It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I had a fairly good week last week with one perfect prediction, six correct outcomes and three incorrect outcomes which saw me move back to the top of my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.
Rank Player Res Cls Exa Slm Pts
1
JamrockRover
|18|58.5|39|10|125.5|
|21|
Gooners|27|34.5|54|9|124.5|
|32|
Cole|25|40.5|48|10|123.5|
|43|
Sam|24|52.5|33|10|119.5|
|51|
SammyW|24|51|33|11|119.0|
I had a pretty good week with my fantasy team too as I climbed in the rankings yet again and I’m now in the top 1% overall. Mohamed Salah brought the points home as my captain yet again and he was ably assisted by Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka. Ola Aina and Cole Palmer. I just can’t see beyond Salah as my captain again in midweek with Saka and Palmer very good options too.
In my transfer strategy I’m still looking to bring in a Liverpool defender, possibly sell Bryan Mbeumo and Danny Wellbeck, but I might not do any of that this week to keep two transfers for next week. With so many games coming up so quickly at the moment a strongish bench is not a bad thing and that probably means I need to lose Taylor Harwood-Bellis too.
Tuesday December 3
Ipswich Town v Crystal Palace
7.30pm GMT, Portman Road, Ipswich
Ipswich lost 1-0 away to Forest in their last game, but they’re still only in the bottom three on goal difference. They’re the only team without a home win, but no other team has drawn more games on their own ground and only Palace have scored less goals. The defeat against Forest was their first defeat in four games, but only three other teams have scored less goals.
Liam Delap is the only Ipswich player who looks likely to perform for fantasy managers.
Palace came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Newcastle on Saturday and that point was enough to move them out of the relegation zone on goal difference. They’re one of three teams without an away win, but no other team has drawn more games on the road. They have only lost one of their last five games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games and only Southampton and Everton scoring less goals.
I still don’t think there are any Palace players doing enough to interest fantasy managers.
This is a big game for two teams at the wrong end of the table and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them share the points.
Prediction: 1-1
Leicester City v West Ham United
8.15pm GMT, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester led away to Brentford on Saturday, but they ended up losing 4-1 and they’re just one point above the bottom three. They have lost their last two home games and two of their next three games on their own patch are against teams very close to them in the table. They have lost their last three games and they conceded nine goals in those games with only Wolves conceding more goals.
Jamie Vardy and Facundo Buonanotte are the Leicester players who look like good options for fantasy managers.
West Ham lost 5-2 at home to Arsenal at the weekend, but they will still fancy their chances in this game. They won their last away game after falling to win the previous four, but their next three away games are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have a good run of games coming up starting with this one, but only three other teams have conceded more goals.
Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player to have for fantasy managers.
I think West Ham might just bounce back from their weekend defeat with a narrow win in this game.
Prediction: 1-2
Wednesday December 4
Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers
7.30pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton lost 4-0 away to United on Sunday and they’re still only two points above the relegation zone. They have only won once in their six home games with only Palace scoring less goals on their own ground. They haven’t won in five games and they haven’t scored in four with no other team scoring less goals.
Everton’s goalkeeper and defenders are coming back on the radar for fantasy managers, but they have some very tough games coming up.
Wolves lost 4-2 at home to Bournemouth at the weekend and that defeat dropped them back into the relegation zone on goal difference. They won their last away game after falling to win the previous five with only two other teams conceding more goals on the road. They had taken eight points from four games before losing to Bournemouth with no other team conceding more goals, but no other team in the bottom half of the table scoring more.
Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen are the Wolves players for fantasy managers to consider.
Despite conceding four goals on Sunday I think Everton’s defensive solidity should be enough to see them win this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
7.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City lost 2-0 away to Liverpool on Sunday and that defeat saw them drop out of the top four. They lost their last home game after taking 13 points from the previous five and they have a good run of games coming up. They have lost their last four games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only one other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.
Erling Haaland remains by far the best option in the City team for fantasy managers, but their fixtures are about to get an awful lot better which could see Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol make an impression too.
Forest won 1-0 at home to Ipswich in their last game and that win kept them within a point of the top four. They have only lost one of their six away games with only three other teams conceding less goals on their travels. They have won four of their last six games with only Liverpool conceding less goals.
Chris Wood remains the best option in the Forest team for fantasy managers with their keeper and defenders worth considering too.
I think City have to bounce back at some stage and the chances are they will do so in this game.
Prediction: 3-1
Newcastle United v Liverpool
7.30pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle
Newcastle drew 1-1 away to Palace on Saturday and that result meant they dropped into the bottom half of the table on goal difference. They have only won once in their last four home games with only Liverpool conceding less goals at home and only Palace scoring less. They have only won two of their last nine games with only four other teams scoring less goals and only three other teams conceding less.
If he’s fit to play Alexander Isak is the Newcastle player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.
Liverpool won 2-0 at home to City on Sunday to go nine points clear at the top of the table. They’re the only team unbeaten away from home with no other team conceding less goals on the road and only Chelsea scoring more. They have won 11 of their 13 games and they kept clean sheets in seven of those games with no other team conceding less goals and only Spurs scoring more.
Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with Luis Diaz and all of their defenders and keeper worth considering too.
This is a tough game to call, but I have a feeling Newcastle will be able to do enough at home to get a point from this game.
Prediction: 1-1
Southampton v Chelsea
7.30pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton drew 1-1 away to Brighton at the weekend, but they’re still firmly rooted to the foot of the table. No other team has taken less points at home with only four other teams scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only won once in their 13 games and this is the first of four very tough games in a row.
I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Chelsea won 3-0 at home to Villa on Sunday and they’re only behind second placed Arsenal alphabetically. Only Liverpool have taken more points away from home with no other team scoring more goals on their travels. They have taken 11 points from their last five games and they haven’t failed to score in their last 12 with only Spurs scoring more goals.
Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson remain the best of the bunch in the Chelsea team for fantasy managers.
I think Chelsea will be too strong for Southampton and should win by a couple of goals.
Prediction: 1-3
Arsenal v Manchester United
8.15pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal won 5-2 away to West Ham on Saturday and that win moved them into second place, but they’re nine points behind Liverpool. They’re one of three teams still unbeaten at home with only Brentford and Spurs scoring more goals on their own ground. They have won their last two games after failing to win the previous four and they scored eight goals in those two wins with only Spurs scoring more goals.
Bukayo Saka is a must have for fantasy managers at the moment with Gabriel Magalhaes in the same bracket once he’s fit to play.
United won 4-0 at home to Everton on Sunday and that win was enough to move them into the top half of the table. They haven’t won in their last four away games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games or conceding less goals on the road. They have taken eight points from their last four games and they kept clean sheets in two of them with only Liverpool conceding less goals.
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have looked good recently for fantasy managers with the United defenders and keeper worth considering too.
This is a game Arsenal have to win and I think they will do just that with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-1
Aston Villa v Brentford
8.15pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham
Villa lost 3-0 away to Chelsea on Sunday and that defeat saw them drop into the bottom half of the table. They are unbeaten in their last five home games, but they drew the last three and this is the first of two very good home fixtures in a row. They have only won once in their last eight games and they need to turn that around quickly.
Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are the Villa players who can do well for fantasy managers even if it hasn’t gone well recently for them.
Brentford came from behind to win 4-1 at home to Leicester on Saturday and that win moved them within three points of the top four. They took a point in their last away game after losing the previous five with no other team taking less points or scoring less goals on their travels. They have taken 10 points and scored 12 goals in their last five games with only Spurs scoring more goals.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo are the best of the Brentford players for fantasy managers, but they do their best work at home.
Villa really need a result to stop their slide down the table and I think they will manage to take all three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Thursday December 5
Fulham v Brighton And Hove Albion
7.30pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London
Fulham came from behind to draw 1-1 away to Spurs on Sunday and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of table on goal difference. They have lost two of their last three home games and they conceded eight goals in those three games with only three other teams conceding more goals on their own ground. They have only won two of their last seven games and their next three games are against teams in the top four starting with this game.
Both Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe can do quite well for fantasy managers at a good price.
Brighton drew 1-1 at home to Southampton in their last game and that point was enough to move them into the top four on goal difference. They have won two of their last three away games and they have a good run of games on the road coming up. They have taken 14 points from their last seven games and they have a very good run of games coming up.
Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter are all good options for fantasy managers at the moment.
Brighton missed their chance to keep pace with second place last week, but I think they will make up for it with three points in this game.
Prediction: 1-2
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur
8.15pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth won 4-2 away to West Ham on Saturday and they’re only one point off the top half of the table. They lost their last home game after winning the previous three and they have a good run of home games coming up. They had lost two games in a row before beating Wolves and they have already won at home to both of last season’s top two.
Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson are the Bournemouth players for fantasy managers to own at the moment with Justin Kluivert a possibility too.
Spurs drew 1-1 at home to Fulham on Sunday and they’re only three points off the top four. They have won away to both Manchester clubs, but they haven’t won any of their other away games. They haven’t been able to follow any of their good results up with a win and no other team has scored more goals.
Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-Min are the best of the Spurs players for fantasy managers.
I think Bournemouth will make things very difficult for Spurs and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win narrowly.
Prediction: 2-1
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.