 – where only Arsenal and Man City have secured more. Emery’s side aren’t the biggest scorers in front of their own fans with just 13, yet they have only conceded six. Only Arsenal (three) have conceded less.
However, despite their lack of goals, they are getting points, and they took a step in the right direction last weekend when they beat West Ham away 3-2. Morgan Rogers scored a brace, and the 23-year-old now has eight goal contributions this season.
And so Man United have a tough task ahead of them. They may have beaten Wolves away when last seen on the road, but Ruben Amorim’s side are lacking consistency this season, which is costing them valuable points.
To make matters worse, top goalscorer Bryan Mbeumo is at AFCON with Cameroon. The Red Devils’ summer signing has fired in six goals out of their 26 and the 26-year-old has been a key part of their success this season.
On the road, Man United are unbeaten in their last five (W3 D2), scoring at least two goals in all of those matches, which included wins at Anfield, Selhurst Park and Molineux.
However, a win at Villa Park could be out of reach. Arsenal recently lost there, ending their 18-match unbeaten run, and momentum is clearly with the hosts at present.
Currently priced at odds-against, it’s hard to ignore Aston Villa’s price to win the match and make it 10 wins on the bounce across all competitions. Without Mbeumo, Man United may struggle to score against the second best defence in the league.
Back Aston Villa to beat Manchester United at Tonybet.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool – 20th December
Tottenham fell to yet another defeat last weekend, losing 3-0 against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest. That result has left Thomas Frank’s side in 11th place and six points behind Chelsea in fourth.
Fans had hoped that a corner had been turned with back-to-back wins against Brentford and Slavia Prague at home, but defeats vs Fulham and Forest in recent weeks can’t be ignored.
Frank divides opinion with the fan base and he still has plenty of work to do in order to win over those who aren’t in his camp.
Liverpool head to the capital on the back of an encouraging 2-0 win against Brighton, extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to five matches. Back-to-back wins against Brighton and Inter Milan – without conceding – might have seen Arne Slot’s side actually turn over a new page.
Mohamed Salah has received plenty of criticism in recent weeks, but the 33-year-old is another player at AFCON, and perhaps a break from the spotlight of the Premier League will do him – and his teammates – some good.
Spurs have been inconsistent this season – and so have Liverpool – but it’s the visitors who head south with a spring in their step. The manner in which Spurs lost to Forest was highly concerning, whereas Liverpool beat a high-flying, confident Brighton side with ease.
Liverpool know that a win could potentially lift them into the top four and revive their title hopes for the second half of the season. Salah or no Salah, the visitors have plenty of new talent to rely on to turn around their fortunes, and they can take advantage of Spurs’ inconsistent form.
You can place your bet on this match at Tonybet now.
Everton vs Arsenal Prediction – 20th December
Everton have made progress under David Moyes and could head into the Christmas break as high as fifth if results go their way this coming weekend.
Although the Toffees lost against Chelsea on the road, Moyes’ men have been fairly solid at their new home this campaign, losing just two of their nine matches. However, there were heavy defeats against Spurs and Newcastle – two sides that Arsenal have already beaten this campaign.
Everton haven’t beaten any team currently in the top four – and they may struggle against an Arsenal side that look capable of securing their first title since 2004.
After losing against Aston Villa, Arsenal immediately bounced back with a comfortable 3-0 win against Club Brugge in the Champions League. An easy win was expected against Wolves on Saturday evening, but Arteta’s men had to rely on two own goals to get over the line.
Was this the first sign that Arsenal won’t be able to keep up their strong gallop this season? Perhaps, but it was also a sign of true champions that they could dig deep and still get the three points when underperforming.
Arsenal are odds-on to win the match with Tonybet, which will be a popular bet. However, Everton have scored in all but two of their nine matches this season – and they could be inspired from Wolves’ performance last weekend.
The visitors can pick up maximum points, but expect both teams to get on the scoresheet.
Bet on both teams to score at Tonybet.
Manchester City vs West Ham United – 20th December
Man City are quietly going about their business this season. While all the attention is on Arsenal and Liverpool’s demise, Pep Guardiola’s team head into this match having won their last five matches.
West Ham, on the other hand, haven’t won any of their last five matches and are in the relegation zone. Having conceded 32 goals from their last 16 games – only Burnley (19th) and Wolves (20th) have conceded more. Results have been slightly better on the road – but getting any kind of result at the Etihad looks to be a tough gig.
That’s because Man City have picked up 21 points from eight games, scoring 22 goals and conceding just six. It’s no surprise to see Erling Haaland leading the goalscoring charts with 17 this season, almost half of Man City’s goals this campaign.
The Norwegian scored a brace last weekend against Crystal Palace in a dominant 3-0 win, but Phil Foden has also been in fine form. The 25-year-old has scored six goals in his last five matches – and he could be a player to score once again this weekend.
Man City shouldn’t have too many issues against a poor West Ham side, and they can secure another three points as they look to keep tabs with Arsenal.
Back your favourite team here at Tonybet.
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