Updated at 11.56
THE GAMES COME thick and fast this time of year with nine Premier League games tomorrow and one on Monday. Check out our tips below.
Arsenal to come from behind and win against West Ham -17/2
The Gunners were left hanging on against QPR on Stephen’s Day. They’re missing Olivier Giroud due to suspension. But, they’re facing into a fixture they normally do well in.
You have to go back to November 2006 for the last time Arsenal lost a league game to West Ham. Marlon Harewood scored the winner – that’s how long ago it was.
The season’s been going too well for Sam Allardyce’s side so far and the wheels are bound to come off sooner rather than later. Easily swept aside by Chelsea, we think they could come a cropper against another London club today.
- Eoin O’Callaghan
Crystal Palace to win away to QPR – 11/5
Neil Warnock may have been dumped by Palace, but experiencing such a seismic shift usually brings an immediate response from players. They know how to grind out results away from home — picking up draws against Tottenham, Swansea and West Brom while they narrowly suffered defeat to Manchester United.
All five of QPR’s league wins have come at Loftus Road. They have Charlie Austin in superb form. Everything points to a win for ‘Arry but Warnock’s dismissal has thrown everything up in the air.
- Eoin O’Callaghan
Aston Villa/Sunderland to end in a draw – 9/4
Villa have racked up four draws from their last eight games while Sunderland are the league’s specialists with ten stalemates from their 18 league matches so far.
Paul Lambert’s side don’t give away much — you have to go back to the 2 November to find them conceding more than a single goal in a game. Still, the Black Cats aren’t bad on the road and have taken more points from away fixtures than home games.
They seem certain to cancel each other out.
- Eoin O’Callaghan
Wayne Rooney to score first against Tottenham – 9/2
Tottenham have a poor enough record against United and top sides in general over the years – 2001 was the last time the Londoners defeated the Red Devils at home in the Premier League.
Consequently, while Mauricio Pochettino’s side are likely to be feeling less than assured going into the game, the same can’t be said for Wayne Rooney.
The England international has looked rejuvenated under Louis van Gaal in a midfield role — scoring twice as United outclassed Newcastle on Stephen’s Day, making his overall tally eight goals from 14 league appearances this season.
Therefore, given Rooney’s newfound confidence as illustrated by this recent excellent form, he is well worth backing to score first in Sunday’s early kick-off.
- Paul Fennessy
Both teams to score in the Liverpool-Swansea game – 8/11
With 23 and 22 goals scored respectively, Liverpool and Swansea both boast a higher-than-average Premier League goalscoring ratio.
At Anfield on Monday night, the Reds will fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet. Raheem Sterling is looking better equipped to play in the advanced role with each passing game, and they have plenty of creativity in the side, as evidenced by the incredible amount of chances they racked up in their recent matches against Man United and Arsenal.
Nevertheless, Swansea will likely prove to be tough opposition, and in Gylfi Sigurdsson, the Welsh side possess a player capable doing damage to any Premier League defence. In addition to his four Premier League goals, the ex-Spurs man has been hovering around the top of the assists charts since the season began and may well strike again in the 8pm game.
Liverpool may have kept a fifth clean sheet of the season on Stephen’s Day against Burnley, but Swansea will surely be tougher to contain, with the Reds’ well-documented defensive vulnerability already having been exposed on countless occasions this season.
- Paul Fennessy
Originally published December 27
