Matchweek 17 Previews
Southampton v. West Ham United
This match pits a pair of relegation-threatened sides against one another, as Southampton are in the drop zone, while West Ham hover just above it. Despite their poor standing in the table, Southampton have enjoyed something of a renaissance of late, losing just once in their last 4 matches. West Ham, on the other hand, have lost 5 of their last 6 matches and rumors are swirling that Manuel Pellegrini’s time in east London could be nearing an end.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Tottenham Hotspur
Wolves enter this weekend as one of the most in-form teams in the league, last losing a Premier League match back in mid-September. However, this match represents the beginning of a difficult run of fixtures as they head into the busy Christmas period. For Spurs, a Champions League loss at Bayern Munich could not put a stop to the positive momentum around the club, as Jose Mourinho has Tottenham in good form. They have climbed up to 7th in the table and are looking to make another upward leap with a win over 6th-place Wolves.
Manchester United v. Everton
Manchester United enter this match on the back of a terrific Manchester Derby win last weekend. The Red Devils have taken down some of the country’s best over the past few weeks, thanks to the on-fire Marcus Rashford. It’s been 6 years since Man United lost at home to Sunday’s opponents, so they will feel confident. Everton enter Sunday’s match having picked up their best result of the season so far last Saturday, beating Chelsea 3-1. Can they make it back-to-back big wins? Or will their struggles away from home resurface again?
Arsenal v. Manchester City
After picking up a huge, confidence-boosting win on Monday, Arsenal had little time to enjoy themselves. After a challenging away day in the Europa League on Thursday, the Gunners host Man City in Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s side may not be having the kind of season that saw them win back-to-back Premier League titles over the past 2 years, but they have still won 5 consecutive encounters against Arsenal, outscoring them 14-2. Will Man City bounce back from a loss last weekend? Or will Freddie Ljungberg earn a statement win at the Emirates?
Crystal Palace v. Bournemouth
Monday’s match features a pair of mid-table sides that are both in good form of late. Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last 3 matches, while the Seagulls have not lost in their last 2. All of that will be overshadowed by the emotion of this matchup, as Crystal Palace and Brighton are bitter rivals. Anything can happen when these teams face off, but Brighton got the better of the Eagles both times last season. Still, Brighton have struggled away from home since they were first promoted to the Premier League back in 2017, but are coming off a win in their last such match.
