Premier League is back
The English Premier League returned after a six week break on St Stephen’s Day. Premier League teams played friendlies while the World Cup took place but there is a big difference between a friendly and a Premier League game. Seven games took place on St Stephen’s Day and the other three games took place on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th of December. Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest was the first Premier League game since Cristiano Ronaldo left Old Trafford.
Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
Brentford had a great win against Manchester City in their last game before the break for Qatar. Ivan Toney scored his 10th goal in the 2022/2023 Premier League season as Brentford went two nil up against Spurs on 54 minutes. It’s remarkable that Antonio Conte’s men have to go behind to start playing as Spurs scored two goals in five minutes to bring the game back on level terms. Harry Kane’s legacy won’t be tarnished due to his penalty miss against France as he is only three goals away from breaking Jimmy Greaves goal scoring record with Spurs. Spurs are currently in fourth position with 30 points and guarantying Champions League football will be their top priority for the remainder of the season.
Leicester City vs Newcastle United
Eddie Howe has transformed The Magpies over the last year as Newcastle are currently third in the 2022/2023 Premier League. Newcastle could of scored more than three goals in this game as they had five shots on target. Leicester are struggling without James Maddison as he is currently injured. Leicester are currently only four points away from the dreaded relegation zone and Brendan Rodgers is currently under pressure regarding losing his job. Newcastle are also into the quarter-final of the EFL Cup and are on the cusp of greatness.
Everton vs Wolverhampton Wanders
This was the first Premier League game for Julen Lopetegui as Wolves manager. Wolves came from behind as Rayan Alt-Nouri scored a winner in the 95th minute. Frank Lampard has struggled as a manager and Everton were nearly relegated last season only for multiple wins against Manchester United and Chelsea. Everton striker Dominic Calwert-Lewin has struggled with injury this season and this is one of the reasons why The Toffees are only one point outside the relegation zone. Everton are playing Man City on New Year’s Eve and this could potentially be the end of Lampard if they suffer a big defeat.
Southampton vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton were outstanding in this game as they beat Southampton three nil at St Mary’s. Brighton were given a headache when manager Graham Potter left for Chelsea but new manager Roberto De Zebri is starting to get his tactics across to his players. Southampton new manager Nathan Jones is finding life difficult as a manager in the Premier League. Southampton are currently bottom of the Premier League table and need to start picking points up soon before they are cut adrift.
Crystal Palace vs Fulham
Marco Silva is doing a incredible job at Fulham as they are currently ninth in the Premier League table. Silva is delighted to have striker Aleksandar Mitrovic fit again as he scored their third goal in their three-nil win against Palace. Patrick Vieira needs to get his attacking players firing again as Palace had no shots on target against Fulham.
Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Mo Salah was fresh as he scored and got a assist in Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Villa. Liverpool are good going forward but Jurgen Klopp will be disappointed that they have conceded four goals in their last two games. Villa created great chances in this game but defensive mistakes cost Unai Emery’s team from getting a positive result at home. No competitive games in six weeks had to be a factor as they lacked a bit of match sharpness in their performance against Liverpool.
Arsenal vs West Ham United
The break came at a bad time for Arsenal as they were five points ahead of Man City in the title race. Arsenal showed great resilience as they came from one goal down to beat The Hammers 3-1. This is something that Arsenal used to struggle at but Mikel Arteta has improved their mental attitude over the last year. David Moyes will be disappointed in how West Ham defended in the second half and he is another manager that could lose his job if results continue to go against him.
Chelsea vs AFC Bournemouth and Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest
Two routine home wins for both Chelsea and Man United on Tuesday 27th of December. Graham Potter is looking for an improvement as Chelsea target a charge for top four in the second half of the season. Erik Ten Hag has rejuvenated Marcus Rashford this season and top four is a priority for Man United. Ten Hag is doing a good job but the good results are papering the craics off the field at Old Trafford.
Leeds United vs Manchester City
Man City could have scored six or seven in this game only for great saves from Leeds goalkeeper Illian Meslier. Erling Haaland has scored 20 goals in 14 Premier League games which is ridiculous. Leeds survival will not be defined from this game and will have opportunities to pick up points against midtable teams.