With Liverpool already top for Christmas, attention is on Manchester United as they try to put a dramatic week behind them with victory in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s opening match as manager.
Elsewhere, Manchester City can reduce the gap to Liverpool to a point as they face Crystal Palace whilst West Ham meet Watford amongst other ties taking place on the last Saturday before Christmas.
Arsenal vs Burnley (12:30pm)
Embed from Getty ImagesHaving entered last weekend on a 22 match unbeaten run, Arsenal have lost their last two matches so will be keen to get back to winning ways here.
One positive though is that their attacking qualities were still there but central defence has been abysmal as demonstrated in midweek by Tottenham, who just ripped them to shreds with crosses down middle leading to their two goals.
Burnley meanwhile have got their motivation back in recent weeks but will play on counter here, meaning that this is going to be another test of the defence which is a worry.
Arsenal however should see off any real threat of a upset if their attack is as clinical as usual.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Burnley
Jake predicts: Arsenal 0-0 Burnley
Result: Arsenal 3-1 Burnley
Bournemouth vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Having experienced a slump in form, Bournemouth really need to get back to winning ways here if are to keep pace with the Europa League battle.
Their midweek performance however suggests a corner has been turned after troubling Chelsea for much of their Carabao Cup tie, so they should take the positives and produce a more dominant effort here.
Brighton will however pose a tricky test despite their poor away record of seven points from a possible 27 on the road. Add in the fact that they have scored in nine of their last ten then we might have a very tight game on our hands here.
I am however backing Bournemouth to win if continue to show progress and are more clinical.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Jake predicts: Bournemouth 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Result: Bournemouth 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Chelsea vs Leicester City
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a tough start to December, Chelsea seem to be back to their best even if Wednesday’s Cup win over Bournemouth was scrappy.
Leicester meanwhile might of suffered penalty heartbreak but produced a valiant fight against Manchester City, which stands them in good stead for this game in term of stronger opposition.
On paper this should be a comfortable Chelsea win but if Leicester show the same attacking spirit as in recent weeks, then might be a close game.
In end, Leicester haven’t scored in their last two and Chelsea have won their last two home league games by a 2-0 result, so am going for a decent home win.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Leicester City
Jake predicts: Chelsea 0-0 Leicester City
Result: Chelsea 0-1 Leicester City
Huddersfield Town vs Southampton
Having experienced contrasting fortunes last weekend, this should be a good game between two relegation battlers.
Huddersfield have played well in recent weeks but lacked that vital end product when on goal, whereas Southampton have found that clinical quality which has been boosted by confidence which Ralph Hasenhuttl has already instilled into them.
Defence however is an issue for both teams still, so am going for a score result but Southampton will continue to improve and win here.
Prediction: Huddersfield Town 1-2 Southampton
Jake predicts: Huddersfield Town 0-0 Southampton
Result: Huddersfield Town 1-3 Southampton
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
Embed from Getty ImagesFresh from a midweek win over Leicester in Carabao Cup, Manchester City can consolidate second whilst Crystal Palace try to move themselves further away from the drop.
I am already struggling to see how Palace will be able to get anything here and with Sergio Aguero plus Kevin de Bruyne back for City, its hard to see past a home win, although Palace did produce a fantastic defensive display against Leicester for much of their last outing.
This time, it will be a valiant but unrewarding effort because if the Citizens play with the same intensity as they have done in recent weeks, it will be a heavy defeat.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 Crystal Palace
Jake predicts: Manchester City 0-0 Crystal Palace
Result: Manchester City 2-3 Crystal Palace
Newcastle United vs Fulham
This is a huge chance for Fulham to get their survival bid back on track but Newcastle will make life tough for the Cottagers.
Although Newcastle probably aren’t the best when it comes to attack, they are really dangerous on counter which is a concern for a Fulham defence who have already concluded 42 goals this season.
The Cottagers’ away attack although improved is still worrying as they have averaged only 8.67 shots per away game compared to 19.44 average shots from teams already visited so far in nine away games so far this season.
Now that is appalling but four of last five meetings in this fixture has finished 1-0 to the winning home side. Fulham however won their last meeting 3-1 here in the Championship, offering hope in producing another result.
Ultimately, I am not feeling any goals here so am going for a goalless draw.
Prediction: Newcastle United 0-0 Fulham
Jake predicts: Newcastle United 0-0 Fulham
Result: Newcastle United 0-0 Fulham
West Ham United vs Watford
West Ham have shown signs of real progress whilst Watford had gone off the boil in the last month but both teams looked in fine form last weekend.
For me personally, both teams are equally matched with solid defences and a talented midfield feeding into the attack, as demonstrated in recent weeks by likes of Felipe Anderson and Gerard Deulofeu playing key roles in launching attacks on the opposition.
I would therefore say a score draw but there hasn’t been a draw in 11 top flight meetings between these sides, which adds another layer of intrigue to making a prediction.
Should there be a winner, I fancy West Ham but am sticking to a draw because of the quality in both teams.
Prediction: West Ham United 2-2 Watford
Jake predicts: West Ham United 0-0 Watford
Result: West Ham United 0-2 Watford
Cardiff City vs Manchester United (5:30pm)
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is an absolute must win for Manchester United if they’re to justify Jose Mourinho’s sacking, as they could be sitting at least ninth.
Anything less than a convincing win then a January sale is needed at Old Trafford because this squad clearly has too much power in deciding whether they perform for manager or not.
Paul Pogba in particular needs to produce some top performances within next few weeks to win back fans, because his recent behaviour (notably his Instagram post to news of Mourinho’s sacking) isn’t acceptable of a World Cup winner.
Unfortunately, the drama surrounding United means that Cardiff have slipped under radar but their decent home form should give them hope of stunning United and their former manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
How this match goes realistically rests in how the Red Devils react because if we see something like what they produced in second half against Newcastle in October, it will be a strong United win.
Anything less then this United side are simply not good enough and Cardiff might just pile on the misery.
Prediction: Cardiff City 2-1 Manchester United
Jake predicts: Cardiff City 0-3 Manchester United
Result: Cardiff City 1-5 Manchester United
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