Good day everyone,
I hope you are all well and had an excellent week so far, welcome to CryptoGod-1’s blog on all things sports. This mid-week round sees all twenty teams back in action following the mid season break and the Carabao Cup Semi Finals along with the fourth round of the FA Cup. The games include Arsenal visiting the City Ground, Luton hosting Brighton, Villa up against Newcastle, Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield, Burnley travel to the Etihad, while Manchester United visit Wolves.
Fixtures — Times are shown as U.K. Time
This weeks round of fixtures will see the games spread out across three days from Tuesday evening until Thursday night.
Tuesday 30th January 2024
Nottingham Forest - Arsenal 7.30pm KO
Fulham - Everton 7.30pm KO
Luton - Brighton 7.30pm KO
Crystal Palace - Sheffield United 8pm KO
Aston Villa - Newcastle 8.15pm KO
Wednesday 31st January 2024
Manchester City - Burnley 7.30pm KO
Tottenham - Brentford 7.30pm KO
Liverpool - Chelsea 8.15pm KO
Thursday 1st February 2024
West Ham - Bournemouth 7.30pm KO
Wolves - Manchester United 8.15pm KO
Predictions
Now for the most exciting part, as I go through the latest info regarding each team to make an attempt at predicting the results for this week matches. Remember this is just my fun analysis and should not be taken as advice or a guarantee.
Nottingham Forest - Arsenal
The Tricky Trees sit in sixteenth with 20 points while Arsenal sit in third with 43 points.
Forest lost away to Brentford in the league last time out and followed that up against Bristol City in the FA Cup fourth round with a 0-0 draw. Nuno Espirito Santo has only been in charge for six games but already 26 goals have been scored in that time. The club sit only 4 points above the relegation zone and will be playing their first home Premier League fixture of 2024. At the City Ground they were on a bad run, losing 4 games, prior to their win over Manchester United at the end of December. Closing the gaps in defence while maintaining their goal scoring ability is the key for moving the club forward and keeping them in the top flight for a third season running, although with a possible points deduction looming nothing is certain for the Tricky Trees.
Arsenal beat Palace 5-0 at home in the league last time out and have not played since the 20th of January due to Liverpool eliminating them in the third round of the FA Cup. Prior to their five star performance against Palace, the club had only managed the same number of goals in their previous seven games between December 9th and January 7th. They sit level on points with Aston Villa and Manchester City, with Liverpool 5 points clear at the top. Having failed to win any of their last three away league games Arteta will hope the extended break given to his players will have them firing for the months ahead as they push to bring home some silverware in the Premier League or Champions League.
Forest will be missing Awoniyi, Felipe, Tavares, Sangare, Aina, Boly, Kouyate, and Aurier. They will also need to assess the fitness of Niakhate, Origi, and Elanga. Arsenal will be missing Vieira, Timber, Elneny, Partey, and Tomiyasu, while they need to do a fitness check on Rice and Gabriel.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: DLLWWL
Away: LWDLLW
Arsenal beat Forest 2-1 back in August while Forest managed a 1-0 home win last May. Arsenal did win 5-0 at the Emirates in October 2022 but Forest have managed to win their last three home ties with Arsenal in all competitions. Forest struggled against Bristol City thanks to their mounting injury woes, although Arsenal have concerns of their own over Rice and Gabriel. I think Arteta's side should have enough to overcome their hoodoo at the City Ground and secure the three points.
Final score: 0-1
Fulham - Everton
The Cottagers are sitting in thirteenth with 24 points while the Toffees are sitting in seventeenth with 17 points.
Fulham lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last time out before their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool ended in elimination 3-2 on aggregate, while their FA Cup fourth round tie with Newcastle saw them beaten 0-2. The Cottagers have been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions in a matter of days and Marco Silva will need to motivate his side as they sit eight points above the relegation zone. With four losses in five league games over the winter period the club's top half aspirations have been dented, although they did beat Arsenal during that schedule. They failed to score in their other four games, but at Craven Cottage this season they have scored 19 of their 28 goals while taking 18 of their 24 points.
Everton drew with Villa in the league last time out before overcoming Palace in their FA Cup third round replay. They followed that up against Luton in the fourth round with a poor performance which saw the Toffees eliminated. Dyche's side, who are facing a potential second points deduction, lost for the first time in 2024, but they have also only taken a single point from their last four league games. Eliminated from both domestic cups means they can focus on trying to stay in the division, but they are just a point above the drop zone. They do have five league away wins so far this campaign and rediscovering their form will be key to ensuring this is not the season they go down.
Fulham will be without Adama Traore, Bassey, Ballo-Toure, and Iwobi as all are at AFCON. Everton will be missing Doucoure, Alli, and Gueye, while they need to assess Coleman, Gomes, and Young.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: WLLLWL
Away: WWLLLD
Fulham overcame Everton back at Goodison Park in August 2023, while in December 2023 Fulham beat Everton on penalties to reach the Carabao Cup Semi-Finals this season, and the Cottagers have managed four wins in their last five with the Toffees. Fulham should be strong enough at home to see off Dyche's side, although fatigue may play a role here.
Final score: 2-1
Luton - Brighton
The Hatters are sitting in eighteenth with 16 points while the Seagulls are sitting in seventh with 32 points.
Luton drew at Turf Moor in a 1-1 draw with Burnley last time out in the league before beating Bolton 2-1 in their FA Cup third round replay. Their fourth round tie with Everton ended with the Hatters progressing into the next round. Four months on from beating Everton for their first ever Premier League win, the Hatters enjoyed more success over their relegation rivals and sit only a point off safety with a game in hand. Luton are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, and have lost just one of their last seven fixtures since December the 23rd. Home form has been patchy, losing three of their last four at Kenilworth Road in the league, but Edwards will motivate his side knowing a win couple with dropped points for Everton would see the club move out of the relegation zone.
Brighton drew 0-0 with Wolves last time out in the league before their FA Cup fourth round clash against Sheffield United saw Brighton win 5-2 to progress into the fifth round. De Zerbi's side have found their scoring touch in their cup games, but drew blanks in their 2024 Premier League games with West Ham and Wolves. With only three wins in their previous fifteen league games the club is lacking consistency, but are only eight points off fifth and three off sixth. They got their first away clean sheet of the season in the draw with West Ham in early January and De Zerbi will look to create a run of form to ignite their hopes of back-to-back European qualification.
Luton will be without Marvelous Nakamba, Andersen, Clark, Kabore, and Lockyer. Brighton will be missing Enciso, March, Veltman, Fati, Mitoma, and Adingra.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: LLWWLD
Away: DLDWDD
Brighton beat Luton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium back in August 2023 while their last competitive fixture before that was in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in 2009 where they played out a 1-1 draw. Brighton have shown their scoring ability against lower opposition of later in their cup games and will be expecting similar against Luton here. They should have enough about them to register a win, although the Hatters wont make it easy.
Final score: 1-2
Crystal Palace - Sheffield United
The Eagles are sitting in fifteenth with 21 points while the Blades are sitting in bottom position with 10 points.
Palace lost 5-0 against Arsenal last time out in the league and have not played since then following their FA Cup third round elimination against Everton. The break should do Hodgson's side the world of good as they sit five points clear of the relegation zone. They club have just one win in their last ten Premier League games, and conceded on average two goals a game in that period. Fans have voiced their concern and dismay at the manager and club ownership, and with managerial options available on the market Hodgson will know improving form immediately may be the only way to save his position.
The Blades managed a 2-2 draw with West Ham last time out in the league before their FA Cup fourth round clash against Brighton ended with the Blades being eliminated in a 5-2 defeat. The Yorkshire club are on an awful run of 16 defeats in their last 19 away league games in the Premier League, scoring only 7 times in that sequence and never more than once in a game. Brereton Diaz has given them more options in attack but they sit seven points off safety with games running out. Having conceded 51 times in the Premier League this season they have by far the worst defence in the league.
Palace will be missing Doucoure, Olise, Holding, Ward, and Ayew, while they need to assess Rak-Sakyi. Sheffield United will be without Basham, Egan, Baldock, and Brewster, while Davies and Lowe need to be assessed.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: LDDLWL
Away: WLDLLD
Palace managed a 1-0 win over the Blades back in August 2023 and Palace have won their last three in the Premier League against Sheffield United. This relegation clash is going to be an intense battle with both sides likely putting everything on the line to secure the three points. Neither side can afford to drop more points, and therefore I can see this game ending in a draw.
Final score: 1-1
Aston Villa - Newcastle
The Lions have 43 points and sit in fourth while Newcastle have 29 points and sit in tenth.
Villa drew with Everton last time out in the league and their FA Cup fourth round tie with Chelsea ended with a 0-0 draw. Emery has done a masterful job with his side sitting five points off league leaders Liverpool and level on points with both Manchester City and Arsenal. With back-to-back goalless draws in their last two fixtures Emery will hope his side can rediscover their scoring touch here. Back on home soil following three away games, Villa have won 16 of their last 17 Premier League games at Villa Park. The Lions are solid defensively and possess a quality attacking output, and the West Midlands club will look to prove they can compete with the best in this stellar campaign.
Newcastle lost 3-2 at home to Manchester City last time out in the league to make it four league defeats in a row. Their FA Cup fourth round clash with Fulham ended with a 2-0 win for Howe's side. The Magpies have lost their last four league matches and sit 14 points off Villa in fourth. They have accumulated the least amount of points in the league since the beginning of December while they also have the second worst away record in the division. With their injuries piling up and mental fatigue visible, their mid-season break should have done the world of good for the club. Howe will need to ensure his side get back to their best and push for some sort of European football next season to continue the progress of the club.
Emery will be without the services of Buendia, Duran, Mings, and Bertrand Traore, while they will also need to check on the fitness of Pau Torres, Digne, and Ramsey. Howe will travel south without Tonali, Joelinton, Pope, Willock, Anderson, Barnes, Targett, and Almiron. They will also need to assess Wilson and Murphy.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: WWDLWD
Away: LWLLLL
Newcastle managed to beat Villa 5-1 at home in the league back in August 2023, while Newcastle won 4-0 at home in October 2022 and Villa won 3-0 at home in April 2023. Villa are unbeaten in their last six home games against Newcastle and will look to extend that run here. They are strong and should be full of vigour, even though they will be feeling fatigued and have a cup replay ahead. Nonetheless, I expect Villa to show enough to secure the three points here and all but end any slim hopes Newcastle have of getting back into the Champions League next season.
Final score: 2-0
Manchester City - Burnley
The Citizens sit in second place with 43 points while Burnley sit in nineteenth with 12 points.
Manchester City beat Newcastle with some last drama last time out in the league, while the FA Cup fourth round clash away to Spurs saw Pep's side secure a narrow 1-0 win. The win over Spurs ended a five game winless streak without scoring a goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Pep will hope his side are finally back on track. They won their last three league games in a row and sit five points off league leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. Nine wins and a draw in their last ten in all competitions bodes well, and Guardiola's side have often shown dominance during the season half of seasons.
Burnley held Luton to a drew last time out in the league and did not feature in the fourth round of the FA Cup after Spurs beat them in the previous round. Its been 19 days since their last competitive game and while the players should be fresh, there is always a risk of rustiness. Burnley will know they have slim chances here, but the Clarets have managed double the amount of points gained on the road, eight, this season compared to the four gained at Turf Moor. Kompany will also hope he can put one over his former side and manager and push Burnley into a survival bid as they sit five points from safety.
City will need to check on the fitness of Akanji and Haaland before the game. Burnley meanwhile will be without Redmond, Koleosho, Taylor, and Beyer. They also need to check on Berge, Ramsey, and Delcroix.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: LWDWWW
Away: DLWLLD
Manchester City 3-0 at Turf Moor back in August 2023, while the Citizens won 6-0 at home when they hosted Burnley in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals in March 2023. City have managed to win 16 of their last 17 meetings with Burnley, including the last 12 encounters, so Pep's side will be clear favourites going into this one. I think they can make a statement here with a comprehensive win and show they league they are very much still favourites for the title.
Final score: 3-0
Tottenham - Brentford
Spurs are currently fifth with 40 points while the Bees are sitting in fourteenth with 22 points.
Tottenham drew 2-2 at Old Trafford in their last Premier League game, while their FA Cup fourth round game with City saw Spurs narrowly lose 1-0. In doing so they ended their unbeaten five game home run against City, leaving Ange with only the league left to play for in his first season in charge. A 16-year silverware drought goes on and securing top four is the most likely best case scenario for the season. Sitting three points off fourth, they are without a league win since New Years Eve but Spurs have scored in each of their last 33 top-flight matches.
Brentford beat Forest 3-2 in their last league game and have not play since due to being eliminated by Wolves in the third round. Their win over Forest ended a five game losing streak in the league and the fans will be hoping Toney can continue to inspire an upturn in form. The club sit six points above the relegation places and have lost each of their last four league games away from home. They have also lost their previous two London derbies, against Arsenal and Palace, so Frank will look to end those losing streaks in this encounter.
Spurs will be missing Solomon, Sarr, Solomon, Son, and Bissouma. They also need to check on Lo Celso. Brentford will be without Henry, Mbeumo, Hickey, Schade, Reguilon, Wissa, Onyeka, and Ghoddos. They also need to check on Norgaard's fitness.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: WWWLWD
Away: LLLLLW
These sides played out a 2-2 draw at the Gtech Stadium back in August 2023, the same as they did last season. However, the Bees managed a 3-1 away win in the league to Spurs in May 2023 and are unbeaten in their last four games against Tottenham. However, Spurs have only lost once in their last nine league encounters with the Bees and should be considered favourites going into this one. Although Toney is back and firing, I think Spurs should have enough about them to secure the win.
Final score: 3-2
Liverpool - Chelsea
The Reds sit top of the table with 48 points, while Chelsea sit in ninth with 31 points.
Liverpool beat Bournemouth 4-0 in the league before their Carabao Cup semi final with Fulham ended with a 3-2 aggregate win for the Reds before their FA Cup fourth round tie with Norwich saw Liverpool advance with a 5-2 victory. However amidst all the success on the pitch the devastating news for fans that Klopp is to leave at the end of the season hit hard. With 199 Premier League wins to his name so far, Klopp will hope to become the second fastest manager after Pep Guardiola to reach 200 wins in the competition. Leading the league and having reached the Carabao Cup final, along with still being in the FA Cup and Europa League, Klopp will hope to make it an outstanding season for his last in charge of the club. A five point advantage over the chasing pack might not last for long with a game against Arsenal to follow this one, so Klopp will need his side to continue their strong form and momentum here, and I expect the fans will be in strong voice for this game.
Chelsea beat Fulham 1-0 last time out in the league before their Carabao Cup semi final second leg with Middlesbrough ended with a 6-2 aggregate win for Chelsea. They followed that up against Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round with a 0-0 draw. Pochettino’s men will see this as a good opportunity for a preview of the upcoming Carabao Cup final, and with them sitting nine points off fifth placed Spurs a win in the Cup could ensure they get into Europe next season. Coming into this on the back of three league wins in a row, a victory here would make Pochettino the first Chelsea manager since Tuchel to win four league games in a row.
Liverpool will be without Matip, Bajcetic, Thiago, Tsimikas, Salah, and Endo, while they need to check the fitness of Szoboszlai and Alexander-Arnold. Chelsea will be missing Wesley Fofana, James, Lavia, Cucurella, Jackson, Sanchez, and Ugochukwu. They will also need to check on the fitness of Nkunku, Gusto, and Chalobah.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: WDDWWW
Away: LWLWWW
Chelsea held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge last season, while they played out two 0-0 draws in the league last season in January and April 2023. With the Carabao Cup final consisting of these two sides these should be a fantastic preview to what the Carabao Cup Final should entail. While Chelsea have found some form again of late, I think Liverpool at Anfield should be too strong and therefore Klopp's men will take the three points.
Final score: 3-1
West Ham - Bournemouth
The Hammers occupy sixth with 35 points while Bournemouth are sitting in twelfth with 25 points.
West Ham drew 2-2 with Sheffield United last time out in the league and have not played since then as Bristol City knocked them out of the FA Cup in the third round. It has been a disappointing start to 2024 for the club but with the Europa League knockouts coming down the line the club has plenty to look forward to. Sitting eight points off the top four is a dream scenario for most Hammers fans, especially following their poor domestic campaign last season. Moyes guided them to big wins over Arsenal and Manchester United in December and finding that form again will be imperative to any success following draws in their last two league outings.
The Cherries lost in the league 4-0 against Liverpool last time out in the league before their FA Cup fourth round tie against Swansea saw the Cherries thrash them 5-0. With back-to-back defeats in their last two league outings Iraola's side have fallen off course, but had been one of the form teams in the league prior to that. They will be well rested going into this one and have won eight of their last eleven games in all competitions. With progress ensured in the FA Cup getting back on track in the league will be paramount to ensuring Iraola's side add to the nine points between themselves and the relegation zone.
The Hammers will be without Benrahma, Paqueta, Kudus, Antonio, Coufal, and Aguerd. The fitness of Edson Alvarez also needs to be assessed. Bournemouth will be Adams, Hamed Traore, Fredericks, Aarons, Ouattara, Hill, and Randolph. The fitness of Smith also needs to be checked.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: LWWWDD
Away: WWWWLL
The Cherries held West Ham to a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium back in August 2023, while West won 2-0 at home in the league in October 2022 and 4-0 away in the league in April 2023. West Ham should consider themselves favourites going into this one, although it wont be easy. Keeping Solanke quiet will be imperative for the Hammers and getting the most out of Bowen should be enough to see them secure a narrow home win.
Final score: 2-1
Wolves - Manchester United
Wolves are currently eleventh with 29 points while Manchester United sit in eight with 32 points.
Wolves drew 0-0 in their last Premier League game against Brighton before beat Brentford in their FA Cup third round replay and then their fourth round game against West Brom saw Wolves progress with a 2-0 victory. Wolves sit 13 points above the drop zone and O'Neil will be delighted with his sides efforts thus far. Wolves have only lost twice at Molineux all season and are unbeaten in their last seven in all competitions. Wins at home over Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea will have the home fans full of confidence, especially with four wins from their last five home league games.
Ten Hag's side drew 2-2 at home to Spurs last time out in the league while against Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round they managed to overcome Newport 4-2. They sit 11 points off fourth and have only managed a single league win in their last six outings. Three defeats from their last four away league games has left Ten Hag with plenty to ponder, while they also failed to score in three of their last four Premier League matches on the road.
Wolves will be missing Boubacar Traore and Joao Gomes, while the fitness of Sarabia and Hwang need to be assessed. United will be without Martial, Malacia, Lindelof, and Amrabat. Rashford and Mount are also doubts.
Form Last Six League Games:
Home: DLWWWD
Away: LDLWLD
Wolves were left feeling hard done by when they left Old Trafford with a 1-0 defeat back in August 2023. Last season United managed to beat Wolves twice, 1-0 at Molineux in December 2022 and 2-0 at home in May 2023. The season before that both sides managed 1-0 away wins over each other so the form has been on United's side, but their current form in the league leaves a lot to be desired. While Wolves should be full of confidence and capable of a win here, I think United will just about manage to scrape a draw.
Final score: 2-2
Match Prediction Summary
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal
Fulham 2-1 Everton
Luton 1-2 Brighton
Crystal Palace 1-1 Sheffield United
Aston Villa 2-0 Newcastle
Manchester City 3-0 Burnley
Tottenham 3-2 Brentford
Liverpool 3-1 Chelsea
West Ham 2-1 Bournemouth
Wolves 2-2 Manchester United
Check out my 2023/24 Season Predictions here: Predictions 23/24 Season
Have a great day, I hope you enjoyed the preview of the matches and get to see the games.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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