There’s a load of the derbies this weekend. London, Merseyside and Manchester will all grind to a halt over the course of Week 16 of the Premier League season, as some of the English game’s longstanding rivalries are resumed.
Each one has a different edge too. One will see a struggling outfit host the champions, one will see an irrepressible attacking force host their improving but untested rivals, while the other is simply a showdown between the best teams in the division. The latter of the trio is the biggest game of the campaign to date.
Needless to say, it’s those three fixtures that’ll take the majority of focus on Saturday and Sunday. Here’s a preview of those tussles and a line on the remaining seven games along with odds from BMR’s green-listed sites.
West Ham United vs. Chelsea
West Ham’s start to life under David Moyes has made for fascinating viewing so far, as he’s already endured his fair share of ups and downs.
Away at Watford and Everton, the Scotsman saw his new side slump to hugely disappointing defeats, while in the home game against Leicester City and away at Manchester City, the team showed something. Sadly for those who follow the Hammers, neither of the two latter clashes have yielded victories yet.
On Saturday there’s another chance for Moyes’ men to get over the line under him for the first time. Still, the visit of the champions, who have hit their straps as of late, is a far from ideal fixture for them.
Chelsea coasted to victory against Newcastle United last weekend, with Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard leading the attacking charge for Antonio Conte’s side. The latter of that impressive duo, in particular, is playing some of the best football of his Blues career.
Indeed, pinning down Hazard and nullifying his influence will be crucial for West Ham. But the way in which the Belgium international roams around the pitch, dribbles past opponents and makes key decisions in the final third means that’s far easier in practice than it is in reality.
With the Manchester sides up against one another, Chelsea will view this weekend as an opportunity to make up ground on one of their rivals, at least. They’ll be too organised, too powerful and have too much firepower for West Ham to cope with. 0-2 (7.00 Ladbrokes)
Liverpool vs. Everton
The Merseyside derby, previously one of the most eagerly anticipated games in English football, has become something of a non-event in recent years. Mainly because Liverpool have been so dominant against Everton.
Indeed, the last time the Toffees earned a win of any sorts against Liverpool was in 2010, while you have to go back to the previous millennium for their last win at Anfield; Kevin Campbell’s goal in a 1-0 win in 1999 remains etched in Evertonian folklore.
In recent seasons, while Liverpool have regularly been the better side, the gap between the two sides haven’t been so great in a footballing sense. But on the big occasion, the side donning all-red have coped better and have earned some huge wins lately.
Worryingly for Everton, the footballing gap Liverpool edged has become a chasm. The Reds are playing some spellbinding attacking stuff and were able to take apart Brighton 5-1 last time out in the top flight. Mohamed Salah is among the best players in the division and he’s brilliantly backed by Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.
At this juncture, the Reds are tough for anyone to contain, so it’ll be intriguing to see how Sam Allardyce’s Everton go about the task. You suspect it’ll be with an ultra-defensive blueprint.
After two clean sheets in their last two games, confidence and cohesion appear to be on the rise for the Toffees, while in Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson they boast game changers. Nevertheless, a free-scoring Liverpool side will have too much for their rivals, increasing their already tight stranglehold on this fixture. 3-1 (11.00 William Hill)
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
The pressure is on Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford. You sense they won’t get a better chance to haul themselves back into the title race than this.
Not only do United boast an exceptional home record under their Portuguese manager, they will be bristling with belief going into this one. Their 3-1 away win at Arsenal saw so many facets of the XI function so well, with David De Gea stunning in goal, while the trio of Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard were so in-sync.
Another flourish area of the side was midfield, with Paul Pogba bossing his Arsenal counterparts with flair and physicality. The fact he’s suspended for this encounter is a massive blow to the Red Devils.
Especially because Manchester City are so strong in this area. That much was evident on Sunday, when Kevin De Bruyne’s delightful pass was telegraphed by David Silva, who finished expertly at the back post. Even at United, in a red-hot atmosphere, the side in sky blue have enough to dominate this area of the field.
If they can launch incisive attacks from there, then they have a chance of continuing their remarkable start to the season and adding to their run of 13 successive wins in the top flight. Having seen his side need late goals to get by in recent fixtures, manager Pep Guardiola will want to see his players fling everything into this on.
A win for City would potentially end United’s title hopes to, as the gap would go out to 11 points. But Mourinho and his men will be canny at home and have proven so difficult to beat at the Theatre of Dreams. 1-1 (7.50 William Hill)
Burnley vs. Watford
Burnley suffered a rare away defeat last time out at Leicester and with that in mind they’ll be glad to get back to home comforts on Saturday. Watford have been excellent on the road, though, swatting Newcastle aside 3-0 in their last away clash. An even game appears to be on the cards and you suspect both teams will be content with a point. 1-1 (6.50 William Hill)
Crystal Palace vs. Bournemouth
They may still we awaiting their first away goal in the Premier League, but Crystal Palace have been making progress in front of their own supporters at least. Bournemouth are getting better, although there are still clear vulnerabilities to exploit at the back. The Eagles will know a win here will put them back to within touching distance of safety and they’ll grasp that chance. 2-1 (9.00 Betfair)
Huddersfield Town vs. Brighton
Memories of Huddersfield’s bright start feel a long time ago now and they’re slowly slipping down the Premier League table. Brighton has undone a lot of good recent good work with a poor performance against Liverpool. This one feels like a game where we’ll see two tentative football teams and a tight game as a result. 1-1 (6.50 William Hill)
Swansea City vs. West Brom
Swansea are in desperate need of a result at the moment, with pressure mounting on the players and manager Paul Clement. It’s tough to see them overcoming anyone at the moment and against a West Brom outfit that have had a week to work under Alan Pardew for the first time, they’ll reach a new nadir in a tough campaign. 0-1 (8.00 Betfair)
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Stoke City
Tottenham’s form has taken a nosedive lately and they’re in danger of losing touch with the rest of the Premier League’s top six sides. Stoke at home feels like an ideal clash for them to get back on track in, as the Potters’ results continue to fluctuate massively. It won’t be pretty, but Tottenham have far too much. 2-0 (7.50 BetVictor)
Newcastle United vs. Leicester City
A season of positivity is in danger of turning into a relegation scrap for Newcastle and Rafael Benitez. They have gone six games without a win and will welcome a rejuvenated Leicester to St James’ Park. Under the lights the potential is there for this to be an exciting fixture and one the Magpies can take a well-earned point from. 2-2 (16.00 SportPesa)
Southampton vs. Arsenal
Arsenal performed well in defeat against United in their last Premier League outing and can take some confidence to the south coast as a result. Even though they’re clashing with an improved Southampton team, the Gunners have enough to shrug of their previous loss and get their top-four push back on track on Sunday afternoon. 1-2 (8.50 Ladbrokes)
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