Premier League Predictions, Week 23
Welcome back to the weekly predictions, Premier League fans! Yes, it's me again! I felt so bad about my long absence last time that I figured I would pop in for the second time in a week to say hi. That's all this about- it has nothing to do with the fixture pileup this week.
In case you can't remember my picks from all the way four days ago, I batted a perfect .500 in the midweek matches. Arsenal and Manchester City did in fact make easy work of their opponents, as I expected. But, so too did Newcastle and Liverpool, two teams I picked drawing their matches. My 2/4 midweek brought my season total to 52.5/81.
Now, the matches are less than 24 hours from kicking back off, so let's not waste any more time trying to figure that fraction out. Here are 4 for Week 23!
Everton vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The weekend's first matchup is an intriguing one, between a side fighting to stave off relegation and a side fighting to vault themselves back into the top 4 conversation. Everton's points deduction seemed to fire up the side for a while, but now they are back in the drop zone thanks in no small part to being winless since before Christmas. Tottenham, in a rough place for much of October and November, have bounced back impressively, working their way back to the cusp of the Top 4 with only one loss in the last month and a half. I expect the Toffees to be fired up in front of a home crowd tomorrow, but there's no question Spurs are the more reliable side at the moment.
The Pick: Tottenham, 3-1
Manchester United vs. West Ham United
The appetizer to the main course on Sunday morning pits the 6th-placed and 7th-placed teams against each other. West Ham's 10-match unbeaten streak, bettered only by Liverpool and Manchester City, is intact, which explains their rise to the European places. At the same time, they also haven't won a match in the year 2024, which explains why they still are on the outside looking in at the Top 4. Manchester United have stayed consistently inconsistent, with a 2-2-2 record in their last six matches. Who knows which version of the Red Devils we will get on Sunday, but I think United will be buoyed by their thrilling midweek win at Wolves, and will come out eager to avenge their recent loss to this West Ham side.
The Pick: Man United, 2-1
Brentford vs. Manchester City
The Brentford of the last two seasons would have upset potential in this fixture, particularly under the lights on Monday night in London. But the Bees, while not in immense danger of the relegation zone (not yet, anyway), just have not looked the same dynamic, threatening side this year that is capable of taking points off the big dogs. I wouldn't be surprised if this is close and exciting in the first half, but I expect a resurgent, healthy Manchester City to put it away comfortably in the second.
The Pick: Man City, 3-1
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
It's technically not the last fixture of the weekend, but there's no question it's the biggest, as the league leaders pay a visit to the 3rd-placed team. Weirdly enough, it's the third matchup between the two major sides in the last six weeks; Arsenal and Liverpool were 1 and 2 in the league when they fought to a 1-1 draw just before Christmas Day, a result that reflected the balance of good chances but certainly was a 'win' for the Gunners. Just two weeks later, though, a B+ Liverpool squad came to the Emirates Stadium and eliminated their hosts from the FA Cup, despite spending much of that match on the back foot. That Liverpool win came amongst a brief, but not insignificant slide for Arsenal; just one win out of four matches around the holiday season saw the Gunners slip from atop the table all the way down to 4th place, although back-to-back wins vs. Crystal Palace and Nottingham have bumped them back up to 3rd, five points behind the Reds. If not in terms of form, Jürgen Klopp's men have certainly been the picture of consistency this season in terms of results, with the ridiculous farce at Tottenham registering as the only 'loss' of the season. My head and my eyes tell me Liverpool is just the better team at this point, especially with the Reds as healthy as they've been since the start of the season. But my gut tells me improved form and what is sure to be a raucous home crowd for Arsenal will make it hard for the visitors to leave London with all three points.
The Pick: Draw, 2-2
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