- Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
- Kickoff: 14:30 SAST
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
The coaching touch of Unai Emery has had a markedly contrasting impact, positive at clubs like Sevilla and Villa but not so when he was at Arsenal. There is no doubt, however, that the obsessive Spaniard delivers and Villa’s fourth place finish last season was their best since 1995/96. This campaign is proving a little tougher, perhaps distracted by their Champions League duties, but Villa are always dangerous, especially at home.
Pep Guardiola would have been hoping that Manchester City's malaise would come to an end in last Sunday’s derby against Manchester United, and that his team would turn the corner and return to some semblance of form. It was going to plan until those desperate last minutes as United claimed a turnaround 2-1 win. It left Guardiola to proclaim he is "not good enough" to solve the club’s mounting problems.
Key Betting Insights:
Home advantage: Although overall Aston Villa have lost four of their last seven Premier League games, they are re unbeaten in each of their last seven at Villa Park. They are also looking to win three in a row at home for the first time since a run of 15 between March and December 2023.
Never been this bad: Manchester City have lost five of their last seven Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 67 combined. They last lost more in a single league campaign in 2020-21 when they suffered six defeats.
Betting angles:
Over than 1.5 Aston Villa Goals: Manchester City have conceded a minimum of two goals in each of their past seven games. They have kept a single clean sheet in their past 11 outings, which has seen them ship in 25 goals
To Score Anytime: Erling Haaland has 13 Premier League goals already this season but did not score in Man City’s last two outings at Juventus and against Manchester United. That will have him fired up for the trip to Villa Park, where he scored a single goal two seasons ago in his debut campaign with City.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Manchester City
Aston Villa have won just one of their past 17 games against Manchester City, and that came at Villa Park last season. They have not won back-to-back home league games against Man City since 1993.
- Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
- Kickoff: 19:30 SAST
- Venue: Selhurst Park, London
Crystal Palace have an opportunity for revenge after being bundled out of the League Cup on Wednesday as Arsenal came back from conceding an early goal to win 3-2 at home in their quarterfinal courtesy of a Gabriel Jesus hattrick. It ended a five-match unbeaten run for Palace, who were impressive in their last Premier League outing when they won 3-1 away at Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend.
Arsenal have not lost in their last nine games but successive league draws have seen them drop six points behind leaders Liverpool, making this a must win for Mikel Arteta’s team. Arsenal's last two league games against Fulham and Everton have seen Arteta's men fail to get over the line despite boasting the lion's share of possession, leading to accusation the manager has a negative ‘safety first’ policy.
Key Betting Insights:
Home blues: Crystal Palace have alternated between defeat (four times) and victory (three times) in their last seven Premier League home London derby matches, losing 2-0 against Fulham last time out at Selhurst Park. Palace have lost their last four Premier League meetings with Arsenal, having lost just one of their previous eight against the Gunners
Derby delight: Arsenal are unbeaten in all nine of their Premier League London derby matches this year with seven wins and two draws. The last team to go unbeaten in such matches in a full calendar year were Chelsea in 2005 while the last time Arsenal did so was 20 years ago.
Betting angles:
Both Teams to Score: Palace have scored in every one of their last six outings, as they have had a noticeable uptick in form. Three for Arsenal against Palace in midweek suggest they too will be findings the net at Selhurst Park.
Bukayo Saka to score: Given partial rest in midweek, as he only came on for the last 20 minutes of the League Cup win, Saka should be raring to go to add yet another decisive contribution to the Gunners’ cause. He has five league goals this season and scored 16 in the last Premier League campaign.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal have lost just two of their last 19 away league games against Crystal Palace with both defeats coming in the Premier League by a 3-0 scoreline in April 2017 and again April 2022).
- Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
- Kickoff: 22:00 SAST
- Venue: Estadi OlÃmpic Montjuic, Barcelona
Only weeks ago, Barcelona were looking imperious in the LaLiga title race and nine points clear of closest challengers Real Madrid. However, a run of one win in six matches has meant that they are only top on goal difference – not only that, they have played a game more than Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Loses in recent weeks to Real Sociedad, Las Palmas and Leganes have negated the impressive start to the season made by Hansi Flick’s side.
Atletico Madrid are the form team in Spain, having reeled off 11 straight victories to draw themselves level in LaLiga with Barcelona at the top of the table. Six of the wins have been in the Spanish league. It has been an impressive turnaround after they initially stumbled to four draws in their opening nine games.
Key Betting Insights:
Missing in action: Barcelona have confirmed that winger Lamine Yamal is "expected to be out for three to four weeks" after he sustained an ankle injury in Sunday's surprise defeat to Leganes. Yamal's absence represents a major blow for Barcelona, given the fact that the winger has scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 21 appearances this season.
Adaptation: Diego Simeone, Atletico's long-serving coach, continues to be the architect of the team's success. Known for his pragmatic approach and ability to organise a formidable defensive unit, he has also shown a willingness to adapt his tactics this season, allowing for a more expansive style of play when the situation demands it. This tactical flexibility could prove crucial in their attempt to upset Barcelona on their home turf.
Betting angles:
Less than 1.5 goals: Atletico have been particularly impressive in their defensive organisation, conceding a mere 11 goals in 16 matches – the best defensive record in the league. Barca failed to score in their last home game
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Barcelona 0-0 Atletico Madrid
Barca’s last two home games against Atletico both ended in 1-0 victories, but coach Diego Simeone is likely to shut up shop and restrict the home side’s chances of getting a goal in this one.
- Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
- Kickoff: 18:30 SAST
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was coming under increased pressure following a disappointing run of just one win in eight games across all competitions – a surprise 4-0 triumph at Man City in the Premier League. However, he got a much-needed reaction from his players - albeit against a struggling Southampton with an emphatic 5-0 victory.
Liverpool’s four-game winning streak, which included a win over Manchester City, was halted by Newcastle before their Merseyside derby against Everton was postponed. Despite this setback, Arne Slot’s squad heads towards Christmas Day as the Premier League leaders, aiming to maintain their impressive nine-game unbeaten run away from home, which consists of four draws and five victories.
Key Betting Insights:
Last minute glory: Tottenham won this exact fixture 2-1 last season thanks to a 90th minute Joel Matip own goal. Indeed, this fixture has seen more 90th minute winning goals than any other in Premier League history – a total of six.
Almost total dominance: Liverpool have lost just two of their last 23 Premier League games against Tottenham, with 15 victories, and have scored at least once in each of their last 17 against Spurs.
Betting angles:
Both Teams to Scores: Only high-flying Chelsea (37) have scored more top-flight goals than Tottenham (36) so far this season, and while the North Londoners currently sit 10th in the table after 16 games, although they are only five points behind the top four.
Over 2.5 goals: In five of Tottenham’s last six home matches in the Premier League, as well as five of Liverpool’s last six away fixtures, more than 2.5 goals have been scored.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2 Liverpool 0
Time for a pre-Xmas shock, even though Tottenham have secured only one victory in their last 14 encounters with Liverpool, enduring 10 defeats during that span. Liverpool have scraped some results of late but could run out of fortune in this encounter.
Al Ahly v Chabab Belouizdad
- Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
- Kickoff: 18:00 SAST
- Venue: Cairo International Stadium, Cairo
Al Ahly were due to host this African Champions League group match last week but it had to be postponed because the Cairo giants were representing Africa in Fifa’s InterContinental Cup in Qatar where they were eliminated in the semifinal by Pahuca of Mexico on post-match penalties. That denied them the chance to take on Real Madrid in Wednesday’s final in Doha.
Chabab Belouizdad were handed a home defeat in their opening Champions League game when they hosted Orlando Pirates last month but the Algerian club bounced back to win away in the Ivory Coast over Stade Abidjan in their second outing and will be looking for at least a point to keep up their chances in Group C. The South African striker Khanyisa Mayo is beginning to find the net since his arrival from Cape Town City.
Key Betting Insights:
Home dominance: It is three years since Al Ahly lost a home match in the Champions League when Mamelodi Sundowns beat them 1-0 in Cairo in a group match in the 2021-22 edition of Africa’s top cub competition. Since then, they have gone 20 home games in continental club football without losing, and in so doing, have won the Champions League four times in the past five years.
Feisty rivalry: Antagonism between Algerian clubs and their Egyptian counterparts runs deep, and stretches all the way back to the 1900 World Cup qualifiers where Egypt pipped Algeria to a place in the finals in Italy. There was player violence in the match and even a court case where an Algerian player was sentenced to prison time in absentia by an Egyptian court. Since then they rile each other up and ensure there is always a feisty affair on … and off … the field.
Betting angles:
Less than 1.5 goals: Defence is always the first priority when the north African sides play so there will be plenty of caution in the approach to the game and not too many goalscoring chances. Al Ahly felt forced to apologise to fans after they missed several key opportunities in their last game against Pauhuca
Wessam Abou Ali to score first: The Danish-born Palestine international has dislodged Percy Tau from the Al Ahly starting line-up after proving a consistent scorer since his arrival at the club. He finished with 18 goals last season to be crowned the top striker in Egypt and is back among the goals again this season, despite some injury woes.
Prediction:
Score Prediction: Al Ahly 1 Chabab Belouizdad
The holders of the Champions League have too much in terms of quality and playing resources to be concerned about the threat of Belouizdad and should advance to the top of the table and a total of seven points at the halfway stage of the group phase of the competition.