Premier League Predictions, Week 16
© Micah Veldkamp, 2018
Premier League is back after a short week. That's right, it was the Champions League again, which is TERRIFIC! Have I mentioned how much I love the Champions League? Always have.
Anyways, last week, I took a bit of a step back, going 3 for 5. I got the Liverpool and United wins right, and the Everton-Watford draw. The bad news is, I didn't get any scoreline right, and I didn't see Tottenham winning and DEFINITELY didn't see Chelsea beating City. That brings my record to a still-rough 45 for 62. Now, the matches are less than 12 hours away from starting back, so let's not waste any time groveling. Here are your 5 for Week 16!
Manchester City vs. Everton
The defending champions look horribly human all of a sudden. They were riding high and looking invincible once again, but a terrific outing by Chelsea at Stamford killed their vibe and threw a spanner in the works for the Premier League season. A solid Everton side is far from the easiest team to rebound against, but methinks a dedicated City team gets the job done at home.
The Pick: Manchester City, 3-1
Wolverhampton vs. Bournemouth
In this week's edition of "fun matches not involving the Big 6," it's the first matchup of the year between the two 'next-tier' darlings. Wolves have provided some of the most thrilling entertainment of the season, notably drawing with Manchester City, and recently beating Chelsea. Bournemouth are yet to steal a match from the big boys, and are coming off a 4-0 whopping by Liverpool, but have been the most consistent side outside the Top 5 all year. It will be a good one, but we saw how problematic not having Callum Wilson was for Bournemouth last week, and with his health status still in limbo, you have to go with the home side here.
The Pick: Wolves, 2-1
Brighton vs. Chelsea
Chelsea's season had been in danger of freefall before they got the result of the season with their 2-0 stunner over Manchester City last week. The Blues will be seeking to build some momentum again, but, while Brighton may not strike fear into their hearts, it will not be ean easy match. Remember the Gulls beat Man United and took Liverpool to the wire in Anfield this season. So, smart money says Chelsea gets the win, but if Sarri and co. are banking on easy outing, they're in for it.
The Pick: Chelsea, 1-0
Liverpool vs. Manchester United
The matchup of the week is another massive installment of the League's biggest rivalry. It's not, however, a matchup that's massive in the way we expected preseason; we thought this might be a barometer of who was Manchester City's true competitor for the title, when in fact, Liverpool are currently sitting atop the league and United are just trying to keep afloat. The Reds are coming off a tremendous week, which saw perhaps their most complete performance of the Premier League season (a 4-0 throttling of Bournemouth) followed up by a thrilling 1-0 win over Napoli to stay alive in the Champions League. Still, this is United, this is Mourinho, and even when all the momentum has been in their favor, Klopp and co. have not found a way to crack the code in this match. I hate to say it, but don't be shocked to see another listless, goalless draw.
The Pick: Draw, 0-0