Sports Blog 31/12/2015: Match Preview – Premier League, Saturday 2nd to Sunday 3rd January 2016

The New Year’s Premier League weekend is almost upon us, with the season’s ‘huh’-factor unlikely to change any time soon.

First up on Saturday is a potentially difficult game against Liverpool for West Ham, who host the Reds at 12.45pm on BT Sport 1.Despite an astonishingly dismal run since the end of October West Ham, as is the nonsensical nature of this Premier League season, still find themselves in 8th place. Things finally perked up on Bank Holiday Monday, their 2-1 win over Southampton bringing to an end an 8 game winless run, a run that included 5 consecutive draws (with 3 consecutive 0-0 draws in the middle) preceded by another draw sandwiched between 2 losses. Even more worryingly the Hammers only managed a measly 4 goals in that entire period, a symptom of the cavalcade of injuries they have suffered to their front line. Yet with Andy Carrol coming off the bench to score the winner over Southampton Slaven Bilic will be hoping his side’s luck might change going forwards.



Jurgen Klopp’s side seem to have (tentatively) put their December wobble behind them, following up their 10-game unbeaten streak-ending win over Leicester with a terse 1-0 victory over Sunderland on Wednesday evening, leaving Liverpool in 7th, equal on points with 6th place Man United and only 1 behind 5th place Crystal Palace. Even more positively, both of those winning goals have come from the boot of Christian Benteke, a nascent display of form that the Red’s German managing will be hoping can continue into what is set to be a tricky start to the New Year for Anfield’s finest.

It looks like Liverpool are set to continue their rebound this weekend; at least, they will if our traders have any say so, Spreadex offering a Liverpool/West Ham (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.35-0.55 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.35-2.55.

Next up sees a game that, on paper, would traditionally be easy to call but in this hurdy gurdy season is actually a battle between two of the most in form teams in the league, as Manchester City travel to Watford at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Though a 0-0 draw against title contenders Leicester is, despite how odd is still feels to say, nothing to sniff at, it does continue to hint at Manchester City’s worrying lack of consistency. Manuel Pellegrini’s side haven’t won back to back league games since the start of October; instead their Premier League form sheet reads DWDLWLWLWD in their past 10 games, beginning with the snore draw against United on the 25th October. An in form Kevin De Bruyne, and the return of Sergio Aguero, should, in theory, change that in the New Year. However, though their first game of 2016 may appear easy, Pellegrini would be a fool to take Watford lightly.



For whilst they may have only picked up 1 point from their last 2 games, Watford are still one of the most in-form teams in the league, a 4 game winning streak (against Aston Villa, Norwich, Sunderland and Liverpool) seeing them firmly entrenched in the top half of the table. A draw at Chelsea is nothing to be sniffed at, whilst Watford were unlucky not to get anything against Tottenham, a late goal from Son Heung-Min denying them a point. Much like for Leicester, Watford’s (relatively) enormous success this season has been predicated on 2 fantastic forwards; at least one of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney has scored in each of their last 10 games. In fact, Ighalo, on 14 goals this season, has scored in each of his last 6. It’s a formidable front line that will be sure to test a City back 4 that has looks worryingly fallible at times this season.

Yet even an inconsistent City are still a daunting prospect, and there are signs that Watford may be struggling to keep up with the pace they themselves helped set, leading our Spreadex traders to offer a Man City/Watford (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.7-0.9 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.85-3.05.

Turning to Sunday and Chelsea fans will be praying for a win when the Blues travel to Crystal Palace at 1.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Mourinho may be gone, but there has been no great revolution at Chelsea since Gus Hiddink took the reins; a 3-1 victory over Sunderland was much needed, but not exactly anything to write home about, whilst draws against Watford and Manchester United suggest that the Blues’ woes are far from over. The continued enigma that is Diego Costa remains one of Hiddink’s chief worries, even if, at 5 goals, he is the only Chelsea player to have found any goal-scoring form in the league. Perhaps even more pressingly is the fact that, in 14th place on 20 points, Chelsea are only 3 points away from the relegation zone and 9 away from the top half of the table, something that no quick fix can remedy.



Crystal Palace, on the other hand, are soaring. Yet another formerly mid-table side to benefit from the bizarre nature of this Premier League season, the London club now sitting in 5th place on 31 points. Technically unbeaten in 6 games, Palace nevertheless have only managed a draw in their past 2 matches (against Bournemouth and Swansea), suggesting that, as has been seen elsewhere, the busy holiday period might be taking its toll on the smaller, but high-flying, Premier League sides. They also lack the same goal-scoring power as their rivals, with Yohan Cabaye on 5 and Yannick Bolasie and Dwight Gayle both on 4.

Despite the fact that have disappointed in nearly every game this season, our Spreadex traders appear to be optimistic on the Blues’ behalf, offering a Chelsea/Crystal Palace Goal Supremacy spread of 0.35-0.55 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.

Finally Tottenham will be aiming to creep even higher when they host Everton at 4pm on Sky Sports 1. With everyone talking about Leicester, Chelsea, the two Manchester sides and Arsenal (in roughly that order) Tottenham have gotten the short shrift in column inches this season. Yet Spurs find themselves in 4th place, only 1 behind 3rd place city and 4 ahead of 5th place Palace. In this topsy-turvy season Pochettino’s men could well end up being title contenders; their form hasn’t been perfect, but with big teams falling left right and centre it doesn’t need to be. 3 wins in their last 3 has been enough, even if it took until injury time to see off Watford. The main thrust behind Spurs’ rise appears to have been the resurgence of Harry Kane; after being absent from the score sheet for the first 6 games the England forward now has 11 league goals (and 13 in total), more than ably aided by Erik Lamela and the recently returned Son Heung-Min.



In contrast it’s not been a great few weeks for Roberto Martinez. Everton’s sumptuous strike force (with 35 league goals they are only behind Leicester and Manchester City) is paired with a calamitous back line, leaving the Toffees with only 6 points from their last 6 games despite scoring 11 goals. A 1-0 Boxing Day win over Newcastle (no great achievement) was followed up with a 4-3 loss at home to Stoke, with Everton squandering a 3-2 lead in the final 10 minutes of the match. The one real shining light remains Romelu Lukaku. He may have broken his 8 game scoring streak by failing to find the back of the net against the Toon, but the Belgian international nevertheless has 15 league goals (joint top scorer with Jamie Vardy) and 18 in total. If anything, his continual good form may only spell trouble for Everton, with plenty of suitors likely to present themselves in January.

It seems that, given the potential of both sides, our Spreadex traders are finding this one just too close to call, offering choice a Everton/Tottenham Goal Supremacy spread of -0.1-0.1 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.75-2.95.