Check out expert predictions from Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Paul Merson and Mark Lawrenson on the upcoming Premier League fixtures this weekend.
Another weekend of football and another round of Premier League predictions are available for us.
We’ve already seen Brentford beat Watford 2-1 on Friday, but will have to make do without Brighton and Tottenham. The latter fixture got postponed following a number of positive COVID-19 cases among Spurs’ players and staff.
Plenty of fun and drama awaits this weekend. Some titanic clashes are coming up both up and down the table as teams look to make crucial ground ahead of the Christmas period. So will there be more exciting goal affairs or any interesting Premier League predictions?
To answer this, we turned to former Liverpool stars Mark Lawrenson on BBC and Michael Owen on BetVictor, as well as ex-Arsenal man Paul Merson on SportsKeeda and ex-Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov on Metro for some Premier League predictions.
Saturday, December 11
Manchester City vs Wolves
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 3-0
“Although Wolves are doing well, I think City will have way too much for them in this one. That being said, Wolves have had some good results against City over the years. There shouldn’t be a surprise in this one.”
Michael Owen: 2-0
“Wolves are solid defensively and will stay in this game, but City have too much quality here.”
Paul Merson: 2-0
“I don’t see Wolves scoring a single goal against Manchester City. They can hold on for quite a bit and have been tight at the back, but they just aren’t able to find the back of the net. With the talent Pep Guardiola has at his disposal, I’m going to go with a very comfortable victory for Manchester City.”
Mark Lawrenson: 4-0
“Wolves don’t give much away but they can’t score either – they’ve only managed to find the net once in their past five games. I can’t see them troubling City too much.”
Read the full match preview between Manchester City and Wolves for stats and betting tips here.
Chelsea vs Leeds United
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 2-0
“Last time out in the league Chelsea lost against West Ham, which was a great match to watch, so they will be desperate to bounce back with a win. They cannot afford to slip up anymore and I believe they will be very motivated to win this game.”
Michael Owen: 2-0
“I expect to see a response from Chelsea here [after the West Ham defeat]. This looks a good matchup, and I can see them winning 2-0.”
Paul Merson: 3-0
“Leeds haven’t been major goalscorers in the Premier League this season and I think Chelsea will go back to keeping a clean sheet in this game.”
Mark Lawrenson: 2-0
“Chelsea have looked a lot less convincing of late, especially at the back. They lost their way a little bit in their defeat by West Ham which is strange because they are usually so well organized and mentally strong. But Leeds have bigger problems, especially if Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford are facing some time on the sidelines through injuries sustained in their draw with Brentford.”
Read the full match preview between Chelsea and Leeds United for stats and betting tips here.
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 2-1
“This will be an emotional one for Steven Gerrard. I’m sure he would love to be Liverpool manager one day, and I’m pretty sure he will be one day. Liverpool have Klopp for now and they are looking very strong. Aston Villa have had a good start with Gerrard, but I think this will be a bit too difficult for them.”
Michael Owen: 3-1
“Stevie is sure to get a fantastic reception, but I don’t think he will be happy after the game! Liverpool have a lot of momentum and look back to their best after a difficult season last year. I can see a 3-1 win.”
Paul Merson: 3-1
“Aston Villa will cause Liverpool a few problems along the way this weekend, but will their defense turn up? Steven Gerrard’s biggest problem at the moment is consistency – can they step up for a full 90 minutes? They managed it against Crystal Palace, but not against Brighton and Leicester. I think Liverpool have too much quality for Aston Villa and should be able to win this game.”
Mark Lawrenson: 2-0
“I only see a home win here. The fact Gerrard is back will mean there will be a fabulous atmosphere at Anfield from the start, and that will work more in Liverpool’s favor than Villa’s.”
Read the full match preview between Liverpool and Aston Villa for stats and betting tips here.
Arsenal vs Southampton
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 1-0
“Arsenal suffered a last minute defeat against Everton, and I’m sure that will have felt like a big blow to the players. They will want to get back on track and this should be a game for them to do that.”
Michael Owen: 2-1
“After a couple of disappointing away trips, I’m sure Arsenal will be glad to be back at home. They aren’t playing well at the minute so I don’t think this will be emphatic, but I do think they will win.”
Paul Merson: 2-0
“This is a huge Premier League game for Arsenal. These are the games they have managed to win this season. You don’t really know what you’re going to get with Southampton. One minute they’re good, and the next, they’re not.”
Mark Lawrenson: 2-1
“Arsenal are at home on Saturday, where their record is a lot better, and I still think they will beat Southampton, who should have beaten Brighton easily last week but would probably take a draw here, if they can get one.”
Read the full match preview between Arsenal and Southampton for stats and betting tips here.
Norwich City vs Manchester United
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 0-2
“Norwich are struggling still and they are battling to survive. They are last in the table and if Man United want to do big things they need to get on a good run. They have some favorable games coming up, starting with this one and if they stay fully focused I’m expecting them to get the job done.”
Michael Owen: 0-2
“Ralf Rangnick made a perfect start to his tenure last week in what wasn’t a classic game. United already look more organized though and I’m sure we will see more improvements here. This looks like a comfortable win for United to me, 2-0.”
Paul Merson: 1-3
“Manchester United rested many of their key players in the Champions League this week. They’ve gone a couple of games without defeat and it now seems all rosy again at Manchester United. I don’t think they will have much of a problem against Norwich.”
Mark Lawrenson: 0-2
“This is only Rangnick’s second league game in charge, and his first on the road. It will interesting to see if United’s running stats match their numbers against Palace, which were much higher than they had been all season, but they should see off Norwich comfortably enough anyway.”
Sunday, December 12
Burnley vs West Ham
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 2-1
“Burnley are in trouble and they need to get some wins from somewhere. West Ham are absolutely flying and they had a great result against Chelsea last weekend. Surprises do happen in the Premier League and with West Ham playing on Thursday night, I could see one happening here.”
Michael Owen: 1-2
“I fancy West Ham to build on that win [against Chelsea] with another win here.”
Paul Merson: 0-2
“West Ham have a big team and have been very strong at set-pieces. You need to defend well when you go to Burnley and I think David Moyes will pick up another victory here.”
Mark Lawrenson: 1-1
“West Ham’s biggest problem right now, especially coming into such a busy period, is running out of steam. They are already short of numbers defensively now Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson have joined Angelo Ogbonna on the treatment table. If there are any tired limbs out there, it might catch up with them at Turf Moor. Burnley have only won once this season, which is why they are in the relegation zone, but they are usually hard to beat.”
Leicester City vs Newcastle
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 1-1
“Newcastle finally got their win, that will feel great. They have some really tough games coming up so they have to make the most of this game against Leicester who are struggling. I think Rodgers’ side will make it tough for Newcastle.”
Michael Owen: 1-1
“I can see Newcastle frustrating Leicester here and getting a point.”
Paul Merson: 2-1
“There’s no point playing for a draw – Newcastle need to have a go, score goals, and hope their defenders keep it tight. They’re in trouble at the moment and they need to make this game count. Leicester are all over the place at the moment but with Newcastle’s problems this season, Brendan Rodgers should be able to lead his team to a victory.”
Mark Lawrenson: 2-1
“Newcastle will be on a high after finally getting their first win of the season last week but they rode their luck against Burnley and they still have big problems at the back. If Leicester are anywhere near full strength, they will find a way through.”
Crystal Palace vs Everton
Pundits predictions
Dimitar Berbatov: 2-1
“Everton got a great result last time, it was a great comeback against Arsenal, they really need to follow that up with a positive result. But Crystal Palace have been performing well and they too will be wanting to get back on track with a win. I can see Vieira’s side nicking it.”
Michael Owen: 1-1
“Everton haven’t been great on their travels this season and this looks like a draw to me.”
Paul Merson: 2-1
“I don’t think Everton are very good at the moment. They were very fortunate to win the Arsenal game, and I don’t think they’ll be able to defeat Crystal Palace this weekend.”
Mark Lawrenson: 1-1
“I just don’t see Everton boss Rafael Benitez taking many risks here, because it would be such a big backwards step to lose this game after that win over the Gunners. Benitez will be absolutely determined not to be beaten, and I think he would take a draw now.”
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