Premier League Round 17 Picks & Predictions
The English Premier League is entering its most interesting stage. When the fixture congestion during the Christmas holidays gets rough, it pinnies pinnacle. Round 17 is closer to the end of the half-season, so we have some good matches ahead of us. While most teams will have traditional Boxing Day matches in their minds, round 17 is equally important.
The title race is heating up, while the relegation struggle becomes a reality for some teams. With plenty of games to go, the PL will get more and more interesting with each round. The Premier League is the world's most popular football league, and it is with a reason. You'll understand why when you see some of the round 17 matches lying ahead. Now, without further ado, look at our picks & predictions for Premier League Round 17.
Aston Villa vs. Manchester City
The round starts with one of the most interesting matches, Aston Villa vs. Manchester City. Both teams entered the season with high ambitions, but things could be better for both squads. Villa is far from the top-four finish they achieved last year, while Manchester City looks different from a Pep Guardiola team. Villa is currently sitting at position number 7, and in the previous five rounds, they've lost twice to direct rivals for Europe in Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. Unai Emery needs help getting his boys playing up to standards. At the same time, City is going through the worst patch of form in the lifetime of Pep Guardiola. They're losing points left and right, and with 27 points from 16 games, they appear to already be out of the PL title race. With both teams having the pressure of a loss hanging over their heads, we are looking at a bore draw in this one.
Brentford vs. Nottingham Forest
Forest is a team playing well enough this year to have them sit at the Champions League spot only a few days before Christmas. No one saw this coming, even after the team played much better under Nuno last year. Yet, they're beating teams all over the place, and it looks like they will continue for a while. Playing a nice kind of tough team football, Forest is one of the year's biggest surprises. Brentford is a team sitting safely in the middle of the table, but they have enough quality for a better placement. Thomas Frank is a man who is leading one of the most exciting counterattacking teams. They're not ones to drop points at home, so having to match up against the in-from Forest might lead to a draw that would suit both teams at this moment.
Ipswich vs. Newcastle
Unfortunately, this is a tough match on Ipswich's schedule and a must-win duel for them. The Tractor Boys have been playing some good football in previous rounds but have yet to win some matches that they had in hand. The squad's weaknesses are already showing and will need strengthening during the winter transfer market. With 12 points from 16 games, Ipswich is sitting in the 18th position, trailing Leicester by 2 points. Every point is vital in winter, and the team will look to take at least one against Newcastle.
On the other hand, Newcastle is 12th and needs to play up to the standard that Eddie Howe set in his first season in the North. Yet, Newcastle has enough quality to win this match on the back of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, the players Ipswich severely lacks. A secure Newcastle win is not out of the question. Online sports betting fans should cash in on the 1.75 odds for the Newcastle win.
West Ham vs. Brighton
Early in the season, West Ham had a new coach, a good transfer summer behind them, and a new and exciting coach in Julen Lopetegui. Today, their season has fallen apart, and after a draw at Bournemouth, the Spanish expert is now coaching for his job. A defeat at home to Brighton would probably seal his fate. Brighton is playing well enough to create problems for any team, and the team got that taste of Europe, and now they want more. After a flattering start to the year, Brighton is now on a rough stretch of form, failing to win in their last four matches. The match against West Ham is a chance to make things right, and Joao Pedro, Rutter, Minteh, Mitoma, Baleba & Co will be looking to make home fans happy. Bet on Brighton's win.
Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
When Manchester City started to play badly, every other title contender saw their chance to finally lift the trophy. Yet, Arsenal is not playing up to expectations. In the last two seasons, they were the biggest threat to Coty in the title race. This year, it will be between Arsenal and Liverpool if the Gunners catch up. Mike Arteta and his boys must step up their game to go on a title run during the winter patch of fixtures. The Gunners are now looking disorganized, failing to score from open play regularly, and their dead ball situations are becoming the main talk of the PL. Crystal Palace is a team that is looking to avoid relegation struggles, and with the recent spike in form, they are poised to do so. With no defeats in the last five games, Palace is finally establishing a nice run of form, but we're predicting that Arsenal will have what it takes to take them down in this London derby.
Everton vs. Chelsea
The last few seasons were like Groundhog Day for Everton fans. The team starts bad, plays terribly throughout the season, and stays up eventually. Sean Dyche is doing his best work with limited resources, and we can't argue that his style of football is what Everton needs right now. We know that everyone, even remotely involved in sport betting, will tell you that this is a sure Chelsea win, but we beg to disagree. While Chelsea has lifted their spirits and is playing well enough to make themselves title contenders, we do not see them as such just yet. Their young team and inexperienced coach will start showing signs of inconsistency anytime soon, and a match against a rough Everton team might be different from what they need right now. After Mudryk failed a doping test recently, the team will be under scrutiny, and we believe that the pressure will get to some of their younger players. In this duel, we also predict an Everton win with a draw on the cards and less than 2.5 goals. Yes, Chelsea has lost only once in their last ten matches, and it was against the league leaders, Liverpool, but we just can't see them coming out victorious against Everton. That will be looking to make things difficult for them creatively.
Fulham vs. Southampton
A new manager bounce could do the trick for Southampton, but they still need to appoint one. The Saints are at the bottom of the PL table, and we can't see them moving up anytime soon. We can see them relegated before April if they do not patch together a string of good results in the upcoming fixtures. While this is a harsh reality, the Premier League begs no one to stay up, and Southampton will realize this in London. Fulham is playing well enough to beat any opponent, and Marco Silva is coaching his best Fulham side so far. You can never claim that a team will beat another in the PL, but we're doing it this time. Fulham will feast on struggling Southampton and face defeat after defeat if they fail to reinforce themselves during the winter transfer market. Go to Stake and put your life savings on Fulham; you will not regret it.
Leicester vs. Wolves
A relegation battle at their best. Both teams have already parted with their managers who started the season. Leicester is currently led by Manchester United legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and they're looking to establish a style of play that is good enough to avoid relegation this year. With a win against direct rivals for a spot in the PL, Wolverhampton Wanderers, they can do just that. This will be a challenging fixture as Wolves have appointed Vitor Pereira as their new head coach. The experienced Portuguese coach is yet another Portuguese expert coaching in Wolverhampton. Wolves always turn to Jorge Mendes to bail them out when things get tough. While this has worked in the past with the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ruben Neves, and Pedro Neto, Wolves are now having a depleted squad that is not worthy of the PL. They will need heavy reinforcements. Pereira had little time to work with his new lads, so we think Van Nistelrooy will have his boys playing up to standard and secure a win here that would see them move away from direct rivals in the crucial apt of the year.
Manchester United vs. Bournemouth
The biggest club in England no more. Manchester United is finally losing some of its shine after years of being in the dirt after Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. They are looking at Ruben Amorim to bail them out as the Portuguese expert is the latest shining toy in the hands of United leadership. Amorim did wonders at Sporting CP, but United is a different beast. The young coach already showed that he has what it takes mentally as he removed Rashford and Garnacho from the squad against Manchester City and managed to win the derby. Now, he faces another stern test in the form of Bournemouth. Led by Andoni Iraola, The Cherries are playing the best football in the PL or are at least as close to it as they can get with their limited resources. Even after losing their best player in, Dominik Solanke, Bournemouth is still playing above their expectations, currently sitting at position No6. Yet, we trust the ongoing process in Manchester and bet on another United win following their surprise win against City archrivals. The PL season will only improve with each incoming fixture, and with Boxing Day and New Year's matches around the corner, wins during this weekend are paramount for most teams.
Tottenham vs. Liverpool
The best match of the round is the last one on the schedule, and the duel between Tottenham and Liverpool is all the making of a classic before it even started. The London side is sitting at position No10 at the moment, but we all know they're much better than that. Yet, the injuries are taking a toll on Ange's side, and they're missing all of their defensive starters, including the goalkeeper. Yet, they're scoring goals left and right, as it's the only way to remain competitive until their health improves. Liverpool will be a formidable opponent for Tottenham as they're coming into the city as the league leaders, playing well enough only to lose one match this year. The current form and the squad availability make Liverpool favorites for this one, and if they do not want to make the title race enjoyable, they will win this match. Liverpool is the betting favorite for this one, and we can't look past their win, considering the state of the Tottenham Hotspur team.
Summary
We have yet another interesting round of Premier League football ahead of us. As the year is coming to a close we have stakes rising by the day. The congestion at the top is finally looking like we have a proper title race. With City struggling and not looking able to bounce back the title will be decided between Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. While things are looking spicy at the top, it is even better at the bottom of the league. Newcomers Ipswich, Leicester and Southeampton are not looking their best with only the former looking able to stay. Wolves, Everton, and Crystal Palace linger just above the relegation zone, but in the end it will be between Wolves and the three new teams on who will stay up.
