Premier League Tips – 3rd to 5th January

There hasn’t been a draw in this game between the two in the last 20 games and Arsenal have won a staggering 18 of those matches, Newcastle winning just two and with the Gunners flying in the Premier League at the moment, you’d think a home win was the smart pick to make here.

However, I am not so sure. The team with the best current record in the Premier League over the last six games, is not Arsenal, but Newcastle, who have won all those matches to move deservedly into third in the table just tucked in behind Arsenal and Manchester City.

Eddie Howe’s team have lost just one game all season, to Liverpool, as have Arsenal (who lost to Manchester United) and they are proving incredibly difficult to beat and to score against as these two teams have amongst the best defences in the Premier League.

Newcastle have proven to me that they can score against anybody and are afraid of nobody and I think they’ll show that here, coming back from going a goal down to clinch a rare point against Arsenal in a result which will probably benefit Manchester City more so than either of the two teams playing here.

West Ham seem to have the better of Leeds in recent meetings between the two, winning four of the last five, although Leeds sole win in that run did come in the most recent contest between the two, a 3-2 win at the London Stadium towards the end of last season.

If that result was a shock given how well West Ham had done last year, this year it would be less of a surprise as both teams have struggled near the bottom of the Premier League table and as such, this is a game that both managers will have earmarked as one that they really need to pick up three points from.

Whether either team can do that I am not sure. I feel both can score goals, but also at the moment both defences look very liable to concede one or two too. I also feel with this game coming on the back of a very tricky spell of games, both teams may not be fully 100% fit, or have to rest players, for this one.

As such, although draws are not generally the outcome of these games, I do feel that this is likely to be how things end here. I fancy Leeds to score, but West Ham to come back in the second half and secure a point in a 1-1 draw.

It’s a statistical oddity that Villa have not beaten Wolves at Villa Park since Dec 2003. They have beaten them in cup competitions and the Championship in that time, but have only drawn or lost any Premier League encounters with their local rivals.

That will be a real bonus to Wolves who come into this game on the back of a good win away to Everton on their first game back and who knows, by the time this game comes around, the Black and Gold could well be out of the relegation zone if they can pick up some more points in their next game ahead of this one.

They may need to as I think under Unai Emery, this Villa team is already starting to look a more moulded unit than they did earlier on in the season. They may have lost to Liverpool in their opening game since the World Cup, but I don’t think they will be too long in picking up their first win of this second part of the season.

If they don’t get it in their next game then I think they have a great chance of doing so here. I am expecting a passionate Midlands derby with goals at both ends but Villa to emerge as the winners, most likely by a 2-1 scoreline.

Looking at the history of this game as well as the current form of both these teams, I am not sure hat backing both of them to score in this fixture is a wise move here. Additionally, City are the team in much the better form of late and I am not convinced Chelsea are anywhere near competing with City at the present moment.

The reason for that is simple, Chelsea don’t have a De Bruyne or a Haaland in their team. The Londoners will also be without Reece James and while I can see them keeping things tight early on in the game, perhaps going in level at the interval, I see City taking the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and securing the win.

While both teams have big squads, City have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal and it is that depth of squad that makes them so dangerous, whoever they play, as anyone can come into the team to give a first teamer a rest, and still make a positive impact for them.

I feel this game will be a 0-0 or 1-1 at half time but I see City going on to secure a comfortable win here probably by a 3-1 scoreline or similar. As such, I am backing the HT/FT – Draw/Man City market here as this offers pretty generous odds.