The UEFA Champions League group stages’ sixth matchday proved to be, to put it mildly, quite dramatic. Manchester United shocked me by placing fourth in a group that included Copenhagen, Galatasaray, and Bayern Munich. Arsenal and Manchester City, on the other hand, won their respective groups and qualified for the knockout stages. Newcastle United suffered a catastrophic setback.
Paul Merson’s predictions for Liverpool vs Manchester United and their Head to Head…
They ultimately achieved the lowest point. Regarding Newcastle, it was a challenging group in which anyone could have advanced. It’s easier said than done, but they haven’t played in the UEFA Champions League in a very long time. That being said, some argue that they are a better team than Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.
This time of year, games seem to come out thick and fast, and the holiday season usually produces a few odd outcomes. Having said that, these are my predictions for the 17th matchday of the 2023–24 Premier League.
Nottingham Forest played very cautiously against Wolves last Saturday because Steve Cooper was under so much pressure; they just couldn’t get going. Despite the fact that they are playing at home, they will prepare as though they are playing away, which will benefit Tottenham.
Spurs should win this one since they’ve halted the losing and are bringing some players back to full strength. Although they have been entertaining to watch as a neutral this season, they are still quite exposed at the back. You can bet your bottom dollar that this football match won’t end in a draw, and I anticipate an exciting contest. I’m picking a 2-1 victory for Tottenham because I think they’ll win all three points.
The injury issue for Tottenham is a major factor in the race for the top four. After their impressive victories over Manchester City and Arsenal, Aston Villa is among the leaders and may even be in the running for the championship. They have an unbeatable home record and have defeated two of the biggest teams at Villa Park, so they will feel confident playing at home against any opponent. To stay up there, though, they must make improvements to their journeys.
When this game was played five or six weeks ago, Luton would have emphasized it as an opportunity to win, but in only one month, football can change so much!Bravo to Andoni Iraola for turning things around at Bournemouth, who are currently among the Premier League’s most prolific clubs. After losing their first nine or ten games of the season, they could have easily given up on him, but instead they stuck with their man, and it appears that that choice is paying off.
Although Luton is a formidable team at home and has performed admirably against teams like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool, Bournemouth’s confidence is currently too high, particularly following their well-earned 3-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.With a victory, I believe the Cherries will build on their incredible recent run.Luton Town 2-0 Bournemouth is the prediction.
You have to genuinely question if Chelsea is in a relegation battle if they lose this game. They need to finish this one out and get all three points before they play Newcastle United in a crucial cup match.With Chris Wilder back at the club, Sheffield United has looked more formidable and are causing problems for opposing sides. They played Brentford at the ideal time and made the most of it, winning all three points. In the first half, they kept Liverpool at bay and were on the verge of a victory before the Reds displayed their class.
There are only some players that Chelsea does not have good enough. Chelsea wants to be in the title race and they won’t be leading them there anytime soon. They aren’t content with consistently finishing in the top four. Given that the majority of these players are new to the team and have eight-year contracts, it’s a difficult position. It would be intriguing to watch what they do in the January transfer window as they need better players if they want to advance as a team.
Since Mauricio Pochettino’s team is playing at home, I’m betting on them to win 2-0, but something has to give.Chelsea 2-0 Sheffield United is the prediction.
In order to put pressure on Arsenal, Liverpool, and Aston Villa, I believe Manchester City will win handily. This, in my perspective, is when City really kicks it into gear and moves up the table. They will want to improve on their 2-1 victory over Luton Town last week, where they battled valiantly to come back from behind and score a couple goals.
Even without the Norwegian striker, Haaland still has enough firepower despite his injury. Guardiola and his team should play by the motto “don’t rush him back,” given what transpired with Chelsea and Reece James. They can afford to start a few games without Haaland, which will also give the big striker enough time to recover properly.Everyone talks about how great Jeremy Doku is and how he has exceeded the club’s expectations since signing, but in my perspective, Jack Grealish improves the team. Doku needs to improve on the area of his game where he didn’t show much in the latter third despite touching the ball a thousand times versus Liverpool.
Though his injury will provide him a little respite, Grealish still has an opportunity to make an impact in the interim. He is a young player with a ton of potential. They need him to close the gap at the top since he is a top player and gives the team his all.Crystal Palace 3-0 Manchester City is the prediction.
Fulham has gone crazy since I stated a few weeks ago that they are fighting for their life in the Premier League because they were capable of scoring goals! They just keep scoring, and it’s incredible.
Newcastle, who finished fourth in their group, will be crushed by yesterday’s events because they came so close to making it to the playoffs. They have to get back up and play against a well-prepared Fulham team, but they also have to focus on the cup match against Chelsea. I’m fifty-five and Newcastle hasn’t won a trophy since my birth! It’s been too long for a club that size.Although Fulham is currently on a bit of a tear, I think the home team will play with class in this match.Newcastle United 3-1 Fulham is the prediction.
Burnley would have liked their chances in this game a few weeks ago, but Everton is playing incredibly well right now. I predict them to win because Sean Dyche has his team performing the way he wants and they are currently enjoying a bit of a run.It is simply unbelievable that Everton will be eliminated from the relegation battle even with the ten-point deduction if they win at Turf Moor. They are somewhat of a phony leader in the league; if not for the suspension, they would be ranked ninth or tenth! Nevertheless, the margins are razor thin, and if they lose this one, they can find themselves drawn into another relegation struggle.
With their renewed confidence, the Toffees ought to prevail in this match.Forecast: Burnley 1, Everton 2.
West Ham is a bunch of clowns. Against all the odds, they managed to defeat Tottenham, but Fulham completely destroyed them. However, under Gary O’Neil, Wolves have proven to be a formidable squad and deserve attention.If not for a few close VAR calls, they would be much higher up the ladder, but when I look at the players on both teams, I can’t tell them apart—at least not on paper. While West Ham has a few match-winning players who can appear at any time, Wolves is a better football team overall.
I’m going with a 1-1 draw because there isn’t much separating these two teams.Forecast: Wolves 1-0 West Ham
For Aston Villa, this football game is huge. After impressive victories over Manchester City and Arsenal, they are now in the running for the championship, but they must perform well away from home.For their players, the pressure is different. The most of them have played for teams in the past where a league draw with Brentford wouldn’t necessarily be a negative result; nevertheless, this time, they are up there after almost half of the season.
Nevertheless, given that Brentford is having trouble with injuries and suspensions, now is an excellent moment to play them. The pressure may increase because everyone is watching Villa and Unai Emery, but I think they will win all three points and spice things up at the top.Forecast: Brentford Aston Villa 1-2
Brighton is an interesting club to watch; you never know what to expect from them. They only achieved a 1-1 draw against Burnley last weekend, which is disappointing because they have a UEFA Conference League match tonight before traveling to the Emirates Stadium.
Although they were defeated by Aston Villa last weekend, I think Arsenal played pretty well. They gave up an early goal, but they missed other opportunities to tie the score, which can come back to haunt them in the race for the championship. Particularly Martin Odegaard had two excellent opportunities to score, but he was unable to put the ball in the back of the net.Arsenal needs to defeat Brighton in order to be in the running for the title, especially because they will soon be traveling to Anfield to face league leaders Liverpool. Though I don’t think the outcome of this game is certain, I do think the Gunners will win again.
Arsenal 3-1 Brighton is the prediction.
Is this truly a major game, as everyone seems to be saying? This is perhaps my easiest prediction of the weekend; I think Liverpool will win handily. It doesn’t appear well for them because Bruno Fernandes is suspended and players like Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, and Luke Shaw were substituted against Bayern Munich because of injury.
To put it another way, I would be more surprised if Manchester United and Crystal Palace drew at Anfield than if Crystal Palace won against Manchester City. I’m so sure that Liverpool will win since Erik ten Hag’s team is playing disorganized football. Despite having a free swing against Bayern Munich, they were whipped out of the game. Prior to that, Bournemouth completely destroyed them at home, and even in the games they did win, they simply stumbled over the finish line.
Liverpool should absolutely destroy them, so I’m going with a 3-0 victory at home. Although Alexis Mac Allister is a serious injury doubt, Jurgen Klopp has a number of midfield options at his disposal. Harvey Elliott’s cameos have been impressive, and Wataru Endo has played a few games lately, but I believe Curtis Jones understands the importance of this game, thus I anticipate him starting at Anfield.
Regarding Manchester United’s squad, I believe Ten Hag will merely toss players into the field. United has just not performed well enough this season, therefore I have no expectations. Liverpool, on the other hand, leads the league, and since there are a lot of games during the holiday season, they must win this one, especially since they play Arsenal soon.Even though I’ve made a few mistakes this season in my Premier League predictions, which I make every weekend, I have no concerns whatsoever about my pick for this match.Liverpool 3-0 Manchester United is the prediction.
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