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After a short break, the Premier League returns. The battle for the title continues as the trophy contenders face rather difficult opponents in this round, and they cannot afford a slip-up. The current league leaders, Arsenal, visit this term’s highly unpredictable Liverpool, title-chasing Manchester City await the current leading goalscorer of the league, Romelu Lukaku, without Kompany and, possibly, without Mangala, as the Citizens host Everton. The Foxes are up for yet another exciting match against the Spurs at White Hart Lane after their recent draw (2-2) in the FA Cup, yet again without Vardy in the starting line-up. All in all, we will most certainly witness some rather interesting encounters in the Round 21. Here are some of them.
Tuesday
19:45 GMT Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
19:45 GMT Bournemouth vs West Ham United
19:45 GMT Newcastle United vs Manchester United
Wednesday
Special: Get 12/1 (13.0) on Chelsea, Man City & Spurs to Win
19:45 GMT Chelsea vs West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea will host West Bromwich Albion in the round 21. The Blues started to rise since Guus Hiddink took over, the team are on a five-game undefeated streak (W3 D2). It is obvious that the Pensioners had been in awful form this season, but the shock therapy had a desired effect. A win in this forthcoming clash would make them leapfrog the Baggies in the table and finally get out of the danger zone. Chelsea boast a 10-1-0 record against Tony Pulis’ side in last eleven matches at Stamford Bridge. Furthermore, West Brom managed to score only 4 times in the period. WBA are rather toothless in away fixtures this term, so, even though Chelsea’s defense is drafty on home turf, I do not believe Tony Pulis’ men will improve their effectiveness in this match. A tough clash is expected, but a home win seems as a reasonable tip.
Tip: Home win
19:45 GMT Manchester City vs Everton
Manchester City will be looking for revenge in the upcoming game against Everton this Wednesday, after a 2-1 defeat in the Capital One Cup Semi-Finals. This was Pelegrini’s first defeat against the Toffees since his arrival to Manchester (W4 D1). Both teams are very efficient this season, Roberto Martinez’ side scored in fifteen consecutive matches in all competitions, while the Citizens failed to score in only three of previous thirty-one games this term, none of them being on home ground. Thirteen different Manchester City players scored this season. On the other side, Romelu Lukaku netted 15 times in the competition, 10 in his previous ten Premier League appearances. Even though the Belgian carries an ankle problem, it is expected he will start the match. Also, both teams concede more than a goal per game, and it is obvious they do not base their play on defense. If we add that Kompany is still out with injury and that Mangala is doubtful, it is obvious that Lukaku and his teammates will have plenty of opportunities to endanger Joe Hart. This is why I believe we will witness a lot of fireworks in this clash
Tip: Over 2.5 goals
19:45 GMT Southampton vs Watford
Out-of-form Southamton hope for a second consecutive home win against Watford at St Mary’s Stadium, which would end their three-game losing streak. The Saints won a single game in previous ten matches in all competitions, thus dropped to the 13th position on the table. Ronald Koeman’s men are in serious trouble and in need of victories. The good thing for the Dutch manager is that Pelle is returning, but he did not score a single goal since the beginning of November. On the other hand, The Hornets are on a three-game unbeaten run on their travels and looking to make it four. The key reason for their success is their star striker, Ighalo, with 14 goals to his name. Him and Troy Deeney (6) scored almost all of Watford’s goals this term and will be the main danger for Southamton’s below-par defense. Even though Quique Sanchez Flores’ side lost their last two games in the Premier League, I believe they are in far better form than the Saints at the moment, and I will put my money on the away triumph in this encounter.
Tip: Away win
19:45 GMT Stoke City vs Norwich City
Norwich City are traveling to Stoke-on-Trent looking for their third consecutive win in the Premier League. An away triumph would be a big step in their battle for survival, and they need no bigger motivation than that. When it comes to Stoke, they are always unpredictable, a team that can beat anyone, but also can lose to anyone. The only certain thing is that the fans see just about two goals per match on average at Britannia Stadium this term. The Potters seem rather impotent on home turf, while their defense represent a hard nut to crack. Bearing in mind that the Canaries are also toothless away, I do not expect a lot of goals in this encounter.
Tip: Under 2.5 goals
19:45 GMT Swansea City vs Sunderland
Swansea are up for a relegation six-pointer against Sunderland this Wednesday. The Swans are searching for a second home win in a row, as they defeated WBA in their last game at Liberty Stadium (1-0). Alain Curtis’ side have been having their ups and downs lately and a win against the Black Cats would most certainly reduce the pressure. The fact of the matter is that the Welsh team are on a seven-game undefeated run against Sam Allardyce’s side, and will want to continue the streak. Big Sam is well aware of the importance of the forthcoming match and will rely on the veteran Jermain Defoe, who scored both Sunderland’s goals in their two previous encounters with the Swans. Given the fact that both teams are rather inefficient and that their last three clashes ended in draws with under 2.5 goals per game, I do not think we will see a lot of goals in this fixture either.
Tip: Under 2.5 goals
20:00 GMT Liverpool vs Arsenal
Special: Back Liverpool at 7/1 or Arsenal at 6/1 to Win
20:00 GMT Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City
