Saturday Premier League Preview - Gameweek 23

It feels like the Arsenal curse of bottling anything after Christmas has gone viral. Only two teams in the top eight took maximum points last week, and suddenly no one looks convincing. So is this weekend a reset, or more upsets? Let’s get into it.

West Ham United Vs Sunderland — Saturday, 12.30pm

The Hammers managed to halt their rotten run of form with an impressive win over Tottenham last weekend, mounting further pressure onto Thomas Frank. But take nothing away from Nuno and his men; it was a performance that deserved the three points.

And while a well-drilled, physical Sunderland pose a definite threat, a glimmer of hope is that their away form hasn’t been as impressive as their home form, and the Hammers can welcome back AFCON-winning left back El Hadji Malick Diouf to their starting 11, which could prove a huge boost.

Burnley Vs Tottenham — Saturday, 3pm

Thomas Frank might be the most under pressure manager in the league at the moment, but a mid-week victory over Borussia Dortmund, and what sounded like a lovely dinner with the club’s owners, might have bought him a little more time.

Burnley’s home form has been slightly better than their travels, picking up two wins, and they will feel that with the help of the Turf Moor crowd they might be able to pull off a result against an inconsistent Spurs side.

Fulham Vs Brighton — Saturday, 3pm

Fulham will have been disappointed to lose against Leeds United last weekend, but their return to Craven Cottage this time around should fill fans with hope — they’ve picked up 6 wins at home, double what they’ve done on the road. The Cottagers need to start picking up points again to fulfil their early season promise and stop their season dying out with a whimper.

Brighton continue to be the definition of mid-table, sitting 12th in both the form table and the proper standings. The Seagulls just can’t seem to get any consistency going, and signs point to a leaky defence (just one clean sheet in their last six) and a blunt attack (averaging around one goal per match since early December), the combination of which will send even the most hardened fans into a deep sleep in the stands.

Manchester City Vs Wolves

After being humbled by a Manchester United side who suddenly remembered how to play football, AND getting whalloped by FK Bodø/Glimt in mid-week, Wolves at home gives Manchester City the perfect opportunity to reset.

Pep will be hoping his team have thawed out after their mid-week disappointing journey 200 miles into the Arctic Circle, but a rejuvenated Wolves will be no pushovers. They might still sit rock bottom of the table, but unbeaten in four and netting six points from those games is a stark contrast to their form in the first half of the season. They’ll be looking to Mateus Mane, who has two goals in his last three Premier League matches, to be the catalyst for another upset.

Bournemouth Vs Liverpool — Saturday, 5.30pm

Being Bournemouth manager has to be one of the toughest gigs in football, and it’s no wonder Andoni Iraola looks to have had enough. What he’s done is nothing short of a miracle considering that every one of his best players gets sold the minute they do well, and the loss of Antoine Semenyo has coincided with a dip in form.

Liverpool’s run of four straight Premier League draws has caused even further frustration amongst Reds fans, and a trip down to Bournemouth probably isn’t what they were looking for in order to turn their fortunes around. However, a mid-week Champions League victory will have buoyed them, along with the apparent uptick in form for record signing Florian Wirtz.

The Wrap Up

From Turf Moor tension to a big night on the south coast, this Saturday’s Premier League slate has opinions written all over it. Whether you’re backing a bounce-back, a banana skin, or just fancy seeing what the traders have cooked up, check out this weekend’s Premier League markets and boosts on Midnite.