Good day everyone,
I hope you are all well and had a great week, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things sports. This weekends round of fixtures is the final one before the six week break for the World Cup in Qatar. We have some exciting clashes after the midweek Carabao Cup games, with Spurs hosting Leeds, Chelsea visiting Newcastle, Wolves welcoming Arsenal and Brighton playing host to Villa.
Fixtures - Times are shown as U.K. Time
This weeks round of fixtures will see the games kicking off on Saturday lunchtime and finishing on Sunday evening.
Saturday 12th November 2022
Manchester City - Brentford 12.30pm KO (Kick Off)
Bournemouth - Everton 3pm KO
Liverpool - Southampton 3pm KO
Nottingham Forest - Crystal Palace 3pm KO
Tottenham - Leeds 3pm KO
West Ham - Leicester 3pm KO
Newcastle - Chelsea 5.30pm KO
Wolves - Arsenal 5.30pm KO
Sunday 13th November 2022
Brighton - Aston Villa 2pm KO
Fulham - Manchester United 4.30pm 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 weekends matches. Remember this is just my fun analysis and should not be taken as advice or a guarantee.
Manchester City - Brentford
It was a week of different fortune for these sides, as Man City overcame Chelsea in the Carabao Cup while Brentford were eliminated by Gillingham. A win here would move 2nd place Man City back to the top of the league, albeit until hours play, while Brentford sit in 11th position. An impressive 16-game winning run at the Etihad across all competitions has seen Man City become unstoppable at home, scoring 61 goals in the process. Man City have won seven of their last eight top-flight matches and will look to finish out their fixtures before the World Cup break with another victory. Its been a tough week for Brentford, after getting knocked out of the Cup and conceding a late equaliser to Forest last time out. They have won only one of their last nine matches across all competitions and have only managed three league wins so far this season. They have also not beaten Man City since Christmas Day in 1937, meaning this will be a tough ask of them here. Walker is still ruled out with injury for Man City but Cancelo will be back after his one match ban. As for the Bees, they will be missing Ajer, Baptiste, Jansson, Strakosha, Hickey, and Goode. Man City came away with maximum points after dominating both encounters against Brentford last season and will expect more of the same here. Brentford are on a poor run of form and barring a miracle, will likely finish before the World Cup break with another loss. Therefore I am backing Man City to extend their home winning run and secure the points with a 3-0 win.
Bournemouth - Everton
Bournemouth thrashed Everton by 4-1 in the Cup during the week, giving Lampard his lowest point as the Toffees manager so far. The Cherries currently sit in 17th position, with Everton sitting one point and one place above them. The Toffee's lack of squad depth was glaringly obvious as they fell to a heavy defeat, with Bournemouth ending their four-game losing run in the process. This game will give them a chance to further boost their morale, having never lost a Premier League home encounter with Everton in five games. The Cherries do however boast the worst defence in the league and a win would see them guaranteed to go above their opponents before the season break. Everton meanwhile have been lacking a creative spark, as their three main creators, Gordon, Gray, and McNeil have less assists than Pickford so far this season. No side has faced more shots in the Premier League than Lampard's side meaning their defence has been under immense pressure this season, with an astounding 56 shots faced in their previous three games, meaning a return of Coady and Tarkowski will be vital in this encounter. Bournemouth will be missing Mepham through suspension, while Brooks, Kelly, and Neto are all ruled out. Everton meanwhile will be without Calvert-Lewin and Townsend, while Holgate will require a late assessment. The lack of goalscorers is a real issue for Everton, as facing a terrible defence means nothing if you have nobody to finish a chance. Therefore I am going to go for Bournemouth in this one, getting a narrow win over Everton by a score of 2-1.
Liverpool - Southampton
What a week for Liverpool. They overcame Derby in the Carabao Cup along with giving some of their youngsters a run out including the hyped Bajcetic, Doak, and Ramsay, while news broke that the owners FSG are interested in selling part of all of their ownership of the club. Southampton meanwhile overcame Sheffield Wednesday to progress into the next round of the Cup. A fixture away to City in the next round of the Cup will be a huge return once the World Cup is finished, but Liverpool are seemingly set to enter the World Cup break on a high note with their wins over Spurs and Napoli of late. They have come undone against teams in the relegation places recently but are in a fight for a European place as they sit in 8th in the table. They could win four games in a row for the first time all season with a victory here, but face the risk of a new manager bounce against the Saints. Southampton bid farewell to Hasenhuttl during the week, replacing him with Nathan Jones from Luton Town. The Saints were hammered 4-1 in the league last time out but it will mean little as Jones looks to instil a fight in these players. They sit in 18th and just a point from safety, but have only scored one goal in their last five Premier League away games. A defeat here would also ensure the Saints are in a relegation spot at Christmas for the first time since 2004-05. The Reds will be missing Diaz, Arthur, and Jota, while there are doubt over Milner, Keita, and Matip. Southampton meanwhile will travel North without Livramento and Walker-Peters, while Larios is a doubt. While the recent defeats to Leeds and Forest have shown a weakness for Liverpool against relegation zone teams, I think the change in manager is unlikely to count for much for Southampton. It is Liverpool determined to enter the World Cup break on a high and pushing back towards the top six or higher places, and therefore can see them winning at home by a score of 4-1.
Nottingham Forest - Crystal Palace
Forest overcame Spurs in the Cup while Palace held Newcastle to a 0-0 before being knocked out in a penalty shootout. With Forest bottom of the table and Palace sitting in 10th position, the minimum the home side will need is another dramatic late equaliser like their previous league game against Brentford. Their win over Spurs during the week could be the boost they may had needed as they have now extended their unbeaten run at the City Ground to four matches across all competitions. A win here could take them off the bottom of the table but having conceded a total of 30 goals in 14 league games so far it means only Bournemouth have conceded more. Palace suffered defeat in the Cup but Vieira's side had put together a decent run of form in the league with four wins and a draw in their previous six. They are five points above the bottom three and will hope to push into a top half finish on current form, although their win at West Ham ended last time in the league an eight-game winless away run in the top flight, so fans will be cautious with their optimism. Nottingham Forest will be without Mangala due to suspension while Richards, Niakhate, Toffolo, and Biancone are ruled out. McKenna and Kouyate are also doubts. Palace will be without McArthur and Richards while Edouard is also a doubt for this one. Its likely to be a closely-fought contest here and both will fancy their chances at getting a win. While Forest seem to have turned a corner at home, I think Palace will be that step above them in quality and therefore I expect a 1-2 away win here.
Tottenham - Leeds
Both these sides got eliminated in the Carabao Cup during the week and will look to finish their campaign before the World Cup break with a high. Spurs will be looking to avoid a third defeat in a row in all competitions here, as they sit in 4th place and welcome 12th place Leeds to London. Conte will be disappointed how his side lost to Forest in the Cup as another chance of silverware has now gone begging for his side. His strong side were pulled apart and after their loss at home to Liverpool he will be determined they end before the World Cup break on a high. They have fallen off the pace in recent weeks amid their dismal spell of form in the league title race, sitting six points behind City, and having managed victory in just two of their last seven games in all tournaments is an alarming statistic. Leeds meanwhile have conceded first in each of their last seven matches in all competitions and while defeat in the Cup to Wolves was not welcomed, it will possibly do them good by not having additional games to focus on. Marsch has seen his side come back to secure dramatic wins over Liverpool and Bournemouth recently and will be hoping to add Spurs to that list. Those back to back wins mean Leeds are three points above the drop zone and will be hoping to make it three league wins in a row for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Spurs will be without Sessegnon, Son, and Romero for this one, while Leeds will be missing Dallas, Sinisterra, Bamford, Gelhardt, Gray, Klich, and Forshaw, while Harrison is also a doubt. It may not be pretty, but with the returns of Kulusevski and Richarlison likely, we can expect Conte to go back to his tried and tested system. The Lilywhites will not make it easy for Spurs but I expect Tottenham to have enough about them to secure a 3-1 home win here.
West Ham - Leicester
The Hammers were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Blackburn during the week while the Foxes comfortably beat Newport County to progress. Moyes will be disappointed with his sides showing of late, with their Cup exit coming after back-to-back Premier League defeats against Manchester United and Crystal Palace. Moyes is beginning to come under some pressure in East London having only managed to win once in their last five Premier League games and slipping down to 15th in the table. They have however have fared better on home soil so far this season and had won six successive matches at the London Stadium before their 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last weekend, so they will be looking to get that run going once more. Leicester meanwhile had a routine 3-0 win at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night on the back of some excellent recent form which has seen them move up to 14th in the league. Rodgers had been under pressure in recent weeks following Leicester's poor start to the campaign but their run of four victories in their last five matches across all competitions has eased the pressure. They have only conceded once in their last five league games having shipped 24 goals in the nine prior. The Hammers will be without Cornet for this one while Paqueta is also a doubt. The Foxes will travel to London without Justin, Pereira, Soyuncu, and Bertrand. Each of the last seven meetings between these two sides have seen at least three goals scored and with contrasting form I expect more goals here. Interestingly I think Leicester will have the better defence, but Moyes will be determined to get something from his match and therefore a draw seems likely. Expect Maddison to be at his best following his World Cup place announcement, and the result to be 2-2.
Newcastle - Chelsea
A penalty shootout saw Newcastle progress in the Cup over Palace, while Chelsea were beaten by two goals against Man City during the week. It has been quite a year for Newcastle, who occupy 3rd spot in the league having been bottom of the table twelve months ago. They will certainly be expecting to challenge for the biggest prizes in European football in the not too distant future and Howe looks like he is on target to secure them European football assuming they can maintain this form. A record of seven wins, six draws and one defeat so far this campaign could see them surpass all expectations and break into the top four, but any sort of European football would be strong progress. They have now won each of their last five matches in all competitions so Chelsea will face a difficult test here. Having lost to City in the Cup and picking up just two points from their last four matches, Potters side are currently in 7th position. Their four-game winless run has seen them slip 5 points off fourth place and six behind Newcastle, although Chelsea have a game in hand against Liverpool. The six time English Champions have beaten Newcastle in each of their last four Premier League encounters but this will be a different task altogether. The Magpies will be without Isak, Ritchie, Krafth, and Dummett for this one, while Fraser and Wilson are doubts. Chelsea meanwhile will be missing James, Kane, Fofana, Chukwuemeka, Kepa, and Chilwell. Howe and Potter have shown the talent younger English managers can poses and are doing fine just at their sides so far. In recent years this would have been an easy win for Chelsea, but not anymore. With different levels of form I think this could go either way, but seeing as Newcastle are at home they are unlikely to suffer a defeat and therefore it should finish as a 1-1 draw.
Wolves - Arsenal
A narrow win over Leeds saw Wolves progress in the Carabao Cup, while league leaders Arsenal were eliminated early thanks to an impressive comeback from Brighton. Wolves have got the prospect of Lopetegui to look forward to after the World Cup, but for now Davis is doing a fine job leading the side. They languish in 19th after a poor start under Lage and things have yet to turn in their favour. Injuries and a lack of goals have contributed to this poor start, while conceding at least three goals in three of their last four Premier League home matches has not helped matters. Arsenal suffered a rare domestic defeat in the Cup during the week, and the league leaders will be hoping they can return to winning ways here. Arteta is somewhat lacking in depth when it comes to his squad and defeat in the Cup may be a blessing in disguise for their league push. HIs side have now won six and drawn one of their last seven Premier League games and the five points they have dropped have all come away from home so far. A win will guarantee they are top at Christmas thanks to the World Cup break, and it will be a chance for them to be top at the festive period and go on to win the league for the first time since 1948. Wolves will be missing Costa as he serves the third of his three game ban, while Raul Jimenez, Kalajdzic, Neto, and Chiquinho are all ruled out. Otto and Nunes are also doubts, but Semedo will be back after his suspension. Arsenal meanwhile will be missing Tomiyasu and Smith Rowe. It is difficult to see how Wolves can get anything here, and I think Davis will just be looking to end his reign without a hammering. The face the league's joint-best defence and Arteta will certain restore his strongest starting eleven for this one. Therefore I can only see it ending up one way, and a 0-2 win for Arsenal.
Brighton - Aston Villa
A strong win over Arsenal saw Brighton through in the Carabao Cup while Villa played out a thrilling game against United which ended in defeat. It has been an interesting time for Brighton under new manager De Zebri, having beaten Arsenal after dismantling Wolves and Chelsea in the league, and the Seagulls currently sit in 6th position in the table. They will be aiming for four wins on the bounce in all competitions for the first time since April 2017. Sitting just 5 points off top four has given Brighton a real hope that they can secure European Football for next season while they have managed to score ten goals in their previous three games. Amazingly, both Brighton and Villa have the league high record for scoring the most goals in the opening 15 minutes of games this season. Villa under Emery have been exciting to watch so far, and while they ultimately lost in the Cup to United, they are sitting in 13th and he will be determined to shoot them up the table having overcame United in the league. The former Arsenal and Villarreal boss will look to end their run of zero wins away from home this season. Villa did manage to beat Brighton twice last season in the league but their away form could hamper them here. Brighton will be missing Mwepu and Moder for this one, while Villa will travel South without Coutinho and Diego Carlos. The Amex crowd will be on high spirits before the World Cup break, and they will be willing their side on to get the victory. Villa should not be underestimated with Emery in charge, but I think we will see the best of them once the football return after Christmas. Therefore, I am back a home win, and a fourth in a row for Brighton, by a score line of 3-2.
Fulham - Manchester United
Crawley had already knocked Fulham out of the Carabao Cup in the previous round, meaning the Cottagers will be well rested for a United team who produced an excellent second half to come back, twice, and beat Villa in the Cup. Fulham are sitting in 9th in the league and are certainly punching above their weight, with Mitrovic showing he can lead them to safety upfront after their last three Premier League seasons have ended in relegation. They have a record of five wins, four draws and five defeats in the league this term which has excited their fans, but only three sides have concede more than them this season. Their four game unbeaten run was ended by Man City last time out, but Silva's side showed they can mix it with the best in that one. United meanwhile saw a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end last weekend when they lost to Villa and currently sit in 5th place in the league. An end to end second half against the same side in the Cup saw United emerge with the victory but Ten Hag will be desperate to sign off for the break with all three points and show their intent of securing a top four finish. The Cottagers will be missing Mitrovic, Kebano, Solomon, Tete, and Reed. United will travel to London without Dalot, Varane, Williams, Tuanzebe, and Greenwood, while Anthony, Ronaldo, and Sancho are all doubts. Fulham will not be at full strength this weekend, and the absence of Mitrovic is the biggest blow to them here. I think Fulham have shown in their games against Liverpool, Arsenal, and City that they can handle top six teams. This will be a close encounter as United will be drained after their Cup exploits along with missing some of their own key players. A lack of goal scorers could be over with Rashford back in form, but he will need to be at his best here to get United a result and therefore I expect this game to end in a 2-2 draw.
Check out my 2022/23 Season Preview and Predictions here: Premier League 2022/23 Prediction
Also check out my review of the group draw and prediction of the Champions League for this season here: Champions League 2022/23 Prediction and the final result of the Champions League along with how my predictions worked out can be found here: Champions League 22/23 Groups
You can find my updated predictions after the Round of 16 Champions League draw here: Champions League 22/23 Round of 16 Draw & Prediction
Have a great day, I hope you enjoyed the preview of the matches and get to see the games in the weekend matches before the World Cup.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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