It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn’t have the best week last week with no perfect predictions, four correct outcomes and six incorrect outcomes which saw me drop to second place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.
Rank Player Res Cls Exa Slm Pts
1
Gooners|32|42|60|11|145.0|
|21|
JamrockRover
|23|67.5|39|11|140.5|
|3-|
Cole|27|46.5|54|10|137.5|
|4-|
SammyW|26|55.5|42|11|134.5|
|5-|
hitch|31|45|48|9|133.0|
I didn’t have a great week with my fantasy team either with just Cole Palmer and Yoane Wissa managing to do anything of note. Thankfully Wissa was my captain, but it would have been better if Palmer had the armband. My substitutions didn’t work either as my decision to sell Bryan Mbeumo backfired when he performed very well for Brentford.
Hopefully there won’t be a storm to cancel any matches this week and I can revert to having Mohammed Salah as my captain again. Bukayo Saka, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Palmer all look like they could be good captaincy choices this week too. The chances are I won’t be making any transfers this week as I look to build up to using two or three at one time over the festive season.
Saturday December 14
Arsenal v Everton
3pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal drew 1-1 away to Fulham last week to move within six points of Liverpool at the top of the table, but they have now played a game more. They’re one of three teams still unbeaten at home with only two other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. They have taken 10 points and scored 11 goals in their last four games with only three other teams scoring more goals and only Liverpool conceding less.
Bukayo Saka remains the Arsenal player of choice for fantasy managers with Arsenal’s defenders and keeper looking good at the moment too.
Everton didn’t play last week as their game was called off due to the weather, but they maintained their five point advantage over the bottom three. Only two other teams have taken less points away from home with only Southampton scoring less goals on the road. They won their last game after failing to win the previous five and only Southampton have scored less goals.
I can’t see any Everton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment as they have three very tough games in a row starting with this one.
I think Arsenal should be able to make home advantage pay by winning with a few goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-0
Liverpool v Fulham
3pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool didn’t play last week thanks to storm Darragh and they saw their lead at the top of the table cut to four points. They have won their last five home games and they kept clean sheets in three of those games with no other team conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken 26 points from their last 10 games and they scored 22 goals in those games with no other team conceding less goals.
Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with all of their defenders and keeper very good options too.
Fulham drew 1-1 at home to Arsenal last week and that draw saw them drop to 10th place as four of the teams who were just below them won and overtook them. They have only lost once in their last six away games and that was away to the current champions with no other team conceding less goals on their travels. They have taken 12 points from their last seven games and they haven’t failed to score in their last 14 games, but this will be a very difficult game for them.
Alex Iwobi is in very good form for fantasy managers at the moment with Antonee Robinson worth watching too.
I think Fulham will give their best, but Liverpool should win by a couple of goals.
Prediction: 3-1
Newcastle United v Leicester City
3pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle
Newcastle lost 4-2 away to Brentford last week and they’re now three points off the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last five home games with only three other teams scoring less goals on their own ground. They have only taken two points from their last four games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only four other teams scoring less goals.
Alexander Isak is probably the only Newcastle player doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
Leicester scored two late goals to draw 2-2 at home to Brighton last week and that draw moved them five points clear of the relegation zone. They have lost their last two away games and they conceded seven goals in those games with only Wolves conceding more goals on the road. They have taken four points from their last two games after only taking one from the previous five, but only the bottom two have conceded more goals.
Jamie Vardy continues to defy the years for fantasy managers while Facundo Buonanotte is worth considering too.
I think Newcastle will get a much needed win in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-1
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Ipswich Town
3pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
Wolves lost 2-1 away to West Ham last week to stay one place off the foot of the table. No other team has taken less points or conceded more goals on their own patch. They have lost their last three games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals.
Despite their lowly position Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen are still good options for fantasy managers.
Ipswich conceded two very late goals to lose 2-1 at home to Bournemouth last week and they’re still in the bottom three with four points to make up on 17th place. They have taken five of their nine points away from home with only two other teams conceding more goals on their travels. They have lost their last three games and they only scored one goal in those games with only Southampton scoring less goals.
I’m not sure there are any Ipswich players doing enough to recommend them to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Wolves should have enough up front to win this relegation dogfight by a narrow margin.
Prediction: 2-1
Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
5.30pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham
Forest won 3-2 away to United last week and that win moved them within two points of the top four. They have won three of their last four home games with only Liverpool conceding less goals on their own ground, but only three other teams scoring less. They have lost three of their last five games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with no other team in the top half of the table scoring less goals, but only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less.
Chris Wood has been the Forest player to have for fantasy managers with their defenders and keeper impressing too.
Villa won 1-0 at home to Southampton last week and they’re only behind Forest on goal difference going into this game. They have lost their last three away games and they conceded nine goals in those games with only four other teams conceding more goals on the road. They have won their last two games after failing to win the previous five and Brentford are the only team in the top half of the table to have conceded more goals.
Both Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are pretty good choices for fantasy managers.
I think this is a game which could go either way with a draw probably the most likely outcome.
Prediction: 1-1
Sunday December 15
Brighton And Hove Albion v Crystal Palace
2pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton conceded two late goals to draw 2-2 away to Leicester last week and those dropped points saw them drop back to seventh place. They’re one of three teams unbeaten at home, but no other team has drawn more games on their own patch. They haven’t won in three games despite two of those games being against teams at the wrong end of the table, but they are in the middle of a very good run of fixtures.
Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Gerorginio Rutter are all capable of returning points for fantasy managers.
Palace drew 2-2 at home to City last week after going ahead twice and they’re now four points above the bottom three. They have taken five points and scored five goals in their last three away games and they have a good run of games on their travels coming up. They’re unbeaten in four games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games and only Southampton scoring less goals.
Daniel Munoz is the Palace player who has looked promising for fantasy managers in recent weeks.
I think this will be a very close game with Brighton probably wining by a slim margin.
Prediction: 2-1
Manchester City v Manchester United
4.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City twice came from behind to draw 2-2 away to Palace last week, but they’re now eight points behind Liverpool and they have played a game more than them. Despite their poor recent run they have still won three of their last four home games and it’s those home results which can keep them in touch with the leaders. They have only taken four points from their last six games and they conceded 12 goals in those games, but they have a very good run of games coming up.
Erling Haaland is still a good choice for fantasy managers with Kevin de Bruyne worth considering too.
United lost 3-2 at home to Forest last week and the new manager bounce doesn’t seem to be working as they’re still in the bottom half of the table. They have only won once away from home so far with only three other teams scoring less goals on the road, but no other team conceding less goals. They have lost their last two games and they conceded five goals in those games with only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less goals.
Bruno Fernandes is still the United player of choice for fantasy managers.
I think City should be strong enough at home to get the better of their local rivals.
Prediction: 3-1
Chelsea v Brentford
7pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea came back from 2-0 down to win 4-3 away to Spurs last week and that win moved them within four points of Liverpool at the top of the table, but they have played an extra game. They are unbeaten in six home games, but they have only taken 12 of their 31 points on their own ground as they have drawn three times. They have won their last four games and they scored 14 goals in those games with no other team scoring more goals and only Liverpool and Arsenal conceding less.
Cole Palmer is an absolute must have for fantasy managers at the moment with Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez worth having too.
Brentford won 4-2 at home to Newcastle last week and that win was enough to move them into the top half of the table. No other team has taken less points away from home with only Southampton scoring less goals on their travels. The contrast between their home and away form is incredible and it’s surely something that must change one way or the other soon.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are very good options for fantasy managers, but only when they play at home.
I think Chelsea’s impressive run will continue with another three points in this game.
Prediction: 3-1
Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur
7pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton lost 1-0 away to Villa last week and that defeat kept them rooted to the foot of the table. They have lost their last two home games and they conceded eight goals in those games with no other team taking less points on their own ground and only Ipswich and Palace scoring less goals. They have only taken one point from their last five games and they conceded 12 goals in those games with no other team scoring less goals and only Wolves conceding more.
I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Spurs led 2-0 at home to Chelsea last week, but they ended up losing 4-3 which saw them drop into the bottom half of the table. They have lost three of their last four away games with only three other teams losing more games on the road. They have only taken one point from their last three games and they conceded six goals in those games with only Chelsea scoring more goals.
Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Son Heung-Min are the Spurs players who can make a difference for fantasy managers.
I think Spurs will take three badly needed points in this game, but it will be closer than they will want.
Prediction: 1-2
Monday December 16
Bournemouth v West Ham United
8pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth scored two very late goals to win 2-1 away to Ipswich last week and they’re now only three points behind the top four. They have won four of their last five home games which included wins against three of the big six with only Liverpool conceding less goals on their own patch. They have won their last three games in which they scored seven goals and they have a good run of games coming up.
Antoine Semenyo, Evanilson and Milos Kerkez can all do well for fantasy managers.
West Ham won 2-1 at home to Wolves last week to move safely clear of the bottom three and within touching distance of United and Spurs. They have lost three of their last four away games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only Wolves conceding more goals on their travels. They lost their previous two games before beating Wolves and they conceded eight goals in those two defeats with only three other teams conceding more goals.
Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player who can do very well for fantasy managers.
I think Bournemouth’s impressive season will continue with a narrow victory in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.