Arsenal vs Manchester United means pizza is at the ready and Brighton need to pin down Mo Salah (literally)
IT'S that time of year when the games, like hangovers and family arguments, come thick and fast.
So many questions too… Can City continue their unbelievable run?
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Who’ll triumph in the heavyweight clash between Arsenal and Manchester United?
And will we see Alan Pardew throwing some shapes at The Hawthorns?
We’re about to find out…
CHELSEA v NEWCASTLE
Newcastle’s tidy start to the season has long since been forgotten now that they’ve only taken one point from the last 15. They now face a Chelsea side who love nothing better than sending them back up north with their Geordie tails between their legs.
The Blues have beaten the Magpies on 15 occasions in the Premier League and the only team they’ve beaten more is Spurs (16 times).
Newcastle’s only win at Stamford Bridge came in May 2012 when Alan Pardew was in charge and when Papiss Cisse scored that goal.
It could be an historic night for Jonjo Shelvey too (if selected).
He’s already scored league goals against Chelsea for Swansea and Liverpool and could become only the second midfielder in history to score against them with three or more teams, after Gary Speed.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
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BRIGHTON v LIVERPOOL
Though their position in mid-table suggests otherwise, Brighton have been guilty of not banking more points, especially at home.
OK, so they haven’t lost at the Amex since the first day of the season against Manchester City, but the Seagulls last win there was against Newcastle in September and Monday night’s goalless draw against Crystal Palace was their fourth home draw on the spin.
That said, they’d probably take a draw here, not least because Liverpool’s rapid attack will pose the kind of questions they’ve yet to really answer in their inaugural season in the Premier League.
The man they need to pin down (probably literally) is Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian came off the bench against Stoke to bag two more goals and take his league tally to 12 in just 14 games for the Reds.
But wait till he comes face to face with Lewis Dunk. Then we’ll see what he’s made of.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
EVERTON v HUDDERSFIELD
Big Sam is back and he’s probably facing the easiest job of any of the escapology jobs that he’s taken on in the past.
Yes, Everton look to have turned a corner after that convincing home win against West Ham and the new manager bounce should see them start as favourites here too.
Everton have also lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against newly-promoted sides (W10, D9, L1) and that was against Burnley last season.
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And, after his hat-trick against West Ham in midweek, Wayne Rooney will be facing his 40th different Premier League club. He’s scored against 36 of the 39 so far too, failing only against Derby, Blackpool and Manchester United.
It’s also 80 years – yes, 80 years – since Huddersfield last won away at Everton when they snatched a 2-1 victory in September 1937.
That was a hell of a game too, if memory serves.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
LEICESTER v BURNLEY
I’ve nothing against Burnley but it’s high time someone took them down a peg or two.
Yes the idea of them being drawn against Barcelona in next year’s Champions League is appealing – who wouldn’t love to see Lionel Messi at Turf Moor? – but come on, it’s Burnley.
We’ve got a feeling Leicester will shade this.
After that excellent win against Spurs in midweek, they’ll be looking to continue a run that’s seen them only lose one of the last 11 league matches to the Clarets (W7, D3, L1) and only fail to score in one of their last 14 league games at the King Power.
Expect Jamie Vardy to become the first Leicester player to reach 50 goals in the Premier League too.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
STOKE v SWANSEA
And the award for the weekend’s least attractive fixture goes to…
It’s when you see games like this that you realise that outside of the top six or seven, there’s actually a lot of dross in the Premier League, all just doing what they need to to stay in the top-flight.
This should be a home banker. The Potters are unbeaten against Swansea in all six Premier League meetings played at the bet365 Stadium (W4, D2) and they’ve also scored in all of those encounters too.
If Swans’ fans are getting down then try not to worry too much. Why? Because Swansea have got exactly the same record after 14 games (W2 D3 L9) as they did last season.
And that worked out alright, didn’t it? Didn’t it?
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
WATFORD v SPURS
Are the wheels coming off for Tottenham? It certainly looks like it, at least domestically.
Now 7th, a whopping 16 points adrift of leaders Manchester City, they’re wobbling badly and a defeat here will mean it’s first time Spurs have lost four consecutive away league matches since 2009.
Watford, meanwhile, are just three points and one place behind Spurs but they’ll have to overturn a rotten run of form against the Lillywhites to close the gap, failing to win any of their previous eight league games against Tottenham (W0, D2, L6).
Mind you, the Hornets two home wins this season have both come against opposition from the capital (Arsenal and West Ham) so maybe this is the day they’ve been waiting for.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
WEST BROM v CRYSTAL PALACE
The former Crystal Palace manager who’s now manager at struggling West Brom takes on the former West Brom manager who’s now manager at struggling Crystal Palace.
Football eh? Bloody hell.
It’s not really a six-pointer but it is a crucial game for both sides. A win for the visitors and they could escape the bottom three for the first time this season.
The Eagles have only lost two of their last eight league games at The Hawthorns too (W3, D3, L2) but here’s the thing – they haven’t scored an away goal all season and if they draw another blank here they’ll become the first team ever to go 10 away games on the bounce without an away goal.
Roy Hodgson will be back at the Baggies for the first time since he left in 2012. Amazingly, he still has the best win percentage and points-per-match ration of any West Brom boss in Premier League history.
Don’t get too excited though. It’s only 36% and 1.34 points.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
ARSENAL v MANCHESTER UNITED
Pizzas at the ready! It’s an early festive treat here as one of the Premier League’s most feisty fixtures returns. Arsenal go into this on a rare run of form at home, winning their last 12 league games at the Emirates – their longest run since 2005.
With Mesut Ozil hitting his straps at the moment, the Gunners will be confident of extending their streak, especially as they’ve only lost one of their last five league games against United at the Emirates (W2, D2) and Ozil’s weighed in with two goals and two assists in his last four matches against them.
But here’s the thing. No team have won more Premier League away matches at Arsenal than United (7, equal with Liverpool) and only Chelsea have won more times at the Emirates than United’s three.
They’ll need Romelu Lukaku back to his brilliant best though. The Belgian bulldozer as only scored once in his last 11 appearances for United and this despite scoring 13 times in his first 11 games for the Red Devils.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
BOURNEMOUTH v SOUTHAMPTON
To the south coast and to a game that should really be a full-blooded derby match – but probably won’t be.
The Cherries may have only won one of their last nine league matches against Southampton (W1, D2, L6) but that said, there hasn’t been a draw in this fixture at Dean Court in the last eight league meetings, with both sides winning four times. Something for the neutral to pin their hopes on then.
Interestingly, Southampton's only win in their last seven away league matches on a Sunday was at Bournemouth last season when they won 3-1 but in order to do that again they’ll have to show a modicum of attacking intent, something that they clearly couldn’t be bothered with against Manchester City in midweek.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN
MANCHESTER CITY v WEST HAM
Here’s the facts. And if you’re a West Ham fan then look away now…
Manchester City are unbeaten and eight points clear at the top of the table. They have dropped only two points all season and have scored 44 goals in just 14 league games.
West Ham, meanwhile, sit third from bottom without a win in two months and have, officially, the worst defence in the division (30 goals conceded).
City’s winning run in the league now stands at 12 matches and only Arsenal in 2001/02 and Chelsea in 2016/17 (both 13) have managed longer streaks.
They’ve also won nine of the 11 league matches they’ve played against West Ham at the Etihad with the visitors only win there coming in September 2015 when they ended City’s then club-record of 11 wins on the spin with a 2-1 victory
Perhaps the only light at the end of this particularly gloomy tunnel for the Hammers is that keeper Joe Hart isn’t available as he can’t play against his parent club.
At least one reason to be cheerful.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: HOME WIN