Can anyone keep up with Chelsea during the busy post-Christmas Premier League schedule?

Boxing Day kicks off with a game far from the title chase, with Watford hosting managerless Crystal Palace at 12.30pm on Sky Sports 1. While things seemed to be picking up at the start of December for the Eagles with a victory over Southampton coming after a run of 6 league defeats, Palace are back in trouble after back-to-back losses at home to Manchester United and Chelsea. And though there is no real shame in those results, especially given how late Ibrahimovic’s winner was in the former, it proved too much for the powers-that-be at Selhurst Park sparking them to fire Alan Pardew with Palace just one point above the relegation zone.

Watford are faring a bit better table-wise, sitting in 12th place, though their form has been just as bad as Palace’s. The Hornets have lost 4 of their last 5 games to teams, like Sunderland and Stoke, which they really should be beating if this season is to amount to more than a mid-table finish. It will likely be tight on Monday, though home advantage leaves a Watford/Crystal Palace Goal Supremacy spread of 0.05-0.25 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.45-2.65.

Things should be a bit more interesting on Boxing Day evening, when a still recovering Manchester City travel to bottom of the table Hull at 5.15 pm on Sky Sports 1. The start of December was disastrous for City. A 3-1 loss to Chelsea at home came with the added indignity of red cards for Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho; a 4-2 away defeat to defending champions, and relegation contenders, Leicester was even worse. However, victories over Watford and, more importantly, Arsenal suggest that City may have gotten over their winter wobble, and they will head to the KCOM Stadium confident of a win.

A visit from City is the worst belated Christmas present one could bestow on Hull at the moment. The Tigers are stuck in last place, on the same 12 points as Swansea but with a far worse goal difference. They haven’t won a game since the start of November, though it must be noted that they have at least managed to draw their last 2 home games. Not that it will be enough to withstand even an Aguero-less City, with Spreadex offering a Manchester City/Hull (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 1.6-1.8 alongside a Total Goals spread of 3.1-3.3.

Liverpool will be watching that City game carefully ahead of their fixture on Tuesday, Klopp looking to maintain 2nd place with a win over Stoke at 5.15pm on Sky Sports 1. The Reds suffered a shock at the start of the month, their thrilling defeat at Bournemouth followed by a lacklustre draw against West Ham. They’ve bounce back quite convincingly, however, a 3-0 away win at Middlesbrough joined on Monday by an excessively late victory in the season’s first Merseyside derby.

As for Stoke, their season hasn’t been much beyond mid-table fodder. They’ve looked especially poor against the top 4, an extra worry in regards to Tuesday’s game considering Liverpool have the best attack in the league. The strength of the Reds going forwards explains the size of the Liverpool/Stoke Goal Supremacy spread, which sits at 1.75-1.95, alongside the Total Goals spread, at 3.2-3.4.