Good day everyone,

I hope you are all well and had an excellent Christmas & New Years while enjoying the latest matches of the festive games, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things sports. After the tragic loss of one of if not the greatest ever player in Pele, this round of games saw a disaster class from Faes to give Liverpool the win at Anfield, United go marching on with another three points, Haaland cannot stop scoring but City slipped up at home once again, while Arsenal are looking unstoppable.

If you would like to check out the preview on this round of games it can be found here: https://www.publish0x.com/cryptogod-1-sports/premier-league-2223-match-week-17-preview-xlqxwev

Week Predictions & Final Results

So in terms of the predicted scores, it was a weekend with no correct predicted scores as I got 0/10, howevern terms of match-winner/loser, I managed to predict 3/10 correctly in this round of games.

Predicted: West Ham 2-2 Brentford

Result: West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Toney, Dasilva

West Ham started the brighter here, having two penalty claims waved away in the opening fifteen minutes, but as is often the case in football it was Brentford who struck first. The Hammers switched off from a long throw, where Pinnock flicked the ball onto Norgaard who tested Fabianski with a first time shot, and the rebound fell kindly for Toney to finish on 18 minutes. From there Brentford closed down shop, stifling any real momentum West Ham had began to build and happy to sit back and protect their lead. The Hammers were poor in their creativity, and two minutes before the break Brentford stuck again through Dasilva, this time with Toney flicking on from a throw in and Cresswell not able to keep pace. Paqueta came close at the end of the half but just missed from 20 yards. The Hammers thought they had a penalty early in the second half, but it was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Bowen pushed hard for West Ham, putting himself about but Brentford continued to look comfortable soaking up the pressure and looking strong when they made their breaks forward. Brentford looked the more threatening towards the end of the match, and Coufal was lucky not to get a red card prior to a succession of Brentford misses before West Ham are wasteful with their own chances. The home side just seemed to be going through the motions, and it is dark days currently under Moyes, especially after the highs of last season. A sour note to end the game saw Toney go down and looked to have badly damaged his knee, needing to be stretchered off. Brentford held on for the win, while West Ham have now failed to score a first-half goal in 12 of their 17 games this season, more than any other top flight side. The Hammers have lost their last five in the league, while Brentford are now unbeaten in the league in their last five games.

Predicted: Liverpool 3-1 Leicester

Result: Liverpool 2-1 Leicester

Faes OG x2 - Dewsbury-Hall

This game didn't start how the Anfield crowd would have expected, as on four minutes a simple layoff from Daka saw Dewsbury-Hall have all the space imaginable to run in on goal and score past Alisson. Daka was forced off with a hamstring injury but his replacement Vardy almost set up Barnes only for Alexander-Arnold to block. Salah had chances for Liverpool, wasting one and seeing another ruled out for offside. On 38 minutes the game changed, as Faes tried to an Alexander-Arnold cross only for it to loop over Ward and into the top corner. The keeper could be heard screaming it was his ball but Faes did not heed him. On 45 minutes Nunez broke through and chipped the ball over Ward only to see it crash back off the post, but Feas forced the ball into his own goal while trying to clear it. The second half was an open affair, as Liverpool and Leicester both failed to take control of the game and squandered chances. Nunez linked up well with Salah but could not convert once again. However, he looked like a handful for the Leicester defenders and its positive signs. The Foxes could not get a proper footing in the game and both Barnes and Dewsbury-Hall passed up good chances. Only four players have scored two own goal in a Premier League game including Carragher (1999, Liverpool vs Man Utd), Proctor (2003, Sunderland vs Charlton) and Walters (2013, Stoke vs Chelsea). Liverpool meanwhile have now managed to win four league games in a row, their longest run of this season. It was also the 50th Premier League game in 2022 where a team who conceded the first goal of the game went on to win the game.

Predicted: Wolves 2-2 Manchester United 

Result: Wolves 0-1 Manchester United 

Rashford

It was a late winner coming in the 76th minute from substitute Rashford which saw off the spirited challenge of Wolves here. United had won seven out of eight in all competitions prior to this game, and had scored in each of their last ten games. Wolves however, who have been vulnerable at the back this season, held strong for the majority of this encounter. Casemiro's header went over and Garnacho could not beat Sa after getting onto a Semedo back pass. Antony also saw an effort cleared off the line by Sa just before the break. Wolves for their part had chances, but nothing substantial when ever really threatened De Gea. Rashford and Traore came on for their respective teams at the break to liven things up, as Traore proved a real threat to United. It was United who would strike through, as Bruno found Rashford and the England man got free of Otto, Collins, and Gomes to put the ball low into the back of the net. Rashford soon after saw a goal ruled out for handball after his shot had bounched into the net off Sa, but it mattered little as Wolves could not cause any serious damage and by sitting deeper invited the pressure onto themselves, however a late Jimenez almost stole a point only for De Gea to save smartly. That makes it three goals for Rashford in three consecutive appearances in all competitions since his return from the World Cup. Wolves meanwhile have only managed to secure wins this season against the two teams below them in the Premier League table.

Predicted: Bournemouth 1-1 Crystal Palace

Result: Bournemouth 0-2 Crystal Palace

Ayew, Eze

Bournemouth had their new owner Bill Foley and minority shareholder Michael B Jordan watching in the stands for this one, but it was a game to forget on all accounts. Schlupp missed an early chance for Palace, and Palace wasted a number of set pieces before they took the lead on 19 minutes as Ayew jumped highest to nod Olise's header into the bottom right corner. It could have been two soon after but Olise couldn't find a teammate with his ball across the box. Guaita produced a springing save to ensure Moore did not head home from an Anthony free kick. On 36 minutes Palace secured the win as Eze  curled a right-footed effort into the bottom left corner from an Olise corner. Guaita was on hand to save from a number of Bournemouth attempts in the second half, while Travers blocked Eze's effort at the other end. Zaha and Mateta wasted chances for Palace, while Dembele could not convert for Bournemouth. Afterwards O'Neil claimed he was furious that his sides standards were not up to scratch, especially at set-plays. The result means Bournemouth have now lost six of their last seven Premier League games. Palace meanwhile have won their last four against Bournemouth and Eze has now scored three goals from outside the box, with only Zaha on four scoring more long range efforts for Palace in the Premier League era.

Predicted: Fulham 2-0 Southampton

Result: Fulham 2-1 Southampton

Ward-Prowse OG, Palhinha - Ward-Prowse

It look some late drama for Fulham to secure the points here, as their excellent return to the Premier League continued. Adams missed a great chance for the Saint when he found himself in a one-on-one with Leno, but soon after Fulham were ahead. It was a strange goal, as Willian floated in a corner to Pereira, whose shot was going wide before Ward-Prowse deflected it into his own net just after the half hour mark. It was after the break when the Saints captain made amends for his earlier error, doing so in his trademark fashion of a long range free kick about  30 yards from goal on 56 minutes to level the scores. From there both sides created chances to steal the points, but it was Fulham who did so just when it seemed new manager Jones would get his first point in charge Tete flicked on a corner for Palhinha to head in at the far post on 88 minutes. It could have been even worse for the Saints as Fulham got a penalty in injury time, only for Bazunu to deny Mitrovic. Southampton's James Ward-Prowse became the fifth player to score an own goal and a direct free kick in a single Premier League. Also amazingly, not since 2010 have Southampton managed to win one of their final twelve league games in a calendar year. Fulham also matched their record of fewest games, 17, to reach 25 points in the Premier League.

Predicted: Manchester City 4-0 Everton

Result: Manchester City 1-1 Everton

Haaland - Gray

A huge result away from home for Everton, as they manage to secure a point against the Champions and put a further dent in Pep's aspirations of retaining the title. Everton showed a lot of spirit and determination in this one, but it was City who struck first. Rodri won the ball off Iwobi to set off a move which included some interplay between De Bruyne and Grealish before Mahrez played the ball into Haaland to score from close range on 24 minutes. The scene seemed set from there, and Stones nearly doubled the lead when his header struck the post just before the break. Haaland caught Mykolenko with a late challenge after and was fortunate just to get a yellow card. In the second half, after a delay thanks to technical issues, it was Everton who struck back on 64 minutes. Rodri lost the ball and Gueye fed Gray down the left  before drifting inside Akanji and unleashing a beautiful thunderous strike past Ederson. City pressed on from there and Pickford had to deny Mahrez with seven minutes to go, while Rodri headed Mahrez's cross just wide in the 11th minute of injury time. It ended all square as City dropped points at home for the second league game in a row for the first time since May 2021. It was Everton's first away point against Manchester City in the league since August 2017. Amazingly though, only Kane has more Premier League goals in all of 2022 than Haaland, even though the Norwegian only joined Man City in the summer.

Predicted: Newcastle 3-0 Leeds

Result: Newcastle 0-0 Leeds

Not the result the home crowd had been hoping for, with Newcastle missing the chance to put some space between themselves and the chasing pack. Newcastle were the stronger side, with both Wood and Schar being denied by Meslier on multiple occasions. Longstaff and Joelinton also wasted glorious chacnes as Newcastle hand an astonishing 16 shots against Leeds, and felt they should have had a penalty late in the first half when Adams made clumsy challenge on Schar in the box. Trippier's set-piece delivery caused Leeds real problems but his teammates could not capitalise on it, while the second half saw both goalkeepers tested early on. Meslier got to the ball at Wood's feet before the striker could react from a Trippier free-kick, while Pope dived to keep out Rodrigo's curling effort. Newcastle began to dominate and brought on both Wilson and Saint-Maxmin to press on and search for a winner but it could not be found. There were high tensions on the pitch towards the final minutes, as confrontations between both sets of players resulted in Wilson and Guimaraes being booked. A share of the spoils is how it ended, with this result means Newcastle's winning run of six games has come to an end. Leeds meanwhile picked up their first point in three league games, and have now gone unbeaten in four consecutive away league games against Newcastle. The Geordies can be pleased with their year however, having amassed 41 points at St James' Park in 2022, with only Liverpool and Man City having better home records.

Predicted: Brighton 1-2 Arsenal

Result: Brighton 2-4 Arsenal

Mitoma, Ferguson - Saka, Ødegaard, Nketiah, Martinelli

Arsenal, safe in the knowledge that Man City had dropped points earlier in the day, overcame a potential Brighton comeback to open a seven point gap at the top of the table to close out 2022 in style. It took only two minutes for Saka to open the scoring, getting on the end of Martinelli's blocked shot. Arsenal had 5 shots on Brighton's goal in the opening five minutes, demonstrating their dominance and intention. Martinelli almost scored on 17 minutes after a lovely Ødegaard pass, but the Norwegian got his goal as a corner was only half cleared and his scuffed shot looped into the far corner on 39 minutes. Two minutes after the restart and it was three when Nketiah was quickest to the ball after a Martinelli shot was saved. Brighton did not give up though, and 65 minutes pulled one back when Gross played a lovely ball to Mitoma who found the bottom corner. With a potential comeback on the cards, Martinelli eased the away fans fears on 71 minutes when he pounced from an Ødegaard pass to make it 4-1. However, Brighton pushed back again and on 77 minutes when youngster Ferguson held off Saliba to score his first Premier League goal. Mitoma jinked into space and fired into the bottom corner on 88 minutes but VAR ruled it offside and put an end to any hopes at the Amex of stealing a point. Saka's goal was the earliest away goal for Arsenal in the Premier League since May 2013, while Ødegaard has 7 goals and 5 assists in his last thirteen appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League.

Predicted: Tottenham 3-2 Aston Villa

Result: Tottenham 0-2 Aston Villa

Buendia, Douglas Luiz

It was a first half to forget for both sets of fans here, with Spurs starting slow once again and not being creative enough with their set pieces. Villa set up to do a job and they did it perfectly, giving the home side real issues with how to break Emery's side down. Watkins had the first big chance, getting in behind but dragged his shot wide, while Son was wasteful at the other end. While Son was not at the races, Perisic created the first real chance for Spurs with a cross for Kane which was going in from the Englishman before Young cleared off the line. Just five minutes into the second half and somewhat out of nowhere Villa took the lead. Lloris must take the blame here, as he spilled a long range shot from Douglas Luiz which allowed Watkins to pounce and lay it off for Buendia to score and making it ten consecutive games where Spurs concede first. Conte's men struggled to find a response, with Perisic shooting over in one of Spurs few chances. Villa looked more threatening at this stage and on 74 minutes they made it two after Watkins won the ball off Kane in midfield and a one-two between Douglas Luiz and McGinn set Douglas Luiz through on goal to score. Emery's side continued to frustrate Spurs as time ran out, and a chorus of boos rang out at the final whistle. Villa have now managed to win three of their last four league games to see a real upturn in form under Emery, while Conte will be bemoaning the slow starts of his Spurs side. They need to get tighter at the back to ensure they do not concede first going forward, as they are struggling in the uphill battle from going behind in every game, with just two wins in their last five league matches.

Predicted: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Chelsea

Result: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Chelsea

Aurier - Sterling

A

Cooper will be delighted with how his side came out in the second half of this one, after going behind on 16 minutes. Sterling opened the scoring when Pulisic crossed in from the left before Boly strangely flicked the ball onto his own crossbar before it landed for Sterling to apply the finish while Henderson was left stranded. Prior to that Johnson had burst clear for Forest but Kepa stood strong to deny him. Potter's side took their foot off the gas after going ahead, coasting into the break feeling like their dominance was enough. From there, Forest came flying out in the second half to assert themselves on the game. Gibbs-White saw a long range effort sash off the underside of the bar but not cross the line, but just after the hour mark Aurier got his side level. Chelsea did not make a convincing effort to clear from a corner and the full back was on hand to volley the ball home from the edge of the six yard box. Chelsea grew back into the game from there as Forest looked happy to settle for a point, and Aubameyang wasted a great chance late on when he somehow failed to meet Ziyech’s cross. The point means Forest have not gotten big results at home against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Spurs, while moving them level on points with West Ham who are in 17th position. Chelsea meanwhile missed the chance to close in on the top four, leaving themselves in 8th and with the worst goal difference of the traditional big six of just +2. Tough times ahead for Potter's side, as they face Man City next.

Table After Match Day 17

A look at the top half of the table and Arsenal have opened a seven point gap at the top of the table, with Newcastle sitting two points behind the reigning champions and United climbing into fourth. Spurs sit in fifth with Liverpool just two points behind as the race for top four gets congested. Fulham, Chelsea, Brighton and Brentford make up the top half.

As for the bottom half, Southampton remain bottom of the standings with Wolves just above them. Forest remain in the bottom three on goal difference with West Ham hovering above them. Everton are a point clear of the relegation places with Bournemouth and Leeds another point ahead. Leicester meanwhile are only three points from the drop but Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have put some distance between themselves and the others to sit comfortably in 11th and 12th positions.

Top Goal scorers After Match Day 17

1 - E. Haaland - Man City - 21 Goals
2 - H Kane - Tottenham - 13 Goals
3 - I. Toney - Brentford - 12 Goals
4 - A. Mitrovic - Fulham - 10 Goals
5 - Rodrigo - Leeds - 9 Goals   
6 - M. Almirón - Newcastle - 9 Goals

+ 7 players on 7 goals

Check out my 2022/23 Season Preview and Predictions here: Premier League 2022/23 Prediction

You can also find my updated predictions after the Round of 16 Champions League draw here: Champions League 22/23 Round of 16 Draw & Prediction

I hope you enjoyed the matches this week. We will be back again straight away as the games continue tomorrow in the hectic schedule of the festive period.

Peace. CryptoGod-1.

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