Arsenal are at the top of the table heading into Christmas Day, but Manchester City aren’t far behind. Meanwhile, the relegation match is tight, too.
| Festive predictions | Odds |
|---|---|
| Arsenal to beat Aston Villa | 1.48 |
| Hugo Ekitike to score 2+ in Liverpool vs Wolves | 4.50 |
| West Ham to win or draw with Fulham | 1.50 |
| Everton to beat Burnley | 2.00 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
A busy festive period
Between now and January 4th, 30 games will take place in the Premier League, and plenty of goals will be scored. The teams near the top of the league will aim to secure their place at the top table, while a relegation battle will be played at the bottom. With such a busy schedule, there’s always a chance of an upset or two, while plenty of drama is guaranteed.
There are some fascinating encounters involving the division’s top teams coming up. The top four teams – Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Chelsea – could be involved in some excellent games. The English top flight could look very different by the end of the festive fixtures.
However, some teams have a more difficult schedule than others, given their upcoming opponents. We analyzed the upcoming matches to see which teams have the best opportunities.
What the statistics suggest
Given each club’s next four opponents, it is clear who has the toughest and easiest period ahead, on paper at least. For some teams, this period could define the rest of their season and determine where they finish in May.
Aston Villa have one of the most difficult periods ahead. Unai Emery’s men are in fantastic form at the moment, but they face Chelsea and Arsenal in their next two matches. Both of these games are away from home. They’re overperforming in terms of their xG, and these next games could end their impressive winning streak.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have a much easier schedule. Next, they play against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are at the bottom of the table. After that, they face Leeds United and Fulham - only the latter is away from Anfield. Alexander Isak’s injury is a concern, but Hugo Ekitike is playing extremely well, so they should be fine. January will be a huge month for them.
West Ham United is seen as having the easiest run of games. The Hammers are struggling, but they have three home games coming up. Furthermore, they do not face any team ranked higher than ninth. They have a big opportunity to escape the bottom three positions in a few weeks, so backing them to avoid relegation could be interesting.
Finally, Everton, managed by David Moyes, is another team to consider. They recently had a difficult month where they played against Manchester United, Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Arsenal. However, December and January seem much easier. Matches against Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, and Wolves are all games they can win. Consequently, Everton could enjoy a very successful few weeks.