The highlight games for the next set of EPL matches are CHELSEA versus FULHAM and ARSENAL versus IPSWICH. Our feature columnist, John Newsome, previews these and all game week 18 matches with his unique and insightful commentary. You can view all previous analysis from John’s regular column here: English Premier League Predictions For Saturday.
Please note all prices quoted below were correct at the time of publication.
Game Week-18
It’s Boxing Day and once again the Premier League are back in the jungle with all of these set of 10 fixtures over the next 2 days being streamed live on Amazon Prime.
Thursday 26th
MAN CITY v EVERTON
12.30 in England
As this is Boxing Day, it’s only right to include the story that appears in this EveryTip column at this time of year, enjoy.
Probably the best day of the year to watch football.
In 2020, going to the Boxing Day football was put on hold due to the pandemic meaning everyone stayed indoors, watching the telly.
Let’s hope, all who want to watch football, can go to a game.
As George Michael once said,
‘This year, to save us from tears, everyone’s going to the football.’
Hopefully, the stadiums will be full, (that includes the Etihad).
Boxing Day is a day to get out of the house having spent the previous day indoors, putting batteries in Toys that had ‘Batteries Not Included’ on the box.
The kids would be shouting, ‘Daaa-d there’s no batteries in this Evel Knievel bike!’
The best toy of the 1970s!
So Dad, having been given the clue of ‘Batteries Not Included’ but choosing not to heed that warning, has to nip down to the local shop, that he knows will be open on Christmas morning in the hope of finding some Double AA batteries.
The shopkeepers are aware of this phenomenon and the normally £2.99-4-pack of Double AA batteries, are now £8.99 for 2, as the shopkeeper knows that Dad’s life isn’t worth living if he returns home, without the batteries.
This phenomenon only happens on Christmas morning.
Come Boxing Day, Mum and Dad (other combinations of parenting are available in this ever-evolving Cosmopolitan world we live in!) are ready for the boozer and a few liveners, talking with their mates as one is fed-up with talking to the wife/husband, wife/wife, husband/husband (or Gender Neutral/Neutral) and kids, then a stroll down to the ground to watch their beloved team lose.
No one is bothered that the Manager picks the wrong formation or only uses 3-Subs, not the permitted 5, leaving the Star-Striker on the bench because the lad has indulged in a bit too much Turkey the day before.
The Midfield General is in the stands, not able to play, because he picked up his 5th-booking of the campaign, in the previous game, knowing that the 1-match ban would allow him to have a good Christmas Eve in the local nightclub, ‘Japanese Whispers’ and Christmas Day on the food and drink.
‘Sorry boss’ he says with a wink, as he walks off the pitch, in that last outing, with the thought in his head that he’s not playing on Boxing Day.
The parents are still happy, back in the boozer asking who’s won the King George VI at Kempton and realise the horse that was backed at 20/1 fell at the final fence whilst 50 yards in front of the rest and after cursing the said horse and its jockey,
‘The useless little..’
They order another few pick-me-ups to take away the hurt of going back home to the in-laws and kids.
After the cold Turkey from the day before, has been warmed up and turned into a Turkey Biriyani and a few glasses of Sherry, just to be polite, the Christmas Special of Call The Midwife is on the 55-inch.
The good old days.
Man City are in danger of finishing outside of the Top Four or even Six after another disappointing defeat on Saturday.
After conceding 2 Villa goals, Phil Foden got his 1st Premier League goal of this campaign but that was in the 93rd minute, which proved to be just a consolation.
That’s now 6 defeats from the last 8 Premier League outings and 9 from the last 12 in all competitions.
There has never been a conversation regarding Pep Guardiola and the possibility of being sacked from his position at the Etihad, however, how long can this slump continue before folk start pointing fingers at the Gaffer?
At any other club, 9 Losses from 12 games with just 1 Win in those 12, would put the Manager under extreme pressure.
There’s no question that Pep Guardiola has credit in the Bank but how much credit is there?
When does the slump become too dangerous to continue with PG?
Is Pep’s voice now becoming ‘White Noise’ where the players are hearing the voice but not really understanding the meaning?
Are the hierarchy at the Etihad happy to write off this season, as there is no way that Man City will win the Premier League, it’s now just a case of whether City can win the FA Cup and/or Champions League.
Man City face Salford in the FA Cup.
If one is not aware of Salford, Salford is a City in Greater Manchester and is approximately 5 Miles away from the Etihad.
If Man City get knocked out of the FA Cup by Salford, who are owned by the Manchester United Class of 92′, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, then Pep Guardiola may just resign and head off back to Spain as that Credit in the Bank will have run out.
Man City finished Game Week-17 in 7th place with 27 points.
Everton played out (another) goalless draw on Sunday, this time against Chelsea at Goodison Park.
That’s the Toffees 5th 0-0 draw from the 16 games played, leaving Everton in 15th place with the same 16 points as Crystal Palace.
Man City gained the victory over Everton in last season’s game at the Etihad.
After a goalless 1st-half, Erling Haaland scored twice to give the home team the win by a 2-0 scoreline.
Betfred offer Man City at Odds On 3/10, the Draw at 4/1 and 15/2 for Everton to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 2/1 that Erling Haaland Scores First and 6/5 that Man City Win To Nil.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 3-0- Get 8/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
BOURNEMOUTH v CRYSTAL PALACE
15.00 in England
In December 2023, Bournemouth went to
Old Trafford and stunned Erik Ten Hag’s United team by gaining an away day victory from a 3-0 scoreline.
On Sunday, just over 12 months later, Bournemouth went to Old Trafford and stunned Ruben Amorim’s United team by gaining an away day victory from the same 3-0 scoreline.
That suggests, the Cherries would like next season’s fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford to take place in December.
Dean Huijsen scored the opener on Sunday to give Bournemouth a lead at the break.
Justin Kluivert converted a penalty on the hour mark before Antoine Semenyo added the 3rd goal 2 minutes later.
The brilliant victory for Andoni Iraola’s Cherries leaves Bournemouth in 5th place with the same 28 points as Aston Villa, both having completed 17 games so far.
Crystal Palace were hammered by Arsenal on Saturday.
After meeting at the Emirates 3 days earlier in the Quarter-Final of the Carabao Cup, where Arsenal gained a narrow victory over Palace by a 3-2 scoreline, it was assumed that the Eagles would put in a better effort for the Premier League game, especially with the fixture being at Selhurst Park.
Unfortunately for the watching Eagle Ultras, despite Ismaila Sarr scoring to equalise the Gunners’ opening goal, Arsenal scored a further 4 to inflict the defeat on Crystal Palace by a 5-1 scoreline.
The loss leaves Crystal Palace in 16th place with the same 16 points as Everton, however, have played the full complement of 17 games, not the 16 that the Toffees have played.
Justin Kluivert scored the only goal of the game when these two teams last met at the Vitality, to give the Cherries the victory over the Eagles by a 1-0 score.
Betfred offer Bournemouth at slight Odds On 10/11, the Draw at 5/2 and 11/4 for Crystal Palace to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 6/1 that Justin Kluivert Scores First and 7/4 that Bournemouth Score in Both Halves.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-1- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
CHELSEA v FULHAM
15.00 in England
This West London Derby means the fans don’t have far to travel on Boxing Day, which can only be a bonus, considering that the Villains have the long trip North to face the Magpies, the LilyWhite’s have to head up the M1 to face the Tricky Trees, added to other trips that the Football Family have to make the day after Christmas.
Chelsea were prevented from scoring against Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
This was the first time of not scoring since the 30th of October when Newcastle kept a clean sheet against Chelsea in their Carabao Cup tie (11 games in all competitions).
Fortunately for the travelling Blues faithful, who made the long journey up to Merseyside, their team didn’t concede either meaning both teams earned a point apiece from a 0-0 scoreline.
The point gained leaves Chelsea in 2nd place with 35 points from 17 games played.
Fulham also played out a goalless draw on Sunday, this time against Southampton at Craven Cottage.
Despite the Saints being rubbish and sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table, Marco Silva’s Cottagers could be excused from not being able to score, due to the sacking of Russell Martin and the fact that Southampton were now playing under the instructions of another voice, that being the Caretaker Manager Simon Rusk.
The point gained, because as everyone knows, it’s always a point gained, leaves Fulham in 9th place with the same 25 points as Brighton, both having played 17 times.
A single Cole Palmer converted penalty on the stroke of half-time, gave Chelsea the West London bragging rights over Fulham in last season’s encounter between these two teams at Stamford Bridge.
Betfred offer Chelsea at Odds On 4/9, the Draw at 18/5 and 5/1 for Fulham to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 4/1 that Nicolas Jackson Scores First and slight Odds On 4/7 that Both Teams Score.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-1- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
NEWCASTLE v ASTON VILLA
15.00 in England
Newcastle smashed Ipswich at Portman Rd on Saturday.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies were just too good for Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys, with Alexander Isak scoring a superb hat-trick added to a Jacob Murphy goal, giving Newcastle the brilliant away day victory by a 4-0 scoreline.
Newcastle sit in 8th place with 26 points from the opening 17 games played.
John Newsome offered up the Tip of ‘Alexander Isak to Score First’ in last week’s column.
Betfred offer what’s called ‘Double Delight, Hat-Trick Heaven’ which means if you bet on a player to score the first goal and then the same player goes on to score a 2nd, Betfred ‘Double the Odds’ and if the same player then scores a hat-trick, Betfred ‘Treble the Odds’ originally given.
So Alexander was 4/1 with Betfred to Score the First Goal, which the lad did on Saturday.
Ten Pound on that would return £50 (4x£10=£40 plus the £10 stake).
When Alexander scored the 2nd goal, the payout was now £90 (4/1 Doubled to 8/1-8x£10=£80 plus the £10 stake).
When Alexander Isak scored his 3rd goal and his hat-trick, Betfred Treble the Odds, meaning the return from the original £10 stake, is now £130 (4/1 Trebled to 12/1-12x£10=£120 plus the £10 stake).
So let’s hope a lot of the Toon Army (and anyone else) had a few quid on Mr Isak to Score First and got a good return to help pay for the Christmas festivities.
Cheers Alexander, all the best!
Aston Villa gained a brilliant victory over Man City in the early Saturday Afternoon kickoff.
The Wild Boy Jhon Duran, continued his brilliant goal-scoring record by scoring the opening goal after 16 minutes.
The lad has only just turned 21 and is a star in the making, justifying Unai Emery’s decision to leave Jhon in the starting lineup and keep Ollie Watkins on the bench.
The ex-Man City player Morgan Rogers made it 2-0 just after the hour mark and despite City scoring a late consolation goal, Aston Villa held on for the win by a 2-1 home scoreline.
Jhon Duran has scored in the last 4 games and now has 7 Premier League goals (the same as Ollie Watkins) and 12 in all competitions so far this season.
Plus a goal for his International Team Columbia in the Qualifying Stage for World Cup’2026.
The boy has definitely got the Reflex and always finds the time as well as being Hungry Like The Wolf to score goals for the Villa.
Wild Boy!
Last season’s fixture between Eddie’s Magpies and Unai’s Villains was the opening game of the 2023/24 Premier League Campaign.
Newcastle gained a brilliant home victory over Aston Villa by a 5-1 scoreline.
Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak (2), Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes with the Newcastle goals.
Moussa Diaby replied for Aston Villa when the score was 1-0 but ultimately that proved to be just a consolation.
Betfred offer Newcastle at slight Odds On 10/11, the Draw at 13/5 and 13/5 for Aston Villa to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 100/30 that Alexander Isak Scores First and 8/5 that Jhon Duran Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-1- Get 15/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
NOTTINGHAM FOREST v TOTTENHAM
15.00 in England
Nottingham Forest did what no other team has done so far this season and that was gain a victory over Brentford at the GTech Stadium.
The Bees had played 8 times at home, winning 7 and drawing 1, before Nuno Espírito Santo and his Tricky Trees headed South on Saturday.
Goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga, either side of the half-time interval, gave Forest the win over Brentford by a 2-0 away day scoreline.
Nottingham Forest sit in 4th place with 31 points from 17 fixtures completed.
Tottenham, who regular readers will know, either play like Real Madrid or Ryhill Baghdad this season, with the LilyWhite faithful unsure what to expect when they turn up at the Chas and Dave Memorial Stadium.
After a stunning 1st-half destruction of Southampton, where Ange’s Spurs scored 5 goals at St Mary’s, it was the team that played like Real Madrid on show.
Then, in the Quarter-Final of the Carabao Cup, Tottenham scored 3 times to take a convincing lead against Manchester United but somehow changed into Ryhill Baghdad, allowing United back into the tie.
Ultimately, Ange’s Spurs team gained the victory over Ruben’s Red Devils by a narrow 4-3 scoreline, progressing to the Semi-Final of that competition, where Tottenham will face Liverpool.
On Sunday, in the rehearsal for that particular game, it was Tottenham’s alter ego, Ryhill Baghdad that made an appearance and despite goals from James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, ‘Ryhill’ conceded 6 (six) Liverpool goals to ultimately, suffer a home defeat from a 9 goal thriller, by a 3-6 scoreline.
Ange Postecoglou has stated that he always ‘Wins a Trophy’ in his second season at a club.
The Premier League Trophy won’t be heading to North London, however, Ange could still ‘win a trophy’ by securing any of the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup or the Europa League.
Tottenham sit in 11th place with the same 23 points as Brentford, both having completed 17 games.
These two teams last met at the City Ground just over 12 months ago on the 15th of December 2023.
Goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski, either side of the half-time interval, gave Tottenham the victory over Nottingham Forest by a 2-0 away day score.
Yves Bissouma was shown a straight Red Card soon after Tottenham had scored the 2nd goal, however, Forest were unable to take advantage of having an extra man.
Forest had Steve Cooper in charge at the time.
There’s a term in England when someone is sacked and that is,
‘Received their cards!’
Steve received his cards and they weren’t Christmas ones, after this game against Tottenham, with Nuno Espírito Santo taking over immediately.
Ironically, Nuno had received his cards from Tottenham a couple of years earlier, after just 4 months in charge at the Chas and Dave Memorial Stadium, so will definitely be up for revenge over his old employers.
Betfred offer Nottingham Forest at 13/10, the Draw at 13/5 and 7/4 for Tottenham to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 4/1 that Chris Wood Scores First and 11/2 that there are Over 5.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 4-2- Get 33/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
***Premier League Team of the Week***
GOALKEEPER- Jordan Pickford- Everton
RIGHT-BACK- Ola Aina- Nottingham Forest
CENTRE-BACK- Nathan Wood- Southampton
CENTRE-BACK- Dean Huijsen- Bournemouth
LEFT-BACK- Rodrigo Gomes- Wolves
MIDFIELDER- Justin Kluivert- Bournemouth
MIDFIELDER- Matheus Cunha- Wolves
MIDFIELDER- Anthony Elanga- Nottingham Forest
FORWARD- Luis Diaz- Liverpool
FORWARD- Mo Salah- Liverpool
FORWARD- Alexander Isak- Newcastle
STAR MAN- Alexander Isak- Newcastle
***Last Week’s Winning Tips-
Newcastle To Win- 7/10
West Ham v Brighton To Draw- 5/2
Correct Scores-
West Ham v Brighton 1-1- 13/2
Correct Tips-
Alexander Isak To Score First- 4/1
(To Add To This, Alexander Scored a Hat-Trick, Which Betfred Will Treble The Odds, So Those Who Bet On Alexander To Score First Would Have Got 12/1 and a Nice Little Christmas Present)
Newcastle To Score In Both Halves- 13/10
SOUTHAMPTON v WEST HAM
15.00 in England
After sacking Russell Martin, soon after the defeat against Tottenham, Southampton had Simon Rusk in as the Caretaker Manager for the game against Fulham on Sunday.
Simon wasn’t auditioning for the Full Time Position, as the Saints Hierarchy had already announced that Ivan Juric will be the New Southampton Manager.
Whatever was said by Simon Rusk, paid off as Southampton didn’t concede a goal and gained a point from a draw by a 0-0 score, against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
The Saints remain at the foot of the Premier League Table with 6 points from the opening 17 games.
Only 3 words are needed for Mr Juric,
‘Good luck Ivan!’
There are 2 Yorkshire teams at the Summit of the Championship Table, with both Sheffield United and Leeds fighting it out for the top spot and both looking Odds On for promotion to the Premier League next May, probably replacing Southampton and Ipswich.
Regular readers will know of Sheffield United’s biggest fan, Little James from Swinton, nowhere near Bramall Lane,
who often gets a mention in this EveryTip column and can’t wait to be back next season.
The Blades have just been taken over so will come back to the Promised Land under a new regime.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Jade, Jimbo and the Kids.
West Ham gained a point from a draw by a 1-1 score against Brighton at the London Stadium on Saturday.
As predicted in this EveryTip column last week.
After a goalless 1st-half, it was the away team that took the lead, with the Seagulls scoring the opener in the 51st minute.
Mohammed Kudos scored the equaliser soon after and with no further goals in the last half hour, both teams shared the pre-Christmas present of a point apiece.
West Ham sit in 14th place with 20 points from 17 fixtures completed.
Both teams shared the points from a draw by a 1-1 score, back in October 2022, when David Moyes’ West Ham last visited St Mary’s to face Southampton who had Wreck-It Ralph Hasenhuttl in charge.
Romain Perraud scored first for the Saints to give the home team a lead at the break.
Declan Rice equalised for the Hammers midway through the 2nd-half and with no further goals, both teams went home with a point.
Betfred offer Southampton at 21/10, the Draw at 5/2 and 11/10 for West Ham to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 6/1 that Mohammed Kudus Scores First and 6/5 that there are Under 2.5 Goals.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 1-1- Get 6/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
WOLVES v MANCHESTER UNITED
17.30 in England
Wolves are now under the guidance of Vitor Pereira following the sacking of Gary O’Neil.
The ‘New Manager Bounce’ definitely came to the fore in Saturday’s fixture between Leicester and Wolves at the King Power Stadium, where the visitors gained a brilliant victory by a 3-0 scoreline.
Goals from Goncalo Guedes, Rodrigo Gomes and Matheus Cunha, all scored in the 1st-half, gave the New Manager Vitor Pereira a great start in his career as the Wolves Gaffer.
Wolves remain in the relegation places, sitting in 18th place with the same 12 points as Ipswich.
There was a rumour going around on Sunday Evening, that EasyJet had received an email from someone called ‘R Amorim’ requesting a ‘one-way ticket’ to Lisbon in Portugal.
The New Manchester United Boss Ruben Amorim must be scratching his head at the prospect of improving a sorry set of Red Devils who are simply rubbish.
There must be something in the water that is affecting Football Players in the Manchester and surrounding area.
Both United and City are just not performing.
As mentioned in the Bournemouth v Crystal Palace preview above, the Cherries like playing at Old Trafford in December, with Manchester United again suffering a defeat against Bournemouth at home by the same 3-0 scoreline as last season’s game, which was played on December the 9th, 2023.
Ruben has some pain on with his United team who are not playing well.
Harry Maguire started and underperformed, Noussair Mazraoui started and gave away the most blatant penalty of the weekend, then jumped up and said he’d won the ball, with Captain Bruno Fernandes, complaining to the referee, instead of berating his teammate for the reckless tackle.
Lisandro Martinez isn’t at his best and neither are the rest of the squad.
Manuel Ugarte is one-dimensional, brought in to ultimately be the Midfield Enforcer and to protect the Back Line.
That is not happening, so what else can the Uruguayan bring to the table?
The only player who is showing signs of quality is Amad Diallo but is that because he is playing well or the fact that his teammates are so poor?
The Manchester Ball Thrower (he’s stopped throwing Sticks for Enzo!) said the following,
‘Players need to realise there is no given in the Premier League.
Reputation stands for nothing.
Work hard and reap the rewards.
Bournemouth, Forest, Brighton, Brentford, Fulham, are all better than United because they have players who want to play for the club on less money but have spirit and know how to play a system.
United have no clue and have overrated, high-paid prima-donnas!’
One cannot argue with the Ball Thrower.
Manchester United stay in 13th place with 22 points from 17 games played.
Luckily for the Red Devil faithful, it’s a straight road from London to Birmingham meaning the late Boxing Day fixture won’t cause too many travel problems for United’s fans.
Only joking, just a bit of Christmas fun.
That said, it is still basically a straight road from Manchester to Wolverhampton and that’s down the M6 so hopefully the fans will be able to get to the late Afternoon game without too many problems.
There’s been a phenomenon in the United Kingdom for years called the ‘Boxing Day Sales’ where Big Stores open their doors early and supposedly have a ‘Sale!’
This is all well and good for those hoping to pick up a bargain and possibly buy next year’s Christmas presents at this year’s prices.
However, what about the folk who work in these Stores, who have to get up early, the day after Christmas and head to these places?
For a couple of years now, the Big Department Stores such as ‘Next’ and the iconic ‘Marks and Spencer’ who are famous for the ‘Boxing Day Sales’ have decided not to open on Boxing Day and give their staff an extra day holiday.
Fair play to these people, as who wants to get up on Boxing Day, no doubt with a sore napper and head to the Shopping Mall to try and get a ‘fiver’ off an old Jumper that no one wants anyway.
Merry Christmas!
This fixture at Molineux last season, with both teams having different Managers at the helm, saw an amazing 7-goal thriller which gave Manchester United the narrow victory over Wolves by a 4-3 away night score.
The goals going in as follows,
5′ Marcus Rashford- (United 0-1)
22′ Rasmus Hojlund- (United 0-2)
Half-Time Chicken Balti Pie.
71′ Pablo Sarabia- penalty- (Wolves 1-2)
75′ Scott McTominay- (United 1-3)
85′ Max Kilman- (Wolves 2-3)
90+5′ Pedro Neto- (Wolves 3-3)
90+7′ Kobbie Mainoo- (United 3-4)
Full-Time Pint of Guinness.
Betfred offer Wolves at 13/5, the Draw at 13/5 and slight Odds On 10/11 for Manchester United to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 5/1 that Matheus Cunha Scores First and 13/2 that Wolves Win To Nil.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-0- Get 22/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
LIVERPOOL v LEICESTER
20.00 in England
Liverpool gained a brilliant victory by a 6-3 scoreline over Tottenham at the Chas and Dave Memorial Stadium on Sunday, with the goals going in as follows.
23′ Luis Diaz (Liverpool 0-1)
36′ Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool 0-2)
41′ James Maddison (Tottenham 1-2)
45+1′ Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool 1-3)
Half-Time Pan of Scouse.
54′ Mo Salah (Liverpool 1-4)
61′ Mo Salah (Liverpool 1-5)
72′ Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham 2-5)
83′ Dominic Solanke (Tottenham 3-5)
85′ Luis Diaz (Liverpool 3-6)
Full-Time Baileys and Cherryade.
The brilliant win leaves Arne’s Slot Machines at the Summit of the Premier League Table with 39 points from 16 games completed.
Remember, it’s only 16 due to the postponed game against Everton, which has been rescheduled for the 11th of February 2025.
Leicester suffered a defeat against Wolves at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The loss by a 3-0 scoreline, with all 3 goals conceded in the 1st-half, leaves the Foxes in 17th place with 14 points and also leaves Ruud Van Nistelrooy shopping at Boots for the Just For Men, to sort out his ever-increasing Grey Hair on his head and his beard.
These two teams last met in the Premier League just under 2 years ago come kickoff on the 30th of December 2022.
In a bizarre game that saw the Leicester players score all 3 goals, it was Liverpool that gained the victory by a 2-1 scoreline.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the opener to give the Foxes an early lead.
Then the unfortunate Wout Faes scored 2, count them, 2 Own Goals just before half-time.
With no further goals in the 2nd-half, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool inflicted the defeat on Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester team.
Betfred offer Liverpool at Odds On 1/14, the Draw at 9/1 and 20/1 for Leicester to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 5/2 that Mo Salah Scores First and slight Odds On 4/5 that Liverpool Win To Nil.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 3-0- Get 13/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
Friday 27th
BRIGHTON v BRENTFORD
19.30 in England
The Seagulls and the Bees get to enjoy Christmas Day, with this fixture between the two teams taking place the day after Boxing Day.
Which could mean one of several things.
Some of the players might overindulge on the Turkey and Sprouts and the extra glass of Sherry, meaning a hatful of goals, or the Christmas celebrations may result in them not being too excited about the football, resulting in a boring 0-0 draw.
Let’s hope, for the sake of the fans, it’s a game full of goals.
Brighton have gone off the boil of late, now winless in 5 games, following the draw against West Ham on Saturday.
After a goalless 1st-half at the London Stadium, Mats Wieffer scored for Brighton just after the restart.
Unfortunately for the Travelling Seagull Faithful who flew up to the Capital, West Ham scored an equaliser soon after and with no further goals, both teams shared the points from a draw by a 1-1 score.
Brighton sit in 10th place with the same 25 points as Fulham from the opening 17 games.
Brentford suffered their first home defeat of the season on Saturday, with Nottingham Forest getting the away day victory at the GTech Stadium.
After 7 Wins and a Draw at home, the Bees suffered a defeat against the Tricky Trees
by a 2-0 scoreline.
Thomas Frank just needs to put that result to bed and move on to this Friday Night Football at the Amex.
Brentford sit in 12th place with the same 23 points as Tottenham, both having played 17 games.
Brighton gained the victory over Brentford in last season’s fixture between the two at the Amex.
Bryan Mbeumo scored the opener in the 27th minute which was quickly equalised by Pascal Gross 4 minutes later.
Jack Hinshelwood scored for the Seagulls early in the 2nd-half and with no further goals, it was Roberto De Zerbi’s men that gained the win over Thomas Frank’s Bees by a 2-1 scoreline.
Betfred offer Brighton at Odds On 7/10, the Draw at 3/1 and 16/5 for Brentford to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 4/1 that Joao Pedro Scores First and 9/4 Bryan Mbeumo Scores Anytime.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Draw 1-1- Get 8/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
ARSENAL v IPSWICH
20.15
Arsenal smashed Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
After getting a victory at the Emirates over Palace 3 days earlier, to progress to the Semi-Final of the Carabao Cup, Mikel’s Young Guns put in a great shift away from home, inflicting a defeat on the Eagles by a 5-1 scoreline.
Gabriel Jesus scored twice, with Kai Havertz adding a 3rd in the 1st-half, to give Arsenal a lead at the break.
Palace did score to equalise Gabriel’s first goal.
Gabriel Martinelli added a 4th on the hour mark, then Declan Rice rounded off the goal scoring late on to give the Gunners all 3 points.
The brilliant victory did come at a cost, with Bukayo Saka picking up an injury in the 1st-half, which will see the lad out of action for several weeks.
That said, Bukayo will have a nice Christmas on the Brussel Sprouts and Sherry Trifle.
Wink-wink Mr Saka!
Arsenal stay in 3rd place with 33 points from the opening 17 games played.
Ipswich remain in the relegation zone, sitting in 19th place with the same 12 points as Wolves, following another defeat on Saturday.
The Tractor Boys suffered the home loss at Portman Rd, against the Magpies, with Newcastle getting the victory over Ipswich by a 4-0 scoreline.
This fixture evokes memories for John Newsome of the 1978 FA Cup Final between the Gunners and the Tractor Boys.
The Younger Viewers might not understand this next bit but back in the 1970s, there weren’t many games of football that were shown live on the Television.
It was usually the odd England International plus the FA Cup Final.
John’s earliest recollection of watching football on the Telly was the 1976 FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Southampton, where the Saints gained the victory over the Red Devils by a 1-0 Bobby Stokes goal.
This EveryTip contributor was born in September 1969, so was too young to remember any of the 6 previous FA Cup Finals.
Aged just 6 years old in May 1976, John remembers sitting in front of the Gogglebox watching the Manchester United v Southampton game with his old Mum ironing in the background.
John’s elder Sister wanted a mention in this week’s column and has asked for the following to be included,
‘Football is right!’
Well, it did sound like right, however, Track isn’t the biggest football fan in the World so it may have been another word.
In 1977, it was Liverpool v Manchester United where United got their hands on the Iconic Trophy, inflicting a defeat on Liverpool by a 2-1 scoreline.
Jimmy Case scored the Liverpool goal, with Stuart Pearson and Jimmy Greenhoff getting the United goals.
Jimmy and his brother Brian, both played for Manchester United but were both born in Barnsley.
It was then the 1978 Final between Arsenal and Ipswich, where the Odds On Favourites Arsenal suffered a defeat against Ipswich by a 1-0 scoreline.
Roger Osborne with the solitary winning goal.
Back in the 1970s and 80s, the FA Cup Final was an all-day affair, with every detail being put on the Television from 8 AM which John would watch avidly and remembers Roger’s goal that emotionally drained the Tractor Boy, leading to him being substituted soon after.
A month later, it was John’s first experience of the World Cup, with the 1978 tournament taking place in Argentina.
One remembers looking everywhere for the England Team and asking ‘Our Joanie’
‘Where’s England Mum?’
‘They didn’t qualify Son, they didn’t qualify for the last one either!’
‘We are going to support Scotland!’
To which John started crying and shouted,
‘No way!’
‘We are not on the march with Ally’s Army!’
The Scottish Manager Ally MacLeod had stated emphatically that Scotland were going to win the World Cup in Argentina.
As it turned out, Ally MacLeod’s Jock Team, like the other Scotland teams at Major Tournaments, were home before the Postcard.
There were a few of the Tartan Army that never made it back from Argentina and stayed in the South American Country.
Without wanting to cast aspersions, one should check the ethnicity of the Liverpool Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
Nowadays it’s ‘wall-to-wall football’ from various outlets and streaming platforms but imagine saying to a Youth,
‘Only 1 or 2 live matches a year on Telly lad!’
The Gen Z girls and boys would just scratch their heads.
It was April 2002 when Ipswich last played Arsenal in a Premier League contest.
That particular fixture was played at Arsenal’s Old Ground which for the aforementioned Younger Viewers, was called Highbury, before the Emirates Stadium was built.
Arsenal gained the home victory over Ipswich by a 2-0 scoreline, with both goals
scored by Freddie Ljungberg.
Betfred offer Arsenal at Odds On 1/8, the Draw at 13/2 and 16/1 for Ipswich to come away with all 3-points.
Betfred offer 9/2 that Leandro Trossard Scores First and slight Odds On 8/11 that Arsenal Win To Nil.
(If your pre-match First Goalscorer bet scores First and then scores a Second, Betfred DOUBLE the odds.
If they score a Third, Betfred TREBLE the odds.)
Home Win 2-0- Get 11/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
The landscape at the summit of the Scottish Premier League is now starting to look familiar following the weekend’s football North of the Border.
Celtic stay at the Top of the Pub League after the goalless draw with Dundee United (who?) on Sunday.
Both Aberdeen and Rangers played the day before, with Aberdeen suffering a surprise defeat against Hibernian (who?) and Rangers getting the victory over Dundee (who?)
Remember, Dundee and Dundee United are 2 separate teams and do not like being classed as the same.
Celtic have 44 points, Rangers now sit in 2nd with 35 points after Saturday’s victory over Dundee and Aberdeen are now in 3rd place with 34 points following Saturday’s defeat against Hibernian.
The next best team in 4th are Motherwell (who?) with 26 points from 17 games played.
The Dandy Dons have also completed 17 games, whereas the Green and White Hoops and the Teddy Bears have only played 16 times.
The Loveable OzScot, also known as Braveheart/Kylie is all set for Christmas in Ozland where the boys and girls get to open their presents before ourselves in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The Big Fella in Red and his Reindeer start off in that part of the World and then fly West delivering presents throughout.
It’s a mystery and a miracle as to how the lad does it all in one night.
Braveheart asked Santa for a Unicorn for Christmas, however, Santa, just laughed and replied,
‘Ask for something realistic!’
So the Loveable OzScot had a rethink and asked the Big Fella in Red if Rangers could get the victory over Celtic in the Old Firm Derby coming up at the start of 2025.
Santa replied,
‘What colour Unicorn do you want?’
John Newsome and EveryTip just want to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and hope everyone gets the presents they deserve.
A present doesn’t have to be monetised or even a thing, one can just be friendly to everyone and know that a simple message just to say,
‘How are you doing?’
Is enough of a gift.
Please continue to read this brilliant column and share it with as many people as possible.
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