Manchester City will bounce back after their loss at stamford Bridge, while Arsenal and Liverpool are also expected to win.

Manchester City vs Everton

Pep Guardiola has said that his team has been brilliant during the first half against Chelsea. Football is not just about brilliance, however. If the teams are rewarded by the way they play, Manchester City deserve to be presented with the Champions League title. I remember the first season of Pep Guardiloa in the Premier League. City have been playing the same exciting football, but they haven’t been a winning football machine. It took Guardiola 12 months to build that one.

The lost game at Stamford Bridge isn’t a worrying sign for the SkyBlues. It could happen to loose again any other top team. Now Everton, a try with a very good potential comes to Etihad and City should try to decide the outcome of this fixture as early in the game as possible.

Those who’d suggest that Everton don’t look like a team who will win or get a point on their visit to the blue side of Manchester, must consider the fact that the Toffees have draw twice at Etihad on their previous two visits in seasons 2016/17 and 2017/18. I will back City to win that one, but who knows!?

Manchester City to win: 3:1

Crystal Palace vs Leicester City

Palace have beaten Leicester 5:0 on their home group last season, can you believe this now when you look at the current form of both teams? The Eagles concede 6 goals in their last two games they lost – 3:1 away against Brighton and 3:2 at London Stadium against West Ham. The tradition doesn’t suggest who’s going to win this fixture, it only says that the team who has the better form usually wins. Crystal Palace need points and picking up a draw makes sense. What could weaken Leicester City is that Ben Chilwell is a doubt for them due to a knee injury, while Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire will probably play, but still need to nbc assessed.

Draw: 1:1

Huddersfield Town vs Newcastle United

I think that this is going to be a draw.  Jonathan Hogg, Tom Smith are likely miss the game for Huddersfield and it is the same for one of the Terriers’ best midfielders ​Aaron Mooy. The striker Steve Mounie serves is banned.

Newcastle lost their last two home games 0:3 against West Ham and 1:2 against Wolves. Rafael Benitez thought his team would get at least a point against Wolves and looked very irritated when they scored the winner in the stoppage time. Newcastle are a better team on their away games and this should ring the bell for Huddersfield.

Newcastle to win: 0:1

Tottenham Hotspur vs Burnley

Tottenham have been lucky to progress in the Champions League as Inter failed to win their home game against PSV. Spurs themselves deserved a point at Camp Not and it looks to me that they are flying high at the moment. Burnley are well organized side and they capable of winning any game if their opponents underestimates them or simple have a bad day.  I don’t think that this Saturday will be one of those days for Tottenham, however.

Kieran Trippier, Juan Foyth and Serge Aurier are available for selection for Mauricio Pochettino. Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele will probably miss the game. Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Steven Defour are the major doubts for Burnley.

Spurs to win: 2:0

Watford vs Cardiff City

This looks to me like a home win. Watford are playing a very good football but haven’t got the results they wanted within the last few games. They have played against Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester City and Everton within the last 4 games. Andre Gray, Will Hughes, Adalberto Penaranda and  Sebastian Prodl and Tom Cleverley are not available for the Hornets, while Etienne Capoue is banned.

Cardiff City have picked up 9 points in their last 6 games, but all of them at home. They might surprise the injury hit Hornets, but I’ll back Watford to win as they play good football and can win at home even when they are injury plagued.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs AFC Bournemouth

Wolves won at Newcastle in the stoppage time, but I have had a chance to mention before that they aren’t consistent enough. For that reason I think that a stable and consistent team like Bournemouth would draw or even win at Molineux. Both team like playing open football and I think this is a game that the neutral fans might like watching. 

I don’t think that the Bournemouth’s 0:4 home loss against Liverpool is a concern for Eddie How’s team. They will bounce back. Dan Gosling, Lewis Cook and Adam Smith are not available for Bournemouth. They have lost five of their last six games, but four of those games were against Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. Wolves lost at home against Huddersfield on November 25th and despite that they are capable of winning a third game in a row, I simply don’t trust them.

Draw: 2:2 

Fulham vs West Ham United

Are West a team to win four games in a row? They usually don’t do that, but this time they have a very good manager, a team ready to win and they play against a team who is one of the bomakers’ favorites to get relegated. Fulham need just one win to restore their status as a team who can survive in the Premier League. They have 9 points at the moment and there are pack of teams in frond of them who have won 10 to 14 points so far this season. So, the time for the Cottagers to start winning is now and their new manager Claudio Ranieri knows that.

Jack Wilshere will miss the game for West Ham. Lucas Perez is doubtful for them. Marko Arnautovic, Andriy Yarmolenko, Ryan Fredericks, Carlos Sanchez, Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini are all injured. Good news for the Hammers is that Andy Carroll is fit.

I will back Fulham  to win this fixture as it is a matter of “life and death” for them.

Fulham to win: 2:1

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea FC

Brighton are a very strong at home and if Chelsea don’t account this fact during their preparation to visit Falmer Stadium they might suffer.

Glenn Murray, one of the Brighton;s best players is available to play, so it is Alireza Jahanbakhsh. Jose Izquierdo might be available for selection after recovering form a knee injury, but one of the Seagull’s best defenders Shane Duffy is suspended.

Alvaro Morata is the only doubt for Chelsea, who have full squad and are looking forward to create a good run of results after loosing a lot of points within the last month.

Chelsea to win: 1:3

Southampton vs Arsenal

Southampton have a new German manager, but he would need time to make them play the way he wants. On top of that the Saints look like at their lower points in terms of quality in their squad, compared toe the previous three seasons. I think that Arsenal will be too good for them.

Unai Emery knows his squad very well and he is very good in game management. They are a winning team at the moment and I think that they will stay like that within the next week.

Arsenal to win: 0:2

Liverpool vs Manchester United

Historically this is the biggest game in the English football. This season it isn’t anywhere near that, however. Manchester untied are nothing more than an average team and their manager Jose Mourinho’s biggest weapon is  the mind games he likes playing. He has started another one before his team visit on Friday saying that “trophies matter” when he was asked to asess the current Liverpool team. In in August Mourinho said that Liverpool were trying to buy the Premier League title after spending £177m on new signings during the summer transfer window. Hower, he didn’t account the fact that Liverpool have also sold some players and offloaded their wage bill as well.

SkySports have created a comparison table this summer showing that since 2016 the total net spending of Manchester United are £307.25 million, while the Liverpool’s one are £121.9 million. This says enough. Mourinho is not just wrong, but he has been also failing to bring results and quality after spending  more than £300 million at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho have won UEFA Europa League against Ajax Amsterdam. Liverpool have lost the final 1:3 against a very strong Sevilla managed by unaided Emery, who has won their third Europa League trophy in row. A lost is a loss but the Jurgen Klopp side was against a team who was the “Real Madrid of the Europa League”. Last year Klopp has led Liverpool to another final, which the Reds lost 1:3 to Real Madrid.

Jose Mourinho might be right about the trophies, but this does not cancel the fact that the current Liverpool team sit on top of the table 16 points ahead of Manchester United.

The challenge for Liverpool is to finally win the Premier League and if they don’t Mourinho will be right, something which will not make him the right manager for Manchester United, however.

Liverpool have lost two of their last 6 home fixtures against Manchester United – 1:2 in seasons 2014/15 and 0:1 in 2015/16. In seasons 2016/17 and 2017/18 they have recorded goals draws against united on Anfield. The stats matter and I guess that Man United players will be motivated enough to get something out of this game. Mourinho himself was the black cat for Liverpool in season 2013/14 and the Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard led team lost 0:2 by two stoppage time goals – one by Demba Ba in the 45th minute of the first half and another in the 94th minute by Willian. This season it would be again Jose Mourinho who would cause the Reds pain by stopping them at times when they are chasing for the title.

Liverpool are winning their games despite that the Reds aren’t at their best at the moment. Saido Mane misses to many chances, Roberto Firmino doesn’t look that effective in his new role, playing between the midfield and the attack, while despite that Mohamed Sarah has recently scored many goals, he is missing to many chances.

I think that Liverpool are in much better position to win this game than Manchester United, but they need a bit of luck for that.

Liverpool to win: 4:1 

The post Premier League predictions: Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool to win appeared first on COL.